Bike Tune-up Checklist Reference

When a friend wants you to look over his or her bicycle so they can get riding again, what do you look for? Online and in books I've seen some regular maintenance schedules and daily pre-ride checks, but what about initial evaluation of an unknown bike? I've combined the best info I could find along with my personal experience tuning up bikes for friends and family to create this handy checklist!

Obviously pages could be written about each of the items on this list, and indeed they have been in a variety of books and web sites. My favorite online reference for older bikes is Sheldon Brown's site, and for a more organized and comprehensive physical book, I use The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance & Repair (according to reviews, don't buy the ebook version). This book got me started in bike maintenance so it holds a special place in my heart, but has still stood the test of time.

The work listed here would typically cost $75-175 at a Chicago bike shop, so learning to do it yourself definitely pays off.

REI Member Sale and Coupon Code Timing 2024

When are the REI big sales, member dividends, and 20% off member coupons? The people want to know the sale dates! If you're in the market for something substantial like a backpack or tent, shopping at REI during the sales is key. I get most of my stuff (especially bike lights and accessories) at the member garage sales, but sometimes you need a specific item or size, or used won't cut it. Like those other people on the internet, I've searched for the timing of these sales and didn't find anything satisfactory besides vague anecdotes. I guess I'll have to figure it out myself!

My wife had an excellent data resource available—a gmail account just for promo emails where she uses the archive button, not delete. A simple search for "REI" provided me with a mountain of data, which I present here for your shopping ninjafication.