A well-maintained road bike is faster, safer, and cheaper to own. The riders who get 50,000km out of a drivetrain and 10 years out of a frame aren’t the ones with the most expensive gear — they’re the ones who keep their bike clean and well maintained.
This is the exact schedule we recommend at the workshop. Some of it you’ll do yourself. Some of it you’ll bring to us. The point is knowing what needs doing and when.
Weekly: The 5-Minute Pre-Ride Check
Do this before your first ride of the week — or before any long weekend ride. It takes five minutes and catches problems before they become roadside disasters.
Clean and lube the chain. Wipe it down with a rag first — don’t just add fresh lube on top of grime. Apply one drop per roller, spin the cranks backwards a few revolutions, then wipe off the excess. Too much lube attracts grit and wears your drivetrain faster than too little. Dont go crazy with the lube !
Check tyre pressure. Road tyres lose 5–10 PSI per day. Running under-inflated costs you watts and increases puncture risk. Pump to your preferred pressure — for most road riders on 25–28mm tyres, that’s 80–95 PSI depending on weight.
Squeeze the brakes. A quick squeeze on each lever confirms they engage firmly and evenly. If a lever pulls to the bar, don’t ride — that’s air in the system or a cable about to let go.
Spin the wheels. Listen for rubbing, clicking, or grinding. A rubbing brake pad is a 30-second fix now or a destroyed rim later. or a noisy brake rotor to keep everyone on their heels.
Check the quick releases or thru-axles. Give each wheel a tug. It takes two seconds and beats discovering a loose wheel at 50km/h.
Monthly: The Weekend Morning Service
Set aside 30 minutes once a month. Pick a Saturday morning with a coffee and work through this list.
Clean the bike properly. Not just the chain — the whole bike. Use a bike-specific cleaner or warm soapy water, a soft brush for the cassette and chainrings, and a clean rag for the frame. Avoid spraying water directly at bearings (bottom bracket, headset, hubs). A clean bike is easier to inspect — cracks, wear, and damage hide under dirt.
Inspect tyres for cuts and wear. Run your thumb around each tyre looking for embedded glass, cuts in the tread, or sidewall damage. Road tyres don’t have tread depth indicators like car tyres — if the casing is visible through the rubber, they’re done.
Check brake pad wear. Road brake pads have wear indicators — usually a groove or line. If it’s gone, replace the pads. Rim brake pads also pick up metal fragments that gouge your rims — pick them out with a small flathead.
Inspect the chain for stretch. A worn chain accelerates cassette and chainring wear. If you’re riding regularly, invest in a chain checker tool — it’s $15 and takes 30 seconds to use. Replace at 0.5% wear for 11/12-speed, 0.75% for 10-speed and below.
Check bolt torque. Stem bolts, seatpost clamp, crank bolts — anything that keeps you attached to the bike. A torque wrench pays for itself the first time you don’t crack a carbon seatpost.
Test gear shifting. Run through every gear combination. Slow shifting or chain noise usually means cable stretch (new bikes settle after the first few hundred kilometres) or a dirty drivetrain.
Quarterly: The Seasonal Once-Over
Every three months — or at the change of seasons — go a level deeper. Most riders book a workshop service at this cadence, but here’s what’s happening either way.
Bar tape and cables. Unwrap enough bar tape to check for corrosion on alloy bars, especially if you ride in the rain or sweat heavily on the trainer. Inspect cable housing for cracks or kinks. Fresh bar tape is a $30 upgrade that makes the bike feel new.
Bottom bracket check. With the chain off, spin the cranks. Any roughness, play, or grinding means bearing service or replacement. A BB that’s been ridden through a wet Sydney winter without attention will fail — the question is when, not if.
Headset check. With the front brake held, rock the bike forward and back. A knocking sensation at the head tube means the headset needs adjustment or bearing replacement. Loose headsets ovalise head tubes on carbon frames — expensive.
Hub bearings. Spin each wheel off the ground and listen. Smooth and silent is good. Gritty or rumbling means bearing service is due.
Deep clean the drivetrain. Remove the chain (if you have a quick link), cassette, and chainrings. Degrease thoroughly. This level of clean is what separates a drivetrain that lasts 3,000km from one that lasts 15,000km.
Inspect the frame. Clean, bright light. Look for cracks around the bottom bracket shell, head tube junctions, and dropouts. Carbon doesn’t dent — it cracks. Catch it early.
Annual: The Full Overhaul
Once a year, the bike gets stripped and rebuilt. This is a workshop service — and the best money you’ll spend on your bike all year.
Full strip and rebuild. Frame bare, every bearing inspected or replaced, every bolt torqued to spec. This catches the things you miss in monthly checks — seized seatposts, corroded bottom brackets, hairline frame cracks.
Replace consumables. Chain (always), cassette (likely), brake pads (if worn), cables and housing (if showing wear), bar tape (definitely). These aren’t optional — they’re wear items with predictable lifespans.
Hydraulic brake bleed. Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time. A bleed restores firm lever feel and consistent braking. If your levers feel spongy or the bite point has moved, it’s overdue.
Wheel true and tension. Spokes loosen with use. A wheel that’s slightly out of true is inefficient and weak. A proper tension and true takes 15 minutes on a jig.
Suspension and pivot service. Not relevant for most road bikes, but if you’re on a Roubaix or Domane with future shock or rear iso-speed, those need annual attention too.
When to Book the Workshop vs. DIY
Some jobs are satisfying to do yourself. Some are a false economy.
Do yourself: chain cleaning and lubing, tyre pressure, brake pad inspection, bolt checks, basic cleaning.
Bring to us: hydraulic brake bleeds, bottom bracket service, wheel truing, hub bearing service, full annual strip and rebuild. These need specialist tools and a trained eye — and getting them wrong costs more than the service would have.
We do a full annual service at the workshop that covers everything in the “annual” section above. It takes a full day and the bike comes back riding like it did on day one.
Quick Reference
| Frequency | Key Tasks | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Chain lube, tyre pressure, brake check, wheel spin | 5 min |
| Monthly | Full clean, tyre inspection, chain wear check, bolt torque, shift test | 30 min |
| Quarterly | Bar tape/cable check, BB and headset, deep drivetrain clean, frame inspection | 1–2 hours |
| Annual | Full strip, bearing service, consumables replacement, brake bleed, wheel true | Workshop service |
Need a hand? Book a service at Brad’s Bikes — Neutral Bay, Sydney’s North Shore. We’ll handle the quarterly and annual jobs so you can focus on the riding. Book online.
Got a maintenance question? Drop it in the comments or swing past the workshop — we’re always happy to talk bikes.
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