Free Shipping(855) 585-5618
Back

Basic Bicycle Maintenance: What You Need to Know

Dec 29, 2022
237 views

How often you should give your bicycles a thorough cleaning is a general query that is frequently posed. The more often you ride on rough terrain and dusty roads, the more often you should clean your bikes because the components will start to degrade in these situations. Depending on the usage, regular maintenance may be done once a month for road bikes, once every 20 outings for mountain and cross bikes, or actually, as needed.

Most dirt flecks may be removed by gently wiping with a dry or moist towel. However, specific components need to be scrubbed and brushed. Take caution when washing with water as well. Using a high-pressure hose might harm the bike's other delicate parts.

Give your bicycles proper lubrication after a thorough cleaning. It is essential to properly lubricate the bikes' moving parts to prevent premature wear and tear from occurring from friction. The accumulation and freezing of rust and corrosion are also avoided. And typically, remove extra lubricant by wiping it off. Because it draws debris and abrasive particles, excessive lubrication might harm the bike's components.

How to properly clean a bicycle

Your bike's frame comes first. Use warm, soapy water to wash. After that, carefully clean any dirt or filth. Rinse everything out with clean water. Wipe the bike down with a clean, dry cloth to dry it.

The chains' cleaning and lubrication would come next. If there isn't much dirt, use a degreaser with a cloth. Utilize a chain-cleaning tool if the chains are exceptionally filthy. Apply lubrication to the chain gradually and let it dry completely. Excess lubricant should be wiped off. To avoid corrosion, lubricate the chains after damp rides or if they creak or seem dry.

Lubricant should also be applied to the lever pivots, barrel adjusters, derailleur assemblies, and derailleur cables.

Tips for storing bicycles properly

It is essential to inspect the condition of the bicycle regularly. However, no matter how much you clean and embellish your bikes if they are not properly maintained, all of your work will be for naught.

There are two crucial extras that we frequently forget to purchase in addition to buying accessories that preserve our bicycle units or, yes, even beautify them. These come in the form of wall-mounted and folding bike hitch racks.

When engaging in uphill or destination rides, it's common to use a car to get there first and then ride your bike after you've arrived. Although riding from home is a viable alternative as well, it isn't always the most practical route to take. Therefore, bringing your bicycles will be much simpler if you have access to bike racks if you are traveling by vehicle.

Take into account traveling across significant distances and off-road. The bother of disassembling the bike or even exposing it to harsh weather, which can only harm your unit, is reduced by having bike racks linked to your car. Furthermore, the bike racks may accommodate more than one unit, so your bicycles won't collide if you're traveling with other people who are cyclists.

A garage bike rack is also available when your bicycle units are not in use. A sound storage system allows everything to fit in the space, even if you have to reserve a spot for your bikes in the garage that is also used for vehicle parking and item storage. A bike rack that takes up more precious floor space should not be used at any cost. Using a wall-mounted bike rack is a smarter and more sensible solution. It assures preservation while also saving space.

FLEXIMOUNTS BR1 HANGER WALL-MOUNTED BIKE RACK

The wall-mount bike rack is made of high-quality materials. It is created from powder-coated, cold-rolled steel for durability, resisting rusting, chipping, and cracking. The racks can hold one bike, four bikes, or six bikes. It can hold up to 300 lbs or 136 kg for the 6-bike frame. They are heavy-duty and long-lasting, can withstand years, and are dependable for load-bearing performance. This is especially good for cyclists who have taken this lifestyle for a long time. And, of course, as you venture into cycling, a high chance would be to buy more bicycles that fit a specific activity. This could mean the need for more storage space and durable storage racks.

The J-shaped hooks are easy to use as they fit perfectly to the curvature of your bike hubs, thus, providing a firm grip to secure the bicycles in their proper position. You need not worry about the hooks coming off the hanging bikes because each hook is mounted securely. And the good thing also is that the premium bike hooks are wrapped with thick sponge foam tubing, which prevents aging and cracking and offers better protection for your bike's wheels, hubs, and spokes.

The hooks can easily be re-positioned anywhere on the rack to suit different bicycle sizes as storage needs change. The bike wall mount hanger fits most bicycles (within the 2.56-inch range in diameter), including mountain bikes, road bikes, and kids' bikes. But this excludes wide-tire bikes.

FLEXIMOUNTS BHR4 FLEXIBLE AND FOLDABLE BIKE HITCH RACK

When transporting bikes, if you want to travel far or do uphill cycling, an excellent accessory to attach to your car is a hitch rack. This bike rack is as durable as you want it to be. It is made of a cold-roll steel structure with a protective powder paint finish. It has anti-wobble knobs to strengthen the connection between the mainmast and folding arms. You are assured that one can firmly or securely fix the bike rack in place, which would be our biggest worry when on the road. Frequent glances at the back of our car would be lessened with this rack as you will be at ease with its performance.

The foldable bike hitch rack features a tiltable mainmast. The rack's body can swing up, down, forward, and backward, allowing easier bike lifting. The rack pops back to its original position with the anti-wobble knob.

Moreover, its foldable arms are easy to move. So, when the rack is not in use, you can easily fold it back for safekeeping. The arms won't get in the way even if installed in your vehicle.

The Fleximounts BHR4 Flexible and Foldable Bike Hitch Rack are compatible with different bike sizes, which is perfect for group outings and if you own multiple types of bicycles. The rack has adjustable straps that can hold up to four bikes. It can carry a weight of up to 165 lbs.