Depending on where you stored your bike, however, you should also check for dry rot. Heat can be your tires' enemy. "If your bike was stored near a heater or by the furnace, that may have caused the rubber to disintegrate," says Bikes Not Bombs sales manager Darrah Bowden.
Sometimes, tires just go because of wear. "Overtime, the rubber tends to dry out and tires start to crack," says Broadway's Wilcox. "Nicer quality tires might last three years, but if you store the bike indoors they could last a lot longer."
Tire maintenance can be even more important if you did ride through the winter. Grit and salt — not to mention the unexpected thuds and bumps of a thousand city potholes — are hell on wheels. "If you've been riding every day in the winter, that's pretty abusive to your bike," says Wissell. Grit, sand, and salt, he notes, can also eat away at the metal parts of your bike.
Spring maintenance, therefore, should also include checking your bike's gears and chain. If you rode over the winter, or even through some early spring puddles, and put your bike away wet, you may well have some rust. "If it's just a sheen of rust, you can lube it away," says Wissell. "Sometimes you get a stiff link and it skips around. We suggest bringing someone in and having someone assess it. Any shop shouldn't charge you for a look."
Regular lubrication should be a part of any spring tune-up. "Lubing your chain is a good thing to do, if you haven't been keeping up with it," says Bowden. "Just putting some oil on any parts of the bike that moves is good." Just be careful not to oil your brakes, she says.
Cyclist, tune thyself
Once your bike is in gear, think about your own cycling skills. "It's true you don't forget how to ride a bike," says Shane Jordan, director of education and outreach for the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (massbike.org). "But you might forget how to make that left hand turn in heavy traffic."
MassBike is a nonprofit coalition, and a wonderful resource for all sorts of information about cycling in the state. With three branches reaching from the Cape to the Berkshires, and a Web site chock full of everything from links to group rides, maps, and events to a useful guide for new riders, MassBike serves as a clearing-house for all things human-powered and two-wheeled. The group, which spearheaded the effort to build the Minuteman Bike Path, also offers a variety of classes in cycling safety, including one tailored for children, grades four through eight.
Of the adult safety options, a basic "introduction to bicycling" class is offered in a variety of locations for free, while fees range for the others, which include a class for commuters that covers such tips as how to bike to work and still look professional when you get there. (One hint: baby wipes!) A longer on-road class is also available to those who have completed the basics class, and focuses on such practicalities as "turning and signaling, holding your line, and how to do emergency stops," says Jordan.
