Get your bike ready for spring

For many, cycling is a year round activity and for those who have a good sturdy bike and lots of warm winter kit cycling can be a great way to travel and stay fit and healthy during the cold winter months.

However, for most of us, there comes a point when the cold weather and lack of day light makes cycling not so appealing. At this point many of us put our bikes into the shed or garage and wait for the spring time before we start cycling again.

Cycles, like most machines, need to be maintained and one of the ways to do this is through constant use, so during the winter months when they are not used, cycles can develop a number of problems. However, with a little bit of work and a few commonly found tools these problems can be quickly and easily solved.

First of all, tell your mum, dad or carer what you are going to do and see if they will come outside and help you. Get your bike out of the shed and give it a good dust down. Find a safe area where you can work on your bike, you will want to lean it up against a fence or wall Have a good look at it. There are not many hidden components on a bike so any obvious faults may be easily noticed.

Starting at the front of the bike we can work towards the back, imagining that we are working through an ‘M’ shape to cover the whole bike.

Step 1
Have a look at the front tyre, are there any holes, bald patches or damage. Damaged or worn tyres should always be replaced. If the tyre looks ok check its pressure by squeezing it. If it needs some air pump it up, you may need a grown up to help you.

Next, lift the front wheel of the ground and give it a spin. Does it turn smoothly without wobbling? If you have a spanner you can check the tension on the wheel nuts. Ensure that the wheel is safely attached and turns smoothly.

Try pushing the bike forward and pulling the front brake, usually the lever on the right, does it stop the bike? Have a good look at the brake do the parts move as you pull the brake, do the brake pads touch the rim of the wheels. If your bike has disk brakes you can test them in the same way but may need help from an adult if they need adjusting.

Moving up the bike, hold the handle bars and look down at the front wheel, is it pointing straight forward as it should be. Does the steering work freely with no wobbles or nasty sounds?

Ensure that the handlebar grips are securely attached.

Step 2
Move back along the frame of the bike. Check that there are no large dents or cracks.

Work your way down to the pedals and the large chain wheel at the front. You must be particularly careful here as there are moving parts; you don’t want to catch your fingers. The pedals, crank and chain wheel should all be securely attached and be able to turn freely without any wobbles or nasty noises. The chain should be clean and free from rust. You can put some oil on it if necessary.

Now have a look at the seat, have you grown since last year? The seat may need to be raised; you should be able to sit on the seat and have both feet just touching the floor.

Moving towards the back of the bike, try the back break, push the bike forward and pull the brake, it should stop the back wheel turning.

Check the back tyre for holes, damage or bald patches, particularly if you have been doing skids!

Step 3
If your bike has gears have a look at them to see if everything looks ok. Again, this is an area that you don’t really want to stick your fingers in. If you have derailleur gears (lots of cogs) you need to be riding your bike and pedalling before you can change gear. Find a quiet area, have a ride around and try changing gears. If they are not working correctly you may need to ask a grown up to help you or they may require a trip to your local bike shop.

A trip to the bike shop could apply to everything that we have looked at here. Anything that you or your grown up helper are not sure about or cannot fix should be taken to your local bike shop, just to be on the safe side.

Gear
Lastly, you need to think about what you are going to wear when you go out riding. You need to be warm enough, preferably bright clothes so that you can be easily seen and no clothes that are going to blow or flap in the wind and possibly get caught in your bike.

We recomemnd you always wear a correctly fitting helmet when you go out riding. There are lots of cool helmets available these days so you should be able to find one that you like. Your local bike shop will be able to advise you which size you need. If possible you should also where a high visibility jacket, just to make sure that you stand out as much as possible.

So, as soon as you think it is warm enough, get you bike out of the shed, make sure it is safe and get out riding. It is a great way to get around, have fun and stay fit!