Your health and even your life can depend on the health of your bike. Developing a high speed, you must be confident in the reliability of the design and the quality of assembly of the constituent parts and assemblies. Check the condition of your bike regularly to make your rides safe.
Instructions
Step 1
Sit on the bike to check the height and fit of the saddle. In doing so, you should easily reach the pedal with your heel when it is in the lowest position. Your leg should be slightly bent at the knee or straight. Inspect the fork and frame for cracks.
Step 2
Check that the steering rod is securely fastened to the fork: it must not turn and lower in the steering column. Raise the front of the bike and tilt it slightly to the side. If the front wheel / fork rotates under its own weight, then it is installed correctly.
Step 3
Make sure that the handbrake levers are positioned so that the cyclist's hands do not come off the handlebars when braking, and the brakes themselves provide smooth and reliable braking. When braking fully, the brake lever must not rest against the handlebars of the bicycle.
Step 4
Move your bike along the ground next to you and look at the tracks left by the wheels. If the planes of symmetry of the wheels coincide with the plane of the frame, the track of the front wheel will overlap with the track of the rear one. Check that the wheels rotate on the axle without jamming and do not roll to the sides.
Step 5
Examine the wheel rims for cracks. Make sure the spokes are evenly tensioned and not loosened and the ends do not protrude above the nipple heads. Check the fit of the tires and wheel tubes to the rims of the bike. The clearance between the rear tire and the frame must match the distance between the front tire and the fork.
Step 6
Rotate the pedals to check for smooth rotation and to make sure that there is no binding. Check that the pedal axles are screwed into the crank arms as far as they will go. Estimate the tension of the chain: it should not reach the top of the teeth. The chain mounted on the middle driven sprocket should be parallel to the plane of the frame.
