Setting up a space to repair your bike at home allows you to do many basic repairs and maintenance jobs on your bike. If you want to set up your bike repair area at home, you’ll learn how to do it below. And you’ll also find out the essential bike repair skills you need, too.
Basic Bike Repair Space
If you just want to handle basic repairs in your space – putting on a chain, fixing a flat, adjusting shifters, changing tires – you need a few standard cycling tools.
These include a set of Allen wrenches, pliers, tire levers to remove a tire, tire pump, and chain tool.
You can either pick up a small toolbox or use an old tackle box for your new tools. And remember to add a space heater, like those found here, to your space in winter so you can use it year-round.
Mid-Range Bike Repair Space
If you add to the tools above with a few more, you can handle about 95% of the tasks you need to do on your bike. More advanced tools include a bottom bracket wrench, lock ring sockets, chain whip, and cone wrenches.
With these tools, you can change your drivetrain, replace the fluid in the suspension, and even overhaul the hub.
The Dream Bike Repair Space
If you’re serious about cycling and want to go all out with your bike repairs and maintenance, you can set up a space that is better than your local bike shop.
This bench has every bike repair and building tool, even ones you might not use every year. With this setup, you can do everything from installing a headset to putting bearings in the suspension.
Of course, this workspace isn’t usually something you assemble on the weekend; it usually takes people years to collect all the tools.
Additional Bike Repair Space Tips
You can have all the tools in the world, but if you don’t have a proper workbench, your bike repairs will be a pain. Some cyclists build their workbench out of 2x4s, and others buy a folding workbench online.
But if you’re just getting started with essential repairs, you can always flip the bike onto its seat.
4 Bike Repair Skills You Must Know
Now you know what you need to set up your bike repair space at home. But you want to take advantage of what you have, so you should know how to make the following repairs:
1. Repair A Flat Tire
There’s a good reason that fixing a flat tire is the #1 bike repair you should know. If you’ve biked 25 miles into the middle of nowhere and blown a tire and can’t repair it, you’re stuck.
The good news is anyone can learn how to replace a bike tire. You should always have a few spare tubes at your workbench and carry at least one with you when you ride. Also, have a small tire pump with you or CO2 cartridges that can inflate the tire quickly.
If you don’t know how to fix a flat yet, it’s a good idea to practice at home at your repair bench. Then when you’re on the road, and you blow a tire, you’ll be prepared.
2. Replace A Spoke
Spokes give bike wheels the strength to carry you. And they also provide the strength needed to handle braking, pedaling, and whatever rocks and road debris you might hit along the way.
If you break a spoke, the other spokes are handling more weight. Many things can damage a spoke, from riding off a curb to having a rock fly into the wheel.
Spokes tend to snap on the right side of the rear tire. Fortunately, fixing a spoke is relatively easy. You will just need to remove the rear wheel at your workbench. It takes some practice to learn how to get the new spoke in the correct position.
3. Clean The Chain
Cleaning and oiling the chain is a good start if you want to get your hands dirty in your bike repair space!
You should first brush grit and dirt out of the chain with an old toothbrush. Next, wipe it off with a rag, then lubricate it with a good bike chain oil.
But remember that one of the most common mistakes bikers make is adding too much lubricant. This isn’t a situation where more is better. If you put too much lubricant, it just attracts road grit and increases friction and chain wear.
So, you should carefully place one drop of oil in each chain link. If you do that after every few rides, you’ll make your chain and drivetrain last much longer.
4. Fix The Chain
Many of us don’t realize when we start cycling that bike chains wear out. If you put 50 miles a week on your bike, you can expect the chain will break after a year or so. That’s why you need to be able to repair a bike chain.
You can pick up some chain links at the bike shop and a chain breaker. This tool lets you keep the link in position as you push the tiny pin out that connects it to the other links.
You can practice fixing a chain at your workbench with an old bike chain. This is a great skill to have because sooner or later, you’ll break a chain on the road.
Now that you know everything about setting up your home bike shop and making bike repairs, you should be able to keep your bike in top condition.
Cycling is one of the best and healthiest workouts you can have. It’s great for your heart and lungs, and your butt and legs also get an intense workout. And remember, it’s easy on the joints!
Cyclists who have a solid workbench at home to handle bike repairs are more likely to bike regularly. And you can save plenty of money over time by only using professional bike shops for the most challenging repairs.
