Look after your bike

This article is a summary of a discussion and presentation led by Andrew Burns on 7 January 2008. The discussion covered basic cleaning procedures and the key maintenance task of changing an inner tube. The article includes the comments of many contributors.

Why should I clean my bike?

Grit and dirt can accumulate in areas such as the chain, leading to decreased efficiency and wear and tear. Dirt or grit on brake blocks or wheel rims can also affect the safe operation of the brakes. Besides, your bike will look better if it’s clean and shiny! Whilst cleaning, you can take the opportunity to do some basic maintenance checks.

How should I clean my bike?

• Do not use a pressure hose unless you are absolutely sure you are avoiding any areas with bearings where water may get trapped. It is OK to use an ordinary hose, but still don’t direct water at the bit between the pedals at the bottom of the seatpost (the bottom bracket), or at the hubs (the bit in the middle of the wheel attached to the spokes).
• You can buy all sorts of purpose-made products for cleaning bikes but washing-up liquid seems to do the job. Use a little in water and put it on with whatever implement suits.
• An old toothbrush can be used to clean gear sprockets and the chain (again expensive alternatives are available). Other cheap options are washing up brushes or dustpan brushes.
• If you are cleaning the wheel rims, make sure you don’t leave any residue as this will reduce braking effectiveness. You can use solvents such as methylated spirits (some say vinegar) to clean the wheel rims.

What should I check?

Cleaning your bike is a good opportunity to check for signs of wear.

• Check your brake blocks. They can wear more quickly in wet weather if commuting regularly. Most brake blocks have wear guides to help you checkhow much is left. You can also squeeze the brakes to help you check this since the lever will need to be squeezed further in towards the handlebars as the blocks wear down (this applies to cable disc brakes too). If they are very worn, they need changing.
• Check your tyre pressure. Ideally use a pump with a pressure gauge as it will vary from 40 psi to110 psi depending on what bike you ride and what you do. Cold weather causes a loss of tyre pressure and warm weather increases it, so it does need to be checked regularly. Before inflating, identify which valve your inner tubes have. There are two main types: presta and schrader (like car tyre valves). Most pumps have a fitting you can change by unscrewing the business end and reversing the fitting according to which valve is to be inflated. Others have one head which fits both valves, but some people report finding these awkward, and they may need to be jiggled into position.
• Check your cables. These run from the brakes themselves to the levers, and from gear derailleurs to the shifters. They can get worn where they are in contact with other parts. Also the ends can become frayed and should be protected with a small metal cap. If any areas look worn they should be replaced. Brake cables are different to gear cables, so should only be replaced with the appropriate type. Cables require lubrication as described below.

What should I do after cleaning the bike?

You’ve washed your bike and checked for signs of where. But you haven’t finished yet.

• Remember to rinse off the soapy water with clean water.
• Use soft cloths, such as old rags, to dry your bike. Drying in the sun is not recommended to those proud of a streamline shiny appearance to their bike’s paintwork – it will leave streaky marks.

How should I lubricate the bike?

Lubrication is important and needs to be done regularly to certain areas.

• Never put lube on a dirty area and don’t use lubricants to clean the bike.
• Areas that benefit from regular lubing are the chain, the brake and gear cables as they pass along the bike outside of their plastic casing, the brake bosses, and the brake levers where the cable passes into each device.
• General purpose spray lubes such as GT85 are useful for most purposes, as are specialist bike lubes of a similar nature. They usually come with a fine tube to place in the nozzle to allow precision spray applications to be made.
• Suggested chain lubes are Finish line wax lubes of which there are dry and wet versions. The dry version needs to be applied about 30 minutes before a ride to air-dry and forms a wax coating on the chain. Some people lube their chain before every use. However, an alternative view is that it’s possible to over lubricate, which can attract dirt and accelerate wear.
• Be careful to make sure that any lubricant is suitable for your bike. For example, 3-in-1 oil is said to be corrosive to bike cables.
• Avoid spraying any lube onto wheel rims or brake blocks.

How do I change an inner tube?

It’s easier than you might think. This procedure explains the basics. It doesn’t explain how to fix the puncture itself, so it assumes that you’re carrying a spare tube. Also, your wheels may be screwed in with bolts, in which case you’ll need a spanner to get the wheel out.

1. If removing the rear wheel, put the bike into highest-gear and spin the pedals to move the chain onto the smallest cog.
2. Release the brakes. In the case of V-brakes, the most common sort, this is done by pulling the two sides of the mechanism above the wheel towards each other and lifting the metal curved part encasing the cable (called the noodle) out from the rectangular metal cage it is clipped into.
3. Loosen the quick release mechanism of the wheel by pulling the lever out and turning to open it.
4. If you’re removing a rear wheel, then the rear derailleur needs to be pushed up and back so that the wheel has a clear opening to pass through.
5. Once the wheel is off, take three tyre levers. Starting at the side of the wheel opposite the valve, place the curved edge of a tyre lever under the tyre. With a levering motion, lift the tyre clear of the rim and clip the hooked end of the lever onto a spoke.
6. Place another lever under the edge of the tyre about 5 inches from the first, and then another 5 inches from that. By this time the tyre may be quite loose from the rim so that you can lift one edge away from the wheel all the way round. Leave the other edge on the wheel.
7. Put the tyre levers aside and grasp the inner tube and pull it from the wheel and out under the tyre so that the whole tube is removed. Presta valves have a collar attaching them to the wheel rim which needs to be taken off.
8. Carefully check the tyre for glass, thorns, etc. This can be easier if you know where the puncture was in the tube, so inflating it and placing it near the tyre where it would have sat can be helpful. Do not run your hands around the inside of the tyre as sharp objects may be sticking out.
9. Note: Presta valves can pass through any wheel rim but shrader valves can only pass through rims made to accommodate them. If buying spare tubes, buy presta valves if you are in any doubt to be sure that they will fit through. You may be helping someone else too!
10. Take your new tube and starting with the valve place the inner tube around the rim inside the tyre. This is easier to do if you have inflated the tube slightly as it does not twist so much.
11. As you place the tube inside the tyre on the wheel rim, pop the tyre back on the wheel.
12. Near the end of this process when you have a few inches left to pop back in, make sure the tube is in place and sitting where it should by placing the tyre on the floor with the valve uppermost. Work the tyre from this position by massaging the tyre left and right towards the direction of the section still outside the wheel rim so that any loose sections are evened out and the last bit is easier to flip onto the wheel rim. This may be possible with fingers and thumbs or a tyre lever may be needed (almost certainly on a road bike). If using a lever make sure you don’t nip the inner tube as you flip the tyre back on!
13. Then pump the tyre up to the required pressure and put the wheel back on in the reverse of the process above.
14. Don’t forget to reengage the brake blocks!

If that sounded complicated, there are some video demonstrations available on You Tube, of which the best is probably this one. It also shows how to mend the puncture itself.

Tips on avoiding punctures

• Buy puncture resistant tyres. Suggested brands are Panaracers, Continental, and Schwalbe, who each do good puncture resistant tyres in their selections.
• Check the rim tape. This should sit firmly inside the wheel rim and protect the tube from spokes. Wear and tear to the rim tape can cause punctures even with good tyres!
• If you use patched tubes make sure they have a permanent patch as the self-adhesive ones are temporary fixes only. The glue eventually wears off and woosh!

Posted 18 January 2008 by Marion Gray