Please note, bicycle parts are like vehicle parts, they are consumables products that require consumers to maintain regularly to ensure the bicycle run properly. Without regular maintenance, the bicycle may not have good performance and damage quickly.
Ensure Headset is Tighten
Check the headset by grabbing the front brake and rocking and handlebars back and forth to ensure no movement. If movement occurs, you will need to screw the headset down.
Tire Pressure
A proper tire pressure allows you ride quickly, smoothly and avoiding flats. You will need to check your tire pressure every week to ensure it has proper pressure. If tire pressure is insufficient, the inner tube and the tire will be broken quickly. A proper pressure should be based on your weight, the road conditions, and the tire volume. We recommend the tire pressure should stay within the manufacture’s recommended pressure. For example, a road / city bike should keep between 80 – 110 PSI; a hybrid bike should keep between 40 - 60 PSI; a mountain bike should keep between 25 – 35 PSI.
Wobble Spoke Wheel
The spoke is used to hold the hub and control the balance of rim. When all spokes tighten and hubs are same on both left and right sides, the left and right sides are balanced, and the wheels can run correctly. If you find your spoke wheel is wobbling but you still feel stable during riding, it may be caused by either spoke are loose or hubs are damaged/broken. To fix the loose spoke, you just need a tool to retighten it. If the hub is damaged or broken, you will need to replace another new hub.
Tighten the Tug
If you find the wheels are wobbling and feel unstable during your riding, then the tugs near wheels may be loose. We recommend checking the tugs every two months. To check them, you will need to hold the handlebars and shake the wheels left and right. If the wheels move left and right, then you will need to retighten it.
Brake Fade
If you feel the brake has less stopping power than before, you may experience brake fade. Brake fade occurs most often during the high-speed riding like going down a long steep hill. If you are using disc brake, the disc near the tire and the pad inside the caliper may be fade, the only solution is to replace these parts. If you use v-brake, the two pads on the left and right sides of the wheel shall be replaced. If you use drum brake, you will need to replace the two pads inside the brake drum. But you must ensure the size should be match.
General Adjustment
Each time when you use the brake lever, the brake cable will incur a minor movement which reduces the tension on the brake. Therefore, you will feel less pressure when you use brake lever. To increase the tension of the cable, you simply need to adjust the know on the cable. Mostly the knob locates near the brake lever, others may locate on the brake.
You will also find a screw nut which locks the silver brake cable. You can also adjust the length of this cable to increase or reduce the tension on the brake. Shorter cable increases the tension, while longer cable reduces the tension.
When Replace the Pad
You will need to replace the pads when the pads are 1/3 worn.
Disc Brake
You will see there are three screws on the side close to the wheel. You will only need to adjust the middle screw. Screwing in increases the pressure, while screwing out reduces the pressure. The top and bottom screw should always keep tighten.
V-Brake
There is one screw behind the brake, screwing in increases the pressure and screwing out reduces the pressure.
Drum Brake
You will see there are two screws on the surface of the drum. These two screws control two pads. Screwing in increases the pressure and screwing out reduces
the pressure.
Regular Adjustment on the Speed Control System
The shifter are the most complicated parts which need regular adjustments if you have incorrect speed shifting habits. (click here to see the shifting guide) If you are a beginner, we recommend you learn good shifting habits from the shifting guide before riding. If the bad habits causing the damages of gear, crankset and chain, the following adjustment methods will be less effective.
When you hear “click” sound from the chain regularly during riding, the shifter may not accurately shift the chain to the correct gear teeth. You will need to adjust either front or rear shifter based on where the sound comes from.
Adjusting the Front Shifter
Other Scenario
Adjusting the Rear Shifter
You will find two screws (or other mechanism based on which shifter you purchased) on the back of the shifter. One marked as “H” (i.e. High) and the other mark as “L” (i.e. Low). Screwing in “H” makes the derailleur stays away from the frame, while screwing out “H” makes derailleur stay close to the frame. Screwing in “L” makes the chain stay away from the frame, while screwing out “L” makes the chain stay close to the frame.
Please note, you will always complete the following steps before the adjustment, otherwise the adjustment will not work.
-
Loosening the brake cable by screwing out the nut which locks the cable.
-
Shifter changes to the highest number when you adjust “H”, shifter changes to lowest number when you adjust “L”
-
Put the chain on the largest gear when you adjust “H”, put the chain on the smallest gear when you adjust “L”.
-
Retightening the nuts on the cable and started adjusting.
If you hear “bump” or other unfavored sound from the chain randomly during the riding while the chain is correctly stay on the gear teeth, that means the teeth or chain are wear down or lacks oil lubricants. You may try to add more oil lubricants to reduce this problem. If not working, you may need to replace the gears which are damaged.
You will find two screws (or other mechanism based on which shifter you purchased) on the back of the shifter. One marked as “H” (i.e. High) and the other mark as “L” (i.e. Low). Screwing in “H” makes the chain stays away from the wheel, while screwing out “H” makes chain stay close to the wheel. Screwing in “L” makes the chain stay away from the frame, while screwing out “L” makes the chain stay close to the frame.
Please note, you will always complete the following steps before the adjustment, otherwise the adjustment will not work.
-
Loosening the brake cable by screwing out the nut which locks the cable.
-
Shifter changes to the highest number when you adjust “H”, shifter changes to lowest number when you adjust “L”
-
Put the chain on the largest gear when you adjust “H”, put the chain on the smallest gear when you adjust “L”.
-
Retightening the nuts on the cable and started adjusting.
Chain Maintenance
Chain is the weakest bicycle part. Without regular maintenance, the riding performance will reduce and may cause noisy sound. More seriously, the chain may be stretched or even break.
Therefore, we recommend do a regular inspection per in the following:
-
If you usually ride on rainy day or ride on mountain road, you need to inspect the chain every 70 kms or every week.
-
If you mostly ride on flat road, you need to inspect the chain every 150kms or every week.
-
If you ride on other harder roads, you need to inspect more frequently based on the road conditions.
You shall maintain the chain when find the following during your inspection:
-
There are too much dust or mud on the chain.
-
When you hear the small “ling” sound from the chain, but the chain stays on the chain.
-
The chain is dry.
-
Riding speeds reduce obviously.
-
You do not ride the bike for a long time (i.e. at least 6 weeks)
How to Maintain the Chain
You will need professional detergent and a chain cleaning box to clean the chain. If you do not have the cleaning box, you can use teeth brush or other tools instead. In this section, we will only introduce how to use cleaning box. You will also need to prepare chain lubricant to lubricate the chain.
1st step – clean the chain
To clean the chain, you need to fill detergent into the cleaning box and attach the box on the chain. Then use hand for pedaling, the chain goes through the box and the detergent will clean the oil contamination very quick.
2nd step – Wipe the Sewage
Use clean water to rinse away the sewage and use dry mop to move the remaining water away. If any dirt still in the gear or crankset, use brush tools to remove them.
3rd step – Add antirust
After dry the parts, you need to add antirust on the gear, chain, and crankset to prevent them being rust.
4th step – add chain lubricant
To add the lubricant, you need to slowly squeeze out on the chain. Remember to clean extra lubricant staying on the chain, this can reduce future dust containment. Also, do not drop lubricant on the brake because it will cause the brake fail to work properly.
Other Scenario
As you ride the bike, the chain will slowly be stretched. When you find the up and down chains are not parallel, the chain may be too long to correctly catch the gear teeth. Chain may start to slip. If this happens at the first time, you can use chain tool to cut the pins to reduce the length. If this is the second time of your chain being stretched, we recommend you replace a new chain instead.
Shock Absorber and Wheel Hub Maintenance
When you find the shock absorber and wheel hub are dry, or you hear noise from these parts, you may need to add lubricant.
