As warmer weather approaches, we wonder how to prepare our bikes for the season and what maintenance should look like. If our bike requires significant repairs after winter, we have two options: either we service it ourselves, or we entrust it to cycling specialists who will perform a post-winter inspection .

Bicycle maintenance at a professional service

Many people try to save money by doing their own bike maintenance in the spring. Many of us assume that it's just two wheels, a frame, and pedals, so the task won't be difficult. If so, you're mistaken. Home workshops often lack many of the specialized tools needed for pre-season bike maintenance. So, if you don't like cleaning your bike's spokes or getting dirty lubricating your bike's bearings, I recommend taking it to a service center, where specialists know exactly how to maintain your bike. Cleaning and maintaining a bike at a professional service center costs around 250 PLN, so the price of bike maintenance is quite high. Much depends on whether you're servicing an MTB or a road bike. How to take care of your bike yourself according to Andrzej?

How to wash your bike yourself?

We can save money by cleaning our bikes ourselves after winter, but even that's not so obvious! Washing your bike with a Karcher is the easiest solution, but it can cause a lot of irreversible damage. So how do you wash your bike at home? Old-fashioned methods are best. All you need is a cloth, water, and detergent. Start washing your bike by wiping dust off the frame, handlebars, stem, and other non-lubricated components. Cleaning your bike frame is as important as washing your car – if you want to ride a clean bike, sometimes you just have to wash it. Next, move on to cleaning the bike chain (no need to remove it) and the derailleurs. For cleaning the rear derailleur, a cloth and a thin screwdriver will suffice. Cleaning the bike chain requires placing a cloth on it and pedaling backwards. All that's left is to clean the bike's sprockets. Removing the rear wheel will help.

Lubricating the bike

Finally, we'll need to lubricate the bike. If we don't have specialized lubricants, we can get them at bike shops or online. A bike's drivetrain requires appropriate lubricants to keep the chain in good condition. How do you lubricate a bike? This is where special tools come in handy. Start lubricating your bike by lubricating the derailleurs – a few drops on the moving parts is enough. Then we move on to lubricating the chain , also applying a few drops of the appropriate lubricant to each link. Lubricating the cassette is done simultaneously with lubricating the chain. After lubricating the derailleurs, we can move on to lubricating the wheel bearings and handlebar bearings – this is quite complicated. When it comes to lubricating the cables, I recommend simply replacing them. They're inexpensive and will save you a lot of hassle. Now we just need to adjust everything (brakes, derailleurs), check all the threaded connections, inflate the tires , and your bike is ready to ride. As you can see, bike maintenance is quite complicated and time-consuming, and sometimes it's better to leave it in the right hands. For mechanics, servicing and cleaning a road bike is a piece of cake. They can also advise on how to restore a bike or how to lubricate it (they're experts!). I hope you now know how to properly wash, maintain, and lubricate your bike. It's key to keeping it in top condition! See you riding!