Ahhh, that new bike feeling. Not much beats it. Blemish-free paint, the smell of fresh rubber and the anticipation of all of the adventures it’s going to be part of. So, before you hit the road or trails, here are ten things you should do before you put any pressure through your lovely new drivetrain!
Add your bike to your insurance policy
First things first-don’t forget to add your bike to your insurance policy. Once you have logged into your Pedal Cover account, it’ll takes less than 2 minutes to add the bike to your fleet. It’ll cost less than you think and gives you instant protection for damage and theft.
Add your first upgrade-pedals
If you’re buying a bike online, it’s highly likely to come with bargain basement, bottom tier pedals. The main reason for this is that we all ride different pedal systems so there isn’t much point in a bicycle manufacturer spending money on pedals which are just going to be removed anyway. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of some new pedals and check that you have a suitable pedal spanner to hand to fit them
Add frame protection
One for the mountain bikers. Sounds like a bit of a faff but its worth in the long run. You’re best off getting your local bike shop to fit invisible frame protection to your bike. If/when you come to selling the bike a few years down the line, you can peel off the protection to reveal a pristine paint job. Happy days.
View this post on Instagram
Keep receipts
Pedal Cover Insurance policies cover your new bike for the price paid plus any upgrades. We do not apply any depreciation to your bikes value over time either, regardless of its condition. BUT-you must have your receipts to prove your bicycles value and that it’s owned by you.
Set brakes
This one comes down to personal preference but truth be told, it always feel that stock bikes have the brake lever set too far out on the bars. Modern hydraulic disc brakes provide enough power to be operated with one finger and that finger is most efficient when its pulling at the end of the brake lever. Whilst you’re at it, set the lever drop in line with your arm position-you don’t want to be stretching your hand up to reach the brake lever.
Buy a spare mech hanger at time of purchase
Probably not the first thing you’d think of doing but remember, mech hangers are designed to bend or break on impact to save your frame from being damaged. Having a spare in your tool box means a quick and easy fix with no wait time should the original be damaged.
Set tyre pressure
It’s all too easy to want to just get out there and ride. Who could blame you. For the best riding experience, make sure your tyre pressure correctly. We don’t really recommend just pumping them up until they’re hard! As modern road bikes come with different rim and tyre options, check out the Slica Tyre pressure calculator for optimum set up. For mountain bikers, check out Bike Radars guide here.
Register the frame asap
Registering your bike has a few benefits. Firstly, it activates your warranty, ensuring you can access repairs or replacements if any issues arise. Additionally, registration often provides you with important safety updates, recalls, customer support and keeping your bike in top condition and you safe while riding. It in the unfortunate event of theft, having your bike registered can sometimes aid in recovery efforts.
Get a bike fit-ideally before you buy the bike
Hopefully you have bought the right size bike! If your bike is too big or too small, you’re going to struggle to get in a comfortable position. It’s difficult to match different bike manufacturers’ bike sizes by measurements alone-this is where the bike fit will optimise your positioning and hopefully make you fast and more efficient!
View this post on Instagram
Chain
Does your new bike have more gears than the last one? If so, you’ll need to buy a new chain quick link…(you do have one of those, don’t you…?) Check out our saddle bag essentials guide here for more information.
BONUS-Go ride!!
Time to ride isn’t it? Get out there and enjoy the new bike. The new bike feeling obviously doesn’t last forever so make the most of it and take the opportunity to get some photos of it whilst its still super clean 🙂
