Has your bike been tuned? Ever? Or did you bring it home from whatever shop you purchased it at and figured it was good to go? Just like your car needs maintenance, your bike needs to be taken care of to make sure it performs safely every time you go for a ride. Here's why: [caption id="attachment_1904" align="alignleft" width="300"] When was the last time you had your bike tuned?[/caption]

1. Cables stretch.

Well that's not true per se, but they do twist tighter. That makes them get longer, and that can seriously affect both shifting and breaking. New cables "stretch" the most and need to be adjusted. That's why we offer free lifetime adjustments on all new bikes purchased from Alpine Shop.

2. Chains stretch.

Okay, again not really, but they do wear and that makes the chain get longer. When that happens, the chain no longer rides properly in the valleys between the teeth on your chainrings and cassette cogs. A worn, or "stretched", chain will also cause the chainrings and cassette to wear more rapidly and "mate" to an old chain. So while a new chain may only be about $20 (and improve your ride immensely), a new cassette will be another $50, $75 or up.

3. Your wheels probably aren't true.

Heck, they may not even be round. Impacts can cause a bicycle wheel to go out of true and wiggle side to side, or worse go out of round. The shape of your wheel is determined by the tension of the spokes, pulling the rim into shape. Small wiggles are easy to fix, but small wiggles can become big wiggles which can rub brake pads , become harder to correct or worse. Get them checked as part of a tune package at Alpine Shop.

4. Is your bike dirty?

A dirty bike really doesn't work as well. Dirty cables lead to cable drag and that's a (literal) drag on performance. Shifts aren't as easy or as snappy and brakes require more squeeze. Dirty frames can also hide damage and keep moisture next to expensive shiny parts. (Turning them into rusty parts much, much faster.)

5. Do you lube?

Friction is no fun. Well, it's good for slowing you down. Keeping your chain and pivots clean and lubed makes everything work the way it should. Dirt slows everything down and makes it wear faster. A clean bike is a happy bike. Which makes for a happy rider. Be a happy rider. Get your bike tuned today by the pros at Alpine Shop. Our 8-Point Basic Bike Tune will take care of all of the above for you (provided there are no other underlying problems with the bike). And with $80 worth of work for just $65, you won't find a better deal on a tune in the Greater St. Louis area. Bring your bike in to either our Kirkwood location or our O'Fallon, Ill., store on the east side of the river today!