MyBike.com.au

As summer has hit the good shores of Australia and the weather is generally cyclist-friendly, more and more cyclists are getting their bikes out of the shed and onto the road.  We thought it may be a good idea to consider taking a moment or two to look over your bike and make sure it’s in good shape and ready to go.

Does your bike pass inspection?

Here are 5 simple but essential safety checks you can do in a few minutes.

1) CHECK Stem for loose bolts: Check Handlebars for side to side and up and down play.

How can I do this? By bracing the front wheel between your knees and giving the bar a side to side tug, then applying downward pressure on the hoods.
If there is some movement (or play) your handlebar could unexpectedly turn sideways or slip downwards during a ride causing you to lose control. You can fix this by simply tightening the loose stem bolts with a torque wrench.

Check stem for loose bolts, and handlebars for side to side and up and down play.

2)  CHECK Wheels for trueness and broken spokes.

How can I do this?  By putting your bike in a bike stand (if you don’t have one, simply turn the bike upside down , resting on the saddle and handle bars) and spinning each wheel, using the brake pads as a reference points to find wobbles. If you do have a wobbly wheel, it can become unstable whilst riding, and may cause the  tyre to rub on the brake pad.  This could lead to a dangerous blow-out.

To fix a wobbly wheel, you may need to replace any broken spokes and tighten loose ones, spin the wheel, adjusting the spokes until the wobble has gone.  If you’re not having any luck, then it’s advisable that you take your bike to the nearest bike store to be looked at by a trained bicycle mechanic.

Check Wheels for trueness and broken spokes.

3)  CHECK Brakes for proper function.

How can I do this?  By giving the levers a firm squeeze; if the cable slips, the cable anchor bolt is loose.  Also, take a look at the brake pads for alignment and excessive wear, and make sure they are contacting the rim properly.  If you notice any of the above happening, then you could lose your brakes without warning – which is obviously not good.

To fix the above, you can tighten any loose fasteners, adjust pads when needed and replace any worn parts respectively.

Check Brakes for proper function.

4)  CHECK Tyres for proper inflation.

How can I do this?  Look on the side of your tyres and you will find the suggested air pressure according to the tyre manufacturer. By using a tyre gauge or pump with a gauge, check to see if your tyre is properly inflated. Under inflated tyres are susceptible to pinch flats and can cause your to lose control.  Over inflated tyres can blow off the rim.  Either way, it’s something you want to avoid.

If your tyres are either under or over inflated, adjust air pressure according to the tyre manufacturer’s specifications by pumping more air into them, or letting air out using your pump.

Check tyres for proper inflation.

5) Check helmet for cracks and age.

How can I do this? By doing a visual inspection for damage.  It is illegal to ride in the streets without a helmet and all races and organised events require the use of a helmet.  Some helmets even have an age limit, usually 3 to 5 years.  If your helmet is cracked or too old, it’s likely that it won’t protect a rider in the way it was designed to should a crash occur.

The obvious fix for this problem is to replace your helmet if it is damaged or more than 3 years old.

Check helmet for cracks and age.

Please note that all of the above are common sense suggestions, put forward by the team at mybike.com.au.  By no means are these safety checks the end all and be all of looking after your bike or making sure its road worthy.  Bike safety is something we are passionate about and we highly recommend that you get your bike serviced regularly by a professional bicycle mechanic.