Do-It-Yourself Bike Maintenance

Regular preventive bicycle maintenance will keep your bike rolling safely. Doing your own bicycle maintenance saves labour costs, and proves an invaluable skill if you have to fix your bicycle on the road. It's quite easy to take care of your own bicycle, and can mean the difference between riding all day and staying at home.

Types of Do-It-Yourself Bike Maintenance

The three main areas for Do-It-Yourself Bike Maintenance are Wheels and Tyres, Drivetrain, and Brakes. You will also need an understand of when to Schedule various maintenance activities, and also what Tools you will need in order to do them.

	Wheels and Tyres Wheels and tyres are vital to your safety. Learn how to check for and fix buckled rims, loose quick-release skewers, punctured tubes and worn tires.
	Drivetrain The drivetrain of your bicycle consists of the chain, and the parts that it touches: the front chainrings, rear cassette, and front and rear derailleurs. It is often the most overlooked aspect of bicycle maintenance.
	Brakes Bike brakes are a very reliable and efficient mechanical device that work well even if not perfectly adjusted. For this reason, although ongoing brake maintenance is quick and simple, it is often ignored.
	Tools Various bicycle tools have evolved over the years into specialized tools for working on a bicycle. Which specialty tools you need depends on the type(s) of bicycles you're working on.
	Schedule Performing regular maintenance on a bicycle will improve its performance and longevity, and reduce the risk of breakdowns. The exact schedule for a particular bicycle will depend on how it is used.