When you think about looking after your bike, it’s easy to get caught up in thinking that the best way to do it is to buy new stuff. Buying new kit is great, and undoubtedly fun, but in reality the number one thing when it comes to bikes is proper, consistent maintenance. You know the old cliché ‘look after X and it’ll look after you’? That applies to bikes as much as anything. With enough care and attention, there’s no reason you can’t still be riding your current bike for years to come, and any upgrades will come from choice rather than necessity.

So, for Christmas, why not treat your bike to a full inspection? Take the time to check some of those things that maybe you’ve neglected for most of the year and get your ride ready to roll for 2021.

New chain and cassette

Look, we all know that our chain should be checked regularly and changed when needed. But how many of us really check that chain as often as we should? Yep, we’re looking anywhere but at the screen right now, too, as we’re far from guilt-free on this one.

Changing a worn chain isn’t just good for the chain, it’s good for the rest of the drivetrain as well. As a chain ages and stretches, it doesn’t sit as perfectly around the cassette cogs and chainrings when you’re pedalling, and this wears them down too. That means if you leave a worn chain on your bike for too long, you could be looking at needing to replace the cassette and chairing(s) too, which is a far more expensive job than just changing the chain. 

A proper clean

You know that quick rinse you give your bike when it’s a bit muddy out? Yeah, that’s not a proper clean. Sorry. Winter is the time to really treat your bike to a full once-over, especially so if you have a summer and a winter bike, because you can really take that summer bike to pieces and get it genuinely clean.

At the very least, you can remove the cranks and check that bottom bracket, as well as check up on the headset and hub bearings, too. Bearings are easy to check, because you can feel when they’re not running smoothly. They’re a bit harder to maintain, and you should always check the recommendations of the manufacturer before you embark on actually messing with the bearings themselves.

Other things to consider are removing the chain and bathing it, checking the rear mech jockey wheels, checking those pedals and their bearings, basically all that stuff you know needs doing but most of the time you can be bothered to do. It’s Christmas, show your bike some love.

Check your sealant

Everyone knows that bad weather means more punctures, so take the opportunity to check on the sealant in your tyres. It’s one of those things you tend not to think about until you’re stood by the side of the road/trail/whatever wishing that you’d maybe checked it that morning.

Come to think of it, instead of just chucking more sealant in there, now’s the time to take off the tyres, clean them out, clean the rim and mount them again with fresh sealant.

New Bar Tape/Grips

The contact points on a bike tend to take a fair amount of abuse, and bar tape in particular can get pretty gross quite quickly. Switching out your bar tape or grips is a quick way to breathe some new life into your bike, and make for a nicer experience for yourself, too.

It's also worth remembering that - with bar tape especially - it can get rather sweaty under there, and replacing it every now and then while wiping the bars down is a decent habit to get into. 

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