How to take care of the roko.bike yourself

Proper care of the bike will allow for long and trouble-free use.

It is worth knowing that we can do a lot of maintenance ourselves and you do not need the knowledge and skills of a qualified bicycle mechanic. You should have a set of hex keys, a pump, a brush for washing your bike and a chain lubricant. In addition, it is worth having a chain cleaner and solid multi-purpose grease.

Washing the bicycle

The bike should be washed with water and detergent, a brush for washing cars will work well here. Particular attention should be paid to the cleanliness of the drive. The chain can be cleaned by pressing the brush against it and rotating the pedals. You can also use a special chain cleaner. After washing, the chain should be dried with a cloth.

Do not wash your bicycle with a high-pressure washer. Pressurized washing allows water to penetrate into hard-to-reach places, such as the inside of bearings, and causes corrosion. It manifests itself in characteristic sounds (squeaks, etc.), significantly increases the resistance while riding and shortens the life of the components.

Lubrication

After washing, lubricate the chain and the derailleur pulleys. These elements should be lubricated regularly, every few days or even every day if we go on long trips. Important – do not lubricate the dirty chain. The mixture of dirt and grease, firstly, increases the wear of the drive and secondly, it is difficult to clean.

If the height of the saddle changes frequently, you should also lubricate the seat tube inside the frame from time to time. For this, either anti-seize pastes or solid lubricants are used.

To be checked before each ride

Tire pressure should be checked before each ride. If there is no air in the wheel, there may be a hole in the inner tube. Then you should also check if there is something stuck in the tire. Replace the inner tube if necessary. If the wheel is only a little softer, you only need to pump up air. Pressure loss is completely normal. Always check that the brakes are working and that the quick-releases on the wheels are tightly closed.

Screw connections

If the bike is assembled well, the bolt will never unscrew suddenly while riding without any prior signals. Nevertheless, the tightness of the screws should be checked from time to time. Checking yourself is a very simple operation – you just need to use a wrench to check that they are well tightened, but do not tighten them with all your strength.

Shift and brake cables

At roko.bike, all shifting cables (in 20 “and 24″ bikes) and brake cables (in 16” bikes) are inside cable housing along their entire length. Thanks to this, they can work for a very long time completely maintenance-free, without the need to clean the cable and lubricate cable housing inside.

Inspection in a professional service

We are sure of the quality of the assembly of our bikes and therefore we do not require a paid inspection after starting the bicycle use. Nevertheless, after each season, we recommend that you have a your bike checked by a professional bicycle service center. In addition to activities that can be performed by you, the mechanic will check the tension of the spokes in the wheels, lubricate hard-to-reach places such as the bearings of the headset, hubs and bottom bracket. The mechanic will also replace consumables such as brake pads and adjust the derailleurs and brakes if needed.