5 Bike Maintenance Mistakes to Avoid – Part 2

Improper maintenance of our bicycle is easier than it seems. Often, without realising it, we run into problems that could have been avoided with a little more care… saving precious pennies in our wallet.

We’ve already looked at the first 5 mistakes in another blog post, and now we can focus on the other 5.

1. Wrong seatpost grease

The seatpost basically has to do two things: not go up and down and not get stuck. In other words, it should remain fixed in position, but should be able to slide easily when you want to move it.

To do this, special greases must be used, which vary depending on the material of the seatpost and frame.

Metal bikes and seatposts (steel, aluminium, titanium): copper or nickel grease, which creates a thin layer of a material that prevents blocking.

Carbon bikes and seatposts: dedicated grease that creates a layer that prevents the seatpost from slipping.

2. Over-inflating or under-inflating the tyres

It is often thought that inflating the tyres to the maximum is a trick to go faster… nothing could be more wrong. Unless the asphalt is a “pool table”, an over-inflated tyre will make you bounce at the slightest pebble.

Conversely, an under-inflated tyre will increase the risk of a puncture or even create all the conditions for the tyre to come off the rim.

So how to do it? Simply read the manufacturer’s advice printed on the tyre itself and pay attention to this information, depending on your weight and the terrain you will be riding on: if I weigh little and/or if my outing is going to be on rough terrain, I will inflate the tyre close to the minimum figure, if I weigh a lot and the asphalt is new, I will inflate the tyre close to the maximum figure.

3. Placing the handlebar tape over the handlebar grips

This is an operation that sometimes mechanics also do, i.e., go and put the handlebar tape over the plastic part of the grips (not the rubber, but the plastic part under the rubber). In this way, a greater thickness is created in the area where the hands rest, facilitating tingling, inflammation of the nerves and other similar problems.

We recommend that the handlebar tape only be in contact with the handlebar.

4. Using shoddy tools

Quality tools cost money and that’s true. But once purchased, they last a lifetime. How often do we see mechanics using tools that are obsolete but still in perfect condition?

The risk of using poor-quality tools is to ruin our components. Here’s an example to reinforce the idea: if I try to unscrew a screw with a poor-quality Allen screw, I risk ruining the screw itself and will be forced to go to a mechanic who will have to drill out the screw to remove it. 

What costs less: a quality wrench or the operation that the mechanic will have to perform?

5. Incorrect steering tension

It often happens that we see bikes where the handlebars are very hard and almost impossible to turn, just as it happens that we find others where the handlebars have a lot of play especially when we pull the front brake and move the bike from one side to the other.

In both cases there is a fundamental error.

In the first case the handlebars are too hard and if you wanted to try to go hands-free, the bike would go where you wanted it to go. Very dangerous.

Otherwise, if the handlebars have too much play, the pads inside will move too much and wear out faster.

Find all cycling products at Deporvillage

Stefano Francescutti