Cleaning Your Bike

Today I spent a little under 3 hours cleaning a bike. Granted, this bike has not been ridden on a regular basis for at least 3 years and is an older bike to begin with, but I think most will agree that this is a long time to be cleaning a bike.

I took my time, cleaning the chain, removing the front and rear wheels and cleaning the rear sprocket by taking it off the wheel. In the end I had a bike that was as clean, if not cleaner than a bike on the floor in a bike shop.

There are several reasons to keep your bike clean:

1) Reduce wear on the parts
2) Dirt and grit will break the seal created by grease
3) Eliminate the chance of rust (or slow the oxidation process down)

Perhaps the most important reason you clean your bike is to make sure there are no mechanical problems with your bike. I learned that the bike that I was cleaning had a flat tire and removed the tube to check it for punctures. Sure enough I found a small hole in the tube and replaced the whole thing. I will end up patching the tube and using it as a spare because it is not good to waste, but I am glad that I found the hole then and not 30 miles away from wherever I started riding.

Brake Adjustments

The brakes, one of the hardest adjustments you can make on your bike. Whether your brakes are rubbing or you need to remove them for cleaning, here are a few tips to help you out.

Tools needed: Depends on your brakes, you may need a wrench, or a hex wrench.

Adjusting your pads: 
1) Loosen the pads with the wrench or unscrew the whole mechanism with the hex wrench for easier adjustment
2)Pull the pads farther away from the wheel and tighten (this may take a lot of time to get right and requires patience)
3)Check to ensure the pads are not rubbing, but are not so far away that they are ineffective

If this doesn't work you may need new pads, which can be purchased at a bike store and replaced there.

Removing your brakes:
1)Disengage your brakes (There will be a lever on the mechanism or a button on the brake lever on your handlebars)  
2)Unscrew the nut that holds the brake mechanism to your frame using the hex wrench
3)Remove from your bike, but make sure you keep all the parts, which will be needed later

Reinstalling your brakes:
1)Position the brakes over the wheel
2)Make sure they are on in the right direction
3)Tighten with the hex wrench, ensuring that the brakes are attached securely but are not damaging your frame   

Adjusting your brake lines:  
*May require two people*
(If your brake lines are loose)
1)Unscrew the nut that clamps the brake line
2)Pull the line and tightening the nut