Be Sure Your Bike is Ready to Go This Spring

HERMANTOWN, Minn. — Early last week when temperatures climbed into the 50s and 60s, some of you may have pulled your bike out of the garage for the first time in several months. After going unused for an extended period of time, they can collect dirt and rust which can cause problems down the road. Brent Edstrom at Galleria Bicycle says getting your bike a tune-up is a good idea because it may need more than just air in the tires to be ready for the season.

“We clean your bike. We’ll give it a good wipe down. Clean the whole frame, the wheels. You know, we will lube your chain with a bike specific lubricant. We’ll check your gears to make sure they shift properly. Hit every gear, so when you’re climbing those Duluth hills, you got your low gears available and then when it’s time to go down you have your high gears. And brakes, brakes are extremely important. We adjust and fix brakes to make sure you can stop when you need to,” said Galleria Bicycle owner Brent Edstrom.

If you have an e-bike, Galleria is equipped to do maintenance on the mechanical components without any problems. But, they still recommend calling ahead because getting some of the electrical parts for certain brands can take some time. In addition to making sure your bike is ready to ride, Brent also suggests checking your protective gear to see if it needs a tune-up as well.

“Check your personal gear. Make sure you got a good helmet, if you need new gloves, racks, any accessories we’re here for you as well. I mean the tune-up on the bike and then the personal safety for helmets and gloves and knee pads and elbow pads and all that stuff if you’re riding, mountain biking and the other protective gear is very important,” said Edstrom.

Once you and your bike are ready to go, remember to check the local trail conditions for potential closures during the spring months while they thaw.