How To Make A Bike Feel New Again

If you feel that your bike is not running properly, or your bike is beginning to sound like it’s not running properly - you may start to want a new bike, but that’s not always required. There are several ways to bring your bike into feeling new and back into enjoyable riding. Below, we run through what we recommend:

Clean The Bike!

This is one of the most overlooked ways of making your bike feel new again. A simple clean can work wonders, but we are not just talking about a general spray-over with a hosepipe. Strip the bike down as far as you can, and reach all of the spots you normally do not clean. This will make the rest of the processes and methods in this article a lot easier!

Replace The Rubber

Old and degraded tyres are dangerous and can make riding a bike a pretty unenjoyable experience. Typical signs of wear and tear on a road bike are a flat band in the centre and small cuts across the tyre. Typical signs of wear and tear on a mountain bike are tearing of the side edges, and severely worn down knobbles. Even if the tyres look in OK condition, as tyres get older - the rubber within them becomes much harder, giving a poorer riding experience. A fresh set of tyres, breathes life into any bike.

New Cables

Cables are the lifeblood of your bike - running everything from the braking system to the gears. If your cables are old, rusting or dirty, the performance of a bike is massively affected.

New Touch Points

We have discussed the contact points between the bike and the road in recommending replacement tyres. Now we look at the contact points between the rider and the bike. The saddle of your bike wears down over time, with the foam and padding in the seat compressed. If you found your old saddle was comfortable enough to ride on, stick to a similar model; if you never gelled with it, try something new! It’s the same story with adding fresh handlebar grips or grip tape to your bike, which can rejuvenate worn-down handlebar grips.

Pedals are another high movement touch point which benefits from replacement or at the very least a service. If you are using pedals with cleats, look for wear on the cleats, which provide poor performance.

New Chain

A worn chain on a bike is a recipe for gear slippages, lost chains and poor gear changes - leading to poor performance and frustration. Buy a new chain for your bike, and you can expect to see improvements. It’s also a good idea at the time to inspect the cassette and drivetrain - ensuring it’s clean and serviceable. The cassette should have rounded teeth; a sign of a worn drivetrain is sharp teeth.

If the chain looks OK, apply some chain lube after cleaning.

Check Brake Pads

If the braking performance of your bike feels lacklustre, the first port of call should be checking your brake pads. The best way to do this is to remove both the front and back wheel to access the calliper; shining a light on the brake pad should tell you all you need to know. A pad should have 3-4mm left in it, so if it’s below 1mm, it’s time to change.

Suspension Service

Assuming your bike has suspension, then having it serviced is a great place to start improving your bike's performance and feel. Suspension manufacturers recommend long service intervals, with Rockshox recommending a service every 100 hours and Fox recommending a service every 125 hours of use. This keeps the suspension not only running correctly but also protects the suspension from damage and subsequent large bills.

Worn Bearings

Just because bike bearings are out of sight, they should not be out of mind! Worn bearings provide poor performance, and in severe cases - you can feel the movement of worn bearings through excessive movement. New bearings keep everything running smoothly.