There’s nothing more important than having your bike clean and ready to ride any time when you’re so passionate about biking. However, in order to be able to go for a ride whenever you want to, you need to keep it in mint condition. What this means is that you should maintain it regularly (monthly or weekly – depending on how often you use it) so that it doesn’t collect any dust and rust. The first couple of times might be exhausting and time-consuming if you haven’t gotten your hands dirty in a while, but you’ll probably get the hang of it after you’ve done it a couple of times.
If you want your bike to operate at an optimum level you’ll need to start by cleaning the chain first. After that, you will need to put some oil on it or use a silicone spray while rotating the crank. Make sure the coating is even across the whole chain. Afterward, you should check whether the chain is loose or tight and whether it moves up and down up to about 1cm at its loosest point. This is important for you to position it at its tightest point by moving the back wheel forward or backward in the drop-outs.
While you’re at it take a good look at the front BMX sprocket and the back BMX sprocket, and make sure they don’t have any damaged or worn out teeth. The function of these parts is transmitting rotary motion between two shafts. The pedal shaft carries a large sprocket wheel which drives the chain, which, consequently drives a small sprocket on the axle of the rear wheel. Next what you’ll need to check is the tire pressure. Both tires need to be at about the same level of pressure, not too hard and not too soft. For the sake of their durability, don’t make them too hard, instead, find out the proper amount of air that your specific type of tires needs.
Ever wondered why your bike starts squeaking sometimes? You probably have some loose bolts and/or screws that need to be tightened if you want to get rid of that annoying sound. This shouldn’t be much of a problem, as you will only need to find the corresponding socket to the size of the screws/ bolts. Furthermore, brakes are one of the most important parts of your bike, so before going for a ride or after you’ve put a new chain on, inspect them and check whether everything is working properly. You should also check if the brake pads are pushing down all the way to the rim, and if the brake cables have wires poking out.
Regardless of the type of bike you have and how often you drive it, make it a habit to regularly maintain it in the proper condition to stay safe and have a better riding experience and prolong its lifespan.
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