28 Feb How to Get Your Bike Ready for Spring
Spring is in the air! Have you been taking some time out of the saddle over the winter months? Unfold your wheels and get riding with our top tips:
Clean your bike
Maybe you are a sensible cyclist and are always on top of your cleaning regime. But many of us don’t clean our bikes as often as we should, and that cold weather doesn’t make it easy for crouching over a wet cloth outdoors! Now that things are brightening up, it’s a good time to take your bike out in the daylight for a good cleaning. There are endless cleaning tutorials online, whether deep clean or a quick once over. Just trust us that your bicycle will last a lot longer and keep you a lot happier if it’s kept clean.
Health check
While you are up close and personal with your frame, components and all those moving parts, it really is the best time to look for wear and tear, and signs of age or damage. Being sat in storage for a while, things can get rusty or dusty or even take a bad knock. Never assume your bike is in the same condition you put it away in. You can follow the classic “M Check” or watch a couple videos on bicycle safety checks. You can even refer back to our own DAHON blog on maintenance tips for your bike. Just remember that a folding bike’s hinges need that extra attention and care to keep everything running safely and smoothly.
You can always run through our How To playlist below to see about adjusting latches, removing wheels and more.
Security
If you have been taking a break from riding, you may have changed your routine or setup in a way that might affect the security of your bike. The great thing about folding bikes is that you can take them with you in places where a full-sized bike can’t go! But there are also plenty of people who, or some occasions where you, might like to leave your bike locked up outside. Is your lock in good condition and meets the standards required for your insurance, if you have insurance is it up to date? Something else that can expire is your helmet’s lifespan, so don’t forget to check the manufacturer info to ensure your head security is taken care of too!
Call your riding buddies
Maybe they aren’t out riding yet because they think no one else is! Be the one to take the initiative and call or message your friends to arrange that first biking rendezvous!