Essential Bicycle Maintenance Tips for Every Cyclist

At The Friendly Bike Mechanic, I work with all sorts of cyclists. Commuters, young people who just want to have fun on their bikes, families, club riders and racers.

They might all use their bikes differently, but one thing applies to everybody: a well-maintained bike can serve you very, very well for a very, very long time.

You certainly don't need to keep buying a new bike. Look after the one you've got, keep on top of the basics, and many bikes will happily give years and years of good service.

So here are a few simple things that I think every cyclist should know — and some of them are worth checking before you even head out for a ride.

Start with an M-Check

Start with an M-check

Too often, people hop onto a bike when there's clearly something wrong with it — something that would probably have been spotted with two minutes spent looking over the bike first.

I've seen this plenty of times through cycling clubs. A young rider arriving with brakes that aren't working properly. Somebody struggling to pedal, only for us to discover there's virtually no air in the tyres. Loose pedals. Loose wheels. Things that really shouldn't happen, but unfortunately happen more often than you'd think.

That's why an M-check is such a useful habit.

It's called an M-check because you're basically following the shape of the letter M around the bicycle.

Start at the rear wheel. Make sure the wheel is securely attached, whether that's with a quick release, thru-axle or axle nuts. Give the wheel a spin and check that it isn't rubbing badly against the brake and that there's nothing obviously loose. Have a quick look at the tyre while you're there.

Then work your way up towards the saddle and seatpost. Make sure the saddle isn't loose and that the seatpost is secure.

From there, come down to the middle of the bike: the cranks, pedals, chain and bottom bracket area. Check that the pedals are secure, that the cranks don't have any obvious sideways movement and that the drivetrain looks as though it's in reasonable condition.

Then work your way back up towards the handlebars and controls. Hold the front brake and gently rock the bike backwards and forwards. If you feel a knock around the front of the bike, there may be play in the headset. Make sure the handlebars and stem are secure, and check that your brake levers and gear controls are working properly.

Finally, come back down towards the front wheel. Again, make sure the wheel is securely attached, check the tyre, spin the wheel and inspect the brakes. If you've got disc brakes, have a look at the rotor and make sure there's nothing obviously wrong there either.

It doesn't need to become a workshop inspection every time you ride. It's simply a quick check for anything loose, damaged, flat or obviously not working.

Two minutes can prevent a much bigger problem later.

That's enough oil, thank you very much

At The Friendly Bike Mechanic, we're big fans of chain wax.

My interest in wax actually started when I was maintaining a large fleet of bikes. I began thinking about just how much chain oil we were getting through and how much of it ultimately ended up being washed off the bikes and into the environment.

I thought there had to be a cleaner way of doing things.

There are now some excellent, more environmentally conscious waxing products available, and there are plenty of practical advantages too. A waxed chain is much cleaner. No black fingers when you touch it, no oily trouser legs and no filthy jumper cuffs when you've had to do a quick roadside repair.

That said, if you like using traditional chain lubricant, that's absolutely fine.

What I would say is this:

You really don't need that much of it.

One of the things we see far too often is a drivetrain absolutely swimming in oil.

Lubrication is there to help the chain run smoothly and quietly, reduce wear and help protect it against corrosion. But adding more and more lubricant doesn't make the chain better lubricated.

Instead, all that sticky lubricant starts attracting dust, grit, mud and everything else the road or trail can throw at it. Eventually you end up with a lovely grinding paste working its way around your chain, cassette and chainrings.

And that's not doing your drivetrain any favours at all.

For a normal drip lubricant, clean the chain properly first, then apply roughly one small drop to each roller. Allow it to work into the chain and then thoroughly wipe away the excess with a cloth.

The lubricant you need is inside the chain. You don't need a thick coating sitting on the outside collecting dirt.

For cyclocross and mountain bike racing, I also wouldn't automatically reach for the thickest wet-weather lubricant you can find. If you're going to wash and relubricate the bike after a muddy race anyway, a very sticky lubricant can simply mean even more dirt adhering to the drivetrain during the event.

Use something appropriate for the conditions, apply it properly, and keep the drivetrain clean.

Thinking about wax?

There's one really important rule with chain wax:

The chain needs to be properly clean first.

Wax doesn't work well if you're simply putting it over a chain that's still full of oil and grease.

At The Friendly Bike Mechanic, we offer ultrasonic drivetrain cleaning, along with both drip waxing and hot waxing, so if you're interested in converting a drivetrain to wax, just ask.

The aim is simple: a smooth, quiet drivetrain without the mess — and without enough lubricant on there to start doing more harm than good.

Your tyres matter more than you might think

Tyres are one of the most important parts of your bicycle.

They're also effectively the first bit of suspension your bike has.

Before riding, have a look at their condition. Check for cracking in the sidewalls, cuts, exposed casing threads, obvious damage or anything embedded in the tyre that shouldn't be there.

And then check the pressure.

Tyre pressure isn't just about preventing punctures. It affects grip, comfort, rolling resistance, handling and safety.

Too hard and the bike can become uncomfortable, skittish and lose grip. Too soft and you can end up with poor handling, excessive tyre movement, rim strikes or pinch punctures if you're using inner tubes.

Your tyre sidewall will show the manufacturer's permitted pressure information, but that doesn't necessarily mean you should simply pump the tyre up to the biggest number written on it.

The ideal pressure depends on things such as the rider's weight, bike weight, tyre width, wheel size, whether you're using tubes or tubeless, the surface you're riding on and the type of riding you're doing.

For racers, tyre pressure becomes even more important.

Many tyre and wheel manufacturers now have excellent online pressure calculators where you can input rider weight, bike weight, tyre size and other information to get a sensible starting point.

Particularly in disciplines such as cyclocross, mountain biking and road racing, getting your tyre pressure right can make a surprisingly big difference.

Don't just inflate them.

Optimise them.

Please keep sprays away from your brakes

We all like a shiny bike.

But please be careful what you're spraying around your brakes.

Polishes, protectants, lubricants and products containing things such as silicone or PTFE have absolutely no business being on your brake rotors or brake pads.

Once disc brake pads become contaminated, braking performance can drop dramatically — and getting everything working properly again can be an enormous faff. Sometimes the pads simply need replacing.

It's much easier not to contaminate them in the first place.

When you're cleaning around the brakes, I prefer products that give you plenty of control. Cream cleaners can be useful, and if you're using a spray product, consider spraying it onto a microfibre cloth first rather than spraying it directly at the bike.

Spray mist travels.

A little gust of wind can take a product exactly where you don't want it.

Keep brake rotors and pads clean, and if you're cleaning the rotors themselves, use a product specifically suitable for disc brakes.

Before you head off...

There are a few final things worth checking.

Make sure both wheels are properly secured.

Make sure there's no unwanted movement in the headset or handlebars.

Squeeze both brakes and make sure they're actually doing what they're supposed to do.

Check that your tyres have air in them.

Give the drivetrain a quick look.

It really doesn't need to be complicated.

A couple of minutes looking after your bike can mean fewer breakdowns, fewer expensive replacement parts and, most importantly, a safer and much more enjoyable ride.

Then get out there and enjoy it.

Products we use and recommend

At The Friendly Bike Mechanic, we're big fans of Kingud cleaning and chain-care products, including their wax products.

For braking components, we recommend and use SwissStop.

And for tyres, we recommend and supply products from Schwalbe, Continental and Challenge, depending on the bike, the rider and what you're asking the tyre to do.

If you're not sure what your bike needs, just ask. That's rather the point of having a friendly bike mechanic.