Free Advice and Information
Free tip sheets to download and print out
What to spend (PDF document - 50 KB) - How much money to spend when buying a new or used used bike
Basic maintenance (PDF document - 46 KB) - A basic guide to the routine maintenance of your bike
Long-term maintenance (PDF document - 985 KB) - A more in-depth guide to long-term bike care
Locking advice (PDF document - 45 KB) - How to lock your bike securely
Cycle Touring Kit (PDF document - 43 KB) - Tools and equipment for longer cycling trips
Recommended Books and Guides (PDF document - 67 KB) - Further reading
Below are a few other hints and tips which may be used in future tip sheets:
If you have the storage space available, why not buy a used (approx. £100) second bike for everyday use around the city? It can be used and abused on a daily basis without loosing too much of its value, and it can be left locked up almost anywhere without undue concern about it being stolen. A cheaper bike is not only less attractive to thieves, but it also matters less if it is stolen.
Fitting very sensible accessories such as mudguards and a luggage rack can also make the bike less stealable because it will be less easy to sell: the sort of person who buys a stolen bike from a dodgy bloke in the pub for £20 is the sort of person who wants a shiny-looking mountain bike, and would not even consider an old road bike with mudguards, a child seat and a bell fitted.
If you do use an expensive bike on a regular basis you absolutely must use at least one expensive lock - and preferably two of different types, so that even a thief equipped to cut a cable lock will be defeated by the D-lock, or vice-versa. Also, do not lock an expensive bike in the same place every day. Much better to lock it in a variety of places in order to defeat a pre-planned theft.
If your brakes start making a grinding, scraping or hissing noise, check the brake blocks immediately. They will either be worn right down to the metal, or there will be a small stone or piece of glass embedded in the rubber material of the brake block.
Worn blocks must be replaced immediately. Continued use of a brake block which is completely worn out will very quickly wear out your wheel rim as well, a much more expensive problem to repair.
Debris in the brake block can normally be removed fairly easily using the tip of a very small screwdriver or similar. Often a stone or piece of glass will be obvious and can just be scraped away. But sometimes the brake block will look as though it has small flecks of metal embedded in its surface: these are in fact an accumulation of aluminium rubbed off the wheel rim by some piece of debris lodged underneath. Scrape these off the brake block as well as the offending stone or piece of glass underneath.
If the brakes have been grinding for a while and you have worn a groove into your wheel rim, get it checked immediately. A worn out wheel rim is not strong enough to safely support the pressure of a fully inflated tyre and can crack or even explode.
All brake blocks wear out with use and must be replaced periodically. However, brake blocks sometimes need adjustment even if they are not worn out:
Brake blocks which are positioned too low down are less efficient and will eventually wear crooked, making them difficult to adjust and necessitating replacement.
Brake blocks which are positioned too high up are dangerous because if they come into contact with the tyre they will quickly rub a hole in the sidewall, probably leading to a loud explosion as the inner tube blows out!
Normally this happens as a result of the brake blocks being badly adjusted from the start, but on some brakes the position can change as the brake block wears down, so it's important to do a quick visual check of your brakes fairly regularly.
RSS Feeds