Cycle

Maintenance

London Cyclists’ Trust

CYCLING - GOOD FOR LONDON ... GOOD FOR YOU!

Riding a brand new bike around town is a great experience,
everything works efficiently and you don't get strange clunks
or whirrs as you go. You may find you have a similar feeling
when you get your bike back from a full service at your bike
shop.

The great thing is, if you take a little bit of time to regularly
look after your bike you will retain it in this condition, making
your ride faster and more enjoyable and extending the life of
the bike. By keeping your bike in good condition it will be more
reliable and you will need fewer replacement parts, so saving
money.

This booklet will guide you through basic bike maintenance,

detailing parts of the bike, how and why to keep your bike
clean and safe and how to fix a puncture.

You may decide to go to a bike shop for everything or just for

the more technical things. However much you decide to take
on yourself, it is important to find a good bike shop - for
servicing, for parts and tools, and for advice.

If you are interested in learning how to do things yourself, you

could attend a maintenance workshop (these are run through
London Cycling Campaign(LCC) local groups -- see the LCC
website (www.lcc.org.uk) or look in London Cyclist magazine
(free to members of the LCC)for further details. Otherwise,
you can get a good book and teach yourself. If you are going
to attempt your own repairs it is a good idea to start simply
and only tackle one part at a time, or you could end up with
your whole bike spread out in front of you, with no idea what
goes where - or missing a vital part. If you attempt something
for the first time on your own, draw a sketch or note down the
order in which parts come off the bike - it will help you
reassemble them correctly.
All images: LCC
 Contents

Maintenance table 3
Toolkit 4
Brakes 5
Wheels and tyres 7
Fixing a puncture 9
Gears 11
Cranks 13
Pedals 13
Maintaining bearings 13
Cleaning 13
Bike Parts - Diagram 14

CYCLING GOOD FOR LONDON GOOD FOR YOU

Maintenance table
What maintenance you do and how often depends on how
much you are riding. The following table assumes daily riding;
if you ride less then adjust accordingly. Check the following:

Daily

Brakes Check working, tighten if need be.

Lights Check working and still bright.

Weekly

Chain Clean, oil and wipe down.

Tyres Pump up.

Monthly

Brakes, See section in this booklet

gears,
wheels and
tyres

Six monthly

Bolt on parts Tighten everything and check things are in

good repair.
The stem Stand over the front wheel holding the brakes
and headset/ on and push backwards and forwards (hold
aheadset the top of the forks as well if you have front
(many new fork suspension). If there is any movement
bikes have visit a bike shop.
these
instead)

Yearly or Check your whole bike yourself and get a

before a big service.
trip

If you pay attention as you ride you will be able to notice any
changes in your bike, for instance if the gears no longer
change smoothly or the handling feels a little odd. Bike
maintenance is best done 'a little and often'. As you learn how
to spot problems, you will know what to fix and when.
Toolkit
You don't need much to maintain the basics on your bike; a few tools, some
time, good light and patience to carry through your maintenance methodically.
You may be slow to start with, but as with anything, once you know how it gets
quicker and easier.

You should start by getting the following tools and equipment:

Bicycle pump
Spare inner tube
Puncture repair kit
A set of tyre levers (plastic is better)
Light oil and grease, lube (see Oiling and
greasing below)
Cleaning rags
A set of Allen keys
A flat head and a Philips head screwdriver
Set of spanners - commonest sizes: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15 mm. Also 13, 14, 17,
19 mm. A small adjustable spanner is useful too.
Plastic gloves (you can get them free from many garages) to keep your hands
clean or a good hand cleaner.

If you decide to do more advanced servicing yourself then you will need
specialist tools. Ask your favourite bike shop: you will need to consider the cost
of the tools, how often you will use them, and how sure you are of your skills or
how willing your are to develop them.

Oiling and greasing

Whenever you come to put a bolt or a cable back on your bike, you should
lubricate it with a touch of grease. This will help prevent it from getting seized
or rusted in place. The same goes for seat posts and handle-bar stems - don't
fit them 'dry'. Oil or specialist lubrication should be used for the chain and can
be used on cables. It is best to use a light oil like 3-in-One® or you can get
specialist lubes, designed for the different conditions you may ride in, from bike
shops.

Using tools
Wherever possible, use the correct tool for the job. It's easier and safer. Make
sure the tool is fully engaged before you apply force to it. A damaged tool may
slip off, causing you to hurt yourself.

4
 Side-pull
brakes

Brakes

Testing your brakes

It is vital that your brakes work well. To test them, stand over your
bike, put the front brakes on and try pushing forward. The bike
shouldn't move at all. Then do the same for the back brakes. You
should be able to put the brakes on without squeezing the levers too
hard. The levers should not touch the handlebars. If the bike moves
forward at all, or you have to pull hard on the levers then you will
need to make adjustments.

There are a number of different brake systems, including cantilever,

V-brakes, and side-pull (all of which use the friction of brake blocks V- brakes
against the wheel rim in order to stop the bike), hub or disc brakes
(both of which use friction at the hub of the wheel) and hydraulic disc
brakes (which works in the same way as motor vehicle brakes). The
following is a general guide to simple adjustments for the
commonest types: cantilever, V-brakes, and side-pull brakes. If you
have hub, disc or hydraulic brakes, or if you don't feel confident
doing these adjustments but are at all concerned then do take your
bike for a check up at your bike shop. Cantilever
brakes
Tightening the brakes
You can make small adjustments with the adjusting screw,
which will either be where the cable comes out of your brake
lever or at a cable-stop. On side-pull brakes it may be where
the cable meets the brakes. You will need to loosen the locking
nut on the inside of the adjuster, and screw the adjuster out to
Adjusting Screws take up slack in the cable. Once you are satisfied with your
adjustments make sure you re-tighten the locking nut.

You can also tighten the cable manually. Loosen the

cable clamp bolt (see image) enough to allow the
cable to be pulled through with pliers (or fingers). Pull
the cable through a small amount, tighten the bolt, Cable
test the brakes and if satisfied fully tighten the bolt. clamp bolt
You should try to get the blocks as close to the rim as possible;
however, if your wheel is not true (if there is a wobble as you look at it going
round) then you may need to allow more space to prevent the brakes rubbing,
at least until you have trued the wheel. By adjusting the tension of the spokes
you can pull the rim in one direction or the other and this will true the wheel.
To get your wheels trued take your bike to a bike shop, attend a bike
maintenance workshop or get a good book on bike maintenance and learn
how to do this yourself.
5
 Replacing your brake blocks
If your brake pads have worn down then you will need to adjust
or replace them. NEVER let your brake pads wear down so that
the metal scrapes the rims! Note: Some brake pads also have a
feature that lets you know when they need replacing. If
replacing the brake pads, pay attention to how they fit and the
order of any spacers or washers for fitting the new set.

a) Whether you are adjusting or a)

changing your break pads you need to
make sure they are aligned correctly,
so that when in use they are fully
touching the rim and do not touch the
tyre.
b) They should be square so that the b)
entire brake pad will touch the rim.
Place them so that they are no more
than 3mm from the rim when not in
use (though if they rub in places you
may need the wheel trued).
c) If your brakes squeal, 'toe in' the c)
brake blocks - the front of the block
Illustrations: should hit the rim fractionally before
Peter Cartwright the back.

Replacing the cable

Over time cables will stretch and need replacing. If your cables
are damaged, frayed or sticking you should replace them. You
can remove the cable by undoing the cable bolt (see tightening
brakes), cutting off the cable cap end and sliding the cable
through the casing and out of the levers. Pay attention to how
the cable is threaded and fits through the lever for when you put
in the new cable; there should be slots in the lever to allow the
cable to fit in and out easily. This is a good time to lubricate the
cable casing with some light oil.

You fit a new cable from the lever, back through the outer and
down to the brake. There are two types of cable end: pear
shaped for drop handlebars and barrel shaped for flat
handlebars. Make sure you tighten the cable clamp fully once
you have set up the correct tension (see 'Tightening the brakes',
above). If your brake levers have a slot for easy cable
installation, make sure the corresponding slot in the adjusting
nut is positioned so that the cable won't come out by accident.
Wheels and tyres
The most important maintenance for the tyres is to keep
them pumped up hard; this makes them less vulnerable to
punctures, protects the rim when you go over bumps and
helps you to cycle more efficiently. Pump them up as hard as
you can with a hand pump, or if using a track pump or car
foot pump, pump up to the recommended tyre pressure
listed on the tyre wall (units: psi = pounds per square inch,
Bar/ATM = atmospheres).

Tyres will usually have one of two valves:

Presta or Schrader. Presta valves are
skinnier and often seen on road bikes.
Before you pump up a tyre with a Presta
valve you will need to unscrew the end, and
re-tighten afterwards. Handle Presta valves Presta valve
with care, as they are fragile. Schrader
valves are the same as car tyre valves and Schraeder
commonly seen on mountain bikes and valve
bikes with wider tyres. Older bikes may have
other types of valves. Ask your bike shop
and consider buying a more modern inner
tube.

Regularly check tyres for glass shards or other sharp things

that have stuck in the surface, and remove these before they
are able to work through to puncture the inner tube. Clean
the rims and spokes, especially if you have ridden on roads
that have been gritted for snow, as the salt will damage the
rims. Keeping the rims clean will help you to brake efficiently
and lengthen the life of your brake pads.

Wheels can become un-true with time, either as a result of

going over a large bump or spokes loosening. In order to re-
true a wheel, the spokes need to be equally tensioned. You
can take your bike to a bike shop for this, or you can learn
how to do this by attending a bike maintenance class or by
following the instructions given in a good bike book.
Disengaging the brake to remove the wheel
For V-brakes, pull the brakes together so that the cable can be lifted free of the
moveable arm attached to one brake lever. On side-pull brakes there may be a
button on the side of the brake lever, or a quick release lever on the brake used
to disengage the brakes. If not, you may have to deflate the tyre or remove one
brake block in order to get the wheel off. On cantilever brakes pull the cable out
of one arm of the brake through the slot. Whatever you do don't forget to re-
engage your brakes before you ride your bike again!

Side-pull Cantilever
brakes brakes

Quick Cable
release comes out
V- brakes here

Removing the wheel

To take out the wheel, disengage the brake. Your wheel may be held in place
with a wheel nut or a quick release nut (see below on how to undo the quick
release); you will need a spanner to undo a traditional wheel nut. The front wheel
will drop out easily, while the rear wheel will need to be lifted out of the chain.
Fitting the wheel is the reverse of this: make sure you have the wheel firmly back
in place and it is properly aligned. Make sure you re-engage the brake.

Older bikes have horizontal rear drop-outs , which

allow you to adjust the position of the wheel in the
frame. Make sure the wheel is dead centre
between the chain stays before you tighten the
wheel nuts/quick release lever.
Chain stay

Quick release mechanism

Pull the lever open and undo the opposite nut enough so you can drop the wheel
out. To replace the wheel fit between the brakes and into the drop out, either
re-tighten the nut so that you have to push hard with one hand to close the lever.
The lever must be closed tightly before riding, and should read 'close' not 'open'.

Open Closed
8
 Fixing a Puncture and replacing an inner tube
Having a puncture can be extremely annoying. However it should be easy to
fix. If you are not used to fixing punctures it can take some time, but does
get quicker with practice.

If you get a puncture, first check the tyre to see if you can find anything that
may have caused the puncture. If there is something obvious you may be
able to pull out that section of the tube and patch the spot without removing
the wheel and then the tube. Otherwise you may have to remove the tube
and find the hole. In some situations you may decide it is easiest to replace
the inner tube and fix the puncture at your leisure.

Many people choose to use puncture resistant tyres, which have protective
strips of materials such as kevlar inside them.

Removing the inner-tube

Remove the wheel (see pg 8), undo the valve cap, remove the threaded
metal collar (if there is one), empty any air out of the tube and push the valve
back into the rim.
Fit 2 or 3 tyre levers into the rim
about 2cm apart and pull them
back, levering one side of the tyre
out and over the side of the rim.
Take care you are not pinching the
tube while you lever the tyre out.

1 Remove the middle of the 3 levers, 2

and hook it under the tyre about 2
cm past one of the other two. You
then have 3 levers in place again,
but a longer section of the tyre is
hooked over the rim.

Take the middle lever out and

3 repeat the process a few times. 4
Once about a third of the tyre is
hooked over the rim, the remainder
will come off more easily.

The tyre should remain sitting on

one side of the rim. Grab the inner
tube at the valve hole, push the
5 valve up through the rim and pull
6
the valve out from the tyre. Pull the
rest of the inner tube out.
9
Mending a puncture
To find the hole you can either pump the tube up and
feel/listen for the air coming out or hold the tube under
water and see where bubbles appear.

Clean the area around the hole and

make sure it is dry.
Lightly sand the spot round the hole,
and mark the hole with chalk or a dab
of rubber solution.

Apply more rubber solution until you

have an area slightly larger than the
patch, keeping the hole in the middle
all the time. Let the rubber solution dry
but don't let any dirt stick to it. While
you're waiting for it to dry, inspect the
tyre for bits of broken glass that may
have caused the puncture. Remove
anything sharp sticking in the tyre.

Peel off the backing paper/foil/plastic

on one side of the patch and be
careful not to get dirt or fingerprints on
the patch itself. Place it on the inner
tube so that the middle of the patch
covers the hole, and make sure that
the patch is in good contact with
rubber solution all around the edge.
Squeeze the patch hard into the
rubber solution for about a minute.
Then fold the inner tube in half so that
the backing paper/plastic on the patch splits down the
middle. Carefully peel the backing off from the middle
towards the edge to avoid lifting the edge of the patch.
Dust the top of the patch and any exposed areas of rubber
solution with chalk/talc to stop it sticking inside the tyre.

Finally, give the inner tube 2 or 3 strokes of the pump

before putting it back on the wheel. This prevents the tube
getting pinched when you put the tyre back on.
Replacing the inner tube
Starting at the valve hole, put the inner tube onto the rim
under the tyre. Then hook the tyre back onto the rim
with your hands, making sure that the inner tube does
not get pinched, and that the tyre is seated properly on
the rim. You may need to use a tyre lever to get the last
section of tyre back on the rim. Replace the threaded
collar, pump up the tyre and replace the dust cap.

Hook tyre
back onto
rim.

Fit valve
first

Gears
Most gear systems on bikes are derailleur. Some bikes
have hub gears; however as these are comparably
uncommon in the UK and need less maintenance than
derailleur systems they are not covered in this booklet.
Derailleur gears use a combination of different sized
front and rear chain rings with a chain that can be
moved between them so that different pedalling force is
required to drive the back wheel.

Most modern gear systems will be

indexed; this means that you will
move the gear lever one click and
the chain will shift exactly onto the
next chain ring. On some older
systems, there is no click: you have
to teach yourself how far to move the
lever to get an accurate gear
change.
By maintaining your gears you will have an easier ride and save yourself
money (parts will last longer and not need replacing so often). To get the
most out of your chain you should clean and oil it regularly, especially after
riding in wet and muddy conditions.

You may notice that over time your gears go out of alignment, so that as you
cycle you are unable to change gears smoothly, the gears jump or the chain
falls off. These problems can occur as your gear cables stretch with time, the
chain, cogs and sprockets wear or if the gear mechanism gets bumped.

Adjusting your gears

If the gears are not changing smoothly you may only need to make a small
adjustment. If you have indexed gears you will be able to make this by
turning the barrel adjuster by the gear levers or at the derailleur.
Barrel
adjustor

Barrel
adjustor at
derailleur

Cleaning and oiling your chain

You should clean your chain before you lubricate it; you can use a detergent,
degreaser or special cleaning product from your bike shop. There are special
chain cleaners on the market, which fit over your chain, or you can run your
chain through a rag coated in cleaning material, until no more dirt comes off.
To get your chain really clean you should clean every link individually. You
should then clean the chain rings at the front, the sprockets at the back,
jockey wheels and all other related parts.

Once these are all clean you will need to oil the chain and exposed metal
parts. Oil the inside of the chain, running it around the chain wheel and
sprockets a couple of times as you go, then wipe off the excess. Excess oil
or grease on the outside will attract dirt; this will wear out the chain. It is best
to use a light oil like 3-in-One® or you can also get specialist lubes from bike
shops designed for the different conditions you may ride in.

12
 Cranks
If a crank starts to come loose, it will quickly get damaged if the bike is
ridden. Tighten the crank bolt as soon as you notice any play. Most modern
bikes have cranks held on with bolts that take a 14mm socket spanner or an
8mm allen key. You may have to remove a plastic dust cap first - unscrew it
with a coin/screwdriver or - if there's no slot - flip it out with a narrow
screwdriver blade. Replace the dust-caps afterwards.

Pedals
If you decide to replace your pedals, be careful! Left-hand pedals have a
left-hand (reverse) thread, while right-hand pedals have a right-hand
(normal) thread. Careful inspection of the pedals will reveal which is which -
one is marked L and the other is marked R. If you force them in to the
wrong crank, you will damage the thread, and probably end up buying a
new pair of cranks.

Maintaining bearings
Wheel hubs, pedals, bottom bracket and handlebars all contain greased
bearings. They need to work properly for the bike to work efficiently and to
reduce wear on moving parts. Maintaining or replacing bearings is beyond
the scope of this booklet, but you can learn how by attending one of the
LCC's maintenance workshops, or by buying one of the many maintenance
books on the market. Bike shops sell the specialist tools needed for working
on bearings.

Cleaning
Most parts of the bike that require cleaning have been covered above;
however, it is worth keeping your bike frame clean and checking for rust.
You can cover any chips in the paint with nail varnish or enamel paint to
protect the frame from rusting. Wipe down your reflectors and lights so they
are visible.

You should oil all exposed metal parts and grease parts where metal meets
metal. Don't oil the rims or brake blocks.

13
 Handlebars
Brake levers
Gear Shifters
Saddle

(handlebar) Stem Gear cables

Pannier Rack Headset/aheadset

Seat Pillar/post Brake cables
Top tube
Seat clamp Head tube

Down Tube
Seat Tube Brake blocks
Seat Stays Front Brake

Photo: Women's Design Service/Jennifer Bates

Lock Front forks Valve
Freewheel/rear block,
Rear hub Front Derailleur
Quick release/
Barrel adjuster Bottom bracket Front Drop outs wheel nut
Chain Stays Front Hub
Rear Derailleur (gear Sprocket Cluster Crank
changer) (cassette)
Chain Rim Spokes
Jockey wheels Chainwheel
Pedal

Tyre
There are 12 information booklets in this series. The other topics are:
Bicycle Security - lock it or lose it!
Transporting Your Bicycle
Cycling with Children
Cycling - what to do if you are in a collision
Buying a Bike
Cycling to Work
Cycle Sense
Cycle Maintenance
Getting started on a Bicycle
Leisure Cycling
Cycling and the Workplace
These can be ordered by calling the LCC or downloaded from
www.lcc.org.uk. Published June 2004.

Many thanks also to the London Cycling Campaign staff and

volunteers for sharing their expertise for these information sheets.

London Cyclists' Trust in partnership with London Cycling Campaign

(LCC) works to improve conditions for cycling in London. For further
information on the LCC and membership benefits such as insurance,
bike shop discounts, legal advice and social rides call 020 7928 7220,
email office@lcc.org.uk, or go to the website: www.lcc.org.uk.

London Cyclists' Trust reserves the right not to be responsible for the topicality,
correctness, completeness or quality of the information provided. Liability
claims regarding damage caused by the use of any information provided,
including any kind of information which is incomplete or incorrect, will therefore
be rejected.
London Cyclists’ Trust Registered charity No 1054952
Copyright London Cyclists’ Trust

London Cyclists’ Trust

Unit 228, 30 Great Guildford Street
London SE1 0HS
Telephone: 020 7928 7220
Fax: 020 7928 2318
Email: office@lcc.org.uk
Website: www.lcc.org.uk