New Bicycle page

Register your bicycle.
(Chicago residents only). You can either send in the portion of the bicycle registration form that has the place for a stamp, drop it off at any police station - or -You can register your bicycle online.

If you live outside Chicago, check with your local police dept. or check online with your local city government.
Evanston - Skokie (bottom of the page) - Wilmette

	Helmet	We strongly recommend you purchase a bicycle helmet. Q: How much to spend? A: What is your head worth? What to look for.
	Lock	We recommend one of the quality horseshoe shaped locks such as Kryptonite since they provide the best security. Make sure to get one with optional insurance so if your bike is stolen, you will be refunded the value of your bike.
	Lights	If you ride at night you need a light for your own safety. The reflectors on your bicycle are provided by law and only meet minimum safety requirements. At a minimum we recommend a flashing taillight. We also recommend a flashing front light. Both can be seen from far away and definately attract attention. They also use LEDs, so your batteries will last a long time. If you ride in the city, a headlight is optional since the streets are lit, but if you live in the suburbs or just want a headlight, get one with that uses LEDs which provide a bright light with much less battery usage than the halogen or old style filament bulb types.
	Water bottle	When you ride in the summer, you lose a lot more fluids than you realize. You also lose them faster than you think. For your own health it's important to keep yourself hydrated. Wait. If you bought your bike at Roberts Cycle, you got a free water bottle. Nevermind. :-)
	Flat Kit	If you ride more than a few miles from home, the last thing you want is to be stranded with a flat. What to get and how to use it.

1) Quick Release Wheels	It's very important that you practice using the quick release mechanisms on your bicycle as soon as possible. Here's how.
2) Accessories	If you have any questions about how to use or operate your accessories properly and/or safely, stop by the shop and we'll be glad to answer them. Or you can contact us.
3) Short term adjustments	We want to see your bicycle at around 90 days from the date of purchase. Bicycles have a break-in period like any other mechanical device and there are some things we check to make sure your bike is in good operating condition and is properly adjusted after this break-in period. Some of the standard adjustments we perform are to your brakes and gears to compensate for normal cable stretch, crank arm tightening to make sure they settle in place properly, minor wheel truing to compensate for spoke stretch/tensioning and a basic checkover of the rest of the bicycle to make sure everything is tight. Make sure to get this 90 day checkover as it will increase the life of your bike and also to avoid the risk of voiding the guarantees listed below due to unnecessary wear and tear.
4) Long term adjustments	If you bought your bike at Roberts Cycle it came with one of the best maintenance packages around. Check it out. 120 day FREE Adjustment on complete bike Lifetime FREE adjustments of brakes and gears Guarantee on the frame and fork (handled by the manufacturer)

Ok. So you just purchased a new bicycle. Now what?