How to Bike Safely with a "Preflight" Check

If you want to bike safely and avoid on-road mechanical problems you should adopt the universally accepted practice of all aircraft pilots: perform an inspection checklist on your bicycle in the same way that the pilot 'preflight' inspects his aircraft. Follow these steps before each ride; the few minutes invested will reward you with fewer 'pit stops' for repairs and safer riding.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Personal Bike
• Tire pump with pressure gauge
• inexpensive maintenance stand (maybe)

1. 
   Lube your chain

   Lubricate and wipe your chain clean of excess grease. Proper chain lubrication is vital for component longevity, proper shifting and quiet operation. Serious riders often lube/wipe down the chain at the completion of each ride to be ready for tomorrow's adventure. If you haven't done this, do it now. Put the bike in an inexpensive stand (shown) and drip lubrication of choice onto the chain where it passes over the rear cassette (gear-cogs) while hand turning the pedal backwards (in the opposite direction normally pedaled).

2. 
   Check spokes

   Check your tires and wheels. Component failure here can lead to accidents, injury and even worse. Flip your bike 'on it's head' and balance it to stay in this wheels-up position. Check the spokes on each wheel by grasping and lightly squeezing two spokes at a time as you work around the wheel. You're checking for broken or dangerously loose spokes.

3. 
   Turning true!

   Check rim for true and brake pad clearance. Lightly spin each wheel by hand and observe the rim as it passes next to the brake pads. If the rim remains a constant distance away from the pad as it rotates, all is well. If it appears to excessively wobble closer/farther from the pad, the wheel needs to be trued by spoke adjustment. You can learn to do this yourself or take the wheel to you local bike shop.

4. 
   Your tires are your friends!

   Check tires for imbedded objects. While you've got your bike wheels ups, visually inspect the sidewall and tread of each tire. You're looking for foreign objects and unusual wear. Small sharp stones, shards and thorns imbedded here can work their way through the tire during your ride and cause exasperating and often dangerous flat tires.

5. 
   Shake it out!

   Check for headset adjustment and general rattling. Turn your bike to it's normal upright position. Station yourself to one side of the front wheel and ahead of the handlebars. Grip the bars as shown, lift the front wheel and give the front end a sharp shake. You are looking, feeling and listening for any evidence of looseness or play in the headset where your handlebars, stem and front fork/wheel attach to the bike frame. Any failure in this area of your bike's anatomy while riding can cause a serious situation. I'll leave it to your imagination to figure the possible consequences...

6. 
   Seat of power...

   Check seat for proper height and tightness. Your bike's seat is clamped by its rails to your seat-post. If you've done much riding you will have marked your seat-post so that you can tell at a glance if the seat is adjusted to your preferred height. Your seat is subject to vibrations and extreme forces as you shift your weight while riding. It can work its way loose and move. Grasp the seat as shown and apply some moderate pressure; if nothing moves, all is well.

7. 
   Pressures...

   Check your tire pressure front and rear before each ride. You're almost out the door to enjoy your ride but take just a moment to get out your floor pump with it's built-in tire pressure gauge (preferred) and check both tires. Do this religiously and you will virtually eliminate pinch-flats. It is obviously safer and more efficient to ride with the proper inflation in both tires.

8. 
   Wear a helmet

   Take a quick inventory of extra gear you should take along on any ride of more than a half mile. Tire inflation device, extra tube/patch kit, tire levers, combination wrench, spoke wrench and a few dollars in change is pretty much standard fare for every on-bike tool kit. Don't forget to think of your helmet, eyewear, watch/ID bracelet, house key and cellphone as well. This bike 'preflight' check may seem extensive but, with a little practice, all these steps can be performed in about the time it took to read this article. Spend a few minutes performing these steps before each ride and you will benefit by not loosing time on the road with repairs and you just may save yourself from a nasty cycling accident.

Tips & Warnings

• 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'
• Regular maintenance prolongs the life of expensive components
• When in doubt see the pro at your local bike shop

[katearquette]

on 2/27/2009 This article is so well written and informative! These tips are SO important in maintaining bike safety, thanks for spreading the word!!! 5*

[goodselfme]

on 2/26/2009 Your well done article will be going to my daughter. She rides to work and I know she can use these tips. TX