Like any piece of equipment with moving parts, bikes need occasional maintenance. Your bicycle needs to be “tuned up” on a regular basis to keep the bike running smoothly and prevent possible problems, as well as recognize potential problems before they get any worse.
Tuning up your bike on a regular basis can end up prolonging the lifespan of your bike and saving you money in the process.
The question is, how often should you get your bike tuned up?
What Is a Bike Tune Up?
Let’s start by looking at what’s involved in a typical bike tune up. Different institutions and different individuals are going to have slightly different approaches here, but you can usually count on at least the following:
- Brake adjustment. Bike inspectors usually adjust and inspect your brakes, replacing cables if necessary and making sure the brakes are working as intended.
- Removal, cleaning, and lubrication. Inspectors will also remove, clean, and lubricate many of the components of your bike, including your drivetrain.
- Wheel alignment. Tuning up also usually comes with a wheel alignment, ensuring that your bike rides as straight as possible.
- Tightening and adjustment. Generally, inspectors will tighten and adjust all the components of your bike, making sure everything is adjusted to the proper torque.
- Tire inflation. This is also an opportunity to gauge tire inflation and inflate the tires if necessary.
- Safety checks. Most tune up places offer thorough safety checks, inspecting every area of your bicycle to make sure it supports safe riding.
- General inspection and repair. If there’s anything wrong with your bicycle, your inspector will flag it and offer to repair it, sometimes for an additional fee.
The General Rule
As a general rule, you should plan to tune up your bike once per year. Some people suggest you should get a tune up every few months, while others suggest that it’s okay to wait two years before tuning up a bicycle. But most people agree that once a year is perfectly reasonable and adequate to keep your bike in good condition.
Key Variables to Consider
That said, there are some variables that should influence how often you get your bike tuned up.
- How often you ride. How often are you riding? The more you ride your bike, the more wear and tear the bike is going to sustain. If you’re only riding a few miles per week, you won’t need many tune ups. If you’re riding 30 miles a day, every day, you’ll need to step up your tune up efforts.
- When and where you ride. Think about when and where you ride as well. If you frequently ride in poor conditions, such as poorly maintained roads or in rain, your bike may need attention more frequently than other bikes.
- Riding intensity. How do you ride your bike? If you stay in the bike lane on your way to work, you’re going to have a much smoother ride and less wear and tear than someone who aggressively rides through the harshest mountain bike paths in your state.
- Future plans. Do you have any upcoming plans for your bike? If you’re planning for a big race or a cross country excursion, it’s a good idea to tune up your bike before heading out.
- Personal maintenance. Are you making any efforts to maintain the bike on your own? Are you familiar with the mechanics of how bikes work? If you can tackle jobs like inflating your tires and cleaning your chain regularly, you won’t need tune ups as often.
Signs to Get Your Bike Tuned Up
If you notice any of the following signs, you should consider getting your bike tuned up – even if it hasn’t been that long since your last service:
- Difficulty in riding. Have you noticed that your bike has become harder to ride lately? Do you have to put more force into your pedaling in order to get the bike to move forward? Is it hard to steer or break? Ideally, your bike will the easy and fluid to ride – anything less than that may demand a tune up.
- Noticeable flaws or defects. Are there any noticeable flaws or defects in your bike? Is it hard to shift gears? Does it feel like your bike is slowly drifting to the left? These should be obvious signs that your bike needs some extra attention.
- Squeaking or other strange noises. The same is true if you notice any squeaking, clicking, scratching or other noises.
Tuning up a bike isn’t expensive, nor does it take much time or effort. Accordingly, there’s no excuse not to tune up your bike on a regular basis. Keep a close eye on the condition and rideability of your bicycle, and focus on preventive maintenance, rather than waiting for something to go wrong before you correct it.
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