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E-bikes
Keep your e-bike's bolts tight
E-bikes are heavier and faster, so vibration backs bolts out quicker than on a regular bike. Once a month, run a 4, 5 and 6mm allen key over the stem, bar clamp, seatpost and any rack or motor-mount bolts and snug them until firm - most cockpit bolts want about 5 to 6 Nm if you have a torque wrench. A dab of blue threadlocker on rack and fender bolts keeps them from rattling loose.
Tires
Check your pressure before every ride
The right number is printed right on the tire's sidewall. Low tires are the number-one cause of flats and make you work twice as hard for the same speed. A thirty-second squeeze-and-pump saves you a tube and a tired ride.
Drivetrain
A dry chain is a slow chain
If you hear squeaking, your chain is already crying for help. Wipe it down, add a few drops of lube, then wipe off the excess - or you'll turn your chain into a grit magnet that wears out fast.
Brakes
Rim brakes squealing? Toe the pads in
That squeal is usually the pad hitting the rim dead flat. Loosen the pad bolt, slip a folded business card behind the back edge of the pad, then tighten so the front of the pad touches the rim a hair first. That tiny angle - 'toe-in' - kills the noise. And if the grooves in the pad are worn smooth, swap them before they start eating the rim.
Care
Salt air is a drivetrain's worst enemy
Living this close to the water is a gift, but salt and sand eat metal. Keep your bike out of the weather when you can, and give the chain a quick wipe after a beach ride - it'll last years longer.
Safety
The 30-second ABC check
Before every ride: Air (tires firm), Brakes (both grab), Chain (spins clean and quiet). Do those three and you'll catch most problems before they ever leave the driveway.
Drivetrain
More lube isn't better
A dripping, greasy chain collects sand and grit and actually wears out faster. A little lube, wiped clean, beats a lot every single time.
Kids
Kids' bike left out in the rain? Dry it and oil the pivots
Wipe it dry, then get a little oil into the moving parts: a drop on each chain link (spin the pedals, then wipe the outside dry), a drop on each brake pivot and lever, and a shot on the little springs at the brake arms. Squeeze the brakes and spin the wheels - a stiff chain or rusty pads are what make a kid quit riding it. Two minutes keeps it rolling.
Safety
Give it a wiggle
Grab the seat, the handlebars and each wheel and give them a firm wiggle. Anything that moves is a bolt that needs attention - and on e-bikes, vibration works bolts loose faster than you'd think.
Shifting
Sloppy shifting? Reach for the barrel adjuster
Find the knurled knob where the shifter cable enters the rear derailleur - that's the barrel adjuster. If the chain is slow to climb to an easier gear, turn it a quarter-turn counter-clockwise; if it overshoots, go clockwise. Quarter-turns only, and test after each. Most 'bad shifting' is just grit in the cable housing, so a few drops of light oil where the cable enters the housing helps too.
