(techno sound effects)
- You're here because, wow, you've got yourself some tools
and you know how to fix your bike.
Probably because you've been watching
our maintenance videos, but picture yourself.
It's 8 PM on a Saturday night and you've
just finished tinkering around with your bike
and you're meant to be going out the following day.
Well, I've got some essential spares
that you should keep in your workshop
so that you don't miss out on that ride.
(upbeat music)
Spare cables.
Yep, you never know when your gear cables
or break cables are gonna fray or even snap.
So I always keep a couple of each
and their respective anchors in my workshop at all times.
Importantly, I don't actually keep them
coiled up like this.
I undo them and I keep 'em in a nice flat position.
That way you're gonna get smoother braking
and also smoother shifting
when it comes to fitting them.
Sometimes you can be left with a nasty
little kink like that, which ultimately,
you're not gonna get that smooth breaking
or good shifting.
And if you're using EPS or D Line 2
you don't need to worry about that at all, do you?
But I would carry perhaps a couple of spare cables at home.
So a couple of those spared actual cables
in case of snagging them somewhere
on a ride or even just moving the bike around.
It has happened to friends of mine before
and yep, they've been left and they couldn't
go out on a ride the following day.
So it used to be a prerequisite
that we'd have to put ferrules on the end
of both outer gear and break cables.
However, that is not always the case these days.
Some components actually don't allow
a ferrule to enter where the cable
enters the component.
So, in that case, we just use a basic outer cable.
However, I would keep some of these around
because you never know what components you got
on your bikes and basically, there's such a huge
variety of them, you can have metal ones,
plastic ones, some here, they've got a actual little
ending on them so that protects the inner cable
where it runs through.
Also, importantly, make sure you've got plenty
of these around, cable ends.
I don't like seeing a frayed cable and ultimately
it could fray all the way down
to where the cable clamps into the component and fail.
That's not good, nobody wants that to happen.
(whooshing)
So the rate of wear on break pads
can often be overlooked.
They can wear very, very fast.
Especially in poor conditions.
I always carry enough brake pads in my home workshop
to make sure I can just swap them out.
I'm good to go the next day.
So if you've got carbon make sure you got
carbon specific ones and the same for alloy.
Don't mix and match them
because they're not gonna perform as well as you would like.
If you're using disc brakes
make sure you've got some spares too.
Importantly, that they're of the same compound
as what's already fitted.
That way you're not gonna cross contaminate the discs
and get poor braking.
Also, for those of you on disc brakes,
keep a very close eye on them.
Some cycle cross friends of mine,
who are at a pretty high level,
can actually get through a complete set in one ride.
Yep, so in an hour, they can go through
a whole set, so just be aware of that.
Inner tubes, I always keep a few of these
on the shelf at home.
That way if I puncture when I'm out riding,
when I get back I can just take one from a box,
put it back in my saddle bag
and I'm good for the next day.
Also, this has happened to me quite a few times,
I'll wake up the following day to ride my bike again
and both tyres are flat or just one
and you've got a slow puncture.
So there you are, you're back to square one,
but not if you keep a few spares on the shelf.
Well, I tend to go for 700 by 18 to 25 c-width.
That way you can go all the way up to a 30 really
because well, these tubes,
they are pretty stretchy, aren't they?
And a final little tip.
Go for something with a removable valve core.
That way if you need to extend it
for deep section wheels, you can do.
Failing all of that, make sure you got one of these.
The good ole puncture repair kit.
So valve cores are a finicky little part
that can plague you with problems without even realising
sometimes, what on earth is going on.
How, well in side of them there's a little rubber washer
which essentially keeps the pressure in or out
of the tyre when you press on the valve.
Sometimes though, that rubber can actually become perished,
leading to a leaking valve.
Other times the valve internals can actually
be clogged up with tubular sealant
if that's what you're using.
In that case, you can't inflate or deflate your tyre.
Which is a problem.
Also, sometimes when you're pumping up the tyre,
these little valves here,
they can actually become bent or twisted,
or in the worst case scenario, snapped off.
So make sure you keep a few of these spare lying around.
Of course, if you're using a tubeless set up,
do exactly the same, keep a few of those valves
laying around because they
really do have a tendency to become bunged up with sealant.
Spare tyres, yep make sure you've always got
one or two of those kicking around as well.
I never actually ride these days
with a tyre that's got a cut or a slash in it.
I have done it in the past
and I've punctured and I've just asked myself the whole way,
why did I bother going out and riding on this.
I could have just changed it and got on with it,
but instead I was at the roadside getting cold,
changing a tyre.
So let that be a lesson to you.
Also, once you fitted it, buy a new one
as soon as possible just in case it happens again.
(whooshing)
Make sure you get yourself a good pot of grease.
So just a general purpose.
There are loads of different types available,
but a general one will see you right.
So if you need to do an emergency repack
of your hub bearings or even refurbish
sealed cartridge bearing, you can do so,
but do remember that if you do refurbish
one of those cartridge bearings,
it's only going to be good for a few more rides
because ultimately it's past it's best.
But hey, you can go riding that next day.
(whooshing)
It's amazing how fast rust can start setting in
on a chain after you've washed it.
So make sure that you've got some either
wet or dry lube in your workshop
so that once you've dried off your chain,
you could apply it.
That way, the next day you've got a good looking chain
and also, gears that work smoothly.
(whooshing)
Now it's not uncommon when having a close
look at your chain after you've cleaned it
and oiled it, that sometimes you actually notice
a couple of cracks on a link or even
some of those plates become bent.
If that does happen, all you can do
is just simply remove those two links
and shorten the chain.
So make sure you've got either a joining pin
or a joining link just to actually rejoin it
once you've done so because traditionally
you can't use those existing pins in there.
They're not going to be as safe a join.
Alternatively, just have a spare chain there
so you can carry on using all your gears
and you're not gonna shorten that chain.
(whooshing)
Cleats are actually one of the most overlooked
parts of your riding equipment.
Yep, that's right.
Most people don't even know that they're wearing out
and before they know it, they're gone.
If not, they can sometimes crack or snap too.
So make sure you've got a set of these
tucked away somewhere, but somewhere you remember them.
Also, the bolts and the washers too.
The number of times I've seen someone
and they've had one of these missing.
Yeah, it's quite high.
So make sure you've got them laying around.
Bits and bobs.
You can never have enough.
I've got so many of these boxes in my workshop,
my shed and my garage.
I had to bring in these two
because they were the two easiest ones to move around,
and the two smallest, believe it or not.
In there I've got all sorts of things.
An old one inch head set spacer.
I've still got some one inch bikes kicking around.
Cable guides, that sort of thing.
Even a cable tie there.
They can fix all sorts of things temporarily.
Chain ring bolts, for instance.
Put them in there and use it.
More commonly used though,
by the mountain bike community as my fried Dotty
on GMBN has showed me.
Also, bike parts basically are really
specific to bikes, obviously.
But you can't go into a little hardware shop
and buy these specific parts.
So when I get an old part, like this
jaw race DR2 rear met which, yeah, I managed to snap.
That's another story.
What I'm gonna do is actually strip out
all of these bolts and the pins and the pivots
so I can use them, possibly, on another
project one day, so make sure that you keep
all of those old parts as much as you can.
If you haven't got any,
ask your mates if they've got any.
That way you might be able to reuse one of your
parts that you've broken.
Or failing that, pop into your local bike shop.
They might have some old rubbish.
Well, it's not rubbish, is it?
But some old bits that you can use again.
(whooshing)
Let me know in the comments down below
what essential spares you carry at home
so that you don't miss out on a ride.
Hopefully soon, as well, we'll be able to
check out my home workshop.
It needs a bit of tidying up though
because it's full of stuff at the moment.
Some of it you've already seen.
And remember, as well, to like and share this video
with your friends and for more great tech,
this time from the DeBitor, click down here.