Biking prepared means taking the tools you need with you.

by Chad Johnson

Across America people are rediscovering bicycles. The first few rides might be tours of the neighborhood, or a quick trip to the corner store. But, the expansive freedom of bicycling always presses further. To confidently rely on the bicycle take time to get to know it. This simple, elegant machine can outlast most riders if it is maintained.

The most common service needs are easy to repair. Acquire the proper tools and a little knowledge about their use before biking off into the hinterlands.

An icon of greenwheel’s bike tours recently summed up her 15 mile ride on a flat tire over gravel roads with “I swear I will never ride without a pump again, and that is one damn good bike.”

Flat tires are the bane of the bicyclist. Not because they are difficult to repair, but because you only get them when you are unprepared. Under inflated tubes pop when pinched. Maintain high pressure by frequently using a pump with a gauge. Floor pumps make this job easiest. On the side of the road with the wheel off the bike, take your time. Find the cause of the flat. Pinched tubes are easy to recognize, they appear to have been snake bitten, with two little holes where the tube was pressed on each side of the rim. If the tube was punctured, check the tire for the offending bit of glass or sharp steel. Little bits may get embedded in your tire waiting to pierce another tube.

Small holes are quickly repaired with a patch kit. Occasionally, a tube’s valve stem may break, a seam may burst or a hole may blow out. Always carry a fresh tube.

Never changed a tire? Practice. The worst time to learn is when you are late to work. Some tires may be stiff and difficult to pry loose and proper tire pressure can be a strain with some hand pumps. Even if the thought of changing a tire seems a daunting feat, carry the tools. This enables passers-by to help.

Bolts loosen on bumpy roads. Water bottle cages, rack mounts handlebar clamps, brake pads, shifters… Find your bike’s bolts and check their tightness. A basic bicycle multi tool should cover the job. A small crescent handles all the nuts.

Brake pad wear and cable stretch diminish braking power. This is easily adjusted without tools. A knob can be turned to tension the cable. Depending on the style of brake and bicycle, the cable tensioner may be mounted on the brakes, on the brake levers, or a few places in between. If the brakes are too loose to tighten using the cable tensioner, simply back the screw that the cable runs through off of the nut that it is mounted in to take up cable slack. Make sure the brakes aren’t too tight by spinning the wheel. Squeeze the brakes and spin the wheel again. A cable tensioner is typically also mounted on the rear derailleur. A quarter turn can be the simple fix to poor shifting.

Firm tires, tight bolts and responsive brakes make for a good bike ride. Pack your tool kit in one of the little bags that strap to the underside of a bicycle saddle. This way you will always have them, and never experience the dread of an unfixable flat tire.

Chad Johnson is two-thousand years old and enjoys eating live snakes and fighting boomers (male kangaroos).