Simple maintenance
Tooled up! A few simple tools and skills to help your commute
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ikes are made up of pretty simple components in the main, and the essential design hasn’t changed much in the last hundred years. This makes them reliable and generally easy to maintain, but it’s good to have a bit of a heads up on what to do if things go wrong... and that’s where we come in! If the bike has a few gremlins your first thought might well be to take it back to the shop and get the experts to give it some TLC. Many shops will offer your new bike a check-up after a few weeks as part of their service. After that you’ll be paying for running repairs, but with a little knowledge and a few basic tools there’s plenty you can do yourself to keep your steed in tip top condition...
Essential tools oils & lubricants: To keep your bike running smoothly you’ll need to keep some bits oiled. Don’t oil the brakes if they squeak though!
Pump: Keeping your tyres pumped up nice and hard is one of the easiest things you can do to make your ride to work a smooth one. See p28 for more information on pumps.
You can pay for running repairs, but with a little knowledge and a few basic tools there’s plenty you can do yourself
tyre levers: These help you to remove the tyres. You can use spoons in an emergency!
Allen keys, spanners & screwdrivers: Most modern bikes use hexagonal allen bolts for most fittings, but for some (eg wheel nuts) you may need a spanner. A good cycling multi-tool will have all of the allen key sizes you need, plus other handy tools.
puncture repair kit: A puncture is the thing most likely to stop you in your tracks, and the first think you should learn to fix!
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