15:37 Summary 1. 1:37 True/check wheels 2. 4:05 True/check tires 3. 7:28 Check all the screws 4. 9:50 Check the chain orientation/degrease/lube 5. 12:34 Rub protection

Been working on motorcycles for years, where you have the same problem with chains, but a trick I use is to use diesel to dip and deep clean the chains. Diesel is a great degreaser but will not damage the little rubber seals inside the chain links. It actually prevents them from drying out and it lasts even longer than normal. Then just clean and oil as usual. I've never found a better way or a better product than simple normal diesel.

When is comes to installing of tubes, I have always used a little baby power to lightly coat the inside of the tire and the tube itself. Then I continue with inflating a little at a time while squeezing the side walls to let the tube find its position. The powder aids in the tube finding its position, by lessening friction inside the tire

Even 4 years old video still so much helpful. Thank you so much for been honest and not crazy exaggerating anything. Keep it simple 👍

Here"s a great tip for all! If you look at the inside or your tire you can usually see where the tire manufacturer matches up the rubber and bonds it together making a seam to complete the tire, make sure that seam doesnt line up with the welded seam of your rim when you mount it because thats where you will most likely have a natural wobble on each that you cant get rid of so id say put the the tire seam at the valve hole cuz the exactly opposite of the rim seam

Fantastic video, very informative. I work as a technician in a high end bike shop and all of those things are basic assembly procedures for our bikes. There is however one thing that was not mentioned that we do, and this applies to non sealed bearing hubs only. Every wheel assembled in Taiwan (and probably elsewhere), does not have the correct bearing preload in the hub. It's important to use a 13 or 15 mm cone wrench and a 17mm wrench to adjust the hub bearing load so you are not causing premature wear.

I like to use electrical tape to mask the housing rub spots on the frame. It sticks well, comes off easily, it does not harm the paint, and you can get it in different colors to either match your frame or make cool designs. I always end up using black tape regardless of the frame color...

I've been turning wrenches for 40 years. I'd say the #1 thing that gets overlooked on new bikes is bearing adjustment. 99% of new bikes come with the wheel bearings too tight out of the box, and I dare say most mechanics do not bother to adjust them. #2 is the pedals and or crank arms not being tightened properly. So many relatively new bikes come back with stripped out crank arms because they weren't secure in the first place. This doesn't occur often with bikes that come from independent bike shops, but is very common with department store bikes, or bikes purchased online and assembled by the owner.

Agree on all tips. I would add that when you're checking bolt tightness it's better to test by trying (slightly) to loosen the bolt, as opposed to tighten. Especially when dealing with carbon material. Like you said, but inverse. Don't loosen the bolt, just test it.

I go a lot further than that with a new bike. 1. Change to new cables or at least take them out and grease them. 2. Checking grease in wheel, bottom bracket, steer tube and if needed put new grease. 3. All bolts off and give grease, especialy those holding the brakes and chainrings ( you will thank yourself for that later!). 4. Off with tyre and tube and assemble again, maybe get new and better tyres. 5. Preferable new and better brake pads. Brakes are your safety for slowing down and stopping, not a place to save few bucks. 6. Never use degreaser or soap when cleaning your bike unless you have everything taken apart and assemble it again with new grease and oil. - Why I am making such an effort???.....because its often I go faster than 50 km/h and if you have done your bike nicely, your safety is better. - Nothing worse than going downhill with 60 -70 km/h and your brake cable snap, or your brake pads are the cheap ones not making you stop quickly enough - After around 4500 km you will need to change your chainrings, if you just have left them without grease, they can be seriously hard to get off at that time. Grease are often not used on bolts from factory when put together. - If you dont know how to do these things, learn it. Its really well worth knowing to fix your bike no matter what it is. Will save you a lot of money in the long run, you will better be able to fix your bike if you are far from home and have a defect. If you do things correctly, the bike will be a lot more safe for you to ride, else you really have to trust your local bike shop. Many do a really good job, but also exprienced many doing a horrible job fixing other peoples bikes. - A well mantained bike for better safety on the road.! ( Was taught to do these things when i was kid back in the late 70's and have since been riding around 250.000 km and never had any issues what so ever). Wish you all some wonderful and safe rides.!!! Cheers

1. Wheels don't need to be 100% true, even spoke tension is the critical measure - use a tensiometer to check the spoke tension before touching the spoke nipples - the tyres are also an area to look at because 99/100 they aren't perfectly round. 2. Go tubeless (the Marin is designed for this) - no more punctures + more compliant tyre due to lower pressure. 4. Don't need to degrease a new chain, the packing solution is an excellent lubricant and will last a lot longer than even wax dipping your chain - degreaser always gets into the inner links of the chain and removes the lubricant - not a good thing, degreaser needs to be washed off with water afterwards.

Very correct about the chain lubricant/preservative being very sticky/gummy, and a good tip about wiping the lube off the outside of the plates with degreaser on a rag.Since you are looking at the chain already, its a good idea to make sure the chain is of the correct length. Sometimes the assembler does not shorten the chain to the proper length for the drivetrain. Too long and the chain tends to hop off the chainring and could scratch your BB housing when it falls.If you need to shorten it anyway, might as well put a quick link and maybe even go full out and go paraffin lube.

Also, talcum powder on the tubes inside will help. Proven to decrease friction as well!

Another thing that is good to check is the rear derailleur hanger (this requires a special tool). My experience has been that most new bikes need an adjustment to the hanger, whether the bike is a bargain model or an expensive one.

You should add cup and cone bearing hub adjustment. Locktite the cone and locknut which aren't normally accessible (rear wheel cassette side, front wheel disc side) and spend some time to properly adjust freeplay.

I would like to add, check the chain for proper length. I've found several that were too long. Mainly on small frame bikes. I do all these things when I build a bike for the shop I work at. Check everything. Hanger mount bolt. Seat bolt/s. small chainring bolts....... When the bike is sold a different person rechecks all bolts tire pressures ect. before the customer takes possession of the bike, along with a basic fit. This is done for all bikes regardless of price point. Give your customers a reason to buy from a quality shop, not online.

You can wrap some old inner tube around the chainstay to protect it. I use a neoprene chainstay protector from lizardskinz-works great. I also run a headset seal from lizardskinz to keep dirt from getting into lower headset bearings. Oh, and another thing is chains are often much longer than they need to be. They can be stortened to improve shifting and reduce chain slap.

The sticky oil on the chain is not lube. It's a protective agent that keeps the Cain from rusting depending on storage until it gets home to the customer. Best practices I would say is remove it from the bike, degrease it completely with brake cleaner or isopropyl alcohol in a bag or small container. Then remount it and add a real lube of your choice. Remount with quick link or use a new one if required from the manufacturer.

As a someone who works in the industry, I can confirm that this guy knows his shit. He has touched on a lot of fine details that most bike mechanics and other bike youtubers dont know.

Great tips friend! I would only recommend you to bring all the transmissions to the smallest gear, in a way to let the springs loose any tension, in this video for example the Cannondale's transmission is working even when is hanged on the wall.

Carbon fiber vinyl wrap works great for protection and looks way better than tape, and won't damage the paint!

I'm getting my first new bike in 40 yrs, so really appreciate this info!

Fantastic video, that Marin's a pretty unique setup! Tri-bars with disc brakes, big tyres and a 1x drivetrain. Most comfortable time trial trainer ever! Must try it myself XD

A trick I learned while truing. Take a zip tie and put on the fork or the seat stay cut at an angle and position so the point is just touching or a hair off spin the wheel to find the abnormalities. This works if you don’t have a truing stand.

I just got a lightly used 2021 Cannondale scaple se 1 as a Christmas present from my kids . The first thing it needed drivetrain adjustment which was off , next was resetting the cockpit on the bars and then the most important thing is doing a bike for adjustments which I did on the trail . Good suggestions

Thanks for your videos and tips. Newbie here from The Philippines.

Great instructional video. I want to learn about maintaining my drivetrain, front and back.

I bought my bike online from a store which has some shops too. It came fully installed, all I had to do was set the stem and install the pedals (obviously since the bike didn't come with pedals). Before they ship their bikes though they do a full check by one of their mechanics and include a maintenance flyer and all. And in case I do have any problem with my bike (which ofcourse occured once or twice I can always just go to one of their stores (not too far from where I live) and they fix it for me. Also after my first couple of rides I did go to their store to just let them check my bike real quick to make sure everything really is good (which they did for free). Great service imho, not sure every bike store would do that

Your English is wonderful. May I suggest the word "pinch" in lieu of "bite" . "Pinch flat" is commonly used at least in American English when an inner tube is punctured by the wheel rim as can occur when hitting a pot hole in the road, leading to the typical dual "snake bite" holes in the tube. Keep your excellent videos coming. Thanks

This man is telling no lies. Good video. Both online and store bought bikes have these issues

I think everything you're saying is true and you make very good points. Especially the part about making sure ALL nuts and bolts are checked for tightness. I have not yet found a bicycle that did not have something loose on it.

Also, before going for the first ride, check out your breaks, especially if they are hydraulic as they work around 20% at the beginning and if you are not aware of that, you may find yourself in a tricky situation with a brand new bike and little breaks

Add 2 more 1. Adjust brakes so they don't rub or squeal 2. Adjust gears

I agree with all of the points in this video I am a technician in a high-end bike shop I actually wish bike companies would not sell online because of these reasons these high-end bikes need to be professionally built from the ground up and everything must be checked from the factory as they are built in mass quantities and always need attention no matter the price or quality of the bike in question. If I went into a bike shop and noticed bicycles on the floor for sale with these type of problems I would immediately leave because obviously they do not know what they are doing and do not care about the product they are putting out to the public

Shimano cup & come hubs are famous for not having enough grease in them and being too tight when new. Also the freehub pawls tend to be under lubed on almost all new wheels from all brands. Check the direction arrow of the tires also. Install your front wheel so you can read the label when seated.

Wow, I thought this problems were only normal in my country. Now I can see the problem is global, the companies hire employees-on a budget- that lack the requiered matureness, responsability and knowledge for the task. Let's not forget that our lives are in the hands of some of those screws and, naturally, most people think that a new-mint condition bike is way ready to have it's first trip. I had problems of these sort with both my last bikes bought. Neither of them had their wheels true and one of them had the main handle-bar screw too loose (which could have ended in a serious accident). So, thanks for posting this video. I recommend everybody to watch it entirely and listen to every word.

Thank you for the tip about rub protection! It messes me up seeing the paint of my bike being scratched by the cables. Thank you for this solution.

Great vid!! I purchased a hard tail Cannondale from my local shop & the wheels have never been true. The last tip is awesome as well. My cables real did a number on the base of my fork & along side the headtube.

With the packing tape this works for me. If it has been on there a long time heat it with hair dryer before removing. Do not melt it just get it warm to the touch.

Really enjoyed your video, very informative especially about checking the spin of the wheels, I am about to buy a new bike so your info is a great help. The only thing I think you should have added to the video was to actually check that the 'quick release' locks are properly tight.

when you spoke about putting tape to protect your bike from the chain there is a very easy way to remove the tape if the glue from the tape refuses to come off. this is not a joke. apply mayonnaise yes mayonnaise to the adhesive which will not come off. leave it on for anywhere from a half hour to a few hours depending on how strong the adhesive is and then just wipe it off. no damage done to the paint.

Too True - they sent me a model one year older - an aluminium frame instead of steel.And the transmission was a mess of grating shifts... Last time I'll buy a bik online. Acually at my age it's probably the last time I'll buy a bike at all!

Yup, bought a new bike from Wiggle. Didn't check the tires, got a flat right away. Bolts on brake rotors, and general screws have to be checked as you say. Adjust derailleurs. Even when buying from a shop, they don't (all) check over these details.Be careful, do the above and you'll be glad you did.

I com completely agree with trekkeruss... 1. Most all (90%) of loose bearing wheel hubs are always much too tight, and if they are not adjusted correctly the bearings quickly turn into coffee grinds. So you can have a wheel hub that can last one week or 10 years by simply adjusting the hubs.. So when you purchase a bike at a shop "INSIST" they check and adjust your hubs, do not accept any excuses, or threaten to drop the sale. 2. Insist they check and true your derailleur hanger, with a derailleur hanger tool. 80% of new derailleur hangers are not true and will negatively affect your shifting. Especially if you purchase an electronic shifting bike ie di2 or eTap. 3. If you purchase a carbon frame bike make sure they lightly grease the inside of the seat clamp and the threads on the seat clamp bolt, otherwise the clamp will never tighten correctly and will tend to pinch at the opening of the seat clamp and crack the seat tube clamp area. There are many more, but these 3 are a must... FYI, If your dealer says the hubs are sealed bearing not loose bearing, then it's OK since sealed bearing hubs can not be adjusted. Only if they are loose bearing.

I would also make sure the brake tension is proper, the derailer is aligned properly, and the tire pressure is appropriate as well.

great points!...wish I had found this earlier...sticky chain caused me to begin searching for front derailure issue. When shifting to the smallest chainring the chain stuck to the chainring throwing the chain in between the chain ring and the chainstay...again thinking the limit adjustment was off. Anyway, your suggestions gave me the insight to look elsewhere...problem solved! thank you.

Ice hockey shin pad tape works great. Better than packing tape. It stretches and it's thicker than packing tape so it gives better protection.

Lube on stem bearings, lube on crank-set, thread-locker to prevent seized bolts. Thanks for the video.

Fantastic video! Clear, precise and nicely filmed and edited. I am now subscribed.

I don't have to worry about all that at my bike shop. The guy there covered all of that before I left. He was a bit OCD about how the bike was put together and how I was going to take care of it. He told me that I would be back in 2 months for some gear adjustments and he was right. But the bike has been perfect for the past 2 years I stop buy every once in awhile and he looks it over and has never charged me. I never expected to see a real bike shop in Four Oaks.

Thanks man. I nvr trued a wheel b4. I get a rubbing when I pedal. I've reset my calipers, bled line, and slightly rebent rotor. Still some noise.

yep, you are right again. my tube evade from the schwalbe one tyre 3 times (my bad) and on my mtb i loose a bolt on the back swingarm - i had to find a mechanic who hand-made it from bronze - but the 2 yellow bolts (i try to match them) brought down te resale value.

I am a new subscriber. I have chosen to do so because I feel the material presented is beneficial and concise. I also very much appreciate the courteous and professional manner in which the concepts are transmitted. This is why the internet is one of the great innovations, transmission of collective knowledge. Thank you

A little tip when trueing wheels and changing tubes....baby powder. It lubricates the tube so it unfolds correctly inside the wheel. Also, whn replacing tubes partially fill with air first then deflate...then reinflate...this takes any kinks out.

Well, one thing we use to do here in Brazil is put some inner tube strip around the chainstay in order to protect it. I think it's more effective than adhesive tape or thing like that. Just a tip.

Good point about the bead

Hello. W'd like to thank you. Just bought a new 29er online and before the first ride i had the luck to watch this video.... i had already made the assembly and ajustments... and went to check the bolts just like you sugest ... man... there was one bolt missing in the front caliper! If i had not checked that i could be hurted bad. so, thanks and keep those videos coming!! Chers from Brazil!

One important thing that has been overlooked is to check that the wheel bearings have not been overtightened. I have found this to be the case on three different bikes.

Very well explained great tips for newly bought bikes

I bought a bike where the rear tire was installed backwards...the rotation arrow was pointing backwards! It was also NOT bedded correctly. I use cheap car vinyl wrap for protection. It is thick, many colors, and peels off easy!

That was a good lesson, thank you very much.

I read a number of comments and didn't see these. I got a new bike with Mavic wheels. After riding some and my first flats, both inner tubes were twisted in the tire. I should have taken them out and remounted. Also I think my chain was the correct length, manufacturer probably had a standard for that, but with the small front and rear gear combo the chain was not tight. Instead of removing a chain link as suggested by other riders that saw the chain flopping around, I used the derailer adjustment screw to rotate the derailer back a bit and take up the slack. We'll see how well that works soon. I think removing a link would have made the large/large combo too tight.

If you purchase a bike from a bike shop, it is standard prosecute to check all of these things before selling the bike. So there’s no need to worry

Similar to buying a new guitar. It's got to be "set up." Sometimes they're completely in spec straight from the factory. Most of the time they're not. Excellent vid. Keep up the good work!

Thank you so much! I have just ordered a new bike online, and am waiting its arrival. This video is perfect for me right now! I am watching some of your other videos as well, because I am getting my very first bike with gears! Thanks you so much for all the help! :D

I torque the crank bolt, especially shimano.

Good point that it's important to go through a new bike especially after first few rides.

I loved my time in Poznań! You have a beautiful country-and thanks for the tips.

Very good video. That's how I got my start, Building wheels by hand in the '70's

pre stretch the cables! Twisted, multi-wire cables will always stretch a bit. throwing your gear shift out of alignment and weakening the brakes. Often in the middle of a ride.

I have a very old bike. I have used degreaser a lot. Total submersion and a big brush. Rinse with water. Dry it with cloth. Lubricate with oil. Wipe off oil. Original chain 27 years old. Chain has no special pin. Original cassette sprockets. Just clean it. Dirt wears your chain and sprockets. Not the degreaser. New bike 2 years ago now. I found out the front shifter was not aligned properly. Wheels not true either.

Learning a lot from your vids, you are a very good teacher, thanks!

Often the bead will pinch the tube around where the nipple sits. I unscrew the nut that hold the tube and push in the tube and make sure the tire is seated in the rim there.

I see why you wouldn't want to air the tubes/tires up so quickly. However, I work in a shop and a compressor is the most effective method to seat tires. The pressure will place the tire flush against the rim. All you have to do is air it down to riding pressure afterwards.

great tips. just got my 1st rb and true enough, i got 4 hits.

i use car vinyl wrap to custom make frame protection patches, its very tough, cheap, light, easy to apply and remover

Great video! I didn't think about taping any friction points on the frame.

that video start by itself deserve an upvote

I would add that most big box store bikes do not lubricate the bearings in the headtube. It's not something a normal consumer can really check but I would recommend if they have a friend who knows how to do so Failing that they should get their LBS to check.

Great points. I must add checking the cone nuts on the wheels. Most of the time, the wheel bearing cones are too tight.

My store ships in the entire bike bit by bit then they put it together in their personal workshop, great service

Very informative video, subscribed! Please do more videos like this, very helpful for beginners 😁

Great tips thank you - Hard to tell if wheel is true on mountain bike with chunky tyres, I have to disagree with how to clean the chain.... clean the new sticky gunk off but it needs a good clean not just a wipe

Great tip for the stickers. Thanks

Every bike I’ve bought came with rear derailleur hanger bolts loose so much that the hanger was shaking. I don’t know why is this happening, but bolt tightening is important indeed.

Another thing could be if you have purchased steel frame bike make sure it has some anti rust treatment, inside the frame.

When I put a new tire on I pit a little air in then I bounce the wheel off the ground while spinning to Tru the tire

Bolts are important! My pedal fell off. Good thing I wasn’t going fast. Of course there were people around and it was so embarrassing 😂

Also the brakes are not always perfectly centered. It's only 10 years later that I see there is a little screw to center them with the rim !!!

Dobry pomysł z filmami po angielsku. Dajesz radę językowo, no a merytorycznie wiadomo, klasa.

Good video, however, could have covered the 5 things in around 5 minutes rather that 16+!!

Sure wish I had this advice on the first nice bike I purchased. I just got a new one and going to check it out before my next ride. Thanks. Check with your local sign shop for some great vinyl to protect the finish. Some have "Rock Guard" which is clear and very tough.

Mybike is in the shop now because the pedals were frozen in the crank arms. Remove them periodically and grease them so they will come off when you want them too.

Amazing thank you so much for this video. On a side note some schwalbe tires tend to wobble no matter what you do to them. I'm guessing many other tires are like that because they're made in places like indonesia. I have to check all my bolts now.

Im so disappointed with the Panracer Gravelingking SS on Performance & Weel Alignment I had taken the Bike 2 times back for wheels alignment. Finally purchase the Conti 5000 GP problem solve it. Is very important keeping Eye it saves time & $$.

Génial, des vraies astuces par quelqu'un qui connait bien ses vélos. Merci.

Hmm, If I knew about this stuff before I bought my bikes. I encountered all of this problems on my bikes. Also the derailleurs weren't adjusted properly on the bikes, it was either the back one or the front one, so you may want to check that too. Thanks for sharing your awesome knowledge. Cheers :)

Rub Protection, get some 3m clear coat pain protection film. Its made for paint... seriously wanting me to put packing tape on my bike!

Great video, I think I'm definitely experiencing some of these issues with my Cannondale Synapse. I notice that the front wheel touches the disc while it spins, is this likely to be because the wheel is not true?

With regards to chain lube. I think factory lubrication should be fully replaced because even it was removed outside.. next time when I will do my home application with my own lube the chain’s inner one (actually from the factory lube) different by nature and should be replaced. Does it make sense?