Basic Bike Maintenance and Repairs

-Ryan Ott

Basic Bike Maintenance

1.  Bike Storage

a.  Keeps the bike out of the elements which will prolong the life of your bike

  1. Store inside
  2. If stored outside place a cover over the bike to block the elements

2.  Properly cleaning your bike

a.  How often you clean your bike depends on how often you ride the bike. Riding in wet, muddy conditions clean weekly if just lite riding cleaning monthly will be sufficient

  1. Cleaning supplies needed
  2. Clean Rags
  3. Bike Soap
  4. Water
  5. Brushes
  6. Solvents
  7. Wipe bike clean with the sop and water
  8. Use brushes to get grime from crevasses
  9. Once clean the solvents can be used to clean the chains and the moving parts.

3.  Securing Bike Bolts – Pre-Ride inspection

a.  Tool – used to secure bolts

4.  Lubricating your bike – keeps parts from rusting up and corroding from attacking exposed metal components

a.  Example of a bike lubricant

  1. Carefully read all directions on the back of any lubricate that is purchaged before applying to the bike

5.  Basic Bike tools to always have readily available

a.  Pump

b.  Tire Levers

c.  Spare Tube

d.  Patch Kit

e.  Tire Boot

f.  Mini Tool

g.  Chain Master Link

h.  Spoke Wrench

6.  Basic Bike Repairs

a.  Puncture/Flat Tire

  1. Tools Needed
  2. Tire Levers
  3. Spare Tube
  4. Patch Kit
  5. Remove the Innter Tube
  6. Remove the Wheel and Deflate the Tirre
  1. Prie off one side of tire with Tire Levers
  1. Remove the outer tube valve side first
  1. Find the puncture and its cause
  2. Bubbles Locate Puncture
  1. Check Tire for sharp objects
  1. Patch the puncture
  2. Apply rubber solution
  1. Apply patch
  1. Fit inner tube
  2. Replace inner tube valve first
  1. Press tire back into rim
  1. take care not to punch inner tube and air up

Works Cited

http://top10bikefixes.com/

http://m.rei.com/mt/www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/bike-maintenance.html

http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/roadandtrailrepairs.html