How to Perform Bicycle Maintenance

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It is important to perform regular Required materials:
bicycle maintenance to ensure optimal 1. A bicycle
performance and safety. This procedure 2. Lubricant
should take about 45 minutes to 3. Wrench (or pliers)
complete. It is recommended that it is 4. Cleaning brush
performed outside and before every 5. Pieces of cloth
time one rides their bicycle. 6. Bucket with soapy water
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Loosen the brakes. Lean the bicycle against

1 a wall or a fence. Compress the brakes with your
hand (so that the brake pads are as far away from
the rim as possible). Remove the end of the cable
that is held back by a notch as illustrated. 1

Flip the bicycle over. Hold on to the frame and

2 the front wheel and lip the bicycle over so that it
rests on the handlebars and the seat.
2

3 Remove the front wheel. Loosen the screws

that hold the wheel axle in place using a wrench.
Lift the wheel up out of the forks and set it aside.

4 Remove the back wheel. Loosen the screws

that hold the back wheel in place using a wrench.
Move the chain off of the sprockets and lift the wheel out. Set the wheel aside.
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Clean the front forks. Take a damp cloth (wet it
with the soapy water) and clean the forks, the
shock absorbers and the tubes. 5 5

6
Clean under the brake cables. Pass the damp
cloth underneath the break cables and slide it back
and forth along the tubes of the bicycle. 6

Clean the sprockets. Hold the brush in place,

7 pressed against a sproket, and rotate the sprocket
by turning the pedals.
7

8 Clean around the pedals. Wrap the cloth

around where the cranks attach. Slide the
cloth back and forth to get rid of any dirt. 8
 Clean the chain. To clean the chain, press the
9 brush against the chain and the sprocket. Rotate
the sprocket using the pedals so that all of the
chain passes through the brush a few times. 9

10
Clean the rear block. Use the brush to clean
the sprockets. Clean the tubes and any other parts
using a damp soapy cloth.
10

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Clean the front wheel. Place the wheel on the
ground. Using the brush, clean the axle on both
sides. Clean every spoke and the rim of the wheel. 11

Clean the back wheel. Place the wheel on the

12 ground, with the sprockets up. Using a brush,
clean every sprocket and the axle. Flip the wheel
over and clean the axle on that side. Clean every
spoke and the rim. 12

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Lubricate the wheels. Place a cloth under the
axle. Lubricate the axle on both sides of each of the
wheels. It is not necessary to lubricate the gears
on the back wheel at this time. 13

Return the back wheel into its place. Lower

14 the back wheel into the openings. A sprocket on

the wheel will be pushing the chain down. Secure
the wheel in place using a wrench. Make sure the
wheel is capable of turning if pedals are used. 14

Lubricate the chain. Apply lubricant at one

15 point at a sprocket. Move the chain by rotating the
pedals. Let the chain pass through lubricant
application point at least twice. Lubricate
the sprockets with the same method apply
lubricant at same point and rotate the pedals. 15

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Place the front wheel back. Lower the wheel
back into the forks and tighten the screws
using a wrench. 16

Reconnect the brakes. Flip the bike back up and

17 lean it against a wall or a fence. Pull the brakes

together with one hand and pass the loose cable
end back through the notch. 17

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Make sure the brakes are aligned. Flip the
bike back over. Spin both wheels and check if they
can rotate freely. If a brake pad is interfering, move
it away from the rim.

Flip the bicycle back over. Clean up. 18