What you need to keep your bike on the road

I am delighted to post this guest blog by James Mechan (@mechan135) of Merlin Cycles.  It is a handy bit of advice, well worth a read.    Thanks James.

 

It’s one thing if you’re taking your bike down to the shops or going for a nice ride around the local area. If something goes wrong you’re only a short walk away from home, or at the very most a phone call away from a lift. But if something breaks when you’re out on a big ride or touring through the remoter parts of a foreign country, it quickly becomes a serious problem.

It’s always a good idea to know a little bit about bike maintenance before you embark on a big trip. Essentially, that means knowing which parts and tools you need to take with you. Because when the bolt holding your pannier rack to the bike snaps off on a Hungarian duel carriageway, you need to be able to fix it quickly and effectively (NB this actually happened to me and, yes, it was just as frightening as you might imagine).

 

First and foremost, thoroughly inspect your bike before you go anywhere. Make sure everything is tight, oiled and in good working order. If you’re not sure, send it in for a service. Spending fifty pounds now might seem a lot but when you’re stuck on a Serbian mountainside, you’ll wish you paid it. 

One of the keys of good bike touring is only taking the things you need. You very quickly come to resent anything heavy when you’re in the middle of a big climb, so don’t try and bring every tool. Everything it’s possible to fix easily will only require a few tools. Some things you just won’t be able to do yourself by the side of the road but speaking from experience, it’s usually the little, niggly things that cause most of the problems. And if something does go badly wrong with the bike, you’ll need to rely more on your ability to organise and problem solve more than your minor mechanic skills.

Always carry a good multi tool. These are available from all good bike retailers like Merlin Cycles. Obviously all bikes are different and require different size spanners or allen keys, so make sure you have all the right sizes. Mostly riding a rebuilt 80s road bike, the 15 mm spanner is my best friend on the road.  

Another essential item is a sharp pair or wire cutters. Trying to cut a cable by hitting a piece of metal you’ve found with a rock just doesn’t work. Trust me. Buy cheap wire cutters and they’re going to blunt after two or three snips. And when cables start to fray, so does your temper.

 

Another absolutely essential item for your maintenance kit are cable ties. Parts snap, even the really tough metal ones. But you’d be amazed how often a simple cable tie can keep you and your bike on the road. They’re light, extremely tough and very versatile. It’s a quick fix but one that really works. Which explains why I wasn’t on the side of that Hungarian duel carriageway for any longer than I absolutely had to be.

 I’m hoping that you’re always carrying some tire levers, a patch kit and a pump on most trips, but it’s worth repeating. A spare tube is another essential item for longer trips. If you don’t know how to fix a puncture or change a tube, then learn. It’s easy to do and I guarantee you’ll need to do it at some point.

 
Other items that are always a good idea to take with you include duct tape, a knife, an adjustable wrench and some bike grease. And having a chain tool and knowing how to use it is might save your bacon too.

 

With these few bits of kit and a little know-how, you should be able to fix most problems you encounter on the road. Even if the repair job feels a little bit like something MacGyver might have cobbled together (80s TV reference there for any confused younger readers), as long as your wheels keep going round, you can get to somewhere you can fix up properly. And ultimately, when you’re out on a big trip, arriving safely is always the main priority.

 

See www.merlincycles.com