The M-Check Before You Ride

The habit that catches problems while they are still cheap. The check is named for the M shape it traces over the bike: rear wheel and brake, saddle and seat post, pedals, cranks and chain, steering and controls, then front wheel and brake. Direction does not matter, as long as nothing gets skipped. At each stop, squeeze, spin and wiggle. Wheels should turn without rubbing the brake and sit tight in the frame with no rocking. Squeeze the tire sidewalls for pressure, look at brake pad wear, and make sure a pulled brake lever holds the wheel still. It takes a couple of minutes once learned, needs no tools, and is the point where most of the other skills on this list first become necessary.