Ten Steps to Keep a Bike Running Like New

1. Touch up paint chips immediately to prevent corrosion. If you can’t find a color match, try at a store that sells nail polish, which is available in a zillion hues.

2. Place a piece of electrical tape on the right chainstay (the frame tube that runs from the bottom bracket to the dropout where the rear derailleur is attached). The chain hits this tube frequently. Tape will prevent paint chips and help silence the noise.
   
   
3. Weekly, inspect the surface of the brake pads that strike the rims and, with an awl or knife, pick out any bits of sand or aluminum that have gotten embedded in the pad. This will prevent the pads wearing the rims.
   
   
4. A coat of wax will help keep a bike clean. Use any liquid car wax. Some riders swear by Lemon Pledge spray wax too, which is easier to use.
   
   
5. If you carry a lockon the bike, don’t just hang it on the handlebar or wrap it around the seatpost to carry it. This approach allows the lock to swing and strike the frame as you ride, which will eventually chip the paint and possibly ding the frame. Instead, purchase the proper lock bracket for the frame or carry the lock in a backpack.
   
   
6. New bikes almost always come with a warranty that provides a free tune-up after you’ve used the bike for about a month to six weeks. If yours is a new bike, be sure to take advantage of this free checkup—even if it means driving a ways to get the bike back to the shop where you bought it. It’s very important for a new bike to get this thorough checkup because the adjustments on new bikes are most likely to change during the first few weeks/months of use.
   
   
7. If you have to lay the bike down to park it, always place it on a soft surface and always on its left side. Laying it on its right side puts pressure on the rear derailleur, which could damage it.
   
   
8. Riding in the rain is fine, but be sure to dry the bike off as soon as you get home and then apply lube to the chain and brake and derailleur pivots. If you don’t, the water will rust the parts.
   
   
9. Try to never lean your bike or park it in a bike rack in such a way that the frame is touching something (even if the other bikes are parked that way). Bicycle frame tubes have thin walls and they’re easily dented. Plus it’s very easy to chip the paint job, which will lead to corrosion. If you have to lean a bike, rest it against the seat and handlebars. Most bike racks are made to hold the bike by the wheel.
   
   
10. It may seem selfish, but never let anyone ride your bike except for a short test ride. I’ve seen too many bikes trashed by boyfriends, brothers and friends. It’s not their bike, so I guess they figure it’s okay to ride it as hard as possible. I say let them wreck their own bike.

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