Bike repair: How to fix your bike on the fly
by: Steve Thompson
Posted on: Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008 at 4:12 pm by: Steve Thompson
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If you want to be known as “Mr. (or Ms.) Prepared” on the biking trail, you’ll need to put together a bike repair kit that is light enough to carry on the fly. You might head out on your two-wheeled machine twenty times and never use a single tool in the kit, but you’ll be sorry on that twenty-first excursion when you have to hike out of the woods alone just because you decided to cut corners.
Punctured tires, loose spokes, missing brake nuts and damaged cables can rain on anyone’s parade, but you don’t want to carry so many tools that you’re weighed down and puffing before you even get going.
Multi-tool for your bike
You can find a multi-tool at your local hardware store that measures only four inches by two inches when closed. This is a handy piece of equipment, especially considering its size. The multi-tool comes with a Phillips-head screwdriver, a standard screwdriver, two or three hex wrenches of different sizes, spoke wrenches, a chain tool and even a tire lever.
The best thing about this little gadget is that you can keep it in your pocket until you need it to fix your bike. It also keeps you from having to carry several small metal tools that can easily be lost.
Spare bike tubes
I would recommend carrying at least two spare tubes when biking long distances, though one will usually suffice. You can find spare tubes that will seal any puncture that is less than one-eighth inch in diameter, which can be a life-saver on the trail.
Tire patches
For small holes in your bike’s tires, you can find press-on patches that take less time to apply, but will remain steadfast until you can get back home to repair it. The press-on versions of these patch kits might not last as long as those you glue, but they can save valuable time when your bicycle buddies are streaming ahead of you.
For larger flats, you’ll probably need medium- and large-sized glue-on patches, which take longer to apply but will cover much larger punctures.
Patch glue
Regular Elmer’s glue won’t work here, so find patch glue at a bike repair shop or at your local hardware store. You’ll need this to patch larger holes in your bicycle tires. Just make sure that you bring an unopened bottle each time you head out on a ride across the country. Used bottles can easily leak in your pack, making a sticky (and sometimes irreparable) mess of everything you brought with you.
It is also a good idea to bring a six-inch by six-inch square of sandpaper with you. This will be used to buff the tube before you apply the patch and glue – it removes oil, dirt, mud and anything else that might inhibit the fix.
Quick links
If something happens to your chain while riding your bike, you’ll want to have a set of Quick Links with you on the trail. You can repair your chain in just a few minutes with these handy gadgets, but you won’t have to worry about losing the tension in the chain, which could cause an accident.
Small pump
You can now purchase tire pumps that are less than six inches tall and weigh less than half a pound. If you’re traveling with a group on your bike, only one person needs to bring a pump, as long as it fits everyone’s valves.
Now that you have all you need to fix your bike on the fly, you can tell your family to quit worrying about you and get on with what you love to do most.
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