I believe the official term for this is “assembling” but as I’m a common man I’m going with “putting together”. A lot of people these days are tempted to order bikes online. However, there is often a fear of what will happen when the bike arrives. ...
Bicycle maintenance
Summer bicycle slick tyres
I'm late getting my summer tyres on this year, mainly because I've not been able to get much recreational riding in and because, well, I couldn't really be bothered. I posted in the winter, here, about changing my tyres from the factory settings to ...
Replacing hydraulic disk brake pads
Big thank you to Mark’s Cycle Repairs for helping me put this repair together for the Bike Doctor App (Already in iPhone version, soon to be in Android version) Mark offers excellent prices and repairs for all sorts of bikes and if you live in the ...
Replacing your bicycle tyres for a smoother ride
In the overhauling an old bike series we come up to our latest upgrade. The bicycle tyres – a fairly economic upgrade at £25 per tyre. When do I change my bicycle tyres? If your tyre looks a little like my old tyre in the picture above then it’s ...
Replacing jockey wheels
We next come up to a source of squeakiness that I’ve decided to squash! My jockey wheels often result in my friends pointing and laughing at me as I squeak up a hill. They are nearly 5 years old so it’s time for a replacement. If your jockey wheels ...
Fixing the most common mechanical problem with bikes in London
I’m trying to turn right. I’m waiting for a gap in the traffic. Suddenly, I spot it. I push my foot down on the pedal expecting a smooth forward motion. Instead, I hear a horrible grinding sound. My foot slides further than I expected and the bike ...
Overhauling your old bike part 1
As I mentioned last week it’s pretty easy for someone to bring a neglected bike back to life. Making it squeak free, trouble free and fast. Best of all you’ll actually be proud to ride your bike again knowing you’ve done the repairs yourself. In ...
Portable bike stand
For a long time I resisted the urge to buy a bike stand. Eventually, I relented. A few weeks later I realised I had missed one that perhaps would have suited me better for simple jobs. Whilst there is no doubt that the one I chose does exactly what ...
A quick and easy solution to some of those bike repairs
Ok, so they won't do themselves but there are so many nifty gadgets to assist. In Andreas' post of yesterday "Breathing New Life Into An Old Bike", there was a picture of his bike on a workshop stand. I've been toying with ...
Breathing new life into an old bike
If you’ve got a neglected bike it’s possible to spruce it up and turn it from an unloved mess to a tip-top dream machine. Whether it’s been abandoned for months or just over the Christmas break. In this overhauling an old bike series I’ll be ...
Have you ever wanted to build your own bike?
On a rainy day a few weeks ago I met with Alex behind the iPhone cycle hire app in The Southwark Tavern (great pub!). He was excited to show me his newest creation. He’d picked up a bike frame on Freecycle, put together various components from bike ...
Replacing handlebar grips
In this quick, 3 minute repair I demonstrate how you can replace your handlebar grips. These grips need replacing when they start to fade. It’s a nice, cheap upgrade (£15 - £25) you can do yourself that will provide a more comfortable feel for your ...
Bike maintenance: DIY? Or get someone else to do it for you?
One of the most pleasurable moments as a cyclist is when you manage to solve a bike problem for yourself. This normally is followed by plenty of congratulating yourself and also telling all your friends you’ve fixed the problem so they can ...
Repair your bike using your iPhone
“I’ve never really wanted to mess with my bike but thing’s have started playing up and I don’t know where to start”. My friend Daniel is one of many new cyclists who’ve fallen in love with cycling. Just over 14 months ago he purchased a Marin bike ...
Bike repair on your iPhone
As of about 3 hours ago you can now download a new app for your iPhone that helps you maintain your bike. The App is called Bike Doctor and is available from: http://bikedoctorapp.com/ UPDATE: The App has reached number 1 in the Sports category! ...
The Ultimate Guide to Bicycle Maintenance Review
If you bumped into me in the street and asked me what my main gripe about cycling is I would without hesitation be annoyed at you bumping into me! But seriously, my main gripe is the maintenance. I figured out how to do a range of repairs on my bike ...
Inside Westminster’s bike maintenance course which is both informative and highly entertaining
On Tuesday of last week I received an unexpected compliment. I was contacted by David from Cycleconfident.com. He told me he wanted to handout my free bike maintenance manual at the training courses they run. It was good to see the manual, which has ...
How much should you pay for a bike repair in a London bike shop?
Whenever something goes wrong on a bike the typical course of action is as follows. Step 1 – curse the cycling gods! Step 2 – Try to ignore the problem for as long as possible. Step 3 – give in and visit the nearest bike shop. You then find someone ...
London cyclist blog newsletter launched plus bicycle maintenance eBook giveaway
Today there are two very exciting bits of news I’m pleased to announce. The first is that the London Cyclist blog email newsletter officially starts today. Woo! Secondly, I’m giving away a free bicycle maintenance eBook to celebrate the ...
Splashing the cash on bike upgrades
Ever so often a bike needs a bit of love to be kept running smoothly and to keep providing a comfortable ride free of annoying noises. So recently I got myself down to the local bike shop and picked up: New lock New chain New brake ...