Gear up your family for summer bike riding

Quick tune-up tips before you hit the road

By Charles Mandel

After a long winter, Susan Sanford Blades looks forward to hauling her bike out of storage. She hasn't commuted by bike to her job as an editorial assistant at Edmonton's University of Alberta since November, when icy roads made riding too treacherous. The winter has been spent on a stationary bike trainer she bought off eBay. Now Sanford Blades is ready to ride in fresh air again.

So are Heather Bain and her daughter, Amara. The two Edmontonians ride to Amara's school and back once the snow melts, as well as on the city's 100-plus kilometres of bike paths. However, before Sanford Blades or the Bains begin pedalling again, they've got some work to do to get their bikes in shape for spring.

Start with a post-winter bike primer

Most bikes sit in storage or a garage all winter gathering dust. They require scrubbing with water and a gentle soap mixture to clean salt and grime off the frame. You can perform a quick check-up on your bike before using it for the first time this spring.

Bain asks Amara to take some responsibility for her bike. "I'll get her to feel the tires, look at whether or not the wheel is straight and that kind of thing,'' she says. Sandford Blades' general maintenance routine includes checking her brakes and greasing the bike's chain. For her part, Sandford Blades admits she's no mechanic. "I'll just take it into a shop if I want a full tune-up."

Bike shops get become busier around mid-March, according to Luke MacDonald, owner of Red Rok Bikes in Charlottetown, P.E.I. A basic tune-up at most shops averages $25 to $35 and will ensure your bike is in good working order. A tune-up usually includes: checking tire pressure and wear, brake pads and brake pad wear, making sure the drive train, with the chain and the front and rear derailleurs is clean and lubricated, and that the gear shifter and brake cables aren't stretched or frayed.

For online mechanical advice, MacDonald recommends either Pink Bike or East Coast Mountain Biking. Both sites carry extensive links to other cycling websites, including bike manufacturers and parts-makers, which may contain owner's manuals that are helpful for finding out information particular to your own bike.

Connect with a cycling community

If you're looking for like-minded people to ride with, chances are an organization exists in your community. For example, Sanford Blades rides twice a week with Edmonton's all-woman's cycling club, DirtGirls. They post their rides, races and other info on their website. A complete list of website links to Canadian cycle clubs may be found at Bicycle Links. Following links to each club will give you trail and ride information in your area, from British Columbia to Newfoundland. Also, stop in at Canada Trails to find bike routes and other information for the whole family.

Look for biking gear online

One of the best places to buy bike gear on the web is at Mountain Equipment Co-op. A member's card is only $5, giving you access to different kinds of cycling clothes, equipment and bike parts. MTB Review is a consumer's guide to the latest bikes and bike parts. The site contains a comprehensive trail review guide for North America. Their sister site, RoadBike Review, covers everything to do with road biking. If you need a place to park all your bikes instead of leaving them in a pile in the front yard, visit the Canadian company Bike Up for practical bike racks.