Basic Bicycle Maintenance

Would you drive your car with soft or flat tyres?

“Well nooo..oo..”

Why then, do we see so many bikes through our workshop with very low or virtually flat tyres!

Servicing is important to us; as cyclists and having led many Brtish Cycling rides. We know keeping a bike in tip-top condition and good working order makes every ride safer and more enjoyable. This is why, when buying a bike from us, we’ll offer a free six-week service to ensure everything’s running smoothly.

Our workshop has everything we need. From putting your bike together on arrival, then passing it through a pre-delivery inspection prior to you having the bike to keeping it up and running throughout its life.

To help you maintain your bicycle and keep it in good shape, we have a few easy maintenance tips.

Pumping Tyres

Let’s begin with pumping tyres. A very important part of maintenance and one of the easiest. It’s important to know which type of valve is on your tyres; Schrader or Presta and what your tyre pressures should be (these can be found on the side of the tyre). Many pumps can change between both but it is best to check before you buy one. Take a look at ours

Once you have your pump sorted, you need to remove the dust cap on your tyre. (Be careful not to misplace it as you will need to put it back on after)

Attach the pump to the valve and start pumping. It is easiest to use a pump with a gauge; so you can check what pressure you are at as you are pumping. Once you are at the correct pressure, remove the pump and put the cap back on the valve.

Should you be unsure; or just hate the idea of having to pump your tyres, we are offering to do them for free. Pop your bike to us at; Unit 12, Hassocks Wood on Stroudley road any time between 10 & 4, Tuesday to Saturday. So, come on, No excuses for riding with flat tyres!!

Bike Cleaning

Keeping your bike clean is a great way to make sure everything stays in tip top condition. For this, you’ll need a bucket of water, sponge or old cloth and a bottle of Green Fizz.

Spray the Green Fizz onto the bike and leave to stand for a few minutes. Using your bucket of water; clean off all the muck and grime and leave in the sunshine to dry off.

Chain

Lastly, drop a sparing amount of bike lubricant onto the chain links as you slowly turn the pedals. Wipe up any excess with an old cloth and you’re ready to roll.

We are the only Bosch eBike accredited dealer in Basingstoke and our workshop is fully equipped with up-to-date diagnostic equipment. This helps us pinpoint faults quickly and accurately and enables us to do software updates. Howard is Cytech technical e-bike qualified. We have also attended TranzX and Shimano Steps workshops; ensuring we are kept up to date with all the latest technologies.

If the sunshine has led to you dusting the cobwebs off your bicycle; and the above todo list is still filling you with dread, bring it into our workshop for a safety check. We’ll give the bike a full check and service assessmen; quote for any service work, as well as check and inflate tyres to the correct pressure. All of which is just £25 and redeemable against a service within one month. Call to book; 01256 353465 or email info@espokes.co.uk

If you work at Chineham Business Park; you may find it more convenient to bring your bicycle to our mobile mechanic at Spindlewood; Wednesday 3rd April 11 am – 2 pm where we will be offering free health checks. These can be booked in via Wendy Scott; wendy.scott@colliers.com If you can’t make it this Wednesday we will be back again Wednesday 3rd July and Wednesday 2nd October.