kyle6286

Hey everyone,

So I've had my Coda Sport for a couple weeks now and I love it. I've only been doing small rides with my wife so far and have accumulated less than 50 miles. Anyways, I was wondering if some of the more experienced riders have advice as far as bike maintenance and when/how often I should be performing these routines (cleaning the chain, derailer, wheels, etc). Like the title says, I'm a noob when it comes to biking and this is my first bike in years! Also, I'm not too handy when it comes to this stuff so anything that a novice will be able to accomplish is helpful. Appreciate your help!

KungPaoSchwinn

Oh wow,haven't see a post like this in awhile,think this might help.
www.parktool.com

Turtle Speed

I don't think there is a set answer for everyone on how often you should be performing bike maintenance. It depends on how many miles you do, how harsh the conditions are that you're riding in, how much time you have to invest, and so forth. There are diehards that rack up insane mileage and lube their chain after every single ride, but that's not necessary for most of us.

Judging by what you've told us, in my opinion, if you gave it a looking over every couple weeks, that would be great. Even once a month is nice, and that's far better than most people do (or know how to do). In snowy winter areas, or more extreme conditions, you may have to do it more often - but I don't really recommend riding a bike in the winter unless it has fenders on it, otherwise the salty slush can just wreck your components if left uncleaned.

Here are some beginner bicycle maintenance stuff that I think you could/should be doing:

- Top the air off in the tires. Get yourself a nice floor pump if you don't own one already!

- Clean the components of the drivetrain regularly. My favorite beginner's video for this is the biketube one. WARNING: when using degreaser on certain parts of your bike, keep it only on the components you're cleaning. Other parts of your bike (e.g. the bearings in the wheel hubs, the bottom bracket, etc.) require plenty of grease. So do NOT do something like shoot the excess off with a hose any old way when you're finished, because you risk getting degreaser inside the bearings, which is BAD BAD BAD. Degrease carefully, avoid excess, wipe down when done.

- While you're at it with the degreaser, give your wheel rims a check. You need a nice, clean rim surface so your rubbery brake pads can bite into your rim hard for good braking. Rubbing rims with degreaser will get rid of any greasy crud, road grime, or old brake pad residue (black crap) on the rim. Wipe off excess and you're good to go.

- In the process, it won't hurt to give the brake pads themselves a cleaning. Learn to undo the quick release on your brakes so you can access the pads easily and make sure the face of the pad is clean. It won't hurt to hit it with a little degreaser or, in extreme conditions, lightly sand down the face of the pad to get fresh rubbery stuff. Again, keep any degreaser on the pad face only and away from other stuff, like the brake stud pivot on the frame, which needs lubrication for free movement.

- After you finish degreasing appropriate areas, lube your chain with your favorite chain lube. There are a million chain lube opinions and it's kind of a joke that it always ends up being a flamewar on forums over which one is best, but really anything is going to be far better than nothing.

- If you want your bike to look pretty, get a nice bike wash (or use a homebrew product, search these forums for various ideas) and use a little elbow grease to wash your bike.

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Other stuff

Give your bike a periodic, quick safety test. Make sure any quick-release levers are still tight. Stress-test the brake cables by pulling them extremely hard and make sure they're secure and don't come flying out of the pinch bolts. I squeeze down hard on each lever with two hands; when it holds OK, I know that I've squeezed the lever harder than I could with one hand and should be OK to clamp down on that baby as hard as I need to in an emergency (car pulls in front of you, etc.) If your brake cable is pretty secure but not quite secure enough, you'll go riding around town braking fine thinking it's fine, but then when you really have to mash it in an emergency, it can fail you when you can least afford it and cause you serious injury.

Bike skills stuff for newcomers:
- Practice proper starting and stopping technique
- Practice turning your head, looking behind you while riding in a straight line, etc. so you can bike around cars safely
- Practice hard braking technique. Practice safely using hard pressure with the front brake lever - the front brake is key when stopping as short as possible, i.e. a critical safety situation. To keep from flipping over the bars, your arms need to be almost straight and firm, your center of gravity low and to the back.

Get GOOD bike lights if you don't already have them. Check the Electronics & Gadgets subforum for advice. Wear bright colors around traffic.

In my opinion, wear a helmet. A brighter helmet is considered better for safety around other vehicles. White is excellent, flourescent green is awesome, bright red or yellow are good, etc.

Eventually the brake pads and brake cable should be replaced for safety. Some people recommend yearly, but again, it depends on how you're riding. You don't have to worry about this right away, just keep it in mind for down the road. By then you'll have had more time to learn how to do this anyway.

Happy biking!

GeorgeBMac

1) Find a good LBS who will support you -- not just take your money. A good one will want you to be a happy, knowledgeable cyclist riding a good bike.
2) Form a relationship of trust with that shop... You should be able to take your problems to them without fear of being ridiculed, ignored or having to take out a new mortgage just to pay for a simple repair.

The LBS will not only be able to answer your questions (and make suggestions -- even when you don't ask!) but they can do those things that you cannot do... Modern bikes are complicated and require special knowledge and special tools that most people simply do not have. Plus with their experience, they know what works and what doesn't. So, once you find one that you trust (and not all of them are worthy of your trust), then build a relationship and a bond with them.

But, that being said, you have a role as well:

1) Keep it clean. A simple garden hose and rag work well....
2) Check tire pressure before every ride
3) Keep an eye on the components during every ride (brakes, shifting, pedalling, etc...) If something changes or doesn't seem right, you will probably need to take it to your trusty LBS. As you gain experience you will be able to do more and more yourself.
4) Keep the chain clean and oiled. There are a 1,000 opinions on how to do that best. Some of the differences are based on "how clean is clean?" and some of them are based on differences in riding (do you only use paved roads on sunny days? Or, are you riding limestone trails in the rain?)
5) Take it in to your LBS once or more times a year (depending on how much you are riding) for a tune-up. Most shops have multiple types and levels of tune-up and they will be able to tell you which one fits for you. But, all tune-ups start by checking the chain for wear and adjusting the brakes and shifting components and progress up through replacing brake and shifter cables and even up into replacing the grease in the hubs and rebuilding the bottom bracket...
6) Invest in the peripherals that can make a difference. These include: a portable pump, spare tube and tire irons for a flat tire when you are 5 miles from your car. Also, water bottle(s) for hydration. Bike shorts, jackets, gloves, etc... for comfort. A helmet. And, if you are riding on the road, high visibility clothing.

I'm sure others have other ideas (or can spot things that I missed) -- but those should be the basics.

Happy cycling!

annlaura

Thanks for this thread! There are a few things here new for me, and some I can add to the maintenance I'm teaching my little guy. Having a good LBS is so important. A really good shop will give you tips on doing maintenance yourself, even if it's something they could charge to do.

kyle6286

Wow thanks for the help everyone! I really appreciate it.

When I went to EMS a couple of weeks ago, the guy there recommended a chain cleaner kit like this

https://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3660858&lmdn=Category&cp=3677345.3737445

Is this necessary, or can I get by cleaning the chain with just a brush and degreaser?

Turtle Speed

That one has an excellent reputation, but in my opinion, it's overkill for your current level of bike use. I wouldn't worry about specialty chain cleaners until you start racking up many hundreds or thousands of miles.

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One other thing I wanted to mention was, if you ever keep your bike anywhere other than out of your home, invest in a good, expensive bike lock. It is something you can have and use forever, on any bike. It protects your investment, protects you from the aggravation and inconvenience of getting stranded without a ride, and gives you peace of mind.

A lot of people don't realize how easily a cable lock, cheap chain, or cheap padlock can be defeated. All it takes is a few seconds with a bolt cutter. My favorite videos for learning how to lock well are the Hal Ruzal series. Keep in mind that Hal lives in New York, one of the bike theft capitals of the world, so your risk may be much lower depending on where you live. But still, lock it like you mean business. Even indoors - bikes get stolen right out of garages or apartment/condo areas. And don't ever think of leaving your bike unattended, even for a short while. Tons of people have their rides stolen while they stopped for 2 minutes to buy cigarettes or for 15 minutes to buy groceries.

You have a sweet ride. Don't let some lowlife end that with a grab-and-go, or by spending 5 seconds with a bolt cutter.