The 'M' Check & Post-Clean Bike Feedback

Here you will find how and why to conduct a pre-clean and post clean M-check as well useful tips for giving post clean feedback to customers

This document is to be used in conjunction with Clean and care Service, Deep Clean Service, Top Tips for working with Bikes and Caring for our Customers.

Our primary job is to clean a customer's bike to the same high standard each and every time, but while we clean we can help customers by diagnosing any issues you notice. This feedback can have the potential to be life saving and a keen eye for detail is very important.

Katy was once cleaning her own bike and noticed some tiny cracks in the rims by a couple of spokes, she bought new wheels the next day as a failure of the rim would have led to the wheel collapsing and could have been life changing. Without paying close attention it is easy to miss these details and it is why we are able to share this with customers.

They may already be aware of underlying issues, but there is never any harm in reminding people to keep an eye on things as it can usually save them money and sometimes a whole lot more.

How to capture these details?

This is where the PDI form is your go to resource. You must complete one with each and every clean. Any details or issues should be noted at the section at the end. There is also an opportunity to take photos and upload these too. These details are passed directly to a customer via a feedback email that is automatically sent.

BEWARE about what you write here as it will be viewed by a customer. It goes without saying no offensive language to be used and to also keep it concise yet informative. Some examples of ways to note issues while maintaining a friendly tone:

• Bike is generally in good working order, but I would recommend some new tyres as I noticed lots of glass and shards which I picked out. A new set of tyres will reduce the chance of punctures in the future.
• I inflated your tyres with some more air reducing the chance of getting punctures and having a much more comfortable ride.
• I noticed that your brake pads on the rear are quite worn out, I would strongly recommend that you get these replaced.

Using the word recommend is a great way to suggest improvements.

It also helps to explain why you make these recommendations so the customer has context and you build trust with them about your knowledge to show you care they have a safe and comfortable ride.

***If you have the chance to tell the customer in person then this is great to also do as it can be much easier in person with the bike in front of you***

Reasons for the Pre and Post Clean M-Check

At Ride Clean we always perform a pre-clean M-Check of a bike as this provides you with a baseline on the status of a bike. For example, are the brakes rubbing? Do the gears all shift correctly and with ease? Do you notice any abnormalities on the frame? This gives you working knowledge of pre-existing issues with a bike.

When performing the M-Check (see below for process) note down either mentally or on your phone if you prefer anything you notice. Do not try and fix things at this point as you may find that once you have cleaned the bike and reassembled some things will have remedied themselves such as wheels being inserted squarely, or lube on a squeaky chain.

You will also find that once you have a clean bike it is much easier to diagnose what is going on!

Once you have cleaned the bike you want to perform a post clean M-Check to note down anything in the PDI and also to ensure you have set up the bike safely. This routine will serve you will to follow each time to ensure you do not miss anything.

What is an M-Check & How to perform one

The M-Check allows you to make standard checks on all bikes for their functionality. There are varieties to this but whatever order you do this in it is good to come up with a system you follow each and every time so you know you have made all the checks and can be sure you don’t miss anything.

Once bike is mounted and you have given the bike a visual check perform an M-Check:

Starting with the

• Front wheel spin the wheel and check it runs smoothing and straight with no play (sideways movement) you can check this by looking closely as the wheel passes through the brake pads (use these as a stationary object)
• Inspect the wheel - rims, spokes, hub for any brakes/dents/abnormalities
• Check both brake lever function for the front wheel and feel any lag between squeezing levers and action of pads on the wheel.

Moving onto the..

• Handlebars twist the handlebars to check they rotate freely and no ‘tight spots’ which may suggest that there are underlying issues with the headset. Handlebars should freely turn in both directions.
• The fork should be aligned straight and the handlebars perpendicular and there should be no sideways movement between the fork and handlebar stem and wheel axle.

Next move down to…

• Hold the cranks and give them a wiggle to check for no sideways movement/play in the bottom bracket

Follow the seat tube upwards…

• Check the seat post is securely fixed into the seat tube (it should be if you have it in the stand!)

Finally…

• Rear wheels spin the wheel and check it runs smoothing and straight with no play (sideways movement) you can check this by looking closely as the wheel passes through the brake pads (use these as a stationary object)
• If the bike has gears this is the time to run through all the combinations of gears both through the cassette (at the rear) and in the different chainrings (at the front)

It is called an M-Check because it follows an “M” on the bikes geometry

Using the M-Check as your standard check on all bikes allows you to identify any issues. Below are some common queries and ways to help narrow down what might be the cause so you can best advise the customer on a remedy.

The wheel doesn’t spin freely?

The wheel should be inserted into the frame squarely and fully as a first check.

Inspect the wheel. Use the brake pads as a point of reference, does the wheel ‘wobble’ in one section? this could be a case that the tension is uneven in the spokes and needs truing. Are the tyres ‘seated’ evenly? Tyres that are not fitted correctly give an impression of a wheel wobbling, this can usually be adjusted by deflating the tyre and reseating it on the rims.

Inspect the frame. Is the frame straight? If there is damage to the frame then this is worth notifying a customer, this is usually due to some major force on the bike. Check the alignment of brake pads too as these can wear unevenly over time which will impact the wheel.

The gears won’t change smoothly?

Do you find that when you change gear it feels hard and you must apply a lot of pressure? Bear in mind the quality of the groupset, higher end models should have much smoother and more responsive systems than lower grade components. Different manufactures also have a different feel (see the Bicycle Library for details).

Check the gear cables. Are the ends frayed? If the cables are external to the frame are they dirty? Old and dirty cables restrict the responsiveness to changing gear. A simple solution can be to wipe them down and apply a small amount of multi-purpose lube to the cable and gently move the outer housing to ensure the whole cable is coated. If you notice fraying then it is likely new cables are needed.

Check the cable tension. Loose cable tension will restrict the ability to use the gears.

The brakes are sticking in one place or rubbing?

The wheel should be inserted into the frame squarely and fully as a first check.

Is the wheel itself causing this or the brake pad alignment? Make the checks on the wheel, is the wheel spinning symmetrically?

Check the alignment of the brake pads in all orientations. Are new brake pads needed? Signs to look for in rim brakes are the pads themselves as they will have wear lines marked, in extreme cases you can see the wear impacting the rim, this is a real concern and should be raised. With disk brakes look at the rotors for signs of wear; are the rotors bent or do they have discolourations? Discolouration can be a sign that the rotors have overheated during use.

There is a lag between squeezing the levers (brakes or gears) and the time it takes get a reaction eg if you brake but the lever doesn't spring back?

Check the brake cables for wear and build up of dirt. Old and dirty cables restrict the responsiveness to braking. A simple solution can be to wipe them down and apply a small amount of multi-purpose lube to the cable and gently move the outer housing to ensure the whole cable is coated. If you notice fraying then it is likely new cables are needed.

Check the cable tension. Loose cable tension will reduce the effectiveness of the braking ability.

Hydraulic brakes, if the brakes feel ‘spongy’ then it could mean the brakes need bleeding this is because air has become trapped in the fluid. This is a job for a bike shop.

The chain keeps slipping in some gears?

Is this the chain or the cassette/chain rings? Inspect the chain with the chain wear tool, has the chain become stretched? Are the chain rings chipped or worn, what about the cassette sprockets? Bear in mind that when riding around London that is relatively flat some of the gears will be used a lot more than others and therefore certain sprockets will get much more wear.

Also check the rear derailleur, is it straight or bent? If it is bent then take to a shop to either get the hanger straightened or replaced. Is the front derailleur set up correctly, misalignment can also cause rubbing.

Depending on the quality of the groupset and the setup a customer may want to replace both chain and cassette at the same time as when one is worn out it will tend to wear the other as they work together. However, for a lower grade groupset that isn’t used for performance riding it is possible to use two chains for each cassette if you can catch it when the chain starts to stretch. This can be a way to save money for the cost conscious customer.

The chain slips off into the spokes?

If you find the chain slips off the sprockets into the wheel and the spokes the lower limit screw needs to be adjusted to restrict the range. This is done with the lower limit screw. Also check the rear derailleur, is it straight or bent? If it is bent then take to a shop to either get the hanger straightened or replaced.

The chain slips off into the frame?

If you find the chain slips off the sprockets into the frame and the derailleur the upper limit screw needs to be adjusted to restrict the range. This is done with the upper limit screw. Also check the rear derailleur, is it straight or bent? If it is bent then take to a shop to either get the hanger straightened or replaced.

The gears don’t chain properly with ease and sometimes jump around between gears?

This is likely down to some minor adjustments with the rear derailleur using the barrel adjuster. But also check the wear of sprockets as it can be that the most used sprockets are much more worn out causing the slippage.

It feels really hard to ride?

Have you pumped the tyres to the correct tyre pressure? Often when I bike hasn’t been used for a while the tyres can be deflated. Check the tyre wall for the correct tyre pressure and inflate to the minimum on the range unless a customer requests otherwise.

Also check for any other obstructions on the wheels, are the brakes at an angle? Are the mudguards preventing the wheel rotating?

I keep getting punctures?

There can be several reasons. Tyre pressure is important to check, as well as the state of the tyres, are they worn, pitted, or do they have lots of grid embedded in the tyres. Are the tyre walls worn? If the tyres are old the rubber will have worn away and you can see they need replacing, a worthwhile investment.

After inspecting the outside of the tyres and nothing seems to be causing the issue it may require deflating the tyres and inspecting the rims. Has the rim tape moved or worn? Any small gap can cause the tube to pinch and cause punctures. Also check for wear on the bead of the tyre in case the tyre itself is causing friction with the tube

Have the correct size tubes been installed, incorrect tubes are likely to cause pinching of tubes and punctures.

This list isn’t exhaustive as there are always issues that come up so please do submit these to info@rideclean.cc so we can add issues and solutions.