Hydration, Inflation, Illumination, Lubrication, Protection

The five big aspects of regular cycling involve keeping yourself watered, checking the pressure of and pumping up your tires, making sure you are visible to other road-users, keeping the moving parts of your bike clean and oiled, and preventing personal damage as well as bike theft. Or: Hydration, Inflation, Illumination, Lubrication, and Protection.

It’s too easy to dehydrate while cycling. Most frames have places to attach a water bottle cage, and both cages and bottles are inexpensive. Keep a bottle with you and filled, remember to use it, and if you ride hard or long distances you might try any of the electrolyte replacement mixes to restore salt and potassium lost through sweating. Dehydration and electrolyte loss increase muscle tension and soreness and are really easy to avoid.

The second, Inflation, can be taken care of with a good quality floor pump for home use combined with a flat-fix kit to carry with you. The flat-fix kit could include a spare tube and/or patch kit, tire levers, a pump, and perhaps some latex or nitrile gloves to keep your hands clean. If you have nutted wheels you might also carry a small wrench to loosen the nuts to remove your wheel. Some folks also carry an extra couple dollars. You can store your kit in a small bag under the seat of the bike, in a spare empty water bottle, or in a pannier, shoulder bag, or backpack.
For regular inflation, we recommend a floor pump with a gauge. Good quality pumps start around $30 and can last you years. Because your tubes are rubber and slightly porous, they lose air slowly but constantly, like a balloon. Depending on the size and pressure of your tires, you may need to pump your tires up every couple of weeks to every couple of days. For pavement, keeping your tires inflated to the maximum pressure listed on the side of the tire will make your tires last longer, prevent pinch flats, and will be most efficient for you, the rider. For wet pavement, a few psi lower might be advisable for a little bit of extra traction.
Even if you don’t personally know how to fix a flat, often someone passing by does and if you have the parts they might be willing to do the work. We at Joe Bike are also more than happy to do a quick tutorial with you on the basics of flat fixing, including to remove and reinstall your wheel, how to remove and reinstall the tire, and how to diagnose what kind of flat you have. Learn pro tips and tricks!

Third: Illumination. Investing in good lights that are bright, durable, water-resistant, and efficient will save you a lot of money in the long run, will help make you obvious to other vehicles (especially cars!), and might keep you from running over potholes, fallen branches, and other road hazards. They will also keep you from getting an expensive ticket from the police if you ride after dark, as all bicycles in the Metro area are required to have an active, white front light and, at minimum, a red rear reflector. We personally feel that an active red rear light is much safer and honestly, we think the more lights you have the better. We keep a variety of lights on hand, and are more than happy to talk about their relative qualities.
The most common and most affordable lights tend to be some kind of LED (light-emitting diode) bulb powered by double or triple A batteries. Some smaller lights use watch batteries (CR-2032 or CR-2016). You can frequently buy chargers and rechargable batteries from electronic supply stores, and that’s a very green way of keeping your bike well lit. These types of lights range from about $11 for the smaller, flashing, “hey-pay-attention-to-me” lights, to $50 or $60 for brighter front lights that can double has headlamps, all the way into nearly $100 for the brightest LEDs. The rear lights range from $11 to $35.
Another, more expensive, kind of light is more of a light system, and includes the bulb, either an LED or a halogen, and a separate battery back. These are a lot brighter, but usually start around $100 and go up from there. They are great for the serious commuter who might take a less well-lit route through the city. They have a several hour runtime and usually need to be recharged every night or other night. We don’t stock any of these lights at the moment, but we’re happy to order them for you.
The third option for front lights is a hub-generator, or dynamo, that produces electricity to power a light. There a several manufacturers and the hub price can vary greatly. They also need to be built into a wheel before they can be used, and might need to work with a specific light. Many of our cargo bikes come equipped with a dynamo hub and light. They are a big initial investment, but once installed require almost no attention or expense. Halogen bulbs burn out eventually, but LEDs have a long lifespan and might never be replaced. For specifics on hub generators and lights please call or email us, as there too many to go into great detail here.

Lubrication of the bike is key, and often overlooked. Your chain needs to be cleaned and oiled regularly for optimum performance and minimum wear. Two minutes every night is all you need to spend on this part of bike maintenance. Many chain oils contain both a cleaning element as well as a lubricant, and a heavy coating of that oil, followed by a few revolutions of the chain, and then running the chain through a clean rag until shiny is one of the simple, fast, and really effective. A properly cleaned and oiled chain can last twice as long as a dry one, and work more quietly and efficiently. We sell several brands of oil, including our preferred brand that we use in the shop and on our own bikes!
We’re also happy to oil your chain for you for a minimal shop fee, and can show you how while we do it.

And at the very last, protect your head, protect your bike. Invest in a helmet, no ifs ands or buts. Make sure it’s CPSC certified and that it fits. A loose helmet is almost as bad as no helmet at all. A helmet won’t save you from breaking a bone or scrapes and bruises, but it will do a good job of keeping you out of the persistent vegetative state ward in the hospital. And while cars are a danger, it’s possible to slip and crash all on your own, and concussions are pretty sucky. We promise. Also, the impact absorption material in helmets degrades with time and exposure, so replace any helmet that has either taken an impact or is older than 5 years.
A set of good gloves can keep your palms free of gravel in the event of a crash or collision and can provide additional comfort while riding as well as a convenient terrycloth nose-wipe on the thumb. But they are definitely less critical than a helmet. Think about trying some gloves if you have tingling or numbness in your fingers, or if your wrists hurt. Or if you bike in the cold and wet, full-finger gloves will keep your hands warm. Rain gear of any kind makes winter riding much more pleasant. Think about layering your gear to optimize your core temperature, and protect your extremities: head, hands, and feet should be guarded against cold and rain. Hypothermia sucks more than concussions.
Keep your bike out of the hands of bike thieves by locking it up securely and intelligently. Get a U Lock. We carry both OnGuard and Kryptonite brands of U Locks, and will recommend them over any cable lock made. Cables are an acceptable secondary level of defense to protect your wheels, but use the lock on your frame. Make sure you’re locking to something secure, too, that can’t be broken or lifted easily. Bike racks are preferred, but street sign poles are okay. Good locks are expensive, but usually cheaper than a new bike, and way more convenient than unexpectedly walking home.

In conclusion, you should always use common sense, and if you don’t feel safe riding somewhere, pick a different route. If you don’t think that car can see you, assume they can’t. Have a mechanic check out your bike for wear and damage on a regular basis, and if you don’t trust your mechanic, shop around until you find one that you do. If you have the time and interest, find a mechanic that will take the time to really explain the parts of your bike and how they work. Be careful, be smart, and have fun.