You are so excited!  Finally the day has arrived and you get to bring home your NEW baby.  Your brand new bicycle.  It is just perfect.  It fits well, it looks fantastic, it is so smooth, it is going to be just perfect to help you get out there and enjoy the great outdoors.

Everything works exactly as it was designed to… (especially if you got your new bicycle from Braun’s )  The brakes are fantastic, the gear changing is extremely crisp, the wheels – well they just spin and spin, like they will never stop going around.  WOW this is what you always imagined cycling was about.  You sit, you pedal, you look around, you enjoy.  What’s that you feel, why it’s the wind in your face.

Sadly though, all new experiences must come to an end.  Eventually, you must return and your first ever bike ride on your new bicycle will end.  You will have to stow your steed where it’s going to live.  You might even lean over  give your bike a pat “Good job”, you say, as you begrudingly go inside.  Then suddenly – a new thought strikes you.  You almost laugh out loud.  Yes of course.  We can go out riding again tomorrow. 

Thus it goes.  And then, all of a sudden you realize that you have been enjoying your baby for a week or two already.  What a great decision you made in getting her.  Strap on your helmet, put on your cycling gloves, Velcro on your shoes, and lets get going.  But then one day: Wait a minute.  What’s going on?  What is the horrific noise?  Oh my goodness, my chain has fallen off.  What’s going on.  Or you slam on your brakes and a horrible sound emerges from somewhere near your wheels. 

Where did my amazing new bicycle go.  It doesn’t work like it did any more.  What gives?  Well – nothing unexpected has happen.  You have just experienced what is normally called a bike’s break in period.  Every new bike that is ridden goes through this.

New bicycles require a break-in period of 50 to 100 km or approximately 2 to 4 weeks.  New brake and gear cables will stretch, etc.  Bearings may seat causing them to appear to loosen.  Some of the bicycle’s parts may slightly loosen with the initial experiences.  The brakes may make a strange sound or squeal as they seat.  This is all normal and an expected experience for a new bicycle to go through.

So what do you do?  Well, at Braun’s, we recommend that after the break-in period you bring your bicycle into one of our Service Departments when you can leave it with us.  Then one of our professional service technicians will perform the required maintenance to put your baby back where she belongs in perfect working order.  Doing this will extend the life and enjoyment of your bicycle. 

After all she’s done for you – it’s the least you can do for her – wouldn’t you think?