A bike that is cleaned and lubricated every two weeks lasts years longer than one that is ridden until something breaks. Most wear comes from grit in the chain, which grinds the cassette and chainrings with every pedal stroke.
Start with the chain. Wipe it with a dry rag, apply one drop of lubricant to each roller, then wipe off the excess so dirt has nothing to stick to. A chain checker tells you when it has stretched past 0.5 percent and needs replacing.
Next, check tyre pressure before every ride. Road tyres lose air quickly, and riding them soft causes pinch flats and slower rolling. The recommended range is printed on the tyre sidewall.
Brakes come third. Look at the pads for wear lines, and squeeze the levers: they should stop well before touching the handlebar. Disc brakes need clean rotors, so never touch them with oily fingers.
Finally, listen. Clicks, creaks and rubbing noises are early warnings. Most can be fixed in minutes with a hex key, long before they turn into an expensive repair at the workshop.
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