Whether you’ve been riding your bike all winter or have had your bicycle in storage during the winter months, you should make sure that your bicycle is prepared for riding this summer. Making sure the tires are crack-free and properly inflated, the bicycle chain is lubricated, and the brakes are working properly can help prevent accidents while you are riding, ensure that your bike works at peak performance, and help keep you safe during rides throughout the summer.
Even though you can take precautions to protect yourself on your bike, you cannot control the actions of others on the road or eliminate every possible risk of a bicycle accident. If you are involved in a bike accident in Virginia that was caused by a careless or inattentive motorist, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your losses caused by your injuries, such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. An experienced Virginia bicycle accident attorney can help you pursue compensation and justice from the driver that caused the bike accident.
The personal injury attorneys of Marks & Harrison have represented the rights of injured Virginians for more than three generations. Our attorneys and firm have been honored with multiple peer-reviewed awards, including ranking as a Tier 1 personal injury firm by U.S. News & World Report for over ten years. Multiple members of our legal team have been selected for inclusion as Virginia Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America.
Have you been injured in an accident caused by someone else while riding your bicycle in Virginia? Contact our firm today for a free initial case review to discuss your legal rights and options. Learn more about how an experienced bicycle accident attorney can help you to pursue maximum financial recovery.
How To Clean Your Bike
When taking your bike out for the first time after months of storage, you should thoroughly wash your bike using a mild soap, warm water, and a sponge. Washing your bike will help remove dirt, sand, grit, and fine debris that can accumulate around the gears, brakes, and sprockets and cause mechanical issues.
Use a low-pressure hose to rinse the soap lather off your bike. Avoid using high-pressure water streams, such as from a pressure washer, which may damage more delicate parts of your bike.
Once you’ve let your bicycle dry after being washed, you should consider putting wax on the frame to help protect it from further grit or grime that your bike may collect moving forward. You should also consider putting a degreaser on the moving parts to help remove harmful grime and substances that you couldn’t get by washing, and then relubricate the chain and drivetrain components.
Check Your Tires
You should check the wear on your tires even if you have had your bike in storage for the winter. Older bicycle tires can develop cracks from dry rot over time. If you went out riding during the winter months, you would want to make sure that the rough conditions of the roads during the winter have not caused excessive wear to your tires. If the center treads of either tire are cracked or worn, replace both tires. Whether or not you end up replacing your tires, you should remember to always check your tire pressure before heading out for a ride.
Replace Old Cables or Housing
If your bicycle has multiple gears or uses cable-actuated brakes, you will want to check all the mechanical components of your bike. If any mechanical components have become clogged up or corroded due to road grime, you may want to replace those cables and housing.
After you have replaced tires, cables, housing, or other mechanical components, you should take your bike for a short test drive to make sure your brakes work appropriately.
Get a Bicycle Tune-Up
If you own a more mechanically complex bicycle, you may not feel comfortable checking, cleaning, tuning, or replacing components of the drivetrain or brakes. You can always take your bicycle to a bike shop for a tune-up to ensure your bike is in good condition for the spring.
Keep in mind that spring often represents the busiest season for bike shops and repair professionals. You may want to consider calling ahead in the winter to reserve time with a shop for your bike to receive a tune-up.
Even if you replace components yourself, a bike shop can help you ensure that your bike offers the best fit for you and the seat is adjusted to the proper height. Making sure that your bike fits you can help make riding easier and more comfortable.
Pack a Saddlebag for Emergencies
When you take long road trips on your bicycle, you should always pack a saddlebag with tools and materials you may need in an emergency. The items you may want to consider carrying in your saddlebag include:
- A tire repair kit, which should include a spare tire tube, tire levers, a hand pump or inflator, extra inflator cartridges, and a multitool
- A flashlight
- A portable cell phone charger in case you need to recharge your phone to call for help
- Water, energy bars, snacks.
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident in Virginia and have questions about your legal rights, contact the attorneys at Marks & Harrison for a free, no-obligation consultation. Our attorneys can review the circumstances of your bike accident and discuss the steps available to you. Don’t hesitate to call and find out how our law firm can help you seek financial compensation and justice for injuries you have suffered in a bike crash caused by another party.
