Aside from saving money, getting to know your bike is a really enjoyable new skill to learn. It feels empowering to be able to spot and solve problems with your bike, without needing to take it to a mechanic. As with everything in London, there's ...
Bicycle maintenance
Bike service: should you take your cycle to an independent or chain shop?
Taking your bike for a service is something that many of us put off for a whole raft of reasons. You might not know where to take it, particularly if you’re newer to cycling. In this instance, the first question to ask yourself is what you ...
Tyre pressure – what’s it all about and should you care about it?
It's a topic of hot debate among those that consider themselves hard core cyclists. To many tyre pressure is all about marginal gains; the speed improvements between 100psi and 110psi or what suits the specific gravel surface being ridden. Couple ...
Costs of refurbishing a second hand bike
Last week we covered step by step what to look at when assessing a second hand bike. This week we are giving you a run down of costs associated with fixing up a beautiful vintage road ...
How to change your brake pads
Last week we took you through how to replace your brake cables for greater stopping power. However, you also need to make sure that your brake pads are in good shape too. Brake pads frequently wear out so this week we show you how to replace the ...
How to replace brake cables
New year, new cables. That's an adage that will totally catch on. Over time brake cables gather dirt, water seeps into them and they get worn out. This is one of the repairs you will want to do occasionally and not wait for the part to break ...
Grips, pedals, saddles – easy contact point upgrades for cyclists
There are several easy things you can change on your bike to give you a new lease of riding life. Contact points particularly wear quickly and upgrading can really improve your ride quality. A holiday period such as Christmas is a great time to make ...
Bike Maintenance Tools
With our weekly maintenance posts we have generally been using minimal tools. However, in the coming weeks we will be getting into some things in a bit more depth. To do these you may well need a few more tools. As it is the gift giving season, we ...
How to set up a new bike
If you've bought a bike online, we are going to help you get it up and running quickly and easily. This is particularly useful this time of year with Christmas presents on the horizon. Most of these tips will apply to bikes of all sizes, so good for ...
8 rookie bike maintenance mistakes
Being able to service your bike yourself is an awesome feeling. However if you are new to it, before diving into bicycle maintenance it's good to have a heads up on the most common errors people make when they first start maintaining their own bike. ...
How to Clean Your Bicycle
Prolong the life of your bike and enjoy a smoother riding experience by cleaning regularly. To really be able to lubricate your bike and give it a full safety check, you need to clean it off. This week we take you through how to clean a bike ...
Bike repairs: DIY or leave to the professionals?
At London Cyclist whether you want to maintain your bike yourself or would rather just take it to your favourite local bike shop, that's fine with us. We've started running a regular series on bike maintenance (See: How to do a bike safety check). ...
How to Lubricate Your Bike
Keep your bike in great condition by lubricating it properly. This is especially important in the winter when you bike gets wet frequently and the roads get even dirtier than normal. The question often asked is how frequently should someone apply ...
How to do a bike safety check
Completing a safety check helps diagnose any maintenance issues before they affect you while you are out cycling. Depending on how much time you've got you may want to do the 10 second check, or if you've got 5 minutes then the M-Check is far more ...
How to get a bike in shape for cycle to work day
Cycle to work day is just next week – Thursday September 3rd- and we have teamed up with Chain Reaction Cycles to offer some suggestions for how you can: a) Get your bike in shape b) Keep your bike in shape Primarily you want to make sure that ...
5 common bike maintenance mistakes to avoid
Looking after your bike yourself is a good thing - it will save you money, and understanding how your bike works is helpful for those roadside malfunctions that can occur from time to time. There are some mistakes that nearly all cyclists make in ...
Spanish and Swedish bike repair instructions added to Bike Doctor app
In Spanish: "“¡Mi desviador esta roto!” In Swedish: “Min växelförare är trasig!” Now you know how to say my derailleur is broken in two more languages! Just don't ask me how to pronounce the Swedish version... Our bike maintenance guide for ...
The best bang for your buck bike upgrades
If your bike has started to feel a little tired or outdated, you may be able to revitalise your trusty steed with just a little investment. My own first road bike has been taken apart and re-created repeatedly, and my husband's old Kona MTB (14 ...
Why you got that ‘second’ puncture
Punctures are annoying, we all know that. However, they happen – and the best we can do is try to limit the frequency. What is of course incredibly annoying, is having two punctures in quick succession. Thankfully, this is probably avoidable. ...
This magical bike tool saves cyclists money
Last week we wrote about the magic of the humble barrel adjuster. I asked if bike maintenance articles that provide big wins for cyclists, but are extremely accessible for beginners is something you'd like more of. The answer was overwhelmingly ...