It's Time for a Bike Tuneup

Whether you ride your bike every day or twice a month, own a beach cruiser or a custom race bike, it’s essential to do monthly bike maintenance to keep it riding smoothly. Check out our three budget-friendly, DIY bike maintenance tips below.

1. Clean Your Bike

One of the easiest, yet most important ways to maintain your bike is to properly clean it. Read Bicycling’s article for some tips on how to wash your bike correctly, and don’t forget to pick up  WD-40 BIKE_® Cleaner. Its dirt-eating suds will help free up the most stubborn grime on your bike, leaving it sparkling clean and scratch-free. 

2. Check Your Bike’s Tire Pressure

You should always check your bike’s tire pressure before taking it for a spin. Proper tire pressure ensures safer and smoother rides, and can help you avoid getting a flat tire. To check your tire pressure, make sure you have a standard pressure gauge that measures pounds per square inch (PSI). You can pick these up at REI.

According to Bicycling, narrow tires need more air pressure than wide ones: Road tires require 80 to 130 PSI, mountain tires require 30 to 50 PSI and hybrid tires require 50 to 70 PSI. learn how you can check your bike’s tire pressure by following Sports Rec’s step-by-step instructions.

3. Check and Adjust Brakes

Checking your bike’s brakes is a necessity. Popular Mechanics recommends first looking at the pads. If you can see lines or metal poking through the brake pads, it’s time to replace them. If the brakes are making a grinding noise after aligning them, they may need to be sanded down.

The next step is to check your brake cable for wear and replace it if there are loose strands or rust. To learn how to replace a brake, watch this video from Park Tool.

 

Tip: Use WD-40 Multi-Use Product to free up gunk and grime from your bike’s frame.