Before You Bike, Take Joe Ackley's Advice

Spring is in the air, and pretty soon those mounds of snow we give way to green grass.

As the weather warms, it’s also a perfect time to bust out the bicycle that gathered dust over the winter and head out for a ride.

But before you pedal off for the first ride of the year, Joe Ackley of Emery’s offers some pre-ride tips to prep your ride for the season. Ackley called them the “ABCs” of bike maintenance.

• Check the air in your tires: “Even good bike will typically loose three to five pounds of air pressure on after a typical ride. You need a good quality pump to keep the pressure maintained,” Ackley said.
• Check your brakes: “Brakes have indicator grooves in them. If your brakes don’t have grooves, then it’s time to replace them,” Ackley said.
• Oil the chain: “A lube specifically produced for bike chains works the best. Add about 30-50 drops to the whole chain, let it sit for 15 minutes, and wipe off the excess.”

Ackley of course, also suggested you stop in at your local bike shop for routine maintenance. And if you haven’t started biking, Ackley provided a great reason to start.

“Once you start commuting on your bike, after 50 trips of about two miles you reduce your risk of heart attack by 50 percent,” Ackley said.

Emery’s is located on Main Street just west of Highway 41/45.