Safety check on your bike

Gear

SAFETY CHECK ON YOUR BIKE - THE "M" CHECK

Using unsafe or inappropriate equipment is likely to lead to injury so we urge you to check all of your equipment thoroughly before each ride. A simple bike check before each ride will take you a couple of minutes.

The basic “M” check covers wheels, brakes, chains, cranks, pedals, headsets and handles bars.

Please refer to ‘Key components of a bike’ to familiarise yourself with your bike. If you have any concerns about the condition of your equipment then speak to someone at your local club or visit a bike shop

  • Front wheel/tyre
    • Wheel nuts, hub bearings loose or binding
    • Spokes loose, broken or missing
    • Rim out of tune
    • Braking surface worn or damaged
    • Tyres under inflated, punctured or worn
  • Rear brake
    • Pads not aligned with the rim (braking on tyre or under-riding rim) or not balanced so brakes rubbing
    • Pads worn or missing
    • Cable problems: (friction/frayed/corroded/broken)
  • Forks
    • Damaged or incorrect orientation.
  • Headset
    • Bearings loose/tight/or ‘notchy’
  • Stem
    • Clamp bolts (thread-less) not sufficiently tight
  • Handlebars
    • Not firmly clamped in stem
    • Not aligned w/front wheel
    • End plugs missing
  • Frame
    • Crash damaged/dents/ripples or cracks
  • Bottom Bracket
    • Bearings loose or seized
  • Cranks
    • Loose on Bottom Bracket, axle bent or damaged
  • Pedals
    • Bearings loose or seized/cage damaged or missing/axle bent
  • Chain
    • Check for tight and loose spots
  • Rear wheel/tyre
    • Check as per front wheel