Your Pre-Trip Tune-Up

You’ve bought your tickets. You’ve packed your bags. You’re ready to go. But before you set off on your cycleventure, you’ll want to be sure your bike is in top shape, tuned up, and as ready as you are to hit the road or the trail or wherever it is you’re headed. You have two choices. You can drop your bike off at your local bike shop and have them go over it with a fine tooth comb to make sure that everythin'g’s running well and in good shape. In particular, you’ll want them to check the tires to make sure they’re not too warn. The alternative is to do this yourself, and learn how to do it before you set out on your trip, so you’ll be well-placed to maintain your bike over the course of your trip. This is another one of our ounce of prevention recommendations. Your bike has to be road-worthy if you’re going to ride it for a few days or weeks or even months in a row. And, ideally, you should be the one who makes sure of this.

Your Frame

Start with the frame. Thoroughly clean it with a soapy wet rag to ensure there’s no dirt, rinse the soap off, and dry it. Check the frame carefully for cracks and dents, especially near the welds or joints. Make sure the frame looks good and is crack-free.

Your Tires

Inflate your tires to their rated pressure (PSI), which is indicated on them. Check your inflated tires carefully for any debris, especially sharp objects, such as glass or stones, embedded in the treads. Also, look for any cuts or cracks in your tires. Look carefully at the entire surface of them to check the tread wear — if the top tread is starting to become squared (it should be rounded) or if the tread looks warn, it’s time to get a new tire. If you’re using tubeless tires, consider adding some fresh sealant before you head out on your trip.

Your Wheels

Straddle the bike and, while looking down, spin your wheels (no pun intended) one at a time checking they spin evenly, without any wobbles or variances. Also, be sure to check the hubs — there should not be too much friction. Finally, squeeze the spokes by taking them two at a time between your fingers and squeezing them together to ensure that the tension of all the spokes is equal and consistent.

Your Chain and Cassette

The proper operation of your chain and cassette is absolutely essential. Wear and tear can affect your shifting, and over time, could result in a broken chain. Look over your cassette carefully, especially the teeth. They should be rounded. If they’re sharply pointed, you need to replace your cassette. Now check your chain carefully using a chain checking tool. The purpose of checking your chain is to ensure that it hasn’t stretched. If you don’t have a chain checking tool, look carefully at how your chain lies over the front chainring. If it doesn’t sit on the chainring properly, it should be replaced. If your chain looks good, be sure to clean it thoroughly and use some lube on it so it’s cycleventure ready.

Your Gears and Brakes

Run through each of your gears, checking them to ensure that the shifting is precise. Then, check your gear cables and housings. If you’re using old cantilever brakes, check the rim brake pads to confirm that they’re sufficiently thick. If you have disc brakes, check them carefully to ensure that the disc is centred. Visual confirmations of the brakes is imperative. Check the tension and feel of the brake levers and and adjust them accordingly.

Your Racks and Bolts

Check your racks (rear and front if you have a front rack) looking for cracks and to ensure that all the mounting bolts are tight and secure. Look over your bike thoroughly to ensure that all of the bolts are snug and everything’s just as it should be. Go over everything carefully and check it twice.

Test Spin

Once you’ve gone over your bike thoroughly and checked twice that everything’s in top shape and smooth working order, you should now take your bike out for a test ride, critically checking everything, including every gear up and down as well as the brakes, both front and back. Listen carefully for any unusual or unwanted noises — squeeks, creaks, etc. — that might indicate a problem.