How To Know If Your Bike Needs A Tune-Up!
How to know if your bike needs a tune-up
Your bike is a carefully designed machine that benefits from servicing and repairs on a regular basis. This will keep you rolling smoothly, and also keep you safer! Frequent and preventative maintenance is the best and most cost-effective way to keep your bike working at its best for the longest time.
Learning how to know when your bike needs to come into the shop for repair is important for a bike owner! Signs of wear and tear are easily noticeable if you know what you’re looking for. It’s also important to pay attention to how your bike feels while you're riding; this can give you signs of a problem as well. Here are the things you want to look for when checking over your bike to see if it needs a tune-up:
Is It Time?
How long has it been since your last tune up? If it’s been more than a year* and especially if you are are a frequent rider, then you definitely want to have it serviced! If you bring your bike in and it’s not in need of a tune-up or in need of more than a standard tune-up, the shop mechanic will let you know what level of service your bike needs.
Bike parts can get misaligned and out of adjustment, dirt can get into pivot points and cause slow shifting or compromised braking, and more issues can come up that are hard to see. Keeping track of your yearly tune up and making it happen is a great way to keep your bike running smoothly for years!
*GIANT and many other brands officially recommend a standard tune-up every 3-6 months
Check the Wheels!
A wheel is a whole system and it needs every spoke working properly for the entire wheel to work properly. It’s important to check for missing or loose spokes because they will cause the wheel to fail over time. Squeeze the spokes to feel their tension and see if some feel more loose than others. If so, they need to be adjusted at a bike shop (a bent or damaged rim can also present the same symptoms, and is not something that can be fixed; the rim will need to be replaced).
Also spin the wheel and look down on the wheel from above. If you can see a wobble in the wheel, this means it is “out of true” and you need to get it tuned up!
Look Over Those Tires!
Now inspect the sidewalls and tread of your tires. If they are scaly, dry-rotted, or have a lot of abrasions, the tire may need to be replaced. You don’t want your tires to blow out! The rubber of tires can dry rot, especially when it’s not in use. If a tire is looking cracked or is there is a section of the tire that is bubbling up like a small tumor, those are signs that your tire is starting to rot and age. When a tire is looking flattened on the part that comes in contact with the road or if you can tell that that the treads on the tire are very worn down, it should also probably be replaced. You can further inspect the remaining tread thickness the next time the tire is off for a flat change.
Test those Brakes!
It’s time to check if your brakes need adjusting or if the cables or pads need replacing!
First, pull your brake levers. If they can be pulled more than halfway to the lever before the brakes apply or if they feel sluggish, they need adjusting. Next, look at your cables and check for any fraying or rusting. These are signs that they need to be replaced immediately. This is a safety issue!
For rim brakes, you can visually look at the brake pads on the front and the back. Are the slots in them shallow or gone? Are the pads hard from age or do the brakes squeak when you apply your brakes? All of these conditions indicate that the brake pads need replacing or adjustment. Sometimes rim brakes wear down unevenly; when the pads start looking triangular, they should be replaced.
For disc brakes it's harder to tell just by sight, so you definitely want to keep track of how long it’s been since the brake pads were changed. You can take a look yourself, but it’s always a good idea to have a shop check your disc brake pads next time you’re in. Try to take note of how long it takes to wear them out so you have an idea for the next time. Road grit and constant stopping-and-starting, city commuting can wear out brake pads quickly!
As a general rule, when you notice your brake performance getting worse– for example when you’re pulling the lever almost against the handlebar to stop – check them and see if they need to be serviced.
Shift through the Gears!
Cables can rust, fray, and lose tension from use. If there’s any rust on cables or if you note any fraying they should be replaced immediately. You now want to note how your shifters are working. Ride your bike or lift up the back tire and shift through the all gears. Do they transition smoothly or do they feel sluggish? Does the chain come off when shifting? Can the bike shift into all the gears? Do you hear any rattles or rubs? If you discover any of these problems you’ll need some adjustments at a shop!
Check Your Chain and Chainring!
A bike shop will use a special tool to check your chain wear but there are a few ways to check it yourself. Chains can begin showing signs of wear after around 1,000 miles of use, so if you estimate you’ve ridden that far, or further, it’s time to check that chain! Put your chain on the big chainring (this is the one by your pedals and cranks!) and if it hangs loosely at the bottom of the ring, then the chain is worn out and needs to be replaced. Chains need to be replaced because as they wear, they wear out everything else they touch. Eventually this leads to sloppy shifting, gears slipping, and if neglected long enough will require the chain to be replaced and possibly the cassette, chainrings, and even derailleurs.
Changing your chain when it is worn is crucial preventative maintenance and will save you a lot of money on other drivetrain parts. You can sometimes tell when it’s time to replace a chainring of your bike’s cassette (gears on the rear wheel) by visually inspecting for short or shortened teeth, wider valleys between teeth, or teeth that look like shark teeth. You should also check that your chain is clean and well lubed. Keep it lubed by adding lubricant regularly! Keeping your chain lubed increases it’s life and can save you money on replacement parts!
A Serviced Bike Makes A Happy Rider!
Remember that cleaner you keep the gears and chain the longer life it will have! We have a blog post coming out next month on how to clean your bike, so stay tuned for that!
If you’ve discovered any of these problems, or otherwise feel that it’s not functioning properly- bring it in! We’re happy to answer any questions you have and help you decide if your bike needs a tune up, more than that, or just a simple adjustment or two. We’ll get your ride in great shape to get rolling and enjoy the Chicago spring weather!