As a biker, learning how to fix your bicycle is essential, and acquiring this knowledge is simpler than you may believe. This comprehensive look shows how to do the most frequent bicycle repairs at home, saving you time and money.
In addition, getting a grasp of the fundamentals helps you be better prepared and allows you to save the major tasks for our friends over at the local bike store.
I’ve compiled a bike repair guide filled with tips and techniques so you can easily restore your bicycle and get back on the road.
Certain repairs, however, need specialized equipment or expert expertise, so you will need to see a dependable bike shop technician. But before you walk out to the shop, read the steps below to do some simple repairs.
Also, you have to check out my post on Best 4 Bike Repair Stands For Every Type Of Maintenance.
Tips Before You Start
The Power of How-to Guides
I’m a big fan of do-it-yourself bike repair, and even as a professional bike mechanic, I’ve used online tools to get me out of trouble many times.
Unfortunately, there are so many kinds of bikes out there that it can take a lot of work to know everything about them. On the bright side, that means someone else has had the same problem.
Even if you’ve never fixed or maintained a bike before, it’s easy to figure out what to do with how-to articles and YouTube videos.
However, there must be a way to exaggerate how beneficial it is to view photographs and videos of a comparable repair being performed. This lets you repair at your own pace and pause, rewind, and watch again if you need to.
A Clean Bike Is A Healthy Bike
To keep your bike in good shape, you should get rid of as much dirt, grime, rust, and other annoying things that can cause bigger problems down the road.
Make it a habit to clean your bike every so often, especially after riding in mud, so that gunk doesn’t build up. Also, keep an eye on all the bike parts and look for things like frayed cables, loose parts, and rubbing.
This lets you stay one step ahead and fix small problems before they worsen and require a more complicated and expensive overhaul.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help
You are already on the correct path since you are reading this post. The most crucial first step in doing a good bike repair is to seek advice from others. You may discover, however, that you need essential equipment or that the repair is outside the scope of your expanding skill set.
Know where you stand. You can always take your bike to a shop near you and ask the experts there what they think. Bike parts are pretty forgiving, and it’s hard to mess them up by accident, but you’ll save yourself some trouble and maybe even a broken part if you let the pros do it.
New Bikes Require Closer Attention
If you just bought a new bike, keep an eye out for mechanical issues during the first few rides. After putting the bike together, there may be small problems like loose bolts or parts that need to line up right.
If you buy your bike from a store, you can tell them what’s wrong. They’ll probably fix it for free if you’ve only ridden it 20–50 miles.
Common Bike Chain Repairs
A bicycle chain connects the front chainrings to the back wheel. This is one of the most important parts of the bike because it lets you move forward when you pedal. If your chain is broken, likely, your bike won’t work, but there are a few easy fixes you can try.
Fixing A Dropped Chain
Every cyclist will probably drop a chain through no fault of their own. So first, check to see if the chain came off at the front chainring or the back cassette (or both). If it slipped from the front chainring, give the chain more slack by pushing down on the cage of the rear derailleur. Then, gently put the chain back on the large chainring.
If the chain fell off the cassette, it could be stuck between the gears, frame, or spokes. When you pull the chain free, be careful not to scrape your hand.
Place it back on a cog, and then slowly turn the pedals. The chain will move back into the right gear on its own. You shouldn’t change gears without pedaling or while the chain is off the cogs, as this can damage the bike.
Chain Keeps Skipping
Two things can cause chains to skip, especially when pedaling hard: (1) a stretched-out, worn chain or (2) derailleurs that aren’t set up right.
Also, over time, chains get longer and don’t fit well with the gears’ metal teeth. This makes the bike skip when it’s under a load, like when you’re going up a hill or pedaling while standing. You can fix this by getting a new chain from a store near you.
You may skip if your rear derailleur needs to be in order or incorrectly indexed. Instead, tighten or loosen the barrel adjuster where the shifter cable meets the derailleur to change how tight the mechanism is.
Small turns can make a difference, so make small changes to start and test the shifting, ensuring that one click of the shifter always means one gear change.
Fixing A Broken Chain
A chain rarely breaks or snaps, but you’ll need a chain tool to fix it if it does. Some multi-tools for bikes come with a small chain tool, but you can also buy them separately. Inner and outer links are what hold a chain together.
So first, look at your broken chain to find out which link needs to be removed. Next, put the chain tool on the chain and turn the crank to pull the pin out. Finally, you can create a “master link” to make repairs easier and faster.
Unless you have a “master link,” you’ll need to take out the matching link on the other side of the chain (making sure not to pull the pin out all the way) so that the new ends match up.
Then, you can push the pin back in with the chain tool. The new link will be much stiffer than the old one, but most chain tools have an extra groove for loosening links instead of pushing out pins.
Degreasing And Cleaning A Dirty Chain
With cleaning solvent and a rag, you can easily get grease off a chain (and a plastic-bristle brush if you want to defeat dirt). First, move your chain to the cassette’s smallest cog. The solvent should then spray the chain, cogs, and chainrings.
The degreaser will make the dirt easier to wipe away with a rag. Plus points if you use a brush to clean the teeth of the gears and the jockey wheels on the rear derailleur. Ensure the chain is clean and dry, and then put some grease on it.
Common Tire Repairs
Fixing A Flat
Fixing a flat tire is an excellent skill to master since it is a routine repair requiring numerous stages for other bike maintenance operations. I’ll guide you through the procedure, pointing out the extra talents you earn.
Remove the wheel: Remove the wheel by loosening the axle nuts or drawing the quick-release lever. You may need to release the brakes for rim-brakes motorcycles to allow the tire to pass through.
Unhook the tire: Utilize a tire lever to lift one tire side over the rim. Next, work around the whole perimeter of the wheel to remove the tire from the rim and expose the inner tube.
Replacing a tube: Remove the tube and investigate the source and location of the problem. You may inflate the tube to help you find the hole, which may create a hissing sound or emit bubbles when submerged. Then, replace the tube and tuck it into the tire, beginning with the valve.
Note: Carefully run your finger along the bottom of the tire to look for thorns or glass that might have caused the hole, and remove them if you find any. Any debris left in the tire could cause another flat as soon as you put the new tube in.
Patch kits: If you don’t have a replacement tube, a patch kit may be used to repair the hole. Vulcanizing fluid, patches, and sandpaper are included in the set. When the tube is deflated, roughen the surface with sandpaper to prepare it for a stronger connection with the patch.
Apply a thin coating of vulcanizing fluid bigger than the patch and let it dry until it is drier and sticky. Next, remove the patch’s backing and push it over the hole before inserting the tube into the tire. Finally, put the tire back on by pulling it back over the rim until the tire’s bead hooks into the rim’s lip.
Inflating The Tires:
- Relate the pump head to the valve on the inner tube.
- Loosen that little nut at the top of the skinny, threaded Presta valves.
- Find out how much PSI your tire should have.
This number is always written or stamped on the tire’s sidewall. Then, slowly start to pump up the tire, and keep an eye out for places where the tire bead isn’t seated properly. Don’t put more pressure on your tires than is recommended, or you could pop the tube and blow out the tire.
Reinstall The Wheel Correctly:
- Reinstall the wheel back on the bike and tighten the axle nut, through-bolt, or quick-release skewer.
- Turn the wheel by hand and ensure that the rim isn’t touching the brake pads or the frame.
- If the wheel isn’t lined up right, remove the closure and try again.
Also, make sure to check out my post on Different Types Of Bike Frame Materials — Explained.
