Maintaining your Bike

Punctures are the most common problem when cycling, but with a little preparation they are easy to fix.

First, get somewhere safe. You'll need tyre levers, patches or a replacement inner tube.

If you have V brakes unclip the brake noodle to release the brakes on the affected wheel. If you have calliper brakes there often is a release lever you can pull. If the rear is flats put the bike into its highest gear or smallest sprocket.

Then unlock the quick release skewers of the wheel. Lift the bike up with your left hand and use your right hands to move the rear derailleur backwards. This allows the rear wheel to drop out of the frame. Place the bike down with the chain facing upwards to protect the more vulnerable chain drive side of your bike.

Now, squeeze around the tyre to break the seal between the tyre and the rim of the wheel. Use the tyre levers to lift the tyre off the rim and secure it to a spoke. Then use the second tyre lever to keep separating the bead and the rim. When the tyre is loose fold it back at the valve point and push the inner tube valve out. Now remove the inner tube from the wheel. Often you can repair punctures and reuse the inner tube so keep the inner with you, although some punctures will be beyond repair.

Before replacing the inner tube check all of the tyre in case the cause of the puncture is still present. If you find it remove it. Then partially inflate the new inner.

Before feeding it into the tyre reseat the tyre using your hands. Squeeze the tyre to make sure your inner tube is correctly seated and won't get caught between the bead of the tyre and the rim of the wheel. Reinflate the tyre.

Ensuring the cassette is on the right-hand side lift the bike up by the saddle and then place the bottom of the chain underneath the smallest sprocket. With the right hand move the rear derailleur to the rear and then lower the dropouts onto the wheel axle. Secure the quick-release skewer. Re-engage your brakes and you are done.

If you want to repair the punctured inner tube at home, follow the instructions supplied with your patch kit and reuse your inner tube as a spare.

[Angelica Bell]

Hello. I'm Angelica Bell and I really want some advice on how to prepare for cycling in colder weather, so I found myself an expert to give me some tip top tips.

Jenny you are the Oracle on bikes, what do I need to do to keep my bike in good nick all through the year.

[Jenny]

Number one best thing you can do for your bike is keep it indoors. I know not everyone can do this but if you can, even in a shed, keep your bike inside because it will prevent that rusting from happening, the aluminium corrosion from happening and your bikes can be really happy, and the parts will last longer.

Second tip is keep your tires pumped up. So again, this is, it sounds basic, but most people don't do it. There is no such thing as a perfect seal. So, there's a tiny tiny hole even with like a tire that's not punctured small amounts of air are always escaping so you're gonna have to pump up your tires.

[Angelica Bell]

How often?

[Jenny]

I ask him like once a month. It doesn't, it's not much but most people don’t do it so that's like my number one ask because keeping your tires pumped up so they're the proper pressure will prevent the dreaded snakebite puncture and that is the type of puncture where your tires is really under inflated, so squishy, and you hit pothole, you go off a curb and that impact, the rim punctures the tubing you get those two bites that's the snake bite so if you just pump it up you save yourself like 15 quid so.

Third, tip is if you can clean your bike and this doesn't have to be like full you know take it in the shower drench you know drench it soap it up kind of thing it can be just a quick wipe down because what happens in winter is the roads get gritted there's a bunch of salt on the road again that salt speeds up corrosion, speeds up things rusting so if you can wipe down your frame with a damp rag, old t-shirt, wipe down your rims because again that especially if you have rim breaks this is really important take a damp cloth wipe those rims down because you're trying to get that salt off the bike you want to get it off the undercarriage of the bike. Use like a bike specific cleaner so if you want to get a bit more involved clean your chain because all the crud from the road gets attracted to your chain it is a crud magnet and that's why you don't want to over oil your chain either because that oil will attract more dirt and grit from the road and then it turns into a sand paper paste that then every time you pedal it's grinding away at all your parts, it wears down faster, it's really helpful if you can just give it a wipe down add a little bit of oil then wipe that off as well that will help prolong the life of your chain.

[Angelica Bell]

Jenny, in terms of bike maintenance then it's just always good to have that check open isn't it.

[Jenny]

Yeah, exactly that, it's little and often.

[Angelica Bell]

Well, the good news is I'm happy my bikes happy and will be happier if I listen to Jenny and I can enjoy cycling once the weather gets colder.

If you want to know more about cycling during the colder months check out cycling UK's website for more info. Remember cycling is a great way to stay healthy and active so don't give up on it just because winter is here.