#1 CHECK YOUR TIRE PRESSURE
Your tires are porous and will lose pressure over time. Check your tire pressure at least every week (if not every ride). Tire pressure is the first step on the “ABC” safety check – air!
#2 LUBE YOUR CHAIN
To keep things running smooth, it's important to keep your chain clean with degreaser and smooth with lube.
When it comes to lube, more is not better. If you have too much lube on your chain, it can attract more dust, dirt, and grime and actually wear the chain (and the rest of your drivetrain) much faster. After you apply the lube, wipe away any excess with a dry rag.
#3 DON’T TOUCH YOUR DISC BRAKE ROTOR
No matter how much you wash your hands, your fingers have natural oils on them that can contaminate your brake rotors. If you touch your rotors (or get chain lube or another contaminant on them), your brakes will become super squeaky and might not work as well! If you accidentally touch your rotors, make sure you clean them with isopropyl alcohol or soap and water before riding.
#4 DON’T SQUEEZE YOUR BRAKES WITH THE WHEEL OFF
If you have hydraulic disc brakes and you need to remove your wheels for any reason, be careful not to squeeze the brake lever. Squeezing the lever without a rotor between the brake pads will cause the calipers to push the pads together. You won’t be able to put your wheel back on! If this does happen, you can use a brake pad separator tool or a CLEAN flathead screwdriver to pry the pads apart.
#5 SERVICE YOUR SUSPENSION
Just like the rest of your bike, your suspension requires maintenance. It’s important to keep up with this maintenance to ensure your bike parts work like they should and last a long time.
How often you service your fork and shock depends on the amount of riding you do. Your suspension manufacturer (Fox, Rockshox, DVO, etc) will have recommendations for service intervals for both your fork and shock. Typically, a basic service including changing oil, cleaning seals, and/or replacing dust wipers and o-rings should happen every 30-50 hours. A quick trip to the bike shop will have you riding on suspension that feels like new!
If you're local to Southern California we invite you to visit one of our Bicycle Warehouse retail stores to experience the best selection and service around.
We have a fleet of awesome mountain, road, and hybrid bikes standing by, come by and test ride the bike of your dreams today!
