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Beginners Guide to
Bike Maintenance
How long you can enjoy your bike, not only lies within the quality of the product, but also in the way you treat it. Here are a few easy maintenance tips you can do to start taking care of your bike.
Pumping Tyres
Pumping bike tyres is a very important part of maintaining a bike and it’s one of the easiest. It’s important to know which type of valve is on your tyres; Schrader or Presta. Many pumps are able to change between both but it’s best to check before you buy a pump. A great starter pump is the XLC Aluminium Mini Pump – it can be used on both types of valves.
These are the steps required to pump your tyre:
Remove the dust cap on your tyre. Be sure to keep it nearby as you’ll need to pop it back on when you’re done. The dust cap is there to protect the valve and keep it clean, ensuring it doesn’t get filled with dirt and grime.
Attach your pump to the valve and slowly pump up the tyre. Whilst you’re pumping, frequently check the tyre to see if it’s nearly filled.
Once your tyre is firm enough, remove the pump and replace the cap on top of the valve.
And that's it! Whenever you take a ride, it's important to check your tyres before you go. That way, if it needs a quick pump, you can sort it before you cycle away.
Keeping Your Bike Clean
Keeping a clean bike is great because it means you are more proud of it! You should enjoy riding your Raleigh. It’s a good idea to wear old clothes when you clean your bike – it can get quite messy!
These are the steps you should take when cleaning your bike:
Stand you bike up in a stable position so that it doesn’t fall over.
Pour degreaser into a pot and use a toothbrush to gently scrub the chain and cogs with degreaser – hopefully you’ll see a difference quite quickly. If you gently turn the pedal whilst you’re degreasing, you’ll be able to clean more cogs and teeth as they pass through.
Onto the frame! Get a bucket of warm, soapy water or bike cleaner and wash all the mud and grime off your bike frame with a sponge or old cloth.
Once you’ve covered the whole bike, use a bucket of clean water to rinse the soap suds off.
You can use a soft brush is scrub the rim of your wheels and your brake pads – at the same time, check there is nothing stuck in the inside of the brake pads.
Oiling the Chain
Once you’ve cleaned your bike, it’s actually the perfect time to oil up. Try your best not to get any oil in places it shouldn’t be – like brake pads and wheels rims.
These are the steps you should take when oiling your chain:
Drop a sparing amount of chain lubricant onto the chain links as you slowly turn the pedals, once you’ve been all the way around the chain you can stop.
Lubricate the rear cassette.
Leave the oil to soak for five minutes and then wipe off the excess. You can also oil the bikes other moving parts like brake levers and gear shift levers – use the oil sparingly and remember to wipe up any excess with an old cloth.
And there it is: your quick guide to proper bike maintenance.