Cycle

maintenance
Brakes, gears, punctures and more
 The London Cycling Campaign is a volunteer-led,
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contents
04 Checking your bike
-what to look out for

06 Toolkit
-maintenance tips

07 Brakes
-tightening the brakes
-replacing brake blocks
-replacing cables

09 Wheels and tyres

-disengaging the brake to
remove the wheel
-removing the wheel
-quick release mechanism

11 Fixing a puncture and

replacing an inner tube
-removing the inner-tube
-mending a puncture
-replacing the inner tube

13 Gears
-adjusting gears

14 Cleaning and oiling
your chain

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checking your bike
If you take a little bit of time to regularly You may decide to take your bike
look after your bike, you’ll make your to a bike shop for maintenance, or
rides faster and more enjoyable and just for the more technical things.
extend the life of your bike. It will be
more reliable and you’ll need fewer If you are interested in learning
replacement parts, saving you money. how to do maintenance yourself,
you could attend a maintenance
This booklet will guide you through basic course or workshop. You can find
bike maintenance, detailing checks you details of these in London Cyclist
should make, how and why to keep magazine (delivered free to
your bike clean and safe, how to fix a members) and online –
puncture and make minor adjustments. www.lcc.org.uk/info.

Checking You should get into the habit of checking

your bike regularly. A good way of doing
your bike this is the ‘M’ check which ensures you
don’t miss anything: start with the front hub
and wheel, up to the handlebars, down to
the bottom bracket, back up to the saddle
and end at the back wheel, looking out for
potential trouble-spots in between.

will need to be tightened. If there is noise

coming from the bearings they may need
to be cleaned or replaced. If you cannot
What to adjust the wheel yourself, take it to your
bike shop.
look out for
Check the rim: some rims will have a wear
line. If you can’t see this, your rim may
Start at the front wheel. need replacing. Check that the rim surface
Spin the wheel – it should spin straight. is flat and not concave. Check for hairline
If the wheel wobbles when it spins it may cracks in the rim. Rims that are cracked or
have a buckle and need truing – visit your worn away should be replaced.
bike shop.
Check for missing or broken spokes – if Check that the tyres are pumped up to
any spokes are broken it’s important to the pressure specified on the side (usually
replace them as soon as possible as one expressed in BAR or PSI) and look for wear
missing spoke will make the others weaker. on the tread or for any cracks in the tyre.
Wiggle the wheel against its natural Tyres on which most of the tread has worn
axle and check for side to side wheel away are more likely to get punctures so
movement. Listen to make sure you can’t it is worth replacing tyres every couple of
hear any damaged bearings. If the wheel years (depending on your mileage) to avoid
moves side to side on the axle the bearings flats.

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 crashes
avoiding
Then look at your brakes:
Are your brake blocks worn down? Are
the blocks lined up correctly? Squeeze
the brake levers: the blocks should hit the
rim squarely. Make sure they do not touch
the tyres. Squeeze your brake levers and
push the bike forwards to make sure the
brakes are effective. If you need to replace
your brake blocks or adjust your brakes,
see p.8.

Check your stem and headset:

Stand over the front wheel pulling on the
brake levers and push backwards and
forwards (hold the top of the forks as well
if you have any front fork suspension). If
there is any movement the bearings may
be loose – visit your bike shop. Hold the
front wheel between your knees and try
turning the handlebars – if the bars move
without the wheel moving, your stem needs
tightening: this can usually be done with an
allen key. Check that your bar ends (plugs
at the ends of your handlebars) are in place
– replace them if not.

Moving onto the second part of the M:

check your frame.
Look out for hairline cracks in the frame,
especially at the joins. You should never
ride a bike with a cracked frame, no matter
how small – take it to your bike shop for
advice. If you’re using this check to look at
a second hand bike, feel the underside of
the down tube – if the paintwork is blistered
then it may to have been in a collision.

Check your bottom bracket: the part

of the frame around which the cranks
revolve.
Jiggle the cranks from side to side against Spin your pedals and check they are in
their natural axle: if there is any movement, good condition.
the bearings may be loose or your cranks Check that your saddle is at the right
may need tightening (usually either with a height and is bolted tightly: remember, your
14mm socket spanner or an 8mm allen leg should be almost fully extended at the
key). If you are unsure, visit your bike shop. bottom of a pedal stroke.

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checking your bike
Check your back brakes and wheels as
you checked the front ones.

Check your gears:

While pedaling, click through the whole
range of gears (you may wish to turn your
bike upside down, so that it rests on the
handlebars and saddle, or ask someone
to help you with this). If the gears don’t
change smoothly, see p 13. Check that the If you pay attention as you ride you will be
cogs are not worn down. able to notice any changes in your bike,
for instance if the gears no longer change
Check that your chain is clean and smoothly or if the handling feels a little odd.
lubricated – if you ride regularly, you should Bike maintenance is best done ‘little and
aim to clean and oil it once a week. often’.

n Cleaning rags
Toolkit n A set of Allen keys, including an
8mm one if your crank bolts are
this size
n A flat head and a Philips head
screwdriver
You don’t need much to maintain the n Set of spanners - commonest sizes:
basics on your bike; a few tools, some 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15 mm. Also 13,
time, good light and patience to carry 14, 17, 19 mm. A small adjustable
through your maintenance methodically. spanner is useful too.
You may be slow to start with, but as n Plastic gloves (you can get them
with anything, once you know how it gets free from many garages) to keep
quicker and easier. your hands clean or a good hand
cleaner.
You should start by getting the
following tools and equipment: Note: Better
n Bicycle pump – a track pump quality foldable
is best as you can see the tyre multi tools will
pressure marked on a dial. Track often include a
pumps provide high pressures set of allen keys,
much more easily than ordinary screwdrivers and
pumps. a chain tool.
n Spare inner tube in the correct size
for your tyres (check your tyre wall If you decide to do
to find out what size you need). more advanced
n Puncture repair kit servicing yourself
n A set of tyre levers (plastic is best) then you will need
n Light oil and grease, lube specialist tools.

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 toolkit
Maintenance Whenever you come to put a bolt or a
cable back on your bike, you should
tips lubricate it with a touch of grease.
Specialist bike grease is best: ideally in a
tube as pots of grease can collect dirt.

Wherever possible, use the correct tool

for the job. Make sure that you are in a
comfortable position and that the tool is
fully engaged before you apply force to it.

a disc or the hub. Brakes are either

operated by cables or hydraulic systems.
Your brakes should stop the wheel
effectively, without you having to squeeze
Brakes the lever tightly against the handlebar.
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 making these
There are a number of different brake adjustments but are at all concerned, you
systems, which either stop your bike by may wish to take your bike for a check up
squeezing on the wheel rim or by gripping at your bike shop.

You can make small adjustments with the

adjusting screw, which will either be where
the cable comes out of your brake lever
or on the brake itself (by the wheel). On
side-pull brakes it may be where the cable
meets the brakes. You will need to loosen
Tightening
the locking nut on the inside of the adjuster, the brakes
and screw the adjuster out to 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 enough to
allow the cable to be pulled through with
pliers (or fingers). Pull the cable through
a small amount, tighten the bolt, test the
brakes and if satisfied fully tighten the bolt.

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brakes

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 so that the entire brake pad touches the
how they fit and the order of any spacers rim. Place them so that they are no more
or washers for fitting the new set. than 3mm from the rim when not being
applied (if they rub in places you may need
Whether you are adjusting or changing to have the wheel trued).
your brake pads you need to make sure
they are aligned correctly, so that when in If your brakes squeal, ‘toe in’ the brake
use they are fully touching the rim and do blocks - the front of the block should hit
not touch the tyre. They should be square the rim fractionally before the back.

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

Replacing some light oil.

the cable You fit a new cable from the lever, back
through the outer sleeve and down to the
brake. There are two types of cable end:
pear shaped for drop handlebars and
Over time cables will stretch and need barrel shaped for flat handlebars. Make
replacing. If your cables are damaged, sure you tighten the cable clamp fully once
frayed or sticking you should replace them. you have set up the correct tension (see
You can remove the cable by undoing the ‘tightening the brakes’). If your brake levers
cable bolt (see ‘tightening the brakes’), have a slot for easy cable installation, make
cutting off the cable cap end and sliding sure the corresponding slot in the adjusting
the cable through the casing and out of nut is positioned so that the cable won’t
the levers. Pay attention to how the cable come out by accident.

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 wheels and tyres
Wheels
and
tyres

Pump your tyres 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,
press it once to release any stiffness, and
remember to re-tighten it after inflation.
Handle Presta valves with care, as they
are fragile. Schrader valves are the same
as car tyre valves and commonly seen on
mountain bikes and bikes with wider tyres.
Older bikes may have other types of valves.
Presta
Ask your bike shop and consider buying a
more modern inner tubes.

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. Schraeder

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wheels and tyres

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!

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
Removing properly aligned. Make sure you re-engage
the brake.
the wheel
Older bikes have horizontal rear drop-outs,
To take out the wheel, disengage the which allow you to adjust the position of
brake. Your wheel may be held in place the wheel in the frame. Make sure the
with a wheel nut or a quick release nut wheel is dead centre between the chain
(see below on how to undo the quick stays before you tighten the wheel nuts/
release); you will need a spanner to undo quick release lever.

Quick Pull the lever open and undo the opposite

nut enough so you can drop the wheel
release out. To replace the wheel fit it between
mechanism the brakes and into the drop out, and
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’.

10
 Fixing a puncture and replacing an inner tube
Fixing a If you get a puncture, first check the tyre
to see if you can find anything that may
puncture and have caused the puncture. If there is

replacing an something obvious you may be able to

pull out that section of the tube and patch
inner tube the spot without removing the wheel and
then the tube. If you cannot find the object
that caused the puncture remove the
inner tube, inflate it and listen, or feel, for
Having a puncture can be annoying, but it escaping air. Once you have established
should be easy to fix. If you are not used where the air is coming from, check that
to fixing punctures it can take some time, section of tyre for a piece(s) of glass or
but does get a lot quicker with practice. other sharp object(s) and remove it. There
It is generally faster to replace the inner is no point in replacing an inner tube only
tube with a spare rather than try to patch for it to be punctured again.
a tube that is on the bike. (You can repair
the punctured tube at home or at your Many people choose to use puncture
workplace.) Puncture glue takes at least resistant tyres, which have protective strips
five minutes to dry properly. of materials such as Kevlar inside them.

while you lever the tyre out.

Remove the middle of the 3 levers, and

hook it under the tyre about 2 cm past one
Removing of the other two. You then have 3 levers in
the inner place again, but a longer section of the tyre
is hooked over the rim.
tube
Take the middle lever out and repeat the
Remove the wheel, undo the valve cap, process a few times. Once about a third
remove the threaded metal collar (if there of the tyre is hooked over the rim, the
is one), empty any air out of the tube and remainder will come off more easily.
push the valve back into the rim.
The tyre should remain sitting on one side
Fit 2 or 3 tyre levers into the rim about 2cm of the rim. Grab the inner tube at the valve
apart and pull them back, levering one side hole, push the valve up through the rim and
of the tyre out and over the side of the rim. pull the valve out from the tyre. Pull the rest
Take care you are not pinching the tube of the inner tube out.

11
 Mending the in the middle all the time. Let the rubber
solution dry (5 minutes) but don’t let any
puncture dirt stick to it.

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
To find the hole you can either contact with rubber solution all around
pump the tube up and feel/ the edge. Squeeze the patch hard into
listen for the air coming out or the rubber solution for about a minute. To
hold the tube under water and remove the backing paper (not an essntial
see where bubbles appear. task) fold the inner tube in half so that the
backing paper on the patch splits down the
Deflate the tyre, clean the area middle. Carefully peel the backing off from
around the hole and make sure the middle towards the edge to avoid lifting
it is dry. the edge of the patch. Dust the top of the
Lightly sand the spot round the patch and any exposed areas of rubber
hole, and mark the hole with a solution with chalk/talc to stop it sticking
ball point pen, chalk or a dab inside the tyre.
of rubber solution.
[Finally, give the inner tube 2 or 3 strokes
Apply a little more rubber of the pump before putting it back on
solution until you have an area slightly the wheel. This prevents the tube getting
larger than the patch, keeping the hole pinched when you put the tyre back on.

Starting at the valve hole, put the inner

Replacing tube onto the rim under the tyre. Then

the inner hook the tyre back onto the rim with your
hands, making sure that the inner tube
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.

12
 Gears
Gears 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.
Most gear systems on bikes are derailleur.
Some bikes have hub gears; however You may notice that over time your gears
as these are comparably uncommon in go out of alignment, so that as you cycle
the UK and need less maintenance than you are unable to change gears smoothly,
derailleur systems they are not covered the gears jump or the chain falls off. These
in this booklet. Derailleur gears use a problems can occur as your gear cables
combination of different sized front and rear stretch with time, the chain, cogs and
chain rings with a chain that can be moved sprockets wear or if the gear mechanism
between them so that different pedalling gets bumped.

Adjusting
your gears
If the gears are not changing smoothly you mechanism, to prevent the chain going
may only need to make a small adjustment. beyond the cogs, by two small stop screws
If you have indexed gears you will be able on the mechanism (usually marked H and
to do this by turning the barrel adjuster by L). They should allow the chain to move up
the gear levers or at the derailleur. You and down the cogs without coming off the
can adjust the movement of the derailleur top or bottom.

13
Cleaning and oiling your chain

Cleaning really clean you should clean every link

individually. You should then clean the
and chain rings at the front, the sprockets
oiling at the back, jockey wheels and all other
related parts.
your
chain 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
You should clean your chain before you times as you go; leave it to penetrate for
lubricate it; you can use degreaser or several minutes, then wipe off the excess.
special cleaning product from your bike Excess oil or grease on the outside will
shop. There are special chain cleaners attract dirt; this will wear out the chain. It
on the market, which fit over your chain, is best to use a light oil like 3-in-OneR or
or you can run your chain through a you can also get specialist lubes from bike
rag coated in cleaning material, until no shops designed for the different conditions
more dirt comes off. To get your chain you may ride in.

14
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15
 About
these
leaflets

There are 13 information booklets in this Get more out of cycling in London
series.
Join the London Cycling Campaign to save
Getting started money and get all the support you need to
Buying a bike cycle in London - from free and specialised
Getting started on a bicycle insurance, updates on the latest cycle
Cycling for people with disabilities routes and social rides, to London Cyclist
Cycle Sense magazine, the essential read for everyone
who cycles in London.
Workplace
Cycling to work Add to this the discounts you’ll get in bike
A guide for employers shops and on cycle training and you’ll see
Parking and storage why LCC membership is as necessary to
you as your pedals.
Leisure
Leisure rides In turn your membership will help us to
Cycling with children make your cycling safer, quicker and more
Travelling with your bicycle pleasant around London: we are constantly
lobbying and campaigning on your behalf
Practical to win real improvements that affect us all.
Cycle maintenance
Bike security
Protection: insurance and incidents

These leaflets can be downloaded from

www.lcc.org.uk/info or ordered from the
LCC office by calling 020 7234 9310.

This edition published May 2007.

Many thanks to Che Sutherland, Tom London Cycling Campaign
Bogdanowicz and Rosie Downes for 2 Newham’s Row
their contributions to these leaflets. London SE1 3UZ
t: 020 7234 9310
f: 020 7234 9319
e: hello@lcc.org.uk
Cover image: w: www.lcc.org.uk
Rosie Collins

cycling... good for London, good for you!