So, you got a new bike for Christmas and whether you’re a complete beginner, a seasoned pro or have plunged into a different cycling discipline there are some key things to know about owning and riding a bike. When your new bike arrives, whether it has been shipped in a box, assembled by someone or picked up from a store, there are likely a few key areas to give a little bit of TLC too before riding. This will ensure that the bike is set up for success, limiting wear and tear on specialised bicycle components and providing a smooth riding experience.

The Wheels

The first thing to do is the check whether or not the wheels are ‘true’ by mounting the bike and looking at how the wheels spin. The wheel should spin directly in the centre of the forks, and not move up or down or sway side to side. If they are not ‘true’ the bike should be taken to a specialist to fix this before riding to ensure that the wheels are not bents and will not put pressure on other areas of the bike when riding. More often than not, the wheels have just been knocked out in transportation and this is an easy fix.

The Tyres

Check that the tyres are inflated properly and that they are sat within the wheels correctly. Often in factories, they are inflated quickly which can lead to bumps in the tyre, a poorly inflated innertube and bad grip when riding. Riding without ensuring proper inflation can result in a burst tyre and the rider falling off. Make sure to check the sidewall of the tyre and the rim are evenly distributed and use a pump to slowly inflate the tyres to the correct pressure.

These are the 2 key areas to check when looking after a new bike, but our blog has many other articles about how to properly care for it, you can check them out here.