The honest answer: it depends on how much you ride and what London throws at your bike. Rain, grit and stop-start traffic wear a commuter bike far faster than a sunny weekend loop. Here is the schedule we recommend to our own customers.
If you commute daily
A daily commuter covering 50 miles or more a week should have a Safety Check roughly every three months and a full service twice a year. Winter riding is the big one: road salt and grit chew through chains, cables and brake pads, so a post-winter service in early spring is the best money you will spend on your bike.
If you ride at weekends
A weekend rider can usually run a full service once a year with a mid-year safety check. Watch your chain: if shifting gets noisy or the chain measures worn, replacing it early saves the far more expensive cassette and chainrings.
Signs your bike needs attention now
- Brakes feel spongy, rub, or need pulling to the bar
- Gears jump, hesitate or will not reach the biggest or smallest sprocket
- Clicks, creaks or grinding from the cranks or headset
- A wobble in either wheel, or a rhythmic rub against the brake
- The chain slips under power or looks rusty and dry
What we check that most riders miss
Bearing play in the headset and hubs, brake pad wear hidden inside the caliper, tyre carcass damage, and torque on the bolts that matter. These are the failures that turn into expensive repairs, or accidents, when left. A £60 Safety Check catches all of them, and every service we do is completed the same day.