Check your bike regularly!

[DWiggy]

Last Sunday I gave my old commute bike the weekly wash, she definitely was feeling very sluggish and squeaky that week.

I cleaned and lubed the chain, replaced the rear derailleur (only a cheap tourney and was needing replacing) and cleaned and lubed the rear free hub, then I noticed something, on my rear brake calliper one of the break blocks was pointing at a funny angle, I reached over to twist it back in position only to find it fall off in my hand!!! (it looked corroded, white but no rust) I'm guessing this was what was making my ride feel sluggish as the brake block was resting on the wheel although I didn't notice any noises.

I'm think I got away with a potentially dangerous brake failure, so will now be checking them before every ride, so might be worth doing the same if you don't already do as you never know!!

BTW my LBS fitted this only 2 months ago, I have lost a lot of faith in them as when I first had it fitted it had worked itself loose only two days later and I had to re-tighten after that it was fine!

 

[fossyant]

Regular once over at least once a week, or more when washing/cleaning bike. And squeeks are always investigated. Things can come loose, so check.

 

[ianrauk]

Before each ride I do either commute or leisure I always give the bike a quick once over.
Test the brakes, tyres etc.

 

[CopperCyclist]

I admit I'm quite poor with regards to checking my brakes. Tyres, chain etc all done before I leave, but this thread makes me realise that the first time I check my brakes is the moment I pull up at the junction to leave my close!

 

[ColinJ]

I started paying a bit more attention to maintenance after finding this by chance when cleaning my bike ...

(It's a cracked crank, in case you can't work it out!)

 

[GetAGrip]

Ages ago, more by luck than anything, I tested the brakes on the Subway before leaving the garage and found virtually no brakes back or front. I then remembered my little granddaughter helped me clean the bike over the weekend and she volunteered to buff up all the shiny bits with her well used cloth. Ah bless, I thought, but this obviously included the brake disks.
I live on a hill, so have checked brakes before every trip ever since.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

yep - should have checked my bike over before I got on it. yesterday my OH had the front wheel off to put it in a car...
when I tried to slow down for a speed bump on my road this afternoon only my rear brake was working and with a dodgy left hand not working particularly well. he had not put the lever back down. glad I have 8 speed bumps to negiotate before the end of the road!

 

[Brandane]

yep - should have checked my bike over before I got on it. yesterday my OH had the front wheel off to put it in a car...
when I tried to slow down for a speed bump on my road this afternoon only my rear brake was working and with a dodgy left hand not working particularly well. he had not put the lever back down. glad I have 8 speed bumps to negiotate before the end of the road!

Have you noticed him reviewing any insurance policies recently?

 

[Davidc]

I nearly got caught out last week. 3 of the bolts holding the handlebars on were loose. Those aren't weren't part of my regular checks!

Somehow they slipped through when I moved to bikes with threadless headsets. On Quills it used to be one big bolt and nut and I used to check that so don't know how I missed the 4 on the modern stems.

 

[Andy_R]

Good old fashioned M-check. Takes less than a minute (more like 30 seconds).

 

[wisdom]

Whats an M check Andy?

 

[Brandane]

Whats an M check Andy?

This is an M-check.

 

[wisdom]

Thanks.I do that anyway but didn't know it had a name

 

[gavintc]

I started paying a bit more attention to maintenance after finding this by chance when cleaning my bike ...

(It's a cracked crank, in case you can't work it out!)

Identical to the crack on my wife's winter bike - Veloce cranks. They only lasted 2 years.

 

[ColinJ]

Identical to the crack on my wife's winter bike - Veloce cranks. They only lasted 2 years.

That's an Athena crank (the original Athena from the mid to late 1990s). I got about 10 or 11 years use out of it.