Bike Repair & Maintenance For Dummies®

by Dennis Bailey

Inspect the drivetrain. Are the chain and the cogs/chainrings in good shape, or are they significantly worn? A blown-out drivetrain could be prohibitively expensive to repair.

  Are the wheels true? Are the rims in good shape, or are they worn on the braking surface? What is the quality of the brand of the wheels? This information helps determine the value of the bike.

  Are the cables still usable? When you shift or brake, is there resistance from friction and corrosion, or are they smooth? Replacing cabling can be a pain.

  Is the frame free from rust and dents?

  Buying accessories

  Bike shops are great when it comes to helping you find the right biking accessories. Staff in many bike shops use much of the equipment they sell, so they can talk to you about what works well and will fit with your budget. When you’ve found a bike shop you trust, the staff can even advise you if they think that a more expensive product isn’t worth the additional cost or if a cheaper product is cheaper for a reason and should be avoided.

  Here are some accessories you may want to consider buying:

  Helmet: For safety reasons, a helmet should be at the top of your list. The bike-shop staff can help you find a helmet that fits properly and doesn’t move around on your head. They can also help you adjust the straps to fine-tune the fit.

  Sizing is very important. A $20 helmet sized properly will protect you better than a $150 helmet that doesn’t fit or is not adjusted properly.

  Lock: If you’re ever going to leave your bike alone for more than a minute or two, you’ll want a lock. The folks at your local shop can help you find a balance between a lock that’s difficult to cut and one that doesn’t weigh too much.

  Gloves: Biking gloves will reduce vibrations and provide protection if your fall off your bike. Bike-shop staff can help you decide whether to get gel padding, full fingers, or cutoffs, and how tight the gloves should fit. They may suggest rolling your gloves off rather than pulling at the fingers (which can prematurely tear the stitching).

  Bike pumps: You’ll need two pumps: a mini bike pump to mount onto the frame and a larger pump to keep in the house. You may also want to consider a CO2 cartridge system for quick and easy tire inflating. They’re a little more expensive than traditional tire pumps, but they’ll get you back on the road fast.

  Lights: Bike lights will keep you safe if you get caught out after dark. The folks at your bike shop can offer suggestions on what types of bulbs are best for both front and rear lights, whether rechargeable batteries are the way to go, and where to mount the lights.

  Computer: A computer will track statistics regarding each of your rides and provide motivation when you ride to exercise. Staff can help you decide if you need extra features such as a heart monitor, altimeter, and wireless connection.

  Shoes: Biking shoes designed to work with clipless pedals will significantly improve your pedaling efficiency. Staff will advise you on whether to buy stiff road biking shoes or ones designed for walking, as well as talk to you about the best type of material and whether the shoes will work with your pedals.

  Clothes: Bike clothes can keep you cool in warm weather, warm in cool weather, and dry in wet weather. Staff will help you find properly fitting clothing for the right season and provides padding and wicks moisture where you need it the most.

  Recognizing the Repairs You Need Help With

  With this book in hand, a few tools, and a healthy dose of confidence, patience, and determination, you can do just about everything needed to maintain and repair your bike. There are only a few situations in which you may have to step aside and let the professionals in your local bike shop handle the load. In this section, we fill you in on when to leave it for the pros.

  Repairing frames

  In general, all frame repair should be handled by professionals — either your local bicycle store or a professional frame builder/repair facility. Most local bicycle stores can handle minor frame alignment issues if they have the proper tools and experience. If your bike has any frame-integrity issues — such as cracks, dents, or stress marks in the paint — they should be inspected, repaired, or replaced by a frame specialist.

  If you need to have your frame repaired by a specialist, you may as well have an extra set of fasteners attached for an extra water bottle, bike rack, or tire pump. You may even want to get the cool new paint job you’ve been dreaming of.

  Installing a new headset

  Adjusting a headset is an easy job that you can perform at home or on the road. Overhauling a headset is also a job you can perform at home. However, installing a new headset is a job probably best saved for the professionals at you local bicycle store.

  There are several specialty tools required to remove the old headset and then install the new one: a fork race removal tool, a headset cup removal tool, a fork race setting tool, and a headset cup pressing tool. Plus, you need the knowledge to use these tools properly. Most bike shops will have the tools and the expertise to put them to use.

  Truing a wheel

  The basic concept of straightening a rim by adjusting spoke tension is easy. The problems begin when you get into concepts that the professionals call dishing or rounding or when you have to straighten a rim that has a flat spot or a bend in it and the spokes are all tensioned differently. This is where significant expertise is required.

  Even with a truing stand, spoke tension meter, dishing tool, and spoke wrench, you still need the knowledge and experience to make everything come together properly. The big advantage of having your wheels trued by a professional is that they’ll stand behind and warranty their work. Just because you get the wheel perfectly dished, rounded, and straight doesn’t mean the wheel will hold up the first time you go for a ride.

  Working on suspension

  There are many different types of front and rear suspension and all repair work on them should be done either by the manufacturer, your local bicycle store, or one of the specialty bicycle suspension repair facilities.

  Most of the manufacturers have programs set up so you can ship the suspension part back to them where they’ll repair it and ship it back to you for a nominal charge. A couple of independently owned repair facilities provide the same service. The advantage of going through your local bicycle shop is that you don’t have to pay the shipping costs, although there are certain repairs for which the bicycle store may also have to send the part back to the manufacturer for service.

  Refer to your owners manual for the proper oils and lubricants and the routine maintenance you can and should be performing yourself on your suspension parts.

  Part II

  Basic Bike Repairs

  In this part …

  Although a bike is not very complicated, some of the procedures required to repair and maintain it are more challenging than others. In this part, we cover some of the simpler procedures, including those involving the wheels, tires and tubes, freewheels and cassettes, brakes, and chain. But don’t make the mistake of assuming that simple means you can skip it. Some of the information in this part is essential to maintaining your bike (for example, regularly caring for your chain will prolong its life and the lives of all the components the chain comes in contact with).

  Chapter 6

  Burning Rubber: Tires and Tubes

  In This Chapter

  Preventing flat tires

  Removing a wheel, tire, and tube

  Patching a punctured tube and fixing a tire

  Putting the tire, tube, and wheel back together again

  Why does it always seem like a flat tire comes at the worse possible time? You’re out riding your bike — enjoying the scenery, concentrating on working up a sweat, or hustling to get to your destination on time — when suddenly your trip is interrupted by that irksome troublemaker, the flat tire. It starts as an slow, inconspicuous leak of air — it grabs your attention only when the tire is completely flat and an abrupt stop to your trip is the only option.

  If you’re new to biking or you’ve been fortu
nate enough to have avoided tire and tube problems so far, rest assured: Sooner or later, you’ll find yourself on the side of the road, tube in hand, searching for that pesky leak.

  Instead of trying to figure out how to remove a tire and patch a tube the first time it strikes, practice fixing and changing a tire before you actually need to. When you’re sitting at the side of the road is not the time to figure it out.

  In this chapter, I take the mystery out of fixing a flat by explaining step by step how to remove a tire, find the puncture, patch the tube, and reassemble the wheel. Follow these instructions, and the next time a flat tire tries to derail your trip, you’ll be back on your bike in no time.

  Why Flat Tires Happen to Good People

  When it comes to flat tires, the universe does not play favorites. The next victim of a flat could just as easily be Lance Armstrong on an expensive racing bike in the French Alps as a little old lady from Kansas on a utility bike with a loaf of bread in her basket. Given that none of us is immune, the best you can do is understand what causes flats, try to limit the chances of having one, and be able to recover from one if you’re on the losing end of this game of chance.

  Before you figure out how to handle flat tires, you need to know the parts of the bike involved:

  Wheel: The wheel includes the rim, spokes, and hub.

  Tire: The tire sits between the rim and the road and is made of interwoven fabric and rubber.

  Tread: The tread is the rubber-coated part of the tire that comes in contact with the road.

  Tube: The tube is an inflatable balloon that fills up the inside of the tire as it expands.

  Valve: The valve is a metal connector that can be opened and closed to inflate or deflate the tube.

  When it comes to flats, the tube plays a leading role. The tube provides the cushion of air between the road and the rider, allowing for a smooth, efficient ride. When the tube is damaged in some way such that it can no longer maintain air, a flat is the result. Tube damage can be caused by any of the following:

  Sharp objects: Objects such as glass or a nail can pierce a tire and tube.

  Low tire pressure: When your tire pressure is low, it’s easier for an object to penetrate the tire rather than bounce off.

  The tube getting caught between the sharp edge of the wheel rim and the tire: When this happens, the result is something called a pinched flat or snakebite puncture.

  Tires wearing out: When your tires wear out, they lose their capacity to protect the tube.

  Tubes losing their integrity: If you’ve patched your tubes multiple times, they’ll be more prone to damage.

  Fixing a Flat

  If you plan on doing a lot of biking, you’ll probably end up fixing flats regularly. You have two options for recovering from a flat:

  Install a spare tube. Although this method is a quick, surefire way to get back on the road in a matter of minutes, the cost of tubes can add up after a while.

  Note: In the cases described below, you’ll have to replace the tube:

  • After you’ have patched a tube a dozen or more times, the integrity of the tube starts to break down, leaving you more vulnerable to additional flats or a complete blowout. (A blowout is a rip or tear in the tube that cannot be patched and requires the tube to be replaced).

  • A damaged stem valve also requires the tube to be replaced.

  Patch your existing tube. This option is a cheap, reliable fix — and it’s the method we recommend. Before long, you’ll be a biking veteran proudly showing off the patches on your tube as if they were badges of honor.

  In this section, we walk you through the entire process of fixing a flat, with a focus on patching your tube. We also tell you how to replace a tube, in case you really need to.

  Grabbing yourself a wheel

  Before you can even think about fixing a flat or addressing any other tire or tube issue, you need to be able to remove the wheel from the bicycle frame. Fortunately, bike manufacturers have made the lives of bike riders easier by introducing things such as quick-release hubs and brakes. In the case of bikes without the quick release, don’t fret — a wrench will do the trick.

  In the following sections, I walk you through loosening the brakes and removing the wheel, regardless of how your bike was made.

  Loosening the brakes

  Because brakes are typically designed to sit close to the wheel rim, their location normally prevents the wheel from being removed if the tire is fully inflated. If you want to remove a wheel, you first have to open the brakes so there’s room for the tire to fit through the brake pads.

  Many bikes have a quick release built into the brake, which quickly enables the cable to slacken and the brakes to spread. The quick release may vary depending on what type of brakes your bike has:

  Cantilever brakes: If you have cantilever brakes, squeeze the brake arms together with one hand to create slack in the cable and, with the other hand, lift the loose end of the cable out of its pocket. Release the breaks and they’ll pop open.

  V-brakes: If you have V-brakes, pinch together the top of the brake arms to loosen the cable. Pull the rubber boot back to expose the cable Carefully pull the cable out of the narrow slot in the cable holder, and release it to open the brakes

  Side-pull brakes: For side-pull brakes, look for a small lever on the caliper where the cable is attached. Pull the lever upward and release the brakes just enough to allow the wheel to pass. In some models, you have to look for a button on the lever and push it to release the tension on the brakes.

  Worst case, if you can’t release the brakes to allow the tire to past through the brakes, let the air out of the tire; this will give you the clearance needed.

  Taking off the wheel

  After the brakes are loosened, you’re ready to remove the wheel. To remove a wheel, follow these steps:

  1. Shift the chain to the smallest cog in the back, so that the chain and derailleur have more slack and are out of the way.

  If you’re removing both wheels, remove the front wheel first, because it’s the easier of the two.

  2. For wheels that use axle nuts: Use the proper size wrench to loosen one side slightly and then the other, alternating until the wheel is free.

  Avoid loosening one side all at once, because this could lead to problems with the bike’s hub bearings. If you have two wrenches, you can undo both nuts at the same time.

  3. For quick-release wheels: Pull the lever away from the bike.

  The initial release of the lever may be enough to free the front wheel. If not, hold the nut opposite the lever with one hand and rotate the lever a few times to loosen it.

  All newer bicycles have some type of safety retention device to hold the front wheel in the frame, even if the quick release is opened or the axle nuts have been loosened. If your front fork has a clip-on type of safety retention device, disengage it. If the safety retention device is molded, cast, or machined into the front fork dropouts, loosen the tension, adjusting it enough to allow removal of the wheel.

  If you’ve successfully taken off the front wheel, you’re ready to remove its more challenging counterpart — the rear wheel. Unlike the front wheel, which practically drops off the bike after you release it, the rear wheel has the chain and derailleur wrapped around its cogs. To free it you need to:

  1. Loosen the nuts or the quick release for the rear wheel in the same way as you did for the front.

  This time you may need to give the wheel a stiff blow from the rear of the wheel toward the front of the bicycle to jar the axle loose.

  2. Move the wheel away forward and downward from the derailleur to let the chain fall off.

  If this doesn’t work, you may have to get a little dirty and lift the chain off the cog with your hand.

  Don’t be afraid of the chain, derailleur, and cogs when you remove the rear wheel. The chain and rear derailleur will stay attached to the bicycle frame and the cogs will stay attached to the rear wheel. You won’t affect any of the adj
ustments.

  Removing the tire or at least half of it

  The tire is easier to remove if you release any remaining air from the tube. You release the air from the tube through the valve. There are two main types of valves (see Figure 6-1):

  Presta valve: A Presta valve is thin and all metal. Many road bikes use Presta valves, which can handle greater pressure and leak less than Schrader valves.

  Schrader valve: The Schrader valve is fat, like what you’d see on a car tire. Schrader valves are easier to pump up than Presta valves; you can fill them up at a gas station.

  Some bike pumps are designed for either Presta or Schrader valves while some are reversible and work with both. If you aren’t sure what you need, ask for help in your local bike shop.

  Figure 6-1: The two main types of tire valves are Presta and Schrader.

  If you’re putting air in a tire at a gas station, be careful not to overfill it — the tire could explode.

  If you have a Presta valve, unscrew and press down on the tip of the valve. If you have a Schrader valve, insert the tip of a tire lever into the center of the valve while squeezing the tire to allow air to escape.

  Then, using the tire levers, try to lift one side of the tire off the rim while leaving the other side in place. Here’s how:

  1. Pinch the tire all the way around the rim to move the edge (or bead) of the tire away from the rim.

  2. Slide the flat end of the first tire lever between the rim and the bead of the tire under it.

  Make sure to use tire levers, not flathead screwdrivers — screwdrivers have sharp edges that can puncture the tire. In a pinch, the handles of silverware can work.