One of the countless things we love about northern Michigan is the endless bike trails and now is the perfect time to get your bike out if you haven’t already. Before you hit the trails it’s important
to do a checklist of bike preps.
Melissa Smith contacted the owner of City Bike Shop in Traverse City, Steve Basch for some basic pointers. Basch suggests people first check the air pressure on their tires if their bike has been in storage for the winter months. He says tires lose about half of their air over the winter.
Next, it’s best to check your chain on the bike. Run it backward with a rag and wipe off any dirt or oil from last year. Then take bike oil and go over each link and take the rag once again over the chain to wipe off any excess oil.
Basch recommends checking any bolts near the bike seat and handlebars. He says once you go for that first ride take notice of how your gears are changing and if the brakes are properly working. If anything seems off or not right, it’s best to contact your local bike shop.
During a tune-up at City Bike Shop, their bike experts will adjust things like bike brakes, shifting, tires, and check if adjustments need to be made to the hubs, bottom bracket, and pivot points. They will also check all bolts and nuts to make sure they’re tight.
City Bike Shop in Traverse City is open Monday through Saturday and hours dependent on the pandemic are posted on their website. Their number is (231) 947-1312.
For a direct link to their website click
© 2023 - 910 Media Group
