Maintain your bike in 3 steps

The beautiful days are coming back and even if, due to the confinement, we can't take full advantage of them yet, we can prepare ourselves as well as possible by starting to give our bikes a little makeover! So how do you maintain your beloved bike?

Here are a few steps you should not miss in order to be in the starting block on the first day of deconfinement.

Step 1: Preparation

Gather all the material necessary for the cleaning and adjustment of your bike, namely :

• A bucket of water
• A sponge
• A dry cloth
• Lubricating oil for bicycles
• A bike degreaser
• A soft bristle brush
• Bicycle cleaner (do not use non-bicycle specific products such as washing-up liquid, which could damage parts of the bicycle)

Set up your bike so that it is stable (put it against a wall, turn it over on its saddle or, for the more equipped, use a bike stand) and you can easily move around it while you work. Also make sure that you set up in a clean area.

Finally, remove the removable parts, including the wheels, so that you can clean everything from top to bottom.

Here we go!

Step 2: Cleaning your car

There's nothing like riding a shiny bike! In order to make a splash on the cycle paths:

1/ Start by rinsing the whole bike with clean water and with the help of your sponge if necessary to remove the biggest dirt.

Be careful not to soak your saddle if it is made of fabric (protect it with a plastic bag for example), and above all not to get your brakes wet, which generally do not appreciate humidity.

2/ Next, apply the degreaser with your soft brush to all the transmission components:

• On the rear sprockets
• On the sets
• On the rear derailleur
• On the chain (rubbing it while turning the crankset and changing gears)

Leave it on for 5 minutes and then rinse it off.

3/ And now, let's scrub! Using a sponge or a brush depending on the parts of the bike, you should rub all the following elements with elbow grease or a good cleaning product:

• Rear sprockets and chainrings
• The hubs
• The chain and the trays
• Spokes and wheels
• Frame, brake calipers, accessories
• Inaccessible places and vicious corners

Then rinse well again and wipe the whole bike to avoid leaving any traces of lime scale on it and, above all, to prevent the parts from rusting.

Step 3: Lubrication

After degreasing the transmission components, it is time to lubricate the chain with a lubricating oil specially designed for bicycles. Distribute it slowly along the moving chain.

Sponge up any excess oil at the end of the process.

NB: regular lubrication of your bike is essential for the long-term good condition of the bike, so think about it regularly!

Bonus stage for the Teebikers:

In order to ensure that the wheel works optimally, check from time to time, especially if you have the feeling that the wheel is sometimes running jerkily, that :

- Your wheel Teebike is well calibrated (click on the nut icon > Wheel adjustment > and start the wheel recalibration by positioning it at 90° from the ground)

- Your phone's Bluetooth is turned on and the connection is working (the Bluetooth icon on the left of the screen should be blue, not flashing)

- Do not allow your wheel to be totally discharged, even if it is temporarily unused. Lithium batteries do not cope well with total discharge and are damaged more quickly when they are at 0%.

 

Before driving

Always take the time to check before each trip:

- the effectiveness of your brakes

- the pressure of your tyres

- the operation of your lights (compulsory on all bikes)

- and your bell (mandatory on all bikes)

And don't forget your helmet! If it is not no longer compulsory above 12 years of ageHowever, it is still highly recommended to protect your head in all circumstances.