Preparing your bike

Nothing spoils a ride quicker than rattling gears, a flat tyre or a squeaky chain. It can be more than just annoying though - worn brakes or perished tyres could cause a serious accident.

Obviously you can take your bike to your local bike shop and have them service it for you - a list of great local shops is available here. If you prefer to do it yourself though we've collected a few videos to help you out.

First give your bike a thorough check over. Are all the bolts tight, brakes and gears working and saddle, bars and brake levers in the right position? Doing an "M-check" covers all the key areas and takes only a few minutes...

Now check the tyres - do they have plenty of tread and no cracks in the sidewalls? If not, replace them. Pump them up to the pressures listed on the tyre sidewall (stay at the lower end for a comfier ride, or the higher end for best puncture protection). If you've got a puncture check out these videos...

Rattling or squeaky chain? Your drivetrain (the chain, front chainrings, rear cassette and rear derailleur) need a clean and some lubrication...

Finally take the bike for a short ride. Test your newly adjusted brakes - can you stop quickly and effectively? If not go back and readjust, replacing the blocks/pads if necessary.

You also need to give the gears a good workout, changing up and down through the full range on both the front and rear. Are all changes smooth and swift with no rattles? If not your derailleurs (the gear changing mechanism) need adjusting. The rear derailleur is the most important so start there, then if you are still experiencing noise/bad shifting move on to the front. Finding the gear levers hard to move or sticky? Changing the gear cable is a quick and cheap way to better changes...

Now test the brakes. Most city, hybrid and road bikes have V or calliper brakes that act on the rim. Check the blocks meet the rim at the correct angle and at the same time on both sides, and that there are no rubs between block and rim as the wheel rotates. If not adjust as necessary...

For disc brakes check there are no rubs between the pads and discs and that pads are not excessively worn; if they are, replace with new ones. For hydraulic discs check the brake lever does not come too close to the bars - if it does you'll need to "bleed" the system from the calliper end to get air out of the lines...

That's it - you're ready to go! Before you head out though don't forget to check out our list of kit to bring and wear on your ride.

Checking over a kids bike? This 5 min guide from Park Tool should help you cover all the important areas...