Get Your Bike Ready for Bike to Work & School Day

Ellen Barton is the program manager for everybodyBIKE, the bicycle program of Whatcom Smart Trips. Whatcom Smart Trips encourages and rewards people for making more of their daily trips by walking, bicycling, riding the bus, or sharing rides. Participants have reduced 29 million miles of car travel since 2006.

Editor’s Note: This is part 1 in a series of bike-related articles as you gear up for Whatcom County’s annual BTWSD on Friday, May 20.

Q: How do you tell if a bike that has been sitting for a long time is safe to ride?

everybodyBIKE says: Households in the U.S. own more bicycles per capita than just about anywhere but most of these bikes don’t get used every day. If your bike is a decades-old 10-speed, then the cost of repair and upgrades will likely be more expensive than buying a new bike. But if you have a mountain bike that has spent a couple of years parked, it could be fine.

To find out, you will need to check a few things to make sure your bike is ready for the road. Here are the essentials. Just think “ABC Quick Check.”

A – Air in Tires: It’s normal for tires to lose pressure after a few months. Pump up the tires to the recommended pressure (printed on the sidewall).

If you do this a few days before you plan to ride, you’ll have a chance to repair or replace a leaking or punctured inner tube. Tiny surface cracks in the rubber show the tire is aging. A bulge in the sidewall indicates a weak area that will soon blow out.

B — Brakes: Squeeze the levers by hand. Look at each brake pad to see whether it hits the wheel rims. Check both sides of each brake. Have someone lift the wheel and spin it while you squeeze the brakes. Does the wheel stop? Is it difficult to squeeze the levers? If the brake pads are worn or not fully aligned with the rims, get them replaced or repaired.

C – Chain: If the chain looks dry, apply a light lubricating oil. Slowly turn the pedal backwards by hand: look at the whole length of the chain to see if there is rust or dirt. Put a little chain cleaning fluid on a rag (some people use Simple Green,® others use light oil or kerosene). Hold the rag around the chain as you turn the pedal to wipe off the grime.

C – Cogs, Gears and Chain Rings: Is the chain connecting properly to the cogs and chain ring? If the chain has fallen off the rear gear cluster, it will need to be put back on before riding. You may need some guidance if you haven’t done this before but it’s not difficult.

Quick – The quick release levers make it easier to take the wheels off, adjust the seat height and loosen brakes (for easier removal of the wheel). Check to make sure the quick releases are securely tightened before each ride.

Check – Ride the bike slowly for 50 yards or so listening to hear if there are rattles or rubbing sounds.

These basic steps begin to tell the story of whether your bike needs more work, or if it’s ready to ride. The topic of bike maintenance is encyclopedic, but you don’t need to know how to fix everything. It’s just useful to know how to spot a problem.

If you found something that needs work, check with a local mechanic to get repairs, or call everybodyBIKE for advice. If you decide it’s best to buy a new bike, everybodyBIKE can help you find out where to recycle your old one.

everybodyBIKE offers monthly and customized classes to help you feel confident and comfortable cycling around town. Go to: www.everybodybike.com/or call (360) 676-BIKE or email at info@everybodyBIKE.com.