If miles of new bike paths and swarms of cyclists in bright, safety-first attire make your eco-friendly heart go pitter-pat, it should. Replacing gas-hungry autos with emission-free bicycles is one way people can improve the environment and their health. Cyclists do more with a little extra effort. Here are few tips to make a green ride even cleaner. An ounce of prevention It takes energy to mine raw materials, smelt them in furnaces and mold them into bike parts. Oil and gas are needed to ship parts from place to place. Electricity is used to light the store where new bikes are sold. If you want to be kinder to the environment, use the bike you already own and keep it in tip-top shape. A simple thing like keeping the tires properly inflated can maximize the life expectancy of inner tubes, which aren’t biodegradable. Regularly washing and lubricating your bike can prevent corrosion and lessen wear and tear on moving parts. Don Walker, owner of Don Walker Cycles and Speedway Handmade Bicycle Works, recommends products from Pedro’s USA. The company makes an all-purpose, environmentally friendly cleaner called Green Fizz, which Walker uses in his shop. Pedro’s also makes a chain lubricant from canola oil.