Old banger bikes are great, but if you’ve graduated to the more respectable end of the cycling spectrum, you need to protect your investment. You can always take your bike into the shop every spring and ask them to do what they do. But if your bike is not already in the shop, don’t be surprised if you have to wait a little for the service. It doesn’t matter, because there is a lot you can do yourself; maybe even everything if you are handy. So here’s a short guide with everything you need to know to get back safely – and comfortably – in the saddle, no matter what kind of bike you ride or how the winter has been.
Keep it in the Garage
A clean, dry and heated garage is the best storage option. According to Kevin Williams, assistant manager of Saskatoon Doctor on a bicycle, All your bike will need is the dust and cobwebs removed, the chain re-greased and the tires given a few pumps to return to their recommended pressure. He says you may also want to replace your brake pads for good measure.
Keep it in the Shed
It was probably wet there, very cold and possibly very hot on sunny days, all of which are bad for tires. They at least need air and maybe some elastic concrete for cracks, but Williams says you should expect to replace your bike’s tires every spring.
You rode it all winter
“Winter is really hard on bikes,” says Williams. “Snowy conditions, all the chemicals put on the roads, it’s brutal on the trains.” The rain, he says, isn’t much better.
This means that the chain, the derailleur, the rings on the back (known as the cassette), and the rings that your pedals are attached to (cycles) and even the pedals themselves will probably need to be replaced, or at least fixed.
And if you used it to exercise at home on one of those stationary bike racks? This is also hard. When you ride in your den watching Bridgerton, don’t stop for lights, slow down for crosswalks or go down hills. So if you have one of those stands that allows you to keep the wheels, it will be hard on the tires and the wheels, and you may need to replace, repair or straighten. If you have left your wheels, it is still hard on the chain, which will probably have to be replaced.
You have a mountain bike
The difference here is the suspension. Both the fork (front) and rear suspension systems are air loaded, and you’ll probably have to pump those up.
You have a High-End Bike
According to Williams, they don’t need any more attention than your mid-range or commuter bikes. Unless you have an electronic switch, in which case you need to recharge the battery. And if you have tubeless tires, they’ve probably gone flat and need attention from a special tubeless pump.
You have an E-Bike
It’s not so much a different kind of fish as an extra kind of fish. Cleaning, oiling, tires and transmission need the same attention on these excellent options for mature riders, but you also have the battery. According to Mike Clyde, owner of Pedego Electric Bicycles in Nelson, BC, they will be treated fairly.
“Batteries don’t like to be cooked,” he says, so there are no furnace rooms. “And if certain batteries go below a certain charge, like 20 percent, they won’t be able to be revived.” If you haven’t checked every month, you may need a new one. Clyde says you also need to watch the charge level, keeping it at no more than 80 percent, or it will degrade the battery. According to Michel Courval of Igo Electric in Laval, Que., if treated properly, your battery should last five to seven years, and longer if it is a good one.
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A version of this story was originally published in April 2022.
