The Liv ABC bike check

Take a look at this quick guide for a safety point check for your bike.

Get in the habit of doing routine checks before each ride to provide greater comfort and safety for your riding experience. This ensures you get the most out of your bike, both in duration and distance.

Hot tips:

Your tires are porous and will lose pressure over time. Check your tire pressure at least every week (if not every ride). Tire pressure is the first step on the “ABC” safety check – air! 

When it comes to lube, more is not better. If you have too much lube on your chain, it can attract more dust, dirt and grime and actually wear the chain (and the rest of your drivetrain) much faster. After you apply lube, wipe away any excess with a dry rag.

No matter how much you wash your hands, your fingers have natural oils on them that can contaminate your brake rotors. If you touch your rotors (or get chain lube or another contaminant on them), your brakes will become super squeaky and might not work as well! If you accidently touch your rotors, just make sure you clean them with isopropyl alcohol or soap and water before riding.

If you have hydraulic disc brakes and you need to remove your wheels for any reason, be careful not to squeeze the brake lever. Squeezing the lever without a rotor between the brake pads will cause the calipers to push the pads together. You won’t be able to put your wheel back on! If this does happen, you can use a brake pad separator tool or a CLEAN flathead screwdriver to pry the pads apart.