Difficulty: Front Derailleur Removal This guide will cover removing the front derailleur on a bicycle. Tools: Repair stand 5mm Allen wrench Chain tool (optional) 1. Place your bike in a repair stand if you have one, it will make the adjustment much easier. (You can always build a repair stand yourself.) 2. Shift into a […]
How to Install a Rear Derailleur
Difficulty: Rear Derailleur Installation This guide will cover installing the rear derailleur. Tools: Repair stand 5mm Allen wrench Small Phillips screwdriver Needle nose pliers Grease 1. Place your bike in a repair stand if you have one, it will make the adjustment much easier. (You can always build a repair stand yourself.) 2. Take the […]
Rear Derailleur Maintenance
Difficulty: Rear Derailleur Maintenance This covers regular maintenance for your rear derailleur. Tools required: Repair stand Degreaser (like Simple Green) Dry lube Light grease 5mm Allen wrench Small Phillips screwdriver 1. Place your bike in a repair stand if you have one, it will make the maintenance much easier. (You can always build a repair […]
Front Derailleur Maintenance
Difficulty: Front Derailleur Maintenance This guide will cover maintaining the front derailleur on a bicycle. Tools: Degreaser (such as Simple Green) Dry lube (such as Finish Line teflon dry lube) 1. The front derailleur should be kept clean and lubed to ensure proper functioning and long life. This can be done with the derailleur on […]
How to Install Front Derailleur
Difficulty: Front Derailleur Installation This guide will cover installing the front derailleur on a bicycle. Tools: Repair stand 5mm Allen wrench Small Phillips screwdriver Needle nose pliers Cable cutters 1. Place your bike in a repair stand if you have one, it will make the adjustment much easier. (You can always build a repair stand […]
Adjust Shifter Cables On The Fly
Difficulty: Adjusting Your Shifter Cables On The Fly Here is how to adjust your shifter cables on the fly, allowing you to perfect your shifting while you ride! 1. Look for the barrel adjusters on the downtube cable stops. Make a mental note of which side corresponds with which derailleur. 2. If upshifts become a […]
How to Tape a Drop Handlebar
Difficulty: How to Tape a Road Handlebar Over time, your fresh handlebar tape will wear out – becoming uncomfortable and appearing dingy. It’s fairly cheap to replace and not hard to do (it just takes a little practice,) so change your handlebar tape whenever it is worn down. Tools: Handlebar tape Electrical tape Scissors or […]
How to Replace Threadless Stem
Difficulty: Threadless Stem Removal and Installation (or Replacement) This guide will cover how to remove and install a threadless stem, as if you were replacing one. Tools: 4, 5, and/or 6mm Allen wrench Grease Repair stand Removal: Start by placing the bike in a repair stand… 1. Remove the handlebar from the stem. Hopefully there’s […]
How to Replace a Threaded Stem
Difficulty: Threaded Stem Installation and Removal This guide will cover how to remove and install a threaded stem, as if you were replacing one. Tools: Repair stand Tape Allen wrench Rubber mallet Grease Removal: 1. Remove the handlebar. 2. Mark the stem’s height using tape so that you can reinstall it properly later. 3. […]
How to Adjust Seat Position
Difficulty: Seat Position Adjustment When changing your position on the bike, you will probably need to adjust your seat position. There are two adjustments here: seat height, and fore-aft position. Getting the right position is a job for a bike fitter, but moving the seat around can easily be done at home. To change seat […]