the Cost of Maintenance for Road Bikes

The service that I paid for included a 25 point inspection of the bicycle, including checking the frame for any possible external or internal wear that may make the bicycle unsafe to ride, checking all cables, including brakes and shifting cables for fraying and proper tension, checking the wheels for pits and any other imperfections that may pinch the inner tubes of the tires and cause a snakebite or a blowout while riding, ensuring all parts including the gears, derailleur and brakes were adequately lubricated and not worn, and changing from my summer road tires to my higher grip winter tread road tires.

The quality of the service at the bike shop was wonderful - the maintenance department was nice enough to detail what they were going to inspect during the maintenance session, they allowed me to watch as parts of the maintenance were being completed, and were nice enough to assist me in ensuring that I take proper precautions while riding in the winter months by showing me simple ways to ensure that road salt wouldn't eat the frame and the parts of the gearing system away while also giving me some tips on winter maintenance to ensure the cold weather wouldn't ruin the frame. They even threw in a new set of high-glare reflectors for use in snowy or poor visibility conditions at no extra cost (honest!)

If you're looking for bicycle maintenance for your road bike, try to go to a specialty bike shop if you can. The cost may be a bit higher than taking it to the local shop, but if there's something severely wrong, there's a better chance that the parts you need or at least the tools to fix a problem will be available at a specialty shop. Also, ensure that you can see exactly what they're going to be looking at if inspecting your bicycle, getting a copy of a checklist if at all possible, so this way nothing major is left out of general overview. Make sure that you heed any advice they may give you about maintenance, as they may tell you something that you may have to watch out for with your own bike specifically. And, lastly, make sure that you have them check your tires especially well, as with a road bike, the tire grip is extra important due to the larger size and smaller tread depth of a road tire. They need to be replaced more often than you think, and the extra maintenance check can allow you to know if minor fractures in the tread have occurred, signaling a need for new tires.