![]() 50 Never use brake housing with shift cable or shift housing with brake cable. You’ll get a cleaner cut, with no frayed ends on cables or sharp burrs on housing. 49 Cut cables using a bike-specific cable cutter. Always cap off the end of a freshly cut cable. The swap takes about 15 minutes but is best left to your mechanic-not because it’s difficult but because it’s cheaper to pay someone than to buy the tools you’ll need but rarely use. ![]() In fact, if yours loosens or wears out, it’s easiest to just buy a new one. 47 Most newer bikes have a sealed-cartridge bottom bracket, which means you could get three to five years out of it (even if you ride a ton) and never have to touch it. 46 If the type on your front hub doesn’t read left to right as you sit in the saddle, your wheel is installed backwards. If it’s in the middle or all the way to the inside, you’ll have a harder time getting the cogs past the chain and derailleur. 45 The easiest way to get your rear wheel out is to shift into the highest gear so your chain is on the outer (smallest) cog. 44 Install quick-release skewers so the levers are on the non-drive side. When one feels off or its tone is different from the rest, you know you have a loose spoke. 43 Pluck your spokes often so you get to know what feels and sounds right. 42 The difference between an axle and a spindle: An axle remains stationary while something rotates around it (think wheel) a spindle revolves inside a stationary body (think bottom bracket). 41 If you pinch-flat often, the PSI (air volume) in your tires is almost certainly too low. 40 If a carbon part moves when it’s not supposed to, it can get scratched or trashed. 39 Places where grit hides: in brake pads, between tubes and tires, in cleats and pedals. What to Know About Schrader vs Presta Bike Valves.33 Snug down your brake levers with a rubber band when adjusting rim-brake pads. 32 Use sandpaper to roughen up glazed brake pads. Now adjust your brakes the way you want them to feel. Repeat these steps until you don’t feel the cable and housing give anymore. 31 When replacing a brake cable, initially adjust it so the pads are fully against the rim, then squeeze the brake lever as hard as you can a few times to release slack in the cable and compress the housing. Doing so can cause the brake pads to clamp together tightly-and separating them is no easy task. 30 After removing a disc-brake wheel from the frame or fork, do not squeeze the brake lever. The next time your pads need replacement, you can simply slip them into the holder, no alignment needed. 29 If you’ve been running bolt-on brake pads and it’s time to replace them, now is the time to switch to the cartridge-style type. Use a spacer, like Avid’s bleed block, to hold the pistons in place. 28 Always remove disc-brake pads when bleeding your brakes. 27 Work on one brake at a time so you always have an intact brake to reference. The oil from your skin can decrease their braking power. 26 Don’t touch disc-brake pads with your fingers. 25 Three signs your brake pads are worn: You hear a gritty scraping sound, the grooves in the pad have all but disappeared, or you feel stickiness when you brake. 10 When tinkering with anything near your cranks, shift into the big ring first so you don’t mangle your hand on the chainring teeth. 9 The three most important tools to have on a ride: a multitool with a chain breaker, a mini pump or CO 2, and a patch kit or tube. 8 Check tire pressure before every ride, especially if you’re running tubeless. (Pro tip: Set up your smartphone to video the disassembly for an easy reference guide.) It takes the mystery out of putting it back together. 7 When disassembling something, keep track of the order in which you remove parts. This especially goes for steerer tubes and integrated seatposts. 5 Nylon tire levers are better than metal ones. 3 You can’t properly adjust a bicycle that is dirty and not lubricated. This collection of mostly timeless advice (until advances in technology make some of these bike maintenance tips obsolete) will guide you through the role of primary caregiver-so you can leave the tough stuff to the professionals. You may not know every remedy your bike needs to live a long life, but you can gain enough wisdom along the way to keep it in tip-top shape and out of the shop with proper bike maintenance. It also needs a little lube, a lotta love, and a good listen. Your bicycle doesn’t run on leg power alone.
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