No matter how efficient and how great the performance of the bike that is parked inside your garage, know that it still weakens over time. As you drive it daily, it experiences regular wear and tear and each bike part ages. After a while, some parts become damaged and fail.

For you to maintain your bike in good shape, you always have to pay attention to its condition. You need to do periodic inspection and you must always be on the lookout for possible problems. There are some problems that your bike may encounter and you might have to deal with over time. Pay attention to some symptoms that will tell you when your bike and some of its parts may need some fix or even replacements.

The following are some of the common problems that your bike and its parts may experience, problems that you might notice in your ride after a while:

Strange noise. Perhaps the most common, weird noise coming from somewhere in your bike and occurring only at certain instances (i.e. only when turning in a corner) can be such a headache to detect. The said noise can originate from anywhere. If you notice this noise coming from the chain area and occurring during every chain revolution, then the chain is the first part to inspect-there could be a problem with a link. Depending on the problem, you could simply lube the said bike part or get a new chain. If you cannot pinpoint the problem easily but you know where it is coming from (i.e. the pedal area or the suspension area), you can do a trial-and-error diagnosis by tightening parts. Sometimes, the noise could simply be caused by loose parts and tightening may eliminate the problem.

Strange steering feel. After a while of driving your bike, you’ll notice that it becomes like a natural part of your body, sort of an extension of your body when you drive. But, at other instances, you’ll feel a sudden change in the way your bike handles. This is especially common in terms of steering. All of a sudden, there’s a weird steering feel and you feel like you cannot control your bike anymore. Sometimes, the cause could be loose bike parts. Check your hub bearings, axle, and brake arches. You may need to tighten the parts, even to lubricate some of them. At other instances, the problem may be apparent right after you install a new component. Check that everything is properly mounted, aligned, and in place.

Hard or no starting. The first thing to check when this problem occurs would be your battery. Check for the water/acid to see whether it’s low. You may also want to check the starter to see whether it’s busted. In case you start and you hear the part click but the engine doesn’t crank, the relay would be one part to inspect. And of course, check your electrical connections.

Depending on the extent of damage on the specific bike part that is experiencing the problem, your two options here would either be to do the necessary fix or to replace the damaged component. Sometimes, all you need is a simple fix to restore the part into its top operating condition. However, should the damage be serious, then the best resort would be a new replacement part. This might mean spending more, but this would also mean not having to put up with the problem again sometime soon. And if you want to save more, you can also do so by doing the installation of the new part by yourself.