Safety check

How to get your bike ready for spring

Read what you should consider before your first bike ride of the new year.

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

(Bild: Wallner Hannes)

Carinthia is a cycling country: after the winter break, every bike should be given a service check before the first ride.

The bicycle is an ideal means of transportation for many routes. If you cycle as often as possible for everyday journeys, you get a good dose of healthy exercise, strengthen your immune system and fitness and save a lot on fuel costs," says VCÖ expert Katharina Jaschinsky.

That's a good thing - because did you know that half of all everyday journeys in Carinthia are shorter than five kilometers? A distance that many people can easily manage by bike. Those who need a little boost can rely on the increasingly popular electric bikes, whose range is constantly increasing. Two thirds of everyday journeys in Carinthia are shorter than ten kilometers.

75 percent of Carinthian households own at least one functional bicycle. And the number is growing! The municipalities are also benefiting from this: Residents generally don't drive away to do their shopping by bike, but buy locally instead.

Bicycle checklist

• Bike cleaned of dirt
• Tires inflated
• Wheels turn freely and do not drag
• Cranks and pedals turn freely and have no play
• Chain cleaned and oiled with bicycle chain oil
• Gear cables are in good condition
• Gears shift smoothly through all gears
• Brake cables/cables in good condition
• Brakes apply quickly and are easy to modulate
• Lights work, reflectors free of dirt
• All screws are tight

These are the rules for the bike check
Before you start using your bike again after the winter break, clean it and inflate the tires. It is important that the lights work - also check that the brakes and brake pads are in good condition. The chain should also be cleaned and oiled. For electric bikes, the battery should of course be charged before the first ride. Clean and dry the contact points of the battery thoroughly.