Essential bike repairs that can be done at home and should be known to every cyclist. Any time you have to take your ride in for a repair means less time actually riding and it will likely cost you a fee as well. Learning some basic repair skills that you can do at home can save you time and money.
Here are the Tools and Resources you will need to be an expert yourself:
- A multitool: These compact, multi-function tools are easy to carry on your bike for adjustments and repairs on the road, and you can use them for maintenance at home too.
- A set of separate metric allen keys: these are also called hex wrenches, and some standalone screwdrivers.
- A dedicated bike repair tool kit is worth the investment.
We know, it’s no fun hauling your bike to the shop every time a minor inconvenience occurs.
That is why Spokeherd brings to you a basic guide on how you can solve these basic bicycle repairs yourself.
Tighten Up Loose Bolts
Bicycles are held together entirely by nuts and bolts. Make sure all hardware is secure and are bolted well but are not too tight. The main problem areas are the handlebars, stem, and seat post, where pressure and friction can loosen bolts.
Invest in a torque wrench which is super-accurate and takes the guesswork out. These wrenches have measurements so the user can control the amount of force applied. Once the bolts are torqued, don’t overtighten them, leave them be. There’s no need to re-tighten every ride, or even every week.
Adjust Your Derailleurs
You know what’s a very frustrating and common bike issue? Skipping gears and temperamental shifting. But these issues can easily be handled by a beginner.
A derailleur rather a misaligned derailleur is what causes the problem. It is the mechanisms responsible for moving your chain to different cogs and chain rings when you shift gears. They’re easy to adjust.
There are two ways to approach the problem. The first, the quick and dirty method, is to just fiddle with the barrel adjuster and hope you get lucky. This makes sense if you’re in the middle of a ride, but back at home – or if installing a new derailleur and starting from scratch – you’ll want to follow the whole process step by step for best results.
Degreasing the chain
Clean, rinse, and dry your chain and cassette. You can buy bike-specific degreasers and chain-cleaning gizmos, but dish soap and a toothbrush work just as well.
Apply one drop of lube onto each roller as you turn the cranks backward for two or three rotations.
Then take a clean rag and gently grip the chain’s outer plates as you spin the cranks for one more rotation.
Fix a Flat
You need to Check the tire pressure before looking for holes in it. To make sure that the tires are inflated correctly, you will have to find the intended air pressure range.
Then you can Use a bike pump with a built-in tire pressure gauge. But make sure to avoid gas station air pumps, which are very powerful and can easily blow out smaller bicycle wheels.
Patch a Punctured Tube
To patch a punctured tube, you will need a Patch Kit; traditional or pre glued. Find what works best for you and make sure to choose a reliable and easy to use one. The next thing you will need is Optional but turns out to be very helpful, A source of standing water, sink, bucket, pond, or some other source that can help you find the leak.
We hope this article proves to be of a great help to you. You can reach out to Spokeherd for any further query.
Happy Cycling!
