by John Cane

Created on: April 13, 2008

For those of us who work in bike shops, the spring is always a funny time of year. It is the time when everyone pulls their bike out of the garage with the full intent of riding it again this summer. Some of them have been sitting for some time, some of them have been completely destroyed (always blamed on the kids) by reckless use or well intentioned poorly executed home mechanicing, but for the most part, they have simply been put away for the winter and pulled out for the spring.

So while we do a lot of real repair to these bike, you would not believe the number of them that are in perfect working condition but only need to be dusted off and have some air put in the tires. If you take the bike to a good shop, they won't usually charge you full boat for putting air in the tires, but there will be a fee for going through the bike, even if there is nothing wrong with it. So if you are a do it yourself type there are a few simple things that you can do to make sure your bike is in good working condition which might save you a trip to the bike shop.

Step 1. Put air in the tires
Your tubes will lose air over the winter. This is normal, you probably don't need a new tube unless you had a flat tire when you stored the bike. Tire pressure recommendations are usually on the side of the tire if you are unsure what pressure to put in.

Step 2 Examine the Tires.
Take a quick look to make sure your tires are not dry rotted. If your bike has only been put away for one season, your tires are probably fine, but if they are older, you may start to see some cracking on the sidewalls of the tires. Contrary to what many people will tell you, some cracking of the rubber on the sidewall is okay. The real structure of the sidewall is in the fabric underneath, so what you are really looking for is frayed or splitting fabric. If there is a fuzzy appearance to your sidewall, it is probably time to change them.

Step 3 Check the Brakes.
Start by picking up the front wheel of the bike and spinning the wheel. The wheel should turn freely without any rubbing. Now do the same with the rear. If there rubbing, start by making sure the wheel is properly attached to the bike. Often people will take the front wheel off to store or transport the bike, and if it is not put back on properly the tire or rim may rum on the brakes. If the wheel is on properly and there is still rubbing, the brakes should be adjusted and you may want to take it to a mechanic.

If the wheels spin freely, the next thing to

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