3 Easy Bike Tune-Ups for a Smoother Ride

9:51 AM, Oct 22, 2018
12:36 PM, Jun 14, 2019

When it comes to enjoying your bicycle, whether you’re racing or just going out for a sunset ride, making sure it’s safe to hit the road is key. Thankfully, though, you don’t have to take your bike to a professional shop every time you want to go for a ride. With a few at-home tune-ups, you can ensure that your bicycle is safe and steady. Below are three quick do-it-yourself tips and tricks to get your bike ready for the road.

1. Clean your chain

A bike’s chain experiences a lot of wear and tear every time you take it out, so the first thing you want to do is wipe it down with a towel and check it for dirt, rust, or excessive amounts of grease. You don’t need to go overboard with a degreaser, though, just a few sprays should do the trick, before wiping it again. Grab a fine-bristled brush to get in between the links to remove any hard-to-reach grime. Finally, and arguably most importantly, lubricate the chain by gripping it with a cloth that has lubricant on it and running the pedal backward. You want to lubricate the chain once a month to prevent the bike’s bearings from grinding, which can make for a very rough ride.

2. Pump the brakes

The importance of keeping your brakes properly adjusted cannot be overstated. That’s why you should check them every time you head out on a ride. Inspect the pads for signs of wear, like lines or metal poking through. You may need to replace the pads if this is the case. Additionally, test your brakes out for noise abnormalities like grinding. This may show that the pads aren’t hitting the rim in the right spot. You can shape the pads and the rims with steel wool or sandpaper to fix this issue.

3. Check your tire pressure

Getting stranded with a flat on a mountain trail, backcountry road, or city street is no fun, no matter how skilled of a cyclist you are. That’s why it’s so important to check both tires’ pressure. The recommended psi level is printed directly on the tire, so grab a gauge and do a quick check. While it’s easy to see when a tire is close to flat, making sure it’s optimally inflated is more difficult at a glance. It’s always a good idea to bring a spare with you, along with a hand-held pump.

If you’re not comfortable doing these tune-ups at home and want a walk-through from a professional head on over to Bay Area Bicycles in Corpus Christi. They provide free safety inspections and can educate you on diagnosing frequent bike issues.

The shop has been locally owned and operated since 1987 and the staff there can help you with everything from maintenance to repairs, finding the right bike for you, properly fitting your bicycle to your body, and so much more. Visit them online at BayAreaBicyclesCCTX.com, in person at 6020 S Padre Island Drive or call them at (361) 993-7000.

Our Location

Bay Area Bicycles

602 S Padre Island Dr

Corpus Christi. TX 78412

(361) 993-7000

info@bayareabicyclestx.com

Custom Bike Fit Services

Our experts at Bay Area Bicycles offer custom bike fit services to reduce your chances of form-related injuries and make your riding experience much more enjoyable. We believe that getting the perfect fit is so important that we employ two certified bike fitting technicians to fit your bike. 

Repair Services

Whether you need your derailleurs adjusted, a broken spoke replaced, or a complete overhaul that makes your bicycle run and look even better than new, our experts have the experience, knowledge, and factory training to provide you with expert bike repair services.

About Us

Tom Neagli owned and managed Bay Area Bicycles from 1987 until his retirement in January 2018. Following Tom’s retirement, Wayne Eden purchased the store and continues  exemplary customer service and great product offerings.  The passionate and skilled team at Bay Area Bicycles,  believes in empowering the community and encouraging a healthy lifestyle through exercise and movement. Our entire team at Bay Area Bicycles looks forward to serving the community of Corpus Christi for many years to come.

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