Bicycle Repair Basics

Bicycle repair has gotten complicated with all the conflicting YouTube tutorials and forum debates flying around. I remember the first time I tried to fix a flat on my old steel-frame road bike — I ended up with the tube pinched, the tire half-off, and grease all over my favorite jeans. But you know what? That mess taught me more about my bike than any shop visit ever did. So let’s talk about the stuff you actually need to know to handle common repairs yourself.

Tools You Need

Before you start wrenching on anything, make sure you’ve got these basics within arm’s reach:

• Tire levers
• Patch kit
• Multi-tool
• Chain tool
• Lubricant
• Bike pump

You don’t need a full shop setup. Honestly, these six items will get you through about 90% of what goes wrong on a typical ride. Toss them in a bag and keep them near your bike — future you will be grateful.

Fixing a Flat Tire

Flat tires happen to everyone. There’s no avoiding it. Here’s how you deal with one without losing your mind. First, pop the wheel off the bike. Grab your tire levers and work one side of the tire off the rim — don’t try to muscle it, just lever it up nice and easy. Pull the tube out and give it a little air. You’ll hear the hiss or feel the air escaping if you run the tube near your lips or cheek. Found the hole? Great. Slap a patch on it using your kit, or just swap in a fresh tube if the puncture looks nasty. Tuck the tube back inside the tire, reseat the tire bead onto the rim (be careful not to pinch the tube — trust me on this one), pump it up to the right pressure, and mount the wheel back on the bike. Done.

Adjusting the Brakes

Your brakes should grab firmly when you squeeze the lever. If they feel mushy or one pad is dragging, it’s time for an adjustment. Start by eyeballing the brake pads — they should both contact the rim evenly. If one’s off, use your multi-tool to nudge it back into position. The barrel adjuster on the brake lever is your friend here; turn it to add or reduce cable tension until the brakes feel right. Still spongy? You might need to tighten the cable where it anchors at the brake arm. And check those pads regularly for wear — worn-down pads are about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

Lubricating the Chain

Probably should have led with this, because a dry chain is the source of so many annoying problems. Rough shifting, extra noise, faster wear on your cassette — all of it traces back to a neglected chain. Start by wiping the chain down with a degreaser. Let it dry completely (patience here pays off). Then drip a thin line of bike-specific lube onto the chain while slowly spinning the pedals backward. Wipe off the extra with a clean rag — you want a thin film, not a gooey mess that collects every speck of road grit. Do this after wet rides especially, and your drivetrain will thank you.

Adjusting Gears

Few things are more annoying than gears that won’t shift cleanly. That clicking, skipping, chain-hesitating nonsense can drive you up a wall. Start by looking at the derailleur itself. Is it bent? Dirty? Clean it up and make sure it moves freely. The barrel adjusters on your shifters handle most fine-tuning — half-turns can make a big difference. If the chain is jumping between gears or overshooting, the limit screws on the derailleur probably need attention. And if the derailleur hanger is bent, no amount of cable adjustment will fix things; you’ll need a hanger alignment tool. That’s what makes regular gear tuning endearing to weekend riders — a few minutes of fiddling saves hours of frustration on the road.

Truing a Wheel

A wobbly wheel feels terrible and can mess with your braking. Flip the bike upside down (or use a stand if you’ve got one) and give the wheel a spin. See where it wobbles? Grab a spoke wrench and get to work. The idea is simple: tighten spokes on the side the rim is veering away from, and loosen the ones on the opposite side. Go slow — quarter turns at most. Overdoing it can snap a spoke, and then you’ve got a bigger problem. Check trueness every few weeks, especially if you’re riding rough roads or hitting curbs.

Pedal Replacement

Swapping pedals is one of those jobs that sounds harder than it is. The trick is remembering the threading: the right pedal tightens clockwise (normal), but the left pedal tightens counterclockwise (backwards from what you’d expect). Use a pedal wrench or a long Allen key to break the old pedals loose. Clean up the threads on the crank arms, dab some grease on the new pedal threads, and thread them in by hand first. Once they’re started straight, snug them up with the wrench. Cross-threading pedals into aluminum cranks is a nightmare, so take your time on that hand-tightening step.

Saddle Adjustment

An uncomfortable saddle makes every ride miserable. The good news? It usually just needs a height tweak. Loosen the seat post clamp with your multi-tool and slide the post up or down until your leg is almost fully extended at the bottom of the pedal stroke. You want a slight bend at the knee — not locked out, not deeply bent. Make sure the saddle is level (tilt it forward and you’ll slide around; tilt it back and you’ll be fighting it the whole ride). Tighten the clamp and go for a short spin. Even a centimeter of adjustment can be the difference between agony and all-day comfort.

Handlebar Positioning

Where your handlebars sit affects everything — comfort, control, how much weight lands on your hands. Loosen the stem bolts and experiment with the angle and height. Want to be more upright? Raise them a bit. Going for a more aggressive position? Lower and tilt forward. Make sure the bars are centered (eyeball them from above, lined up with the front wheel). Once you’re happy, torque those bolts down properly. And check them occasionally — bolts can work loose over time, and a handlebar that moves mid-ride is a bad time.

Chain Replacement

Chains stretch. Well, technically the pins wear and the links get sloppy, but the effect is the same — the chain gets longer, and it starts chewing up your cassette and chainrings. Use a chain checker tool to measure wear. If it’s past the wear indicator, don’t wait — replace it now before it takes your other drivetrain parts down with it. Use a chain tool to break the old chain, thread the new one through the derailleur and around the chainrings, and connect it with a quick link (way easier than using a chain tool to push a pin). Size it by comparing to the old chain, or use the big-big method plus two links.

Whether you’ve been riding for decades or just picked up your first bike last month, knowing these repair basics gives you real independence. You won’t panic at a flat fifty miles from home, and you’ll keep your bike running smooth without shelling out for every little shop visit. Regular maintenance isn’t glamorous, but it’s the difference between a bike that works and a bike that fights you.