LEARN Support Resources – Basic Maintenance Repair

Outcomes

• How to fix a puncture.

• How to do simple brake adjustment.

• How to adjust the seat.

• How to clean a bike and oil a chain.

Information

Costings

• Track (floor) pump from £10

• Hand pump from £5

• Chain Oil from £3

• Repair kit & Tyre levers from £7

The session

Materials needed

• Glue less patches from £3

• Spare inner tube from £2.50

• Multi tool from £4

Add up to 30 mins per repair/ maintenance activity

Basic bike maintenance knowledge required

See each section for specific tools.

Cycling UK – guide to simple maintenance

How to fix a puncture

Cycling UK – fixing a puncture

Modern puncture-resistant tyres are fantastic but, if you cycle for any length of time, one day you will have a puncture. Practising to change an inner tube at home will pay dividends when you find yourself having to do it for real at the side of the road. (Oh,and when you do fix a punctured tyre, don’t forget to look for and remove whatever caused the puncture in the first place – otherwise it’ll just pop the replacement inner tube, too!).

Basic tools required

• Spare new inner tube

• Tyre levers

• Puncture repair kit – incl glueless patches

• Disposable gloves

• Bike pump

Tubeless tyre set ups are becoming more common but remain far less common than the traditional tubed set up. There are specific tubeless repair kits, however an inner tube can always be inserted as a fix if all else fails.

Inflate tyres to the correct pressure

Possibly the simplest aspect of bike maintenance is having your tyres inflated to the right pressure. What is the right pressure?

You can find the correct pressure written on the sidewall of your tyres. You’ll notice the tyre manufacture has a recommended range rather than one absolute pressure. That’s so you can adjust the tyre pressures according to the conditions. If you’re going somewhere that might be damp and slippy, don’t inflate your tyres up too hard. If it’s dry and you want to ride as efficiently as possible fill them up.

How to do simple brake adjustment

Cycling UK – brake adjustment

Basic tools required

• Multi tool

• Vice grips

Cycling UK – gear & brake adjustment

At some point it’s likely you’ll have to adjust your gears and brakes. Over time, cables will stretch and brake blocks or pads will wear down, resulting in reduced braking capacity. Disc brakes are becoming increasingly common but require a level of expertise in adjusting and repairing. Consider taking your bike to a qualified mechanic or seek out suitable training.

How to adjust the seat

Cycling UK – making your bike more comfortable

How to clean a bike and oil a chain

Cycling UK – how to clean your bike

Similar to an M check before setting off, it is useful to get into the habit of checking the bike at the end of the ride. This should include using a rag to quickly clean the chain and check tyres for any debris or punctures and check the brakes. Then you are ready to ride for your next short journey.

Oiling a chain

Although water-repelling sprays do act as a lubricant, it’s also important to use a dedicated bike lube or grease. Bike lubes come in a range of options but the most popular are wet, dry, and ceramic. Wet lube isn’t easily washed off but does tend to attract road grime; dry lube is great for the summer, but can be washed away by repeated exposure to rain; and ceramic lube is almost a halfway house that works well but does cost a bit more. Pop a dab of lube anywhere on your bike that you spot a pivot point or moving part. The last and most important job is to re-lube your now superclean chain. Before applying lube, make sure the chain is nice and dry. Now understand that it’s the rollers, pins and inner faceplates of the chain do all the work, so make sure the lube gets onto them. Slowly and methodically work you way along the entire length of the chain, directing the lube exactly where you want it. Once you’ve treated the whole chain, run it through a rag to remove excess lube and use your gear levers to go up and down the gears, checking everything is operating smoothly.