The most common bicycle faults and how to deal with them on your own
It is easy to imagine a situation where a pleasant bicycle trip in a secluded place is interrupted by an unexpected fault. The nearest service station is too far to walk. At this point, it is worth knowing how to repair the bike yourself. There are several proven ways to carry out minor repairs. And neither of them should be difficult.
What are the most common bicycle faults?
Cyclists need to be prepared for certain failures that cannot be predicted or prevented.
Among them, the most common are:
– punctured inner tubes,
– breaking the chain,
– broken spokes,
– damaged gears,
– loosening of the brake cables,
– destruction of the cassette.
Most of them prevent further cycling. The remaining bicycle faults allow you to get to the nearest service point – however, you must then be extremely careful.
How to repair the chain and remove the gear with the hub gear?
Chain damage is one of the worst problems. The reasons may be incorrect forging, element stretching, unfortunate gear changes or lack of regular maintenance. Whatever the reason, you have to deal with the situation. This type of bike faults are best eliminated with a chain tool. It’s a fairly easy-to-use tool. However, if you don’t have it at hand, improvise. For example, even a piece of wire is enough to bind the ends of the chain together and slowly drive to the station.
How to put on a bike chain that has fallen off? It is very simple. Simply place the bike upside down and then insert the connecting pin into the overlap with the outer link. You just have to remember that the installation always starts with the rear derailleur.
Another issue worth discussing here are damaged bikes without a cassette. How to remove a wheel with a hub gear? At the very beginning, disconnect the cable leading to the hub. For this purpose, flat or socket wrenches are used.
What, in turn, to do when the gears do not want to change? Broken bike gears are usually the fault of a broken hook. Then there is nothing else but to replace it with a new one. And for that you will need spare parts and tools.
How to repair a bicycle without the necessary tools?
A damaged rear derailleur and other malfunctions can be easily eliminated if you have the correct equipment with you. However, it is difficult to require cyclists to carry organizers containing tools. Fortunately, more and more towns and cities decide to set up professional bike repair stations. They can be seen not only at important facilities (e.g. schools, offices, stations), but also on bicycle paths.
These stations contain all the necessary tools for repair. They allow you to get rid of any fault in the bike yourself, without the need to go to the service point or return home on foot, walking the two-wheeler next to you. So it’s worth looking for them as soon as there are any problems with your own folding, mountain or lady’s bicycle.
