bike care, one fix per page
Thirty-six fixes for the rider who pays a shop for jobs you can do in the driveway with a rag: the minute-long ABC check before every ride, the pressure number printed on the tire sidewall, the Presta valve's little locknut, the flat fixed with two tire levers, the pinch flat identified by its paired slits, the chain measured with a twelve-inch ruler, the one drop of lube per rivet, the limit screws that keep the chain away from the spokes, the brake pad that meets the rim's top edge, and the disc caliper centered in five seconds with a squeezed lever. Every fact checked against Park Tool Repair Help and the League of American Bicyclists ABC Quick Check.
A diagram, the trap, and one thing to go try this week. That's a page.
bike care, one fix per page
Thirty-six fixes for the rider who pays a shop for jobs you can do in the driveway with a rag: the minute-long ABC check before every ride, the pressure number printed on the tire sidewall, the Presta valve's little locknut, the flat fixed with two tire levers, the pinch flat identified by its paired slits, the chain measured with a twelve-inch ruler, the one drop of lube per rivet, the limit screws that keep the chain away from the spokes, the brake pad that meets the rim's top edge, and the disc caliper centered in five seconds with a squeezed lever. Every fact checked against Park Tool Repair Help and the League of American Bicyclists ABC Quick Check.
Set in Space Grotesk, Inter and JetBrains Mono (SIL Open Font License).
Every check, torque, tolerance and tool name checked against official repair sources fetched and read during this build: Park Tool Repair Help (parktool.com) articles on tires and tubes, patching, wheels, tools, chain cleaning, washing, chain wear, rear derailleurs, rim brakes and disc brakes; the ABC Quick Check by the League of American Bicyclists, distributed by NHTSA. Facts are quoted as those sources state them. Demand evidence from live beginner threads on r/bikewrench, fetched this build; no facts are sourced from Reddit. An independent guide, not affiliated with or endorsed by Park Tool Co., the League of American Bicyclists, or NHTSA.
General information only, not a substitute for professional bicycle service. Brakes, steering and load-bearing parts are safety-critical: if in doubt, have a qualified mechanic check the work.
© 2026 Steve Hodgkiss. All rights reserved. Personal use only; no redistribution rights.
Edition 1.0 · stevehodgkiss.net
Contents
Before the ride
The minute you spend before you ride catches almost everything the road would otherwise teach you: the pressure number on the sidewall, the thin valve's locknut, the lever that must stop short, the quick-releases, the rust-free chain.
- 01The minute check
- 02The sidewall number
League of American Bicyclists ABC Quick Check, distributed by NHTSA: before every ride check Air, Brakes, Chain and cranks, Quick-releases, then ride briefly to check everything works; the check takes less than a minute.
The minute check
Let's say you ride straight out of the shed and meet the fault at speed. The League of American Bicyclists' ABC Quick Check catches it at the door: A is air, B is brakes, C is chain and cranks, then Quick for the quick-release levers, then a brief Check ride.
Their promise: it takes less than a minute if all is well. Almost every roadside failure was visible the day before, to anyone who looked.
One minute, standing still, beats one hour at the roadside.
Do the full ABC Quick Check before your next three rides. Time it. It's under a minute.
League of American Bicyclists ABC Quick Check: A is for air, tires naturally lose air over time, and you should inflate to the pressure listed on the side of the tire. Park Tool Tire and Tube Installation: inflate to full pressure and check with a pressure gauge.
The sidewall number
Let's say you squeeze the tire, call it firm, and ride off guessing. The pressure you need is printed on the sidewall of the tire. The League's A is simply: inflate to the pressure listed on the side.
Park Tool's finishing step: inflate to full pressure and check with a pressure gauge. A thumb is not a gauge. Guessing low is the quiet cause of pinch flats and vague handling.
The number is on the tire. Trust it, not your thumb.
Find the pressure range printed on your tire sidewall and write it on a note by your pump.
The flat
The repair that pays for the whole tool list: getting the wheel out without touching the gears, breaking the bead, two levers, finding the hole, reading the shape of the cut, and putting it back so the tube isn't underneath.
- 01Two levers
- 02Find the hole
Park Tool Tire and Tube Removal and Installation: engage one tire lever under the bead and a second lever 1-2 inches, 25 to 50mm, from the first, then pull both toward the spokes; disengage one lever, move it two inches, 5cm, along the rim and repeat; never use a screwdriver, knife or other sharp object; pull the tube out starting opposite the valve.
Two levers
Let's say you lever one spot and heave. Park Tool's geometry: engage one lever under the bead, the second 1-2 inches, 25 to 50mm, along, then pull both toward the spokes.
Unhook one, move it 5cm along, repeat, and the bead walks off. Start pulling the tube out opposite the valve. And never a screwdriver or knife; a sharp object that speeds the flat on also speeds the next one on.
Two levers, a hand-width apart, walking the bead. That's the whole trick.
At your next flat, measure your two lever positions before pulling. Aim for the 25-50mm gap.
Park Tool Tire and Tube Removal: inflate the tube to twice its normal width; find the leak by holding the tube near your ear, against the skin of your lips, or by submerging it in water and watching for bubbles; mark the hole with four pen marks, one to each side, not close to the hole.
Find the hole
Let's say you patch where the hole seems to be and the flat returns tonight. Park Tool's search: inflate the tube to twice its normal width, then listen near your ear, feel it on the skin of your lips, or submerge it and watch for bubbles.
Found it? Mark four pen ticks, one to each side, not close: sanding erases a close mark. An unmarked hole refinds itself only after the tire is back on.
Twice as fat, then ear, lip or water. Then four ticks.
Practice once: pump an old tube to twice its width and find its valve leak by ear or in a bowl.
The chain
The chain wears from the inside, slows your shifting and quietly eats the cassette. The ruler test, the percent numbers, the wash that comes before the lube, and the drop-per-rivet rule.
- 01The stretch that isn't
- 02One drop per rivet
Park Tool When to Replace a Worn Chain: the internal parts of the chain, the rivets and rollers, wear out, giving the illusion of stretching; this wear makes the chain mesh poorly with cogs and chainrings, causing poor shifting and premature wear to the cogs; it is far more expensive to replace a cassette than a chain; symptoms include a chain that slips under load and chain suck.
The stretch that isn't
Let's say everyone says the chain stretched and you believe in metal that grows. Park Tool's correction: the rivets and rollers wear inside, giving the illusion of stretching.
The bill follows: the loosened chain meshes poorly, shifts poorly, and wears the cogs prematurely, and a cassette costs far more than a chain. Ride symptoms: slipping under load, and chain suck that hangs on through a shift.
The chain doesn't stretch. It wears. Replace it early and the cassette lasts.
Lift your chain off the biggest chainring at the smallest cog. Daylight underneath means measure it properly, this week.
Park Tool How to Clean and Lubricate a Chain: once the chain is dry, apply a small drop of chain lubricant to each individual rivet, then use a clean dry rag to wipe the excess lube from the chain to prevent dirt from collecting on it.
One drop per rivet
Let's say you drown the chain and let the drip line settle. Park Tool's dose is precise: a small drop on each individual rivet. One per link, all the way round.
Then the half everyone skips: wipe the excess with a clean dry rag, because lube left on the outside collects dirt instead of repelling it. A dripping chain isn't lubricated; it's bait.
A drop a rivet, then a wipe. Lube works inside, not outside.
At your next lube, count rivets as you drip, then wipe the whole run twice with a dry rag.