Bike Upkeep

Photo of a helmet, bike lock and floor pump

What to do after buying a new bicycle

Having a new bike is a great feeling and that should not stop you enjoying it. But in time some items will make your life easier while some might even save your life.

Why is my bike tire losing air (6 Possible Reasons)

Bike tire keeps going flat but without puncture

Having a problem and not knowing the solution is frustrating, to say the least. A bike tire that does not show any signs of puncture and keeps going flat falls into that category.

There are many reasons for a bike tire to not hold air, from tiny punctures, valve damage, rim deformation, or even faulty rim strips.

How to install a master link on a bike chain

The reason to install a master link to your bike chain is to have an easy way of removing the chain when you need to wash it thoroughly or replace it together.

To install a master link on a bike chain you need to remove a pin from the chain using a chain breaker tool and then install the new master link in place of the old removed outer plates. Apply force when connected on both sides to properly lock it in place.

Hand making a rear derailleur adjustment

5 most common bike repairs you need to know when owning a bike (with video references)

Riding your bike will cause some small maintenance work on it, but don’t worry. It’s nothing too complicated and it’s not something that you will need to do often.

Here are the 5 most common bike repairs you need to know when owning a bike:

Can you ride a bike with a broken spoke?

It’s only a matter of time until a spoke will break while riding out and about. There’s no way around it. Now comes the question of whether you can ride a bike with a broken spoke.

You can continue riding home without any concerns. Having a broken spoke will not make any lasting damage to your rim for that short period that takes you to go home or to a bike shop. Be sure to secure the broken spoke by curling it to another spoke for you to not hurt yourself.

When to replace a bike tire

Bike tires are the only grip your bike has with the ground. There will come a time when replacing them becomes inevitable.

Replacing a bike tire could arise after you passed a certain mileage threshold or by damage appearing on your tires. The most common sign that your bike tires should be replaced is a sudden streak of flat tires.

Are rim brakes obsolete

What are rim brakes?

Rim brakes are a type of brakes found on bikes. The name is from the fact that rim brakes all use the rim of the wheel. They are a popular option for breaking because of their price and easy maintenance.

Are rim brakes are obsolete? That’s a good question to have when buying a new bike.

If you look at high-end bike manufacturers, the answer goes towards yes as they sell fewer and fewer bikes with rim brakes. While looking at the total of bikes used daily on earth, the answer will be a hard no, the rim brakes are here to stay.

How to fix a bike pedal that fell off (Step by Step)

There are multiple solutions on how to fix a bike pedal that fell off. Some involve replacement parts, while others just some elbow grease.

The bike pieces involved in this issue are few. Your pedal is not connected to the crank arm anymore.

Why does a bike pedal fall off?

The point of contact of the pedal and the crank arm are the threads, so that’s the culprit in most cases. Damaged threads appear by cross-threading. That happens when trying to thread the pedal at an angle. Or not screwing the whole way leaves the pedal some wiggle room to do some damage. The other reason would be a damaged crank arm, which requires a replacement.

If you’re lucky, the bike pedal got unscrewed, so the solution is to screw the pedal back in. In most cases, there’s something more wrong than that. Meaning destroyed threads or a damaged crank.