I have a decent bike that I haven't ridden in a few years. What do I need to do to get it road-worthy, if I am going to be apart of a 17 mile road race?

Rubber can degenerate in storage, so you might need to replace the brake pads (dig a fingernail into them and see if they still feel resilient). These are cheap and easy to replace, so you may want to just do it anyway. Check the sidewalls of the tires for hairline cracking. If the tires are too far gone, they may not be able to hold the rated pressure, and that would slow you down.

Some parts are especially vulnerable to rust in storage. Look at the chain. Put on some plastic gloves and go along its length, flexing the links to find any that may be frozen. Give it a good drenching with chain lube. The brake and shifting cables have a steel cable core that runs through a plastic-coated cable housing. Sometimes the inner core gets rusty and makes the cable action balky. See if the brake levers and shifter seem to function smoothly. Replacing the cables is not a big deal if need be.

Those are the main things that I’ve seen crap out in storage.

Good Luck!!

After that long, I’d bring it in to the local bike shop and let them give it a once-over. Too much could go wrong and result in injury, so I’d want professional eyes and hands on it.

Thanks!

Have a look at it, see if the moving parts move as they should and pump up the tyres. Give it a spray with WD40 and then try it out being wary of the brakes especially if it is wet. Your bike will likely be ready for the road sooner than you will. You might want to get a bit of practice in before the real thing.

Make sure the brakes and gears work. Make sure the tires hold air. If all those things are working properly, get on and go for a ride. If they don’t, take it to a shop. (You might want to do that anyway.)

If the bike fits you so that your knees, back, neck and/or wrists don’t bother you, it will be fine for a 17 mile trip.

Unless you or a friend are a bike repairer, I would take it to a shop for a service.

I think you are valuable so you should take your bike to the shop and let the experts check it out before you go on a long ride. We want photos of you crossing the line and in your helmets.

All of the above PLUS a good, padded and comfortable seat. 17 miles will cause wear/pressure points that will ache for days and you will not be a happy peddler.

All wonderful information. Thank-you!!! We signed up today, so it’s a done deal. I had better get training. :)

Unless you know a lot about bikes I would just take it to a shop, tell them what you need it to be able to do (about the race) and tell them to do whatever it needs. Unless you already have all the tools and are bike savvy it’ll save you time. If you also want to learn though, I’m sure the mechanic working on it would let you stay and watch what he fixes and maybe even teach you a little. Then you could do it yourself next time. But I’ve never been brave enough to risk my bikes health for saving a dollar or two….I trust my bike guy and like to support bike businesses anyhow :))))))))

Also get a pair of those shorts with the built in padded butt. Omg they are awesome.

Nooooo….. Don’t do it! Those shorts make your butt look big.

@rojo Big butt > small butt! Everything in moderation, of course lol. But seriously, I don’t actually think that’s true. They’re so tight that they’ve already made you look smaller, then you add the butt pad, at best you’re back to your old butt size.