Caring for your bike

Congratulations on your new bike! We hope you’re enjoying it. To prolong your bike’s life and to help you make the most of your riding experience, here are a few preventative bike maintenance and safety tips.

The most important step

This, we believe, is a must-do: reading through your bike’s user manual.

It might not seem like an important step but every bike and every manufacturer is different. Familiarizing yourself with the specifics of your new bike may come handy in both the near and the distant future.

In your manual, for example, you can find the recommended PSI (Pounds per Square Inch – the common unit of measurement for tire pressure) for your bike tires. This can help greatly when you’re filling your tires.

Your manual also includes information on the initial bike setup, which is important especially when setting up the battery for the first time.

Preventative care and bike maintenance

• Keep your bike indoors or under cover whenever possible. Prolonged and repeated exposure to the elements such as direct sunlight (especially in the summer), rain, snow, or storms can decrease the life of the bike parts.
• Clean your bike as often as possible. While your cleaning schedule might depend on how often you ride your bike, for most people, once every two weeks is sufficient.

o   Clean thoroughly but gently. Avoid using a jet stream hose or aggressive water sprays, and instead use a soft cloth to remove dust and debris from the frame.

o   If you’re new to bikes, don’t have enough mechanical knowledge or experience, or don’t feel comfortable, avoid opening any parts that might be difficult to reseal or put back together. Clean gently from the outside.