What's the best way for an amateur cyclist to inspect his gears and overall maintenance of his bicycle?

Question

I've had my bicycle for a little over a month now(if it means anything, it's a fuji sunfire 3.0 hybrid bike) and i've been riding it A LOT; over potholes, curbs, etc. There hasn't been any obvious damage but i coulda sworn if i pick up the rear of the bike and spin the wheel it's kind of wobbly, ya know? So whats a good way to give it a quick 1-2 inspection so i really feel safe riding it?

Answer 1

Assuming your the bike is new and the wheel is properly mounted, it may now be "out of true."  Riding a wheel that is severely out of true could result in further issues such as broken spokes as well as reduced (rim) braking ability and poor handling.  To remedy: have a qualified mechanic look at your bike and true the wheel(s).

Older bikes experiencing wheel wobble may have worn hubs or hubs that are seriously out of adjustment.

If you bought your bike new from a shop, they probably included a free adjustment, however this freebie probably won't cover this.  

If you can see the effects of it, the damage is obvious.  Consider taking it a bit easier or be prepared to pay repair bills.  Bikes are wonderful machines, but most of them don't like potholes and such.

Answer 2

make sure your rear wheel hasnt buckled thats what happened to mine

Answer 3

See my response to this question:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...