Multi-Tools

Multi-Tools

If you look online for a list of tools you'll need to maintain your bicycle, you'll be surprised at how long the list can be. There's a tool for everything and those prices can add up. To start your collection, start off by buying tools for parts that need frequent maintenance and slowly build up to lesser-used tools.

- A number of manufacturers make a multi-tool that can handle a wide variety of repairs while keeping your clutter under bay.

The Basic Tool Set

The Basic Tool Set

You should carry a basic set of bike tools in their seat pack regardless of whether you're a pro at fixing your bike or not. Even if you feel you know little about your bike, you'd be surprised sometimes what you can accomplish when you have a breakdown and your only other alternative is to hit the road walking. Be prepared for the worst.Your basic set of tools should include:

• allen wrenches
• box wrenches • hub wrenchs
• chain remover
• spoke nipple wrench
• tire tube patches
• headset lockring wrench
• mini pump• third hand

Bicycle Tool Maintenance

Bicycle Tool Maintenance

When it comes to taking on the care and maintenance of your beloved bicycle, nothing beats having the proper bicycle tools in good shape and located right where you can find it. Not being able to find a tool can be extremely frustrating. And, you may not even be able to get out onto the road or trail without it. The old adage of “a place for everything, and everything in its place” is right on when it comes to home bicycle repair.

- Buy a cheap tackle or bait box to put your bike tools in and keep the box in a designated place (maybe in the garage next to your bike).

A Tool Acquisition Strategy

A Tool Acquisition Strategy

One of the best things about setting up a home workspace for bicycle maintenance is that most of the bicycle tools you'll need don't cost very much. And, if you're on a budget, its easy to start slow and buy a few things at a time.

Organize your buys by category. For instance, one month buy all the tools you'll need to take care of your wheels. Next month, you can buy what you need to take care of the gears. By doing it this way, you are able to take control of your bicycle one section at a time.

Third Hand

Third Hand

There are some bicycle adjustments that are too hard to accomplish without a helper. That's where the third hand comes in.

The third hand is a tool used to hold brake shoes closed while adjusting your cable. It's designed to be used with all brakes, caliper, and cantilever. Best of all, it is so inexpensive and incredibly easy to use.

Night Riding

Night Riding

Tired of the daily routine? You can put some excitement into your biking by becoming a night rider. If you've got good lights to guide a night ride, there are lots of reasons to ride at night, including:

• Riding on trails that you've only done during the day will be completely new and exciting

• You can also set off on a long ride without worrying about getting back before dark

• You can set off on a trek before sunlight and find a beautiful spot to see the sunrise

Battery Powered Lights

Battery Powered Lights

Don't burn out! Bicycle lights can be expensive so make sure you choose some that will be worth your money and won't leave you in the dark. Lead acid or nickel-cadmium battery powered lights, while the most expensive, are the brightest (a company like NiteRider is a reliable source for quality battery powered lights).

- Lead acid batteries cost a bit less, but have the least recharge lifetime. Ni-cad batteries cost more, but have a longer rechargeable life.

Bike Lights for Road Cyclists

Bike Lights for Road Cyclists

For road cycling you must have a front white light and a red rear reflector in most states. Most motorists understand that a white light is something moving toward them while the red is moving away—this only works, however, if the lights are visible.

- Inexpensive bike lights seldom light up enough of the path for you to see, let alone motorists to see you from a distance. If you're going to be doing a lot of night riding, it's best to go beyond the minimum for your money.

Head-Mounted vs. Bar-Mounted Bike Lights

Head-Mounted vs. Bar-Mounted Bike Lights

Trail riding by day can be treacherous enough—imagine if you couldn't see dangers around you. At night you need a good bicycle light set up to keep you safe. A combination of head-mounted and bar-mounted lights is ideal.

• The bar-mounted light is good for illuminating the road in front of you, allowing you to see hazards

• The head-mounted light moves with you as you turn, giving you the ability to see farther down the trail

Technological Advances in Bicycle Lighting

Technological Advances in Bicycle Lighting

Technological advances have really made riding at night a much more enjoyable and safer experience for cyclists. Today's lighting systems are brighter and last longer. Most have low and high beam features just like a car, can be mounted to different parts of the bike or to you, and also offer battery and wattage choices.

- As long as you know how you ride, what the terrain is like, and what your budget is, a bike shop should be able to point you in the right direction.

Night Riding in A Group

Night Riding in A Group

We all know there's safety in numbers. If you're not an experienced night rider, in addition to making sure you have adequate light, think about also taking along a friend.

At night the chances of getting lost or of falling off are greater, and riding with others means that if something happens you will have the ability to get home. And, here's another bonus, you might even be able to get extended riding time. If not everyone in your group has their lights on at the same time the rotation lets you ride longer.

Lighter Wheels

Lighter Wheels

Your bike can stand to lose a little weight. There are many cycling instances in which being lighter is better. One place you can drop a bit of weight is in your bicycle wheels. If you have some funds, you can trade in your conventional wheel set for a lightweight one that might have just a very few spokes (some even have three or four aerodynamic, bladed spokes).

-Be careful, if your wheels are too light can hinder your momentum.

Removing A Rear Bicycle Wheel

Removing A Rear Bicycle Wheel

Many cyclists are afraid to take off the rear wheel to fix a flat for fear of messing up the chain but its not as difficult as most people think. To safely remove your rear wheel, follow these instructions:

• Create slack in the chain by shifting onto the small cog and small ring
• Open the brakes so the tire doesn't bump into the brake pads
• Pull the derailleur back and remove the wheel

Running Into Rocks & Roots with your Wheel

Running Into Rocks & Roots with your Wheel

Popping wheelies can be good for your bike. A wheelie is when a rider lifts the front wheel high enough into the air that the center of gravity moves over the rear wheel, allowing the rider to balance the bicycle as if on a unicycle. To do a wheelie or to “pop” you need to use a combination of pedal thrust and weight shifting to raise the front wheel in the air.

-Although wheelies cause a lot of stress on a bicycle's fork when the from wheel comes back down, it is a useful technique off-road to avoid running over rocks or roots head on.

Broken Wheel Spokes

Broken Wheel Spokes

Spokes are an often neglected, yet important part of your wheel. Most spokes break from the fatigue caused by the change in tension as the wheels turn round. More often, broken spokes will occur in the back wheel because back wheels carry more weight. And, if one spoke breaks, it's generally a signal that others may not be far behind.

-It's always a good idea to check your spokes regularly, and to keep a few extra (of the right length) on hand.

Mountain Bike Wheels

Mountain Bike Wheels

Stay true to your wheels! Mountain bikers who are continuously running over rocks and roots (or even falling over) need to true their bike wheels more often than most. To true your wheel, follow these simple steps:

• Spin the wheels to make sure they spin smoothly
• If your wheels do not spin smoothly, take the locknut, washer and cone off
• Take out the axle by sliding it from the other side, catching the bearings as they fall
• Clean everything up, use new bearings, and use a good bicycle grease
• Put everything back into place• Once you put the wheel back on, make sure there is no play and that it spins freely

Choosing Rims

Choosing Rims

Don't be skimpy with your rims. Choosing a pair of rims should entail considering several important performance attributes such as:

• Aerodynamics- Aerodynamics are important if you race
• Weight- Less weight is always better (especially if you're climbing a lot)
• Strength- Strength is important if you're riding under rough conditions
• Ride quality- For the best riding quality, get vertically compliant rims instead of rigid ones

Flat Tire Repair Kit

Flat Tire Repair Kit

When bicycling, it's inevitable that someday, you'll get a flat tire. Caused by heat, damage, wear and tear, and bad road conditions, a flat can come at any time—no matter what the weather or the importance of your plans.

By keeping as flat repair kit in your seat pack, you'll be ready for the worst and able to get back on the road or trail in no time flat. There are lots of different types of repair kits available, and almost all of them will do the trick.

Putting Air in Your Bicycle Tires

Putting Air in Your Bicycle Tires

Take care of your bike and yourself! Checking your air pressure and putting air in your tires is something you should do before every ride. Don't rely on squeezing the tire; always use bicycle tire gauge.

-If you're riding in warm weather, its best to drop the pressure by 10 PSI to prevent heat flats and avoid using gas station hoses—their compressors blast too much air into bicycle tires at too fast a rate and can cause a blow-out.

Folding Tires

Folding Tires

Performance and convenience are key! Investing in folding tires can make your biking life easier. Folding tires offer many advantages in the cycling world:

• Lighter than other tires, they provide improved climbing and acceleration
• Small enough to travel with, it's easy to carry as a spare
• Easily stretched, they're simpler to take off and install

Tublular vs Clincher Tires

Tublular vs Clincher Tires

Know your tires. There are two types of bicycle tires – tubular and clincher:

Clincher tires are the normal type of tire, with a separate inner tube. The tire has a woven fabric casing with either metal or folding fabric beads.

Tubular tires, on the other hand, are used mainly for racing. They have no beads and the two edges of the carcass are sewn together with the inner tube inside (they fit only on special rims, held on by cement).

Optimum Bicycle Tire Pressure

Optimum Bicycle Tire Pressure

Don't be silly! Finding the right tire pressure for the way you ride isn't rocket science. Take to memory these descriptions to help you make a good decision when choosing your bicycle tire pressure:

• High pressure is best for rocky, high-speed courses
• Lower pressure is best when riding on slower, softer courses

-Road tires have a higher pressure than off-road bikes. Low pressure on the road causes glass and dirt to stick to your tires and will eventually cause a flat.

New Bicycle Product Reviews

New Bicycle Product Reviews

Bicycle reviews are a great way to keep up with the plethora of new products that seem to appear on the market almost daily. Usually, when a new bike, gadget, part, or clothing is new, it gets reviewed.

-There are so many review resources that it can be overwhelming. Search around until you find a few that you like (in which you find views you respect) and check in every now and then to see what's new.

Customer Service Reviews

Customer Service Reviews

For riders who live and breathe bikes, it's easy to get lost in the specs and performance parts of bike reviews. However, there's one area that should also catch the eye of the reader looking to invest in a quality bike—customer service.

Knowing that a company will stand behind their equipment and treat you right if something should go wrong is important. Reviews written by riders are often insightful. Companies like Banshee and Intense bikes always cite those companies' devotion to the customer and boast high reviews (Banshee backs their products up with a 10 year warranty).

Learning From Bicycle Reviews

Learning From Bicycle Reviews

There's a lot to be learned from bicycle or bicycle parts and accessories reviews. No matter what part or brand you look for, there are plenty of reviews online.

*Don't rely solely on reviews. Use reviews to narrow down your search and then head to your favorite bike shops to look, try, and talk about what you've learned.

Reviews of Bike Industry Leaders

Reviews of Bike Industry Leaders

For those experienced riders who make substantial investments in their equipment, weighing the choices can be a daunting task. In trail bikes, for instance, leaders like Banshee, Turner, Ellsworth bikes and Azonic all command rave reviews from both industry experts and mountain bike enthusiasts.

The good thing about some of these reviews is that they also reveal a good deal about the way these bikes are constructed as well as how the riders use them—the bad thing is that they make each and every bike sound appealing. Try testing out products you're interested in to further narrow down your choices.

Winning Purse of the Tour de France

Winning Purse of the Tour de France

Held every July, the Tour de France has long been thought of as the toughest of races. Just to compete in it is a triumph in and above itself. For the winner though, the purse of 2 million French francs is quite a reward. In American money, it equals about $600,000. This purse is shared by all team members and personnel. But the winner will also inevitably earn millions in product sponsorships and other related commercial endeavors

Considering Bicycle Review Sources

Considering Bicycle Review Sources

Don't believe everything you read! Whenever you read a review, you must consider where it's coming from. Is the review from a dealer who is selling that brand or is it from an independent editorial source?

Editorial sources will tend to be more straightforward in their review because they are a neutral source. When you're dealing with riders (which is often since there are so many enthusiast sites and online forums), take everything with a grain of salt. While their experience is worth a lot, keep in mind that you don't really know what kind of rider they are, how they are physically built, or whether their views on the sport are compatible with yours.