You’re out, road bike cycling in the middle of the countryside, when something goes clunk, grind, or generally, wrong.  It happened to me last night on my bike some 15 miles from home, and it turned out to be the derailleur not sitting correctly in line with the rear block.  Quick fix: I dialled the knob on the back of the mech..  However, I wouldn’t have known what to do had I not thoroughly learnt about my bike and how to perform routine maintenance checks.  Here are my top maintenance tricks you have got to know.

1)      Change the inner tube.

You don’t have to carry a puncture repair kit with you and sit by the side of the road fixing your bike.  You do, however, need to know how to change the thing quickly, and of course make sure you carry a spare – they’re not that heavy.  When you get home you can fix it at your leisure.  Each tube will take about 4 patches before it needs throwing away, so you can use it for a spare in the future.

2)      Getting your chain back on.

Not as daft as it sounds, a jam anywhere on the chain drive will throw the chain, and you need to know how to get it back on.  Following that is how to make sure that you can make any adjustments to the derailleur that you need to.  So stopping the chain running off the top or bottom; getting it to change smoothly on indexed gears,  all very important.

3)      How to clean and lube your bike

This little trick will save you a fortune down the bike shop.  You have to clean your chain once a month, more if it gets a lot of use.  And you have to oil various cables and the like to keep them smoothly moving through the retainers and cable covers.  The key point is though if you don’t clean particularly the chain and drive mechanism you will shorten its life drastically. As the oil attracts the dust it acts like a grinding paste.  Rub your fingers over old oil on a chain then rub them together and you will see what I mean.

4)      How to tighten and loosen your brakes.

All sorts of things contribute to changing brake effectiveness.  Stretching cables, unbalanced screws, wheels that are going out of true.  Adjusting brakes is perhaps the most important of the lot, because without them you could have a bad accident.  Or worse.  My worse hit was 20 years ago when the brakes on the front fell off – I had failed to check them – and I hit the back of a car.  I learnt the hard way.

5)      Learn how to “true” your wheel

Really this goes along with the brakes, but it’s a different discipline that should be mastered.  Each time your bike hits a pothole it changes the spoke set up.  And to adjust it isn’t a mystery, but does take a bit of practice.

If you want to know more about how to perform all of these and more key mechanical fixes, and you own an iPodm iPad or iPhone, then check out this bike doctor app review to discover why it is the ideal quick reference manual.

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Riding your bike is an awesome way to lose a few pounds, feel better about yourself and tone your muscles up. When you ride your bike for weight loss not only are you going to reap the reward of a healthier lifestyle but you also get to enjoy some great scenery that you wouldn’t get to enjoy if you were on a treadmill or in the gym.

Scientists have proven that a regular ride on your bike can not only help you shed some weight but it can also lower your blood pressure; reduce the risk of health conditions such as diabetes and coronary disease. Isn’t that reason enough to pull on your shoes for cycling and get out on your bike?

So why else should you start cycling regularly? Well for a start cycling improves balance and co-ordination and for those of you who like to be as thrifty as possible. Riding to work every day can save you a massive amount of cash.

I have found that by far and away the best reason to ride a bike every day (even after I have reduced my weight down to a healthy level) is because it actually makes me feel better. Taking exercise has been shown to radically reduce the levels of stress and depression in individuals. This is thought to be linked to feel good hormones which boost happiness levels and positivity.

Aerobic levels are boosted and when it comes to building general fitness; cycling only second to jogging and running. However unlike running, cycling is low impact meaning it is the perfect activity for those who suffer from some conditions that flair up from sports where your joints are constantly pounded by high-impact shocks.

If you are looking to lose weight; ride a bike. If you are looking to get fit; ride a bike and if you just want to explore the beautiful countryside on your doorstep then you can’t go far wrong if you ride your bike.

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