Bicycle Maintenance: Setting Your Workshop at Home.
This article discusses how to set up a bicycle maintenance workshop at your home in 2021.
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Bicycle maintenance isn’t glamorous.
For many people, it’s too tricky and tedious. But maintenance should be an essential part of your riding life.
All most all bike mechanics share a golden rule: ten minutes of maintenance can save an hour of repairs.
Clean gears and turned brakes will last longer and save you a lot of money in maintenance.
This bicycle maintenance article will help you to set up a bicycle workshop at your home, which will save you a lot of money in the long term.
It’s way cheaper to repair by yourself than pay a should to do it. Moreover, the satisfaction that you get from it is none to others.
To keep your bike running smoothly, you will need just a handful of essential tools ( given below, along with a link to buy them).
To do the more complex jobs, you may have to invest in some advanced tools or may have to persuade your friend at a bike shop to lend them to you.
- Allen (hex) keys or wrenches
- Screwdrivers
- Pliers
- Wrenches
- Chain breaker
- Lubrication, greaser and Degreaser
- Puncture repair kit
- Pump
Essential Tools That Will Be A Life Safer
Allen (HEX) Keys or Wrenches
Many bike parts are secured by bolts that have a hexagonal socket in the heat, so a full set of Allen keys comes to the rescue.
Buy the highest quality set that you could afford; cheap ones are likely to round off a bolt. Size required (in mm): 1.5, 2, 2.5 ,3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10.
tip: weight is a good indicator of quilty; heavier the wrench poorer the quality.
Screwdrivers
Both crosshead (also known as Philips), and flathead screwdrivers are useful. A small sized Philip screwdriver, along with medium size flathead is preferred.
Pliers
Needlenose pliers are useful for delicately picking out small bolts or bearing. Some will have a builtin cable cutter, although a dedicated cable cutter will do a cleaner job.
A locking plier or mole grips can hold parts in place while you work on them.
Wrenches
A selection of open-end metric wrenches, in sizes 7mm to 17mm, is required for tightening pedals and other parts.
A spoke key or wrench is needed for tensioning wheels.
Chain Breaker
A proper chain-breaking tool is worth the expense, although you can use the chain breaker on a multi-tool.
Puncture repair kit
To patch up an inner tube puncture, your repair kit needs to contain tire levers, patches, and some vulcanizing rubber solution.
Pump
To inflate your tires at home, a floor pump does the job quickly and saves aching arms.
A mini-pump can be carrier on riders, and a finely calibrated shock pump is needed for a mountain bike’s suspension.
Read More : Bicycle Chain Cleaning and Maintenance
Lubrication of Bike Chain
A bicycle-specific lubricant adds to the lifespan of the chain.
There are two choices (three if you count wax lube): a wet lube, best suited to wet conditions because it clings to the chain, and a wax-based, dry lube.
Dry lubes need to be reapplied more frequently. When dirt touches the chain, specks of the dry lube fall of with the dirt.
In the case of both lube, apply with a nozzle along with the whole length of the chain, wipe off the excess and allow to dry.
Sprays such as WD-40 are not suitable lubricants because the act as a degreaser on moving parts.
Best Dry Lube
Finish line dry lube is one of the best lubes that are available in the market. It goes on wet and then dries to form a synthetic film coating on your chain.
This is an amazing option if you only want to use one lube for all conditions.
It does a tremendous job of keeping your chain from getting clogged up with dust and grime. All these stuffs just rinse off when you wash your bike.
Best Wet Lube
Finish Line Wet Bicycle Chain Lube is a savior when you are riding in any wet conditions. The best part is that it repels water and doesn’t stop working.
It is one of the long-lasting lubes that I have used. If you are riding in wet conditions or put a lot of torque on the chain, then this is for you.
Best Wax lube
Yep, another one from finish line products. They seem to be the best in what they do!
Ceramic Wax Bicycle Chain Lube is the ultimate lubricant for a dusty environment. Dirt finds it hard to stick to a chain with this wax lube on it.
It also builds a ceramic coating on all areas of friction which helps make everything run as smoothly as it should.
Spares
With a range of spares in hand, you can complete many jobs without an extra visit to your local bike shop.
Brake pads are the parts that wear out the most, so keep a spare pair in your workshop.
💡 Make sure that you choose all the tools according to your specification if you have any.
Organizing Your Work Space
First of all, find some spare space for your bike and tools. An organizes and tidy workspace can save you tons of time and make your bike maintenance jobs much easier.
An adjustable workstand can help you to store your bike.
Good work stands, such as those made by Park Tools, have a broad base for stability, adjustable height, and a clamp that can be rotated.
Keep a tray close to the stand that can be used for keeping cogs, bolts and bits and pieces safe while you work on the bike.
You can also use a pegboard to hang up your most often used tools so that they are readily available.
When it comes to buying tools, remember: they are an investment, so buy quality stuff so you only have to but in once.
Quality tools will last you a lifetime, and it’s cheaper in the long tun!
Most of the tools come with a nice case to keep everything organized and easily portable so you can take them with you on your next ride.
Read More : Bicycle Security: Everything You Need To Know
Bicycle Maintenance Tips
Drivetrain
This is one most essential part of the bike to keep clean and lubed.
Grime and dirt will wear away the moving metal parts quickly.
You can clean the chain by hand using a toothbrush and a degreaser.
Read more: Bicycle Chain Cleaning and Maintenance
The frame
Use soapy water to wash the frame, then rinse thoroughly.
Use a soft brush and avoid using powerwash around the bearings and seals.
Make sure that you dry the bike with a clean rag.
Don’t allow water to sit around the joins, such as headsets or bottom brackets; always wipe a rag around the seals.
Avoid Punctures
Yes, there are puncture resistance tires that have a lining of Kevlar, the stuff bulletproof vests are made from.
You can buy strips of Kevlar and line the inside of normal tires yourself.
Keep them pumped up and inspect them regularly.
Pull out any sharp bits that get lodged in the tread.
Finally, accept the fact that you’ll get a puncture at some point in time. So keep your puncture kit ready.
Pump it up
As I mentioned earlier, its good practice to check that your tire pressure is equal to the recommended level.
The inner tubes inside your tires constantly leak a tiny amount of air. It is hard riding on a soft tire and they are more prone to wear and punctures.
Bicycle maintenance and repair involve more than caring for your bike while sitting idle at home.
It’s an ongoing process that will involve actions before, during, and after your ride.
Before you ride
One of the best things you can do to improve your safety is to do a pre-ride inspection.
Use a gauge, check that your tire pressure is equal to the recommended level on tires sidewall.
Inspect the brakes to make sure that the pads are not worn out, and when you squeeze the brake lever they tightly grip the wheel.
Look and listen for looseness in the handlebars, headset, wheels, and other parts.
It doesn’t matter whether your bike is a day or a year old, things go wrong when you ride. The best thing to do is to be prepared and bring a toolkit along with you when you go for a ride.
Have s small tire pump mounted to your frame.
Include everything you might need, a tire patch kit and hand tools such as Allen wrenches, screwdrivers, a spoke wrench, and pliers.
Make sure that you have some rags, to wipe the grease off your hands.
While you ride
Yes, you read that right.
There are somethings that you can do while you ride to take care of your bike.
If you get into the habit of doing these things, you’ll extend the life of your bike and stay safer.
Slowly walk your bike over the curbs and other objects.
Raise your self out of your seat and use your arms and legs to absorb an impending blow.
Shift into lower gears before you reach the steeper section of inclines to put less strain on the chain and derailleurs.
After you ride
After your ride, makes sure that you clean your bike by washing it properly.
Use soapy water to wash the frame, then rinse thoroughly. Use a soft brush and avoid using powerwash around the bearings and seals.
Use a degreaser to remove any grease that didn’t wash away.
Remember to lubricate your bike after drying it; particularly the chain, derailleur, brakes, and cogs.
Bicycle maintenance isn’t just about preventing problems.
It is way cheaper to do some repairs at home than going to a bike shop.
Moreover it can also be enormously satisfying figuring out how a bicycle works and keeping it in peak condition.
Cycling is a lot more fun without squeaks, creaks, or rattles.
So, what are you waiting to start building your cycle workshop now!
If you have a home shop already set up, do tell us in the comments below.
Resources
Bike Repair and Maintenance For Dummies By Dennis Bailey and Keith Gates
The Cycling Bible: The complete guide for all cyclists from novice to expert By Robin Barton
Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike By Grant Petersen
Bike Easy: Top Tips and Expert Advice for the New Cyclist by Peter Andrews
