How do I look after a bike?

The basic bike maintenance that prevents most problems — tyres, chain, brakes — and how often each needs checking.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 1 hr
Read: 2 min
Safety: caution

Short answer

Check tyre pressure weekly, keep the chain clean and lightly oiled, and check the brakes before every ride. Those three cover the large majority of bike problems, and the M-check before a ride catches most of the rest.

Bikes fail in a small number of predictable ways, nearly all of them preventable with a few minutes of attention. The M-check — tracing an M shape over the bike from front wheel to handlebars to saddle to rear wheel — is the standard pre-ride routine and takes about a minute.

Safety

Brakes, the headset and the wheel fixings are safety-critical. If you're not confident that a brake, a quick-release or a headset is correctly adjusted, have a bike shop check it. Always wear a helmet, and check that quick-release levers are properly closed before every ride.

What you'll need

Track pump with a gauge
Chain lubricant appropriate to conditions
Degreaser and rags
Allen keys
Chain checker tool (optional)

Step by step

Check tyre pressure weekly against the range printed on the tyre sidewall.Tyres lose pressure steadily. Under-inflation causes punctures, poor handling and slow riding.
Do the M-check before any significant ride.Front wheel and tyre, forks and brakes, handlebars and headset, saddle and seatpost, rear brake, rear wheel and tyre. About a minute.
Check the brakes: levers shouldn't reach the bar, and pads shouldn't be worn to the wear line.Pads have a wear indicator. Squealing usually means contamination or wear.
Clean and lubricate the chain regularly.Wipe it with a rag, apply lubricant to each link, spin the pedals, then wipe off the excess. Excess lubricant collects grit.
Use wet lube in winter and dry lube in summer.Wet lube resists washing off; dry lube attracts less dirt. Using the wrong one either washes away or turns to grinding paste.
Check for chain wear periodically with a chain checker.A worn chain wears the cassette and chainrings. Replacing a chain in time is far cheaper than replacing the whole drivetrain.
Check that quick-release levers and bolts are tight before riding.Wheel fixings are safety-critical and do work loose.
Have a full service annually, or more often with heavy use.Bearings, cables and alignment need attention that isn't obvious from outside.

Tips

A track pump with a gauge is the single most useful purchase — hand pumps make weekly pressure checks a chore, so they don't happen.
Never lubricate the brake rotors or rim braking surfaces. If lubricant gets on them, clean thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol.
A dry, clean chain that's lightly oiled is the goal. An oily black chain is collecting grit and wearing itself out.
Storing a bike indoors or under cover roughly doubles the interval between services.

Common mistakes

Over-lubricating the chain — Excess oil collects grit and turns into an abrasive paste that grinds the drivetrain.
Ignoring tyre pressure — The most common cause of punctures and poor ride quality, and it's a two-minute check.
Riding a worn chain — It wears the cassette and chainrings, turning a cheap replacement into an expensive one.
Getting lubricant on brake surfaces — It dramatically reduces braking performance and usually means replacing the pads.

Questions people ask

How often should I lubricate the chain?

Depends on conditions — roughly every 100–200km in the dry, and after any wet or muddy ride. A chain that squeaks is overdue.

How do I know if my chain is worn?

A chain checker tool gives a direct reading and costs very little. As a rough guide, replacing at 0.5% wear protects the cassette; past 0.75% you'll usually need to replace both.