It’s a sad fact that as you gobble up the kilometres, so your bicycle devours itself. Even the best-maintained machines will eventually wear out, with parts needing to be replaced and money spent on servicing. Luckily, if you’re wondering how to maintain a bike on a budget, we’ve developed a few helpful tips and strategies to maintain your bike without excess effort or investment.
Check your bike is safe
The most fundamental element of bike maintenance is ensuring your bike is safe. Are the tyres at a decent pressure and free from damage? Do your brakes function as they should? Are critical parts like the saddle, stem, and handlebars tight? Are the wheels secure? Even experienced cyclists should check that these criteria are met every time they hop onto their bikes. Especially important if your bike has been in storage, transported, or after having worked on it, 30 seconds spent checking it over before you ride could save you a lot of grief.
Lean to diagnose problems
Modern bikes do a pretty good job of operating without rattling, grating, squeaking, or wobbling. This means that if something seems amiss, it probably is. However, while a sudden change is often easy to notice, bikes wear out gradually. Slowly getting less efficient or noisier, it can be hard to recognise your drivetrain is deteriorating or your bottom bracket is wearing out when it does so incrementally. Understanding the correct operation of your bike and learning when to intervene is a particular skill. While this takes time to learn, a good starting point is to assume that if something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t.
Sort it out straight away
Ignore a niggling problem with your bike, and it will invariably come back to bite you in the butt. Unpleasant noises from your brake pads could indicate contamination or excessive wear. Change them immediately, and you’ll pay for the pads alone. Leave them in place, and you could also damage your rims or rotors.
A slightly buckled wheel can be fixed cheaply, but once a couple of spokes go, it may be ready only for the bin. Ditto a worn chain that ruins your cassette and chainrings. Once you suspect a problem, address it immediately, and you’ll enjoy your bike more while also paying less in the long run.
Focus on cleaning what matters
Learning how to clean your bike will keep it running smoother for longer. At the same time, a bit…
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