Bicycle Maintenance Tips - Fixing Common Bicycling Problems
For car owners the stark reality is that some of the problems and issues that their vehicle happens upon have no choice but to be fixed by a service technician. Fortunately though with a bike, there's almost no problem that can't be fixed in a DIY fashion. In fact it's the responsibility of a bicycle rider to learn how to fix common quirks on their own in the event of a breakdown far away from home or on a trail. Get acquainted with how to fix these common biking problems and expand your knowledge base from there:
Squealing Brakes
On the bright side, at least squealing brakes mean that they're working. On the other hand it's also a sign that some portion of the bike may need maintenance and the squeal can be quite annoying as you're cruising through town. The first step is to clean the braking surface from any oil or grime that has made it's way there. If that doesn't work you can try and reposition the brakes so that either the front or back part of the pads hit first - a trial and error type fix. You might also want to switch to a different brake pad material as it could be a bad interaction causing the squeaking.
Stuck Seat Post
A stuck seat post occurs when a bike is exposed to the elements overtime or when the seat isn't removed, lubricated, and dried frequently enough Sometimes the problem can be solved with force and elbow grease and other dire situations a hacksaw is needed. The first place to start is by dripping a penetrating oil into the stuck post to see if the corrosives dissolve. From there a combination of heating and cooling the area are needed to get a stark contrast of expansion and contraction to free the metal. In extreme cases a vice grip is needed which could damage the frame - make sure to be patient in each task to allow the chemicals and methods to react before going to the next step.
Constant Flat Tires
Tires that constantly go flat are either caused by repeatedly riding over glass and sharp rocks or more likely a spoke that has poked through the rim. Before you change yet another tire, inspect the inside of the rim where the tube hits for any spokes or burrs that have poked through. These can either be ground down or protected against with an extra layer of padding to line the inside of the tire.
Cranking Sound While Pedaling
With all bike sounds the first form of troubleshooting is lube, mostly because it's the easiest but also many times because it's the fix. The cranking or clicking experienced while pedaling is more often than not originating from the bottom bracket where the pedals fit into. It's not a horrible idea to take this bracket apart and lube inside the area, replacing any bearings that may be rusted and corroded. Once you've replaced any bad parts, tighten the crankcase firmly and the clicking should be gone.
Learning how to fix these bicycling problems are a definite 'gateway-education'. Once you've mastered a few simple repairs you can graduate into more complex ones to always keep your bike in working fashion.
Squealing Brakes
On the bright side, at least squealing brakes mean that they're working. On the other hand it's also a sign that some portion of the bike may need maintenance and the squeal can be quite annoying as you're cruising through town. The first step is to clean the braking surface from any oil or grime that has made it's way there. If that doesn't work you can try and reposition the brakes so that either the front or back part of the pads hit first - a trial and error type fix. You might also want to switch to a different brake pad material as it could be a bad interaction causing the squeaking.
Stuck Seat Post
A stuck seat post occurs when a bike is exposed to the elements overtime or when the seat isn't removed, lubricated, and dried frequently enough Sometimes the problem can be solved with force and elbow grease and other dire situations a hacksaw is needed. The first place to start is by dripping a penetrating oil into the stuck post to see if the corrosives dissolve. From there a combination of heating and cooling the area are needed to get a stark contrast of expansion and contraction to free the metal. In extreme cases a vice grip is needed which could damage the frame - make sure to be patient in each task to allow the chemicals and methods to react before going to the next step.
Constant Flat Tires
Tires that constantly go flat are either caused by repeatedly riding over glass and sharp rocks or more likely a spoke that has poked through the rim. Before you change yet another tire, inspect the inside of the rim where the tube hits for any spokes or burrs that have poked through. These can either be ground down or protected against with an extra layer of padding to line the inside of the tire.
Cranking Sound While Pedaling
With all bike sounds the first form of troubleshooting is lube, mostly because it's the easiest but also many times because it's the fix. The cranking or clicking experienced while pedaling is more often than not originating from the bottom bracket where the pedals fit into. It's not a horrible idea to take this bracket apart and lube inside the area, replacing any bearings that may be rusted and corroded. Once you've replaced any bad parts, tighten the crankcase firmly and the clicking should be gone.
Learning how to fix these bicycling problems are a definite 'gateway-education'. Once you've mastered a few simple repairs you can graduate into more complex ones to always keep your bike in working fashion.
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