Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail little grasshopper.
General maintenance before work!
- Thread starter z33
- Start date
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gavroche
Getting old but not past it
- Location
- North Wales
We are talking about bicycles here , not complicated motor vehicles here are we not? I think the worst mechanical problem would be a flat tyre on a bike, big deal!
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
To be fair Mr Roche, a flat tyre is quite a big deal when you would like to actually ride the bike.
D
Deleted member 1258
Guest
Its just a minor inconveniance.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Overall, yes, but at the moment you need to be mobile it is, even if just for a split second, an embuggerance.
gavroche
Getting old but not past it
- Location
- North Wales
Hence having at least 2 bikes solves the problem.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Prior Pllanning and Preparation at work 
smokeysmoo
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bolton, not very far from Nob End
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Rumours are that Biggs once had a bike powder coated before breakfast as it didn't match that days outfit.
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I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Don't be distracted by the two bikes argument, it is a red herring! A second bike is nice to have, but as far as commuting on one in an emergency goes it is a none starter. I have more than one bike, but by the time I had sorted out lights, dug out a rucksack to carry the contents of my pannier needed for the day and checked the tyre pressures of the replacement bike I might as well have fixed the flat tyre on my normal commute bike. Also, the commute bike is the only bike with mudguards so if it happened to be raining (and it inevitably will) I would then be subject to a pretty miserable 10 mile each way bike ride on the alternative bike 
Fixing a flat tyre in the warm and dry of your home, with a suitable track pump and spare inner tube ready to fit (You do have these don't you? If not then you should) will take no more than 5-10 minutes with practice.
Other mechanical issues are not going to happen overnight, there is no mysterious night-time sabotage gremlin at work, so if you put your bike away in a useable condition then it is most likely (barring flat tyres, and even this is rare) to be ready to go in the morning.
If you are not allowing an extra bit of journey time to cover such mishaps then you are cutting it too fine. Regardless of travel method there are always unforeseen events that can delay you (although if you plan for them then they are no longer unforeseen?) such as traffic jams, roadworks, late/missed buses or trains or even bumping into someone you haven't seen in years and stopping for a quick chat.
Cycle commuting doesn't have to be complicated. With some planning and a bit of basic preparation to cover the obvious issues it can be a reliable and hassle free way of getting to work. In over 8 years of cycling to work I have never been late despite punctures, mechanical issues, traffic or even quite a serious off once that saw me arrive at work dripping blood from my various heavy grazes (but still on time though
). I wish I could say the same about driving to work where for reasons outside my control (traffic problems) there have been a number of times where I have arrived right on the deadline or even late a couple of times
.
Fixing a flat tyre in the warm and dry of your home, with a suitable track pump and spare inner tube ready to fit (You do have these don't you? If not then you should) will take no more than 5-10 minutes with practice.
Other mechanical issues are not going to happen overnight, there is no mysterious night-time sabotage gremlin at work, so if you put your bike away in a useable condition then it is most likely (barring flat tyres, and even this is rare) to be ready to go in the morning.
If you are not allowing an extra bit of journey time to cover such mishaps then you are cutting it too fine. Regardless of travel method there are always unforeseen events that can delay you (although if you plan for them then they are no longer unforeseen?) such as traffic jams, roadworks, late/missed buses or trains or even bumping into someone you haven't seen in years and stopping for a quick chat.
Cycle commuting doesn't have to be complicated. With some planning and a bit of basic preparation to cover the obvious issues it can be a reliable and hassle free way of getting to work. In over 8 years of cycling to work I have never been late despite punctures, mechanical issues, traffic or even quite a serious off once that saw me arrive at work dripping blood from my various heavy grazes (but still on time though
). I wish I could say the same about driving to work where for reasons outside my control (traffic problems) there have been a number of times where I have arrived right on the deadline or even late a couple of times.
Shhhhhhssshhhhh, don't tell him, we were so close to N+1 and then you stepped in and ruined it.
biggs682
Itching to get back on my bike's
- Location
- Northamptonshire
Same here , normally have at least 2 bikes set up for commuting
And another 2 set up with full guards for winter / wet riding
And normally at least 1 more set up for riding
Then the garage queens sat in the corner awaiting dry warmer weather
biggs682
Itching to get back on my bike's
- Location
- Northamptonshire
@biggs682 has been known to rebuild a bike pre-work on numerous occasions
I was in the garage this morning at 5 am doing some basic maintenance work and a quick road test to follow
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
I just realised, how rude of us all!
Hi @z33 and welcome to the forum.
I hope you stick around and take advantage of the wealth of information available from the forum members, who between them probably do know it all (as opposed to just being annoying know it all's).
If you are new to the world of cycling or cycle commuting then there are some basic things you are likely to need.
As has already been mentioned, a track pump with pressure gauge to use at home is a good investment. It makes checking pressures and pumping up tyres so much easier. You should also carry a very basic tool kit, often just a couple of Allen keys that fit your bike will suffice but being able to tighten up a loose bolt at the roadside can often make the difference between completing your journey or having to push your bike/phone for help.
The most useful kit you can carry is the means of fixing a flat tyre. This should consist of a small pump, some tyre levers if needed and a spare inner tube. You might also need a spanner to undo wheel nuts if your wheels are not the quick release type.
Most regular riders do not attempt to repair an inner tube at the roadside but fit a fresh tube and fix the old one later in the comfort of their home or workplace. Some riders carry two spare tubes just in case, while others also carry a puncture repair kit for when it gets really serious! When commuting I do both!!
By far the best advice I can add to this, and I will make it my final point so as not to overload or alarm you. Practice replacing the inner tube at home until you are familiar and confident with the process of removing the wheel, removing the inner tube, refitting the tube (in the real world puncture situation you should always check the tyre to make sure the cause of the puncture is not still embedded in the tyre ready to puncture the new tube as soon as you re-inflate) then inflating it to the required pressure and refitting the wheel.
EDIT: When practicing, use only the kit you will have with you at the roadside. This way you know you have everything you need, how to use it and know it works.
Happy commuting
Hi @z33 and welcome to the forum.
I hope you stick around and take advantage of the wealth of information available from the forum members, who between them probably do know it all (as opposed to just being annoying know it all's
).If you are new to the world of cycling or cycle commuting then there are some basic things you are likely to need.
As has already been mentioned, a track pump with pressure gauge to use at home is a good investment. It makes checking pressures and pumping up tyres so much easier. You should also carry a very basic tool kit, often just a couple of Allen keys that fit your bike will suffice but being able to tighten up a loose bolt at the roadside can often make the difference between completing your journey or having to push your bike/phone for help.
The most useful kit you can carry is the means of fixing a flat tyre. This should consist of a small pump, some tyre levers if needed and a spare inner tube. You might also need a spanner to undo wheel nuts if your wheels are not the quick release type.
Most regular riders do not attempt to repair an inner tube at the roadside but fit a fresh tube and fix the old one later in the comfort of their home or workplace. Some riders carry two spare tubes just in case, while others also carry a puncture repair kit for when it gets really serious! When commuting I do both!!
By far the best advice I can add to this, and I will make it my final point so as not to overload or alarm you. Practice replacing the inner tube at home until you are familiar and confident with the process of removing the wheel, removing the inner tube, refitting the tube (in the real world puncture situation you should always check the tyre to make sure the cause of the puncture is not still embedded in the tyre ready to puncture the new tube as soon as you re-inflate) then inflating it to the required pressure and refitting the wheel.
EDIT: When practicing, use only the kit you will have with you at the roadside. This way you know you have everything you need, how to use it and know it works.
Happy commuting
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