The Real-Deal Bike Maintenance Guide

Bike maintenance has gotten complicated with all the forum debates and product hype flying around. I once let my commuter bike go three months without so much as wiping the chain, and the sound it made climbing a hill was somewhere between a dying cat and a rusty gate. Don’t be me. A little regular upkeep keeps your bike riding smooth, saves you money on repairs, and — let’s be honest — keeps you safer out there. Here’s the stuff that actually matters.

Cleaning Your Bike

This one’s boring, I know. But dirt is sneaky — it gets into your drivetrain, wears down your components, and makes everything feel sluggish. You don’t need fancy products. A bucket of warm water, some mild dish soap, and a sponge or brush will do the job.

• Knock off the big chunks of mud and grit with a soft brush before you start washing.
• Get into the tight spots — around the brakes, under the saddle, between the cassette cogs — with a smaller brush or even an old toothbrush.
• Dry the bike with a clean towel right after rinsing. Water sitting on metal parts is how rust happens.

Skip the pressure washer. Seriously. High-pressure water forces its way past seals and into bearings, and that’s a problem you won’t notice until something starts grinding.

Lubricating the Chain

A clean, well-lubed chain is the single best thing you can do for your bike’s performance. But there’s a right way and a wrong way. Don’t grab the WD-40 — that’s a degreaser, not a lubricant. Use actual bike chain lube.

• Put a single drop of lube on each link. Yeah, each one. It goes faster than you’d think.
• Spin the pedals backward a few times to work the lube into the rollers.
• Wipe the outside of the chain with a clean rag. You want the lube inside the links, not sitting on the surface collecting grime.

Inspecting and Inflating Tires

Here’s something a lot of riders skip: checking tire pressure before every ride. Tires lose air gradually, even without a puncture. Riding on underinflated tires feels terrible, wears the sidewalls, and makes flats more likely. The recommended PSI range is printed right on the sidewall of your tire.

• Run your eyes and fingers over the tire surface. Look for cuts, glass shards, thorns, or anything embedded in the rubber.
• Pump them up to the recommended pressure — a floor pump with a gauge makes this way easier than a hand pump.
• If the tread is worn smooth or there’s visible cording, it’s time for new tires. Don’t ride on worn rubber.

Checking Brakes

Probably should have led with this, because brakes are kind of the most important safety system on your bike. If they don’t work right, nothing else matters. Check your brake pads — if there’s less than about 3mm of pad material left, swap them out.

• Spin each wheel and squeeze the corresponding brake lever. The wheel should stop smoothly without any sticking or grabbing.
• If the brakes feel soft, turn the barrel adjuster on the brake lever to increase cable tension. Small turns make a big difference.
• Look at the cables — fraying or rust means it’s replacement time, no question.

Adjusting Derailleurs

The derailleurs are the mechanical brain of your shifting system. When they’re dialed in, shifting is crisp and quiet. When they’re off, it’s click-click-click and missed shifts all day long.

• Shift through every gear, front and rear. Everything should move cleanly without hesitation or chain rub.
• The limit screws keep the derailleur from throwing the chain off the top or bottom of the cassette. Adjust them if the chain is trying to go places it shouldn’t.
• If shifting is sluggish — especially on the upshift — the cable tension might be too loose. Tighten it at the barrel adjuster or the cable clamp.

Inspecting and Tightening Bolts

Bolts loosen over time. Vibration, temperature changes, regular use — it all adds up. A loose stem bolt or crank arm bolt can turn a normal ride into a dangerous one. If you own a torque wrench, use it. If you don’t, at least hand-check the important ones regularly.

• Hit the big ones: stem bolts, handlebar clamp bolts, seat post clamp, crank arm bolts, and axle nuts or thru-axle bolts.
• Your bike’s manual (or the component manufacturer’s website) will have the recommended torque values. Carbon parts especially need specific torque — too much and you crack them.
• Make it a habit to check bolts after long rides or rough terrain.

Checking the Headset

The headset lets your fork rotate in the frame for steering. It’s one of those parts you forget about until something feels wrong. A loose headset clunks when you hit bumps; a tight one makes steering stiff and weird.

• Lift the front wheel and turn the bars side to side. It should feel smooth with no notchy spots or resistance.
• If there’s a clunking or play, the top cap bolt or the stem bolts need adjusting. Tighten the top cap first, then the stem bolts.
• If the bearings feel rough or gritty even after adjustment, they’re worn and need replacing.

Maintaining the Suspension

Got a mountain bike or a gravel rig with suspension? That stuff needs love too. Forks and shocks are precision equipment, and ignoring them leads to performance that gets worse and worse until something fails entirely. That’s what makes suspension care endearing to serious trail riders — it’s the difference between floating over roots and getting beaten up by them.

• After every ride, wipe the stanchions (the shiny upper tubes on your fork) clean. Dirt left on them gets dragged past the seals and into the oil.
• Keep an eye out for oil weeping around the seals. A little is normal; a lot means service time.
• Check the manufacturer’s service intervals and actually follow them. Most forks need a lower leg service every 50-100 hours and a full service annually.

Wheel Truing

Wheels take a beating. Potholes, curbs, rough trails — over time, the rim can develop a wobble. A slightly out-of-true wheel might not seem like a big deal, but it can cause brake rub and affect handling.

• Spin the wheel slowly and watch the gap between the rim and the brake pads (or use a truing stand if you have one). Look for side-to-side movement.
• At the wobble point, tighten the spoke(s) pulling toward the correct side and loosen the ones on the opposite side. Quarter turns only.
• Go slow, recheck constantly. Wheel truing is more art than science — patience is everything.

Bottom Bracket and Crankset Check

If you hear creaking when you pedal, don’t ignore it. Sometimes it’s just a loose pedal or seat post, but often it’s the bottom bracket. This bearing assembly sits right at the center of your bike and takes the full force of every pedal stroke.

• Grab a crank arm and try to wiggle it side to side. Any play means something’s loose or worn.
• Make sure the crank bolts are properly torqued.
• If the bearings feel rough when you spin the cranks by hand, it’s time to pull the bottom bracket, clean everything, and regrease — or replace the whole unit if the bearings are shot.

Look, none of this is hard. It just takes a little time and consistency. Set aside thirty minutes every couple of weeks, run through these checks, and your bike will ride better, last longer, and keep you safer. That’s a pretty good return on a half hour of your time. Happy riding.