Maintenance Tips

Bicycle Safety starts with a properly maintained bicycle. Below are some tips for things to check on your bike to ensure it is properly maintained:

Tires

• Keep your tires properly inflated; tires lose air gradually over time. If your bike has been sitting around for a while and the tires are flat, chances are you just need to pump up your tires. The correct pressure is printed on the side of your tire.

Wheels

• Make sure the wheels are properly tightened to the frame. If your bike has quick release levers, tighten them so the lever can’t rotate on the frame. If you have bolts, make sure they are securely tightened.

Accessories

• Lights – don’t be caught out in the dark without front and rear lights. As the time changes, dusk approaches sooner and cars have trouble seeing cyclists against the rising or setting sun. Check to make sure that your lights work.  If you have batteries, check to make they have a full charge.
  
  
• Repair kit – You don’t want to be stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire and nothing to fix it. Know how to repair a flat tire on your bike. You should have a small kit that includes a tube.  Make sure the tube has the correct valve for your bike (there are two kinds).  You should also have a small multi-tool that has a wrench to take off your wheel, pump and tire levers to remove the tire from the rim.  These multi-tools are inexpensive and can be found at most any bike shop.  Make sure to put any tools back in your kit after a repair so you don’t forget it next time.

Brakes

• Your brakes should be tight enough so that when you apply the brakes the wheels do not turn. While standing next to the bike, apply the brakes and walk the bike slowly to see if the brakes are tight enough.
  
  
• Squeaky brakes can be solved by adjusting the brake pads so the front of the pads are slightly toed in towards the rim. In other words, the front of the pads should be slightly closer to the rim than the rear of the pads.

Chain

• A bike that has been sitting for a while needs chain lube to keep the shifting smooth. Apply a small amount of lube to the chain and wipe off the excess. Make sure to use a lube for bicycles, which can be found at your favorite bicycle shop. Click here for a detailed interactive bicycle graphic provided by Park Tool, listing a bike’s parts and articles related to their maintenance.

Click here for a PDF that provides tips on quick maintenance checks, produced by the City/County of San Francisco.

Click here for a list of additional resources regarding bicycle maintenance.

Bicycle Maintenance Classes & Do-It-Yourself Shops

Contact these bicycle retailers for information about their in-store bike maintenance classes:

• Actual Café
  Free Bike Workshops provided by BikeMan Dan every first Sunday of the month from 2 – 3 PM.
  
  
• Bicycle Works
  Classes on the third Wednesday of every month at 7 pm
  3335 Solano Ave
  Napa, CA
  (707) 253-7000
  
  
• The Bike Kitchen
  The Bike Kitchen is a non-profit organization in San Francisco that teaches anyone how to repair and maintain bicycles. They offer maintenance classes and open shop time to work on your bike.
  
  
• The Bikery
  The Bikery is a non-profit community bike shop in Oakland that offers a range of services, including open shop time where folks can come in and work on their bikes.
  
  
• Mike's Bikes
  Free classes every Wednesday at 6 pm
  Locations include Berkeley, Palo Alto, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Rafael and Sausalito
  
  
• NorCal Bike Sport
  Free clinic first Thursday of every month from 6:15 pm to 8 pm
  425 College Ave
  Santa Rosa, CA
  (707) 573-0112
  
  
• Spokeland
  Located in the Golden Gate district of Oakland, Spokeland is a non-profit, community-driven bicycle cooperative aiming to reach out locally and foster local unity.
  
  
• Sports Basement
  Free maintenance classes the first Tuesday of each month. All locations including Presidio, Bryant Street, Sunnyvale and Walnut Creek.
  
  At the Sunnyvale location, classes focus on different maintenance topics. Call their store for upcoming classes at (408) 732-0300, or check their store events listing.