TIME TO TUNE UP
How to get your bike in shape so you can, too
It’s finally spring. Time to dust off the bicycle you’ve been longing to ride and hit the streets. But, in addition to actually dusting it off, it’s important to go a couple steps further to ensure your bike is in proper cycling order.
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Seat post
Top tube
Stem
Seat tube
Front derailleur
Pedal
Crank arm
Chain
rings
Brake cable
Gear cable
Head tube
Down tube
Fork
Dropout
Dropout
Rear derailleur
Tire
Rim
Seatpost clam & screws
Brake pivot points
Pedal threads
Chain
Handlebar clamp & screws
Brake pivot points
Hub
Derailleur pivot points
Derailleur
pivot points, center of
derailleur pulleys, adjustment barrel
Handlebars, seat & fit
CLICK FOR
Gears & shifting
CLICK FOR
Frame & cables
CLICK FOR
Brakes
CLICK FOR
Tires &
wheels
CLICK FOR
Quick-release
levers
CLICK FOR
Drivetrain
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Handlebars, seat & fit
Undo the seat post and try to move it. If the seat post can't be moved, it can be fixed at a shop. Do the same with your handle bar stem. Once removed, add a little lithium-based grease, such as Marine Grease, to the seat post and handle bar stem before reinserting to prevent corrosion.
Set above the height of the seat for a more comfortable, upright riding position. Set below the height of the seat for a more forward-leaning, racing position.
Handlebars
Helmet should be level
Back bowed at 45°
Ams slightly bent
Saddle should be at about belt height with standard fit pants.
Seat (Saddle)
Knee should be directly over the pedal spindle, with ball of foot over also over pedal spindle.
Pedal
Brakes
Pick up one end of the bike, spin the wheel and pull the brake. The brake should stop the wheel, but not rub against the wheel when the brake is not pulled back. You should not be able to pull the brake lever to the handle bars. If you can, you're not getting full braking power and the
brake lever is bottoming out.
Bad
Good
Brake pad alignment
Loosen or tighten for minor cable tension changes
Adjuster barrel
Change brake pad alignment and cable tension through the brake shoe bolt, adjuster barrel and anchor bolt.
Sets gap between wheel and pad
Anchor bolt
Adjusts pad
alignment on rim
Brake shoe bolt
Side pull
Center pull
Frame
Before any bike work is done, check the frame for cracks, dents or impact damage. For safety reasons, the bike should be taken to a shop if any cracks or dents are found.
Cables
Check that the brake and gear cables, which go from the handlebars to the derailleur, are secure. Cables can get caught and disengaged when in storage. Brakes and gears may not work because the cable housing is not in the right spot.
Quick-release levers
Make sure all levers, typically at the seat and wheel hubs, are fairly hard to open and fairly hard to close. If not, adjust the tension nut opposite the lever.
Tension adjusting nut
Spring
Spring
Drivetrain
Clean and lubricate:
Grab the rear derailleur and pull back on the chain. While holding the wheel steady with your arm or elbow, scrub the chain with a steel brush and a citrus-based solvent, such as Simple Green. This will remove any dust, dirt, grease and grime.
Rear derailleur
Chain
Crank arm
Once clean, use a wax-based lubricant, such as T-9 and drop about 10 drops onto the chain while moving the pedals, which will cover the gears. Do not use WD-40, which is a solvent, not a lubricant. It will make the problem better for a day and then evaporate.
Chain wheel
Front derailleur
Axel
Rear cogs
Limit screws
Gear cable
Dropout
Tires & wheels
Airing-up the tires with a hand pump is important to do at the beginning of the tune-up process. A slow leak might take a couple of hours to be visible.
Tire with
inner tube
Wheels should be centered between the fork rim with an even amount of space between the rim and brake pads. Wheels can be centered by pressing the axle up all the way in both frame dropouts.
Tubeless
tire
Typical tire pressure
Check side of tire for level
Mountian bike
Town/hybrid
Road/racing
40 PSI
60 PSI
100 PSI
Some tires have inner tubes, while others rely on the rim and tire to hold air tight.
Even space
Dropouts
Axel
Tire/rim
Fork
Tire
Inner tube
Rim
Valve
Spokes
Gear shifting
Check to make sure the rear derailleur doesn’t shift into the wheel spokes or into the frame. To do this, turn the bike upside down and shift it into the highest gear and see if the chain drops off the back (bad). Then shift into the lowest gear and see if you hear a clicking sound (also bad). If either of these things happen, adjust the limit screws.
Limit screws
Low gear
Derailler is rotated so chain is centered
Pulleys
Rear derailleur
Front derailleur
High gear
Riding styles
Seat, handlebar and pedal adjustments depend upon bike type and riding style
Relaxed
Moerate
Road
Racer
Triathalon
90°
60°
45°
30°
20°
SOURCE: Madison Freewheel Bicycle Co., Wisconsin State Journal research by Gena Kittner
Brake pivot points
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