Have you ever thought about doing your own bicycle maintenance, but were not sure where to start? Or maybe you felt that you were not really the bike mechanic type.
If you love cycling, learning to do your own bike maintenance and repairs is worth the effort. It allows you to get to know the workings of your bike better, and you will have a better understanding on how to keep it running at tip top shape. You do not need to know how to take apart your whole bicycle and reassemble it.
Becoming an expert at home bike mechanic is like anything else, you take one small step at a time. Here are 3 simple steps to get you started.
#1: Keep Your Bicycle Clean
Sounds simple, but it is half the battle. A regularly cleaned bicycle will last longer and ride better.
Some people simply use a hose as well as an old toothbrush to get at the hard to reach places. There are a few tools that I would recommend to do the job even better though:
- Bike cleaning brush
- Chain scrubber
- Degreasing Solvent
- Chain lubricant
- Rags and Sponges
Use all of the above with some soap and a water hose. My Dad used to always say that his car ran better when it was clean. So does our bike. Everything in our life needs a little regular love and attention to keep it working properly.
#2 Fix Your Own Flat Tires
If you ride long enough, you are sure to get a flat tire one day. If you ride long distances, you’ll want to keep a tire replacement kit in your pack.
You only need the following tools.
- Hand pump
- One or two tire levers
- Brand new tire tube
If you are doing this work at home, you can also use a tire patch kit to fix the old tube instead of replacing it with a new one.
Fixing a flat is a simple thing. When you get a flat tire, you will want to remove your wheel from the bike and then deflate all the air from your tire. Stick the tire lever between the rim and the tire, and use it to pry the tire completely off.
Once the tire is off, take the tube out, and feel inside the tire (carefully) to see if there are any sharp objects still inside. If the puncture on the tube is visible, use your tire replacement kit to patch it up. If it is not visible, blow it up with the pump and stick the tube in a bucket of water. The bubbles will point out the puncture.
If you’re fixing your tire on the road, don’t worry about trying to find the hole and patch it up. Just replace the whole tube with a new one. There are plenty of demos on YouTube that can give you a visual demonstration.
#3 Check and Replace Your Chain
When the chain gets old, it starts to stretch. When it starts to stretch, it starts to wear down the drivetrain. Eventually you’ll find it slipping under pressure. It is much better to replace your old chain before this happens so you can avoid replacing parts of the drivetrain along with it.
You can use a ruler to check if your chain needs replacing. Take your ruler and place the ’0′ inch mark above the center of one of your chain pins. Then count out twelve complete links. By complete link I mean one inner and one outer. If your chain is fine and dandy, your chain will line up exactly with the twelve inch mark on the ruler. But if your chain is between 1/16″ & 1/8″ past its mark, you should look at getting a new chain.
To change a chain you are going to need:
- a tool called a chain breaker
- a new chain
Use the chain breaker to push the pin out of one of the old chain links so that you can remove the chain from your bike.
Ask your local bike shop for the correct chain according to how many gears are on the rear of you bike. You’ll want to make sure your new chain is the right length. If you get a chain with a Master Link, you won’t need to use any tools to put it back on. Simply reattach the chain, and use the Master Link to connect the ends of your chain together
If your new chain doesn’t come with a Master link, you can watch this video to see how to use your chain breaker to properly attach the new chain.
Other Necessary Tools
A good set of allen keys will be your best friend. They can be used to adjust your handlebars and seats, as well as many other parts of bike maintenance.
A decent bike repair stand to hold your bike solid and at an elevated level while you clean or work on it makes things a lot easier. This is a luxury tool, but if you regularly maintain your bike, you will be super glad that you have it.
There are many other tools that can help when you really get into it, but the above three are a good way to start. Investing in the health of your bike is like investing in the health of your body. It takes a bit of effort and work, but it will pay off in the long run by providing you with many years of quality cycling.
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Great tips! These are pretty easy steps to follow, and a lot of bikers out there can use them for sure.
I would caution against using a hose to clean a bike. You really need to be careful not to just spray everywhere as you don’t want water to get to the bearings. Using rags and a general bike cleaner to wipe it down is a better option, in my opinion.
Thanks Jeffrey. I agree with you that using a hose is not the best option and it’s better to use the tools listed above.
I once heard of a guy who used a pressure washer to clean his bike and it seemed to work for him.
That was getting a bit hard core for me. Poor bike. 
Hey Guys,
I used to work at a bike shop that had 30 or so high end carbon mountain bikes for demo. The most common question we got was how we cleaned such high end bikes since we had to do so after each ride.
Not using a hose is really just a common myth. You definitely don’t want to use a pressure washer, and you don’t want to pressurize the hose (with your thumb or a nozzle) around suspension seals or bearings, but a hose raining water down onto your bike does zero harm. You would really have to have strong pressure aimed directly at a seal for awhile to do any damage, very unlikely unless you were doing it on purpose.
With that said you don’t need to wash your bike after every ride, but it is much nicer to work on a clean bike when doing a full service (every month or two).
Also, you shouldn’t ever really need to use a chain cleaner. You should wipe your chain and derailleur jockey wheels after every ride, then apply a half drop of chain lube to each link (slowly spin the chain backwards as you drip the lube on lightly, then cycle through your gears once or twice). Remember that you want chain lube inside the chain, so it doesn’t have to get soaked.
Before your next ride, do a quick wipe to get any excess off. This is key, as the excess lube attracts dirt and is the reason most people’s chains are filthy to the point of needing a chain cleaner.
Happy Trails,
Mark
Meant to add that I liked the article and thought almost everything was spot on for the beginning mechanic.
I definitely agree with you on a bike stand and fixing flats. I am constantly amazed at how many people put there bike in there car and drive to a bike shop to get a new tube put in, when it takes 3 minutes.
Keep it up!
Mark
Hey Mark,
Thanks for sharing your bike shop experience. I especially appreciated the comments about chain maintenance. I’ve written a few guest posts out there on basic bike mechanics and I always enjoy seeing the notes that come back as I often learn something from them.
Cheers!
Sam