Are Bike Tune-Ups Necessary?

With warm weather coming up, my husband mentioned we should drop off our bikes for tune-ups before the bike shop gets too busy. We are always last minute and then have to wait weeks for them to be ready. I was curious about what exactly a bike tune-up included and if it was necessary so of course I tuned to Google.

Why should you get a bike tune-up?

A bike tune-up is meant to clean up the bike parts, inspect for any loose or broken parts and adjust any parts to the correct positions. Now yes you can of course just get on a bike and ride it but for safety its best to do a quick inspection. Think of a bike tune-up as an oil change for bike. For those that put on a lot of miles on their bikes it is important to be safe than sorry.

What is included typically in a bike tune-up?

• Adjust Gears and Brakes
• Check Tire Pressure
• Wheel Alignment – to insure handlebars are straight
• Safety Inspection of Tires, Cables, Proper Adjustment
• Torque check of  bolts
• Lubricate Drive Train
• Torque All Fasteners
• On-Bike Wheel True for Minor Corrections
• Minor Adjustment on Hubs, Headset and Bottom Bracket
• Align and Adjust Brakes and Shifting
• Wipe Down Frame, Fork, and Wheels
• Inspect for Loose or Worn Parts
• Remove and Clean Drivetrain
• True Front and Rear Wheels

There are different levels of inspections, you may need just a basic one or if you are an advanced rider than you might opt for a more in-depth one. Bike tune-ups usually are based on how many hours you put on your bike, similar to miles on a car. We are not bike experts so I like a tune-up for my teens bikes especially because I don’t want their bikes falling apart which could lead to a safety issue.

What to do if you are in a bike accident?

Things can happen whether your bike is in tip-top shape or not so its always good to have a plan in hand in case something happens. Obviously, if an injury happens the first thing to do is take care of the injuries. My kids have come home with lots of scraps from falls on their bike and a good cleaning of the area is a must so you don’t get infected. All of the accidents that have happened have luckily been minor and from not paying attention or goofing off. If the accident was not their fault though, for example if they were hit by a negligent driver, we would definitely look into speaking with a lawyer for the bike accident to help cover the injuries and bike. I hope that is something we never have to worry about but it is something to keep in mind. I never thought about an accident lawyer before but while researching bike safety and tune-ups I found it is something to keep in the back of my mind.