Questions of care of my bike

Swissmiss

I never had a really good bike til now and I want to keep it nice. So, what do I do to keep the chain in good condition? Also, I have noticed that I have to put air in the tires about every two weeks. Is this normal? My tires say 70 pounds but I am only putting in 60. Is that alright?

wellbert

check out parktool.com
has everything from maintenance to full on build/repair.

Also sheldonbrown.com

I learned 90% of what I know from there.

As far as inflation - depends on your weight. I always just put in max in the back, and a couple pounds less in the front. I also check the air in my tires and inspect the tread -every- ride. You should too.

The other day I caught a cut in my tire. The tube was intact, but bulging. If I hadn't inspected it, it could have resulted in a blowout. Combine that with going 30+mph downhill. And. Well. I wouldn't be here telling you about it.


The built in grease on your chain is 'baked in' and very good. You'll want to clean/grease(oil) it eventually and regularly.

jacksonpt

Keep the chain and gears clean and lubed (get a decent bike chain lube from a bike shop - it's worth it). A tooth brush and a spray bottle is enough, but the chain cleaners from Park, Pedros, etc are much more convenient.

Yes, it is normal to have to refill tires every so often. How often depends on a variety of things, but it is normal. As for how much air you should be putting in them, I always recommend putting in the max for people running road tires & tubes. I actually run more than max in mine.

That's really about it. You should check your tires before every ride. Check your chain/gears every few rides (or after riding in bad conditions). You should also give it a quick once-over periodically to make sure everything is tight, the wheels are basically straight, the brakes work well, etc.

sathor

where did you get the bike at? Parkers, Smittys, Cartys, Troy Fam Bike Shop, Tipp Cyclery, or Performance?

Chain lube should be fine, I do mine every other month or so, or when bored. A lot of the stuff should be decent on its own for a while, have an annual tune up at the shop you bought it at (unless you got it from Walmart/Meijer, in which case you didn't buy a bike, rather an object that looks like a bike, aka BSO) but after a month or so, you need to make sure the cables are doing their job, cable stretch (or compaction of the cable houseing) can make the brakes a bit looser or the shifting off by a shade, and every so often it needs tweeked, and eventually a major tweek or so. The bike shops can often do that in about 5 minutes or less for tweeks.

Baby wipes are great for cleaning the frame.

LBPerkins

Hybirds take about 80 pounds, I ride a road bike, which takes 120 lbs. and i have to add a little air before each ride.

Good luck!

Bernard

BrianSharpe

You should keep your tires at the recommended pressure, having slightly less air in them may make the ride a little softer but it increases the probability of having a pinch flat.

Keep your drive train clean (chain, gears, derailleurs) and properly lubed (just a light coat of chain oil, too much attracts dirt) it will function better and last longer.

Even if you're not planning on becoming your own bike mechanic there are a series of books by Lennard Zinn (Zinn and the Art of Road Bike maintenance & one for mountain bikes etc) that are worthwhile as reference material. Most basic bike maintenance can be done at home without a lot of specialized tools, a reasonable level of familiarity can save you a lot of headaches.

janlars77

I was taught by the owner at our bike shop to check tire pressure before every ride, although I've gotten a little slack lately. I lube my chain every time it gets wet, plus about every 100 miles.

Melodeon_legs

Get a chain gauge to measure between the links, as a chain will stretch. 2 new chains per year fitted (€40 in Ireland) is a whole lot cheaper than replacing a complete chainset (€220). And the higher the correct working pressure of the tyre, the less chance of a puncture.

sathor

Get a chain gauge to measure between the links, as a chain will stretch. 2 new chains per year fitted (€40 in Ireland) is a whole lot cheaper than replacing a complete chainset (€220). And the higher the correct working pressure of the tyre, the less chance of a puncture.

I have one, but you have to have a lot of miles before chainwear comes into play, I have well over 1000 miles without noticeable stretch.

zoom2

Get a chain gauge to measure between the links, as a chain will stretch. 2 new chains per year fitted (€40 in Ireland) is a whole lot cheaper than replacing a complete chainset (€220). And the higher the correct working pressure of the tyre, the less chance of a puncture.

I have one, but you have to have a lot of miles before chainwear comes into play, I have well over 1000 miles without noticeable stretch.

I'm sort of a freak...my road bike is 3 miles shy of 6000 and I am still on my original chain without significant stretch. Still on my original rear tire, too, though the front had a small slice in it recently that required replacement.

I had 3500 miles on my first road bike before selling it, also with all original equipment still in good working order.

myfitnessnmhoy

Get a chain gauge to measure between the links, as a chain will stretch. 2 new chains per year fitted (€40 in Ireland) is a whole lot cheaper than replacing a complete chainset (€220).

I can attest to this. I only lubed my chain once a SEASON, and after 3 years and about 1,500 miles I completely trashed my drivetrain because the chain stretched.

I now have a brand-new (800 miles or so) drivetrain that has been lubed up every 50 miles or so.

Lesson learned. Very, very expensive lesson learned.

Melodeon_legs

It doesn't take much, if a chain has stretched more than 0.8 millimetres or (I'm trying to convert to imperial measurements here!!!) 32/1000 of an inch- that could be enough to scrap the chainset. Might be worth investing in a $10 gauge on eBay.