As we move into Autumn, this season can offer some beautiful rides for cyclists. However, seasonal changes bring challenges such as less daylight, wet roads and fallen debris. This means that regular bike maintenance during Autumn is especially essential to keep you safe on the roads.
Explore our bike maintenance checklist below to help prepare you for cycling in Autumn, whether you’re commuting, riding for fun or training for an event.
What bike maintenance should I do?
Below is a bike maintenance checklist which covers some of the crucial tasks you should be doing regularly. If you stick to undertaking regular bike maintenance then you not only help improve your own safety but your bike will also have a longer life.
Clean your bike after every ride
Whilst cleaning your bike after every run may be time consuming, it’ll save you a lot of hassle in the long run. Ensuring your bike is clean and free from debris, mud and water will improve the longevity of your bike, allowing you to continue doing what you love or have a reliable mode of transport to work.
Cleaning your bike is a crucial part of bike maintenance and for the most part you’ll be fine just using hot soapy water. Just ensure that your bike is thoroughly dry after cleaning to help preserve its condition. We have a wide range of bike cleaning equipment to help.
Check that your brakes are working
The weather conditions in Autumn often mean that you have a reduced braking efficiency, so ensuring that your brakes are working properly during bike maintenance can contribute to a safer ride. Firstly you’ll need to check that your bike brake pads are in a good condition, and replace them if you see any vital signs of wear.
You can also check the efficiency of your brakes by testing them at home. The brakes should stop the bike wheels effectively. Ensure that the rims and rotors of your bike brakes are clean and you can also adjust the cable tension if needs be. Highlighting this issue during bike maintenance sessions can help you stay on top of ensuring your bike is safe and road worthy.
Ensure your bike chain is properly lubricated
Autumn riding means that there’s often more dirt and debris on the roads. This can contribute to your bike chain wearing faster, especially without regular bike maintenance. It’s vital that after each ride you’re giving your chain a deep clean to remove any dirt to prevent it building up. If you do this after your ride, it’s often easier to clean as it’s fresh and wet.
During bike maintenance you’ll need to be lubricating your bike chain with wet lubricant. This works best for rainy conditions as it’s more durable, helping protect your chain from future rust.
How to lubricate bike gears: first you’ll need to clean the chain with degreaser. Secondly you’ll then need to apply a small amount of bike chain lubricant whilst backpedalling. This ensures that the lubricant is properly covering the chain. Finally, you should remove any of the excess bike lubricant with a cloth to help prevent build-up.
Inspect your tyres and the tread depth during bike maintenance
With the rainy weather and slippery roads, tyre grip is vital to help keep you safe. Before your next ride, check the tread depth of your bike tyres during your bike maintenance. If you have reduced tread on your bike tyres this can cause you to slip on wet roads and lose control as your grip on the roads isn’t as effective.
Furthermore, during your bike maintenance sessions you’ll need to look for any potential cuts and any small objects embedded in your tyres. If these aren’t removed or fixed, this could cause you to experience a puncture when you’re out on your bike. For new bike tyres, you can explore our wide range.
When using your bike throughout the autumn and winter period then you might want to consider winter tyres for your bike. These are often wider tyres that help improve your stability in the wet weather.
Bike lights and bike reflectors should be working properly
As part of your regular bike maintenance you should be checking that your bike lights are working. If they are dimming you’ll either need to change the batteries or replace the lights. In the UK when cycling between sunset and sunrise you legally need to have a white front light, a red rear light and a red rear reflector on your bike.
Ensure that your bike reflectors are working effectively. This is another crucial part of bike safety that goes hand in hand with bike lights. To enhance your visibility on the roads you can also consider high visibility clothing. There are many options available including reflective gloves, reflective vests, reflective overshoes, reflective trousers clips and more. Whilst these aren’t directly linked to bike maintenance, it all ties into how you can stay safe on your bike.
Check that your bike is stable and ready to ride
A great addition to your regular bike maintenance is to ensure that all of the bolts on your bike are tight. There are many factors which can contribute to the bolts on your bike loosening. It’s essential to check the rightness of your handlebars, saddle, stem and crank bolts.
Check that your accessories are also secure, this includes your lights, reflectors, mudguards etc. Tools such as a torque wrench are ideal for helping tighten bolts on your bike.
Some common questions around bike maintenance
Can you use WD-40 on a bike chain?
No you should not use WD-40 to lubricate your bike chain, instead you should use bike lubrication. WD-40 is a solvent and not a lubricant.
How often should I maintain my bike?
You should be making sure that you give your bike a good clean after each use, and ensure that it is safe to ride each time. If you notice an issue with your bike, make sure to address it before setting off on your ride.
Is it expensive to maintain my bike?
Maintaining your bike is relatively cheap. It’s more about the time it takes to ensure that it’s in good condition and safe to ride. If you regularly take care of your bike, this can help reduce the cost of the upkeep of your bike as you won’t have to replace as many parts due to neglect.
Bike maintenance is essential for your safety and bike longevity
When it comes to cycling in autumn and winter conditions, regular bike maintenance will help ensure that your bike is ready to handle the seasonal challenges. Investing some time into bike maintenance will also help extend the lifespan of your bike. This means that you can enjoy it for years to come.
At Alison’s Biciclette we stock a wide range of bike parts and replacements for a large selection of bikes. Not sure what you’re looking for? Contact us today for more help and advice.
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