Are you itching to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors, perhaps on your bike? Well, you are not alone. We spoke with Mike O’Donnell, General Manager at D&D Bikes in Berkley, to find out what you need to do to prep your bike for the summer, and he broke it into 4 main parts.
- The tires: You want to check the tread of the tires to make sure it is not worn out. Also, look for cracks and wear on the sidewalls of the tire. If you inflate the tires close to your riding air pressure, this should expose a lot of these faults in the tire.
- The Brakes: Brakes should be a nice, smooth action with each of the brake arms moving evenly towards the rim of the tire. You also want to check the pads for signs of excessive wear, so there is no loss of braking power.
- The Gears: For this, raise up the back tire and move the pedals to check that the chain moves through the gears easily with no clicking or slipping. Then change the gears with a couple of clicks and make sure the chain moves the right amount of gears for the amount you shifted.
- The Chain: This one is pretty simple. Just check to make sure it is not rusted or broken and oil it if you hear it squeaking, other than that, it should be good to go.
Watch the video above for more details and to learn how to make sure your bike fits you properly.
D&D Bikes in Berkley is located at 4141 Twelve Mile Rd, Berkley, MI 48072.