Spring Temperatures Bring A Chance To Tune Up Your Bike For The First Ride

It’s been quite a mild winter so maybe this year you were able to get your bicycle out of storage for a few rides in the strangest time of year to be riding, winter.  That’s great news if you are an avid rider, but if you’ve kept your bike in storage and waited for the weather to warm up consistently, it seems you may be in luck because our recent turn of weather looks like it’s time to tune up your bike and get ready for a spring ride.

One of the very first things you should do that will go a long way in helping you to avoid a New Haven bicycle accident is to make sure your bike is tuned up and ready to ride safely.  It can be tempting at the first sight of Spring to just pull your bike out and go, but during a few months in storage there are some things that may need to be addressed so you are able to take your bike out for a ride without worrying about the maintenance on your trusty two wheeled companion.  If you don’t take the time to do your due diligence you might find that your joyous first ride of the Spring turns into a nightmare when you are broken down on the side of the road with no way to get home.

You can most certainly take your bike to a bike shop and have them perform the tune-up for you, but many of these things you can do on your own if you know your way around a bike at all.  Unlike a car, bikes are somewhat easier to check up on and you can save yourself a few dollars.  If you choose to try to do the tune up yourself. here are some things you will want be looking at;

1.) Tires.  The most important part of your bicycle are your tires (or at least they are one of the most important parts.) Like when driving a motor vehicle you will want to make sure that your tires are inflated properly and that they are holding air.  Bike tires have a greater chance of being punctured and even a small, pin hole in your bike tire could leave you stranded for hours on the side of the road putting you at risk of getting struck by an on-coming vehicle.

2.) Your chain.  The chain is the most mechanical piece of your bicycle and it needs some attention.  When tuning it up you should pay close attention to the tightness of the chain and make sure that it is properly run along the track.  It is also important that the chain is properly lubricated to ensure that it is functioning properly and will not break while you are riding your bike.

3.) Brakes.  As in any vehicle, motorized or pedal powered, brakes are a critical function of your bike.  Without brakes, an accident would be imminent.  Tuning up your brakes doesn’t require much, but it does require a little bit of knowledge and a special allen wrench to fit your specific brakes.  If you are equipped with this tool you will be able to tune up your brakes on your own, if you are not equipped you may need to bring your bike in to a shop to have your brakes finely tuned to make sure you can ride with ease.

If you address these three areas of your bike when tuning it up for the spring you should be able to do your best to stay safe and avoid a New Haven bicycle accident.  If you do not feel comfortable tuning your bike up on your own there are a number of bike shops in the city of New Haven that can help you get your bike to a place where you can ride it safely and stress free.

Contact our office if you are in an accident and are in need of assistance.  Our experienced attorneys have worked on many cases that involve bicycle accidents and they may be able to speak with you about your situation.