alphabetsoup

Hi guys, complete newbie and completely clueless about the mechanics of bikes. (Please explain to me like I'm five )
I've a utility bicycle, which I've been hoping to be able to modify to improve steering and speed (it's pretty hard peddling on it for some reason). Now, being completely clueless about such things, just how much can you tweak with a utility bike? If I go into a bike repair shop, what could they possibly do to improve my cycling experience with that bike- what sort of servicing would they do/should I ask for?
I know, I could just get another bike- but I love this one for sentimental reasons!

fietsbob

Since IDK anything about what you have, Go to and ask at a brick and mortar bike shop..

cny-bikeman

No way to tell long distance with so little info. As you aren't 5 years old just go to a shop and ask them. They can look over the bike in a few minutes and tell you what if anything can be improved and at what cost. If there is a bike co-op in your area that's even better.

SkyDog75

There could be a number of reasons it's hard to pedal. Something could be mechanically wrong, like having the chain or bearings too tight. The brake(s) could be dragging. The air pressure in the tires could be low. Or it could just be that the gear ratio seems hard to push for you.

Like fietsbob said, we really don't have enough specific information to help. If you've got a little bit of mechanical know-how, you can inspect and test various parts. For example, does the crank spin easily when the chain is taken off the chainring? Do the wheels spin freely? How does the air pressure in the tires compare with the rating on the tires' sidewalls?

If you're up for some reading and tinkering and you have tools, you can probably get this figured out. If not, a visit to your local bike shop or co-op would likely be your best bet. Of course, we're happy to help, but we'll need more specifics. Clear pictures of the bike would probably be a good start.

Little Darwin

You need to describe your bike beyond "utility bike" to get any useful information. A good description would help, as would pictures of any relevant pieces.

However, no bike should be hard to pedal, unless you mean something like, "it is hard to pedal up hill" There are possibly solutions there as well, depending on the specifics of your bike.

Fortunately, bicycles are pretty simple machines, so there are a couple of things you can try.

As a first place to start, pick up the front wheel and give it a spin with our hand. Does it spin for a while? If not, is there anything obvious stopping it (tire rubbbing on brakes or fork? Other?) Any sounds coming from it? If it is working like it should, you should feel virtually no resistance as you spin it, and it should spin for at least a few, and possibly many revolutions.

Do the same with the back wheel.

If either, or both, of your wheels doesn't spin pretty well, a shop can help get you fixed up pretty quickly. Just explain your findings and they should be able to help you out.