At Studio SWEAT onDemand, we pretty much eat, sleep, dream, and live…SPIN! Indoor Cycling isn’t just our bread and butter, it’s kind of our whole dang meal. Sure, we throw up tons of other awesome at-home workouts such as Yoga, Pilates, Kickboxing, Barre, Strength Training, TRX, HIIT, and more — but when it comes down to it, indoor cycling classes are always at the core of what we do. (Oh yeah, we offer core workouts, too.)

And when it comes to our at-home cycling equipment, we believe in the age old mantra of ‘buy right, and buy once’. That means no skimping when it comes to gear, or you’ll probably have to shell out even more bucks when your first low-cost bike junks out on ya. But once you’ve dropped some major dimes on a good indoor cycle, you’re gonna wanna keep it in tip-top shape for years and years of sweat-inducin’, butt-bustin’ cycle sessions. So without further ado, here is our Spin bike maintenance checklist, to keep your chariot working like new, for the long haul.

Wipe Your Bike Down

This is an easy one. If you’re doing your cycling classes right, you’re gonna work up a whole lotta sweat. And that’s a good thing. Just make sure to wipe down your bike after every ride with just a damp cloth, to remove that corrosive sweat. Wipe down the seat, frame, handlebars, seat post, handlebar post, and your chain guard. And once every three months or so, a deep clean with some warm water and soap, with a little bit of white vinegar in there, will definitely do the trick.

Feel for Vibrations

The only vibrations you should be aware of during your cycling class should be coming from your headphones pumpin’ out body rocking music. If you feel any sort of vibrations coming from your bike, you might need to tighten the pedals, lower bracket, or drivetrain tension. 

Tighten Up

Your bike should have come with a pedal wrench, designed exclusively for your bike model. Use it! Tighten your pedals firmly until they feel nice and secure. Careful not to over-tighten, just make sure everything feels how it did when you purchased it. 

Maintain Your Brakes

If you’ve got magnetic brakes, good news, you don’t have to do anything to maintain them! If you’ve got contact braking systems, you’ll want to check the felt pads to make sure they’re in good working condition, and you may have to purchase some replacements from time to time. 

Lubrication

Some weekly or monthly lubrication will go a long way in preserving and prolonging the life of your Spin bike. You’ll want to snag a silicone-based lubricant and do a quick once-over to your frame fittings, handlebar post, seat slider, and brake tension rod. You can usually find silicon-based lubricants at auto-part stores, your local super-store, or online.

IMPORTANT: WD-40 is not silicon-based and is usually not a good choice for Spin bike care. 

Chain Drive Bike Maintenance

If you’ve got a cycle with a chain drive (belt drive bike owners can ignore this), you’ll want to occasionally lubricate your chain by removing the chain cover, and rotating the crank slowly while applying a lubricant. We recommend this one from DuPont. Tempting as it may be, we do NOT recommend grabbing the ole’ WD-40! Yes, there are some things it just can’t do. 

Do a Hardware Check 

All of your bike’s hardware should be inspected monthly to make sure everything is working as it should. Check the water bottle holder, flywheel nuts, chain guard bolts, brake caliper nuts, and tension rod nuts. If any of those feel loose to you, tighten them up! 

It might seem like a bit of work, but we guarantee you, it’ll benefit you (and your health and wellness) in the long run. Now that you’ve gotten your bike all up to snuff, sign up for a 7-Day Free Trial with Studio SWEAT onDemand. We’ve got a practically endless library of the best indoor cycling classes, taught by the best in the business. We even offer tons of our Spin-Fusion classes that deliver full-body exercise combos to keep you looking and feeling your best. Sign up, strap in, and let’s ride!