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Doing bike maintenance might seem
a bit daunting at first, but once you get the hang of it, its easy peasy!
You should check your bike every
day, just give it a shake to make sure nothing rattles, then go through the
points below to make sure you're ready for the road... |
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Click on a section of
the bike to learn how to maintain it |
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Reflectors |
Reflectors will help you to be visible
to other road users.
You must have a red reflector on the rear of
your bike, and orange ones on your pedals.
When you are cycling at
night you should also have a white light at the front and a red
light at the back so that you can be seen at all times. Always make
sure your lights are working before any journey, just in case you
end up cycling at night!
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Saddle |
It's important that you get your saddle
to the correct height and angle.
If you have it too high, you will have trouble getting on and off,
and you might not be able to reach the handlebars properly.
If you have it too low, it will be uncomfortable to ride and you may
feel pain in your knees after riding for a while.
Try to have it just high enough so that you're standing on tip toes
when not moving.
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Brakes |
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Brakes are obviously quite important,
so you should always make sure they are in good working order.
To test them, stand over your bike,
pull the front brake lever and try to push the bike forward.
Then pull your rear brake lever and try to move the bike backwards.
If your brakes are working properly then the bike shouldn't move at
all!
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Tyres |
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Every time you go out riding, it's
important to check your tyres.
They should be pumped up and hard, this
will make riding easier and it will protect your rims.
Keeping them pumped up correctly
will also help to avoid getting punctures.
You should always keep and repair
kit and a pump with you when you go riding in case you get a
puncture. Back
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Wheels |
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Make sure your wheels are straight and
that they don't have any cracks.
The spokes should all have equal
amounts of tension and there should be none missing, if there are
any missing then the wheel is not safe to use!
While you're there, check that the
brake pads are not worn down
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Gears |
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Your gears should change smoothly and
run quietly. You can adjust
gears if you want to, but there are many different models so if
you're not sure what you are doing, ask a friend for help or take
your bike to a shop where an expert can do it for you.
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