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 Maintaining your bike You need to maintain your bike to get the most benefit out of it. A properly maintained bike makes riding a better and safer experience. Service your bike with a bicycle mechanic at least once a year and anytime a serious breakdown occurs. Young riders might need help with maintenance. The first rule when maintaining your bike is 'do no harm'. When cleaning your chain or lubricating any part of your bike, ensure lubricant doesn't get on your rims—it could prevent the brakes from working and might lead to a crash. Use fixed-size spanners rather than a shifter to avoid burring the edges of the nuts. If you are straightening a warped wheel, use the correct size spoke tool for adjusting the spokes because the metal is soft and damages easily. Don't over-tighten—most parts need to be tight but not overly-tight. For your chain, use a specialised chain lubricant, not household or motor oils, which get sticky, attract sand, and wear out the chain. For daily, weekly and monthly maintenance requirements, print out the maintenance checklist (PDF**, 68KB) and keep it near your bike to remind you of maintenance and safety checks. Find out where each part is and what it is called. Remember: Rust can damage equipment so keep bikes under cover and away from being damp as much as possible. Half-yearly or yearly maintenance Some of the half-yearly or yearly tasks are more complex. You might prefer to make these tasks as part of a regular service by a bicycle mechanic. The tasks include:
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