LOVE IT, RIDE IT OR SHOVE IT!!
Chances are your bike has been sitting over winter and it'll need a bit of a service before you take it out for a ride. If you're not going to love it or use it and it's just going to sit there, consider selling it on or giving it away - you can even hire it out and earn yourself some income. If you are a DIY type there are a few simple things that you can do to make sure your bike is in good working condition.
Step 1. Put air in the tyres
Your tubes will lose air over the winter. This is normal, you probably don't need a new tube unless you had a flat tyre when you stored the bike. Tire pressure recommendations are usually on the side of the tire if you are unsure, call me!
Step 2 Examine the tyres
Take a quick look to make sure your tires are not dry rotted. If your bike has only been put away for one season, your tyres are probably fine, but if they are older, you may start to see some cracking on the sidewalls of the tires. Contrary to what many people will tell you, some cracking of the rubber on the sidewall is okay. The real structure of the sidewall is in the fabric underneath if you can see frays - you need to change the tyre.
Step 3 Check the Brakes.
Start by picking up the front wheel of the bike and spinning the wheel. The wheel should turn freely without any rubbing. Now do the same with the rear. If there rubbing, start by making sure the wheel is properly attached to the bike. Often people will take the front wheel off to store or transport the bike, and if it is not put back on properly the tyre or rim may rub on the brakes. If the wheel is on properly and there is still rubbing, the brakes should be adjusted and you may want to bring it in or take it to your local mechanic.
If the wheels spin freely now all you need to do is make sure the brakes work. Squeeze the front brake and push the bike forward. The brake should prevent the bike from moving. The brake lever should still have some room to move even when the brake is fully engaged. In other words, if you have to pull the brake lever all the way to your handlebar to get the brake to work, it will need to be tightened. Repeat for the rear.
Stand over the bike and push down on the handlebars. Nothing should happen. If nothing happens, push harder until your entire weight is on the bars. If still nothing happens, you know that the bar is attached properly.
I added this step just because on the off chance that your bar slips when you are riding, it's dangerous! It is not typical that this would loosen up over the winter but better to be safe than sorry.
Step 5 Shifing
Now that you know your brakes work, you can safely ride the bike around and make sure that it is easily hitting all of the gears. Find a safe place with no traffic, and shift slowly through all your gears while pedaling. The gears should shift smoothly, and not make a lot of noise while they are in one gear. If there is a lot of rubbing or clacking when you are pedaling but not shifting, you may need to have your shifting adjusted.
Step 6 Lubrication:
A light Teflon based oil can do wonders for your bike. The simplest way to lubricate your chain is to spin the pedals backwards and let the chain oil flow onto the chain. (some people will go slower and put one drop on each link, but this is up to you) You may also want to lubricate the jockey wheels on your rear derailleur. (in layman's terms, those are the little bitty wheels that your chain runs over on the little hangy down thing in the back) Do not use chain oil on hubs, headset or other bearing assemblies.
