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Tips & Tricks for your bicycle:

from maintenance to backache ! How to fix a flat...

Maintenance - Reparation

Bike settings & regulation

racing & MTB Tyres & Tubes

Puncture and flat tire repair when bicycling:

Sportswear

Accessories

Replacements

Special Tools

puncture repair kit for bicycle tyres

inner tube reparation

check for good

condition of a chain

the chain, in case of

incorrect chain-line,

reduces its life period

"Dog Tooth"

useful accessory to

prevent chain derailment

Bike frame - bent fork end!

1. In case of rear tyre puncture, let the chain going down to the smallest rear sprocket, this is very useful to remove the wheel from the frame & also to reattach it!

2. Take the repair kit usually located under the saddle of your bicycle and with 2 or 3 levers, placed into the right direction, take off the tyre from one side & then pull out the inner tube.

3. with your fingers inside the tyre, check for any nail, prickle or other that could have produced the puncture and remove them.

4. Inflate lightly the inner tube in order to reinsert it inside the tyre without damaging (especially when using levers)

5. Inflate the tube to the right pressure and reconnect the wheel in the bicycle frame!

6. If you don't have the spare tube back with you and you want to repair the flat tire by means of rubber patches & glue, proceed as follows:

Inflate the tube to find the puncture, scratch the surface around the hole (otherwise the patche will not "attach"), clean & spread a thin glue layer.

Wait from 3 to 5 minutes for solvents evaporation, unwrap the patch, put it to on the hole & press strongly for some seconds.

Pay attention! One trick to discover the prickle!

To easily find out where the hypothetical nail was located, align the inner tube valve to the rim hole (its inserting position), then check for the tyre exactly in the point where your reparation was done! To be sure, rotate the inner tube of 180 degrees & check again the tyre.

Yes, but........why punctures occur?

The biker goes near the sidewalk!

Looks at groups of cyclists passing ahead!

He stops thinking "It's my bad day..."

In short... which is the reason for tyre punctures during an enjoyable bike excursion?

Let's talk about tyres pressure:

if a tire is too deflated, you will risk to hole it! If the road is ruined or getting down from a sidewalk, probably it's the rim that cuts the inner tube.

on the contrary, if the tire is too inflated, in case of road hole, the wheel is not able to absorb the full weight. Finally, when it's too inflated, it's also possible the inner tube could blow destroying all the tire.

The standard pressure of the tube is indicated on the tyre together with the spin direction, size & thickness.

For racing bike tyres pressure should be 7-8 bar (100-120 psi) 11 bar (160psi) only for professional tyres.

For mountain bike pressure depends from the excursion's ground & should be 2,5-3,5 bar (40-50 psi).

For city bike max 4 bar (60 psi).

For children bikes just don't exceed!

Backache when cycling!

An annoying backache is usually caused by bad settings of the saddle or pipe and by too high profile rims or rigid frames.

Other reasons are too thin tyres e.g. 700x19-20-21 (racing bikes are currently provided with 700x23 tyres), too high inner tube pressure. We recommend you starting to deflating tyres a little bit!

Bicycle chain

Racing or Mountain Bike chains should be checked & replaced regularly for safe reasons: breaking the chain when cycling is very dangerous & could result in a terrible fall!

A chain should be periodically changed because riding a bike with a worn chain can waste chain-rings & freewheel.

To find out if a chain should be replaced, you can use a special tool: the chain caliber (in the picture the chain is still in a good state: the caliber cannot enter inside the chain.

What about chain's life period? A bike chain can last even 20.000 km, if regularly cleaned, oiled & if it works correctly without twisting (twisting occurs when using both biggest front & rear sprockets or both smallest) More the sprockets are aligned less the twisting.

We have to clarify that this long-life period is only for best bicycles chains. Usually it's better to check for a bike chain wear starting from 6000/7000 Km & even before in case of MTB chains.

Chain suck! Chain suck happens especially when facing a climb, down shifting under load from the biggest to the smallest chain-ring. If the chain-ring is e.g. the "53", down shifting to the "39", the chain is strongly pushed ahead from the gear spring, jumping over the "39" chain-ring on the frame or between the chain rings jamming the crank-set. This happens more frequently when using a big rear sprocket.

To avoid this drawback & interrupt the training or in order to avoid losing positions during a race, down shift before to a small rear sprocket, reduce the pressure on the pedals & finally down shift to the "39"

As an option you can easily equip your bike with this little but very useful accessory, called "Dog tooth" (see picture)

Take care of your bicycle handlebar!

If you heard the handlebar creaking, check for the correct screwing or oil them, but if the noise does not disappear and becomes stronger when you push on the pedals, check if the handlebar is starting to break.If the handlebar breaks when cycling or during a race arrival, dreadful, unexpected falls with heavy effects could happen.

Bike gear settings!

Bicycles gear settings are also very important! During a bike trip, a trim gear helps to make your itinerary very pleasant,

but if the gear is bad settled, with a slow cable, a slanting derailleur-hanger or a bent fork-end, it could even happen that the gear starts to twist on itself and around the free wheel, breaking irremediably & damaging the frame & the rim. You of course know the price of a Campagnolo "Record" or Shimano "Dura-Ace" gear: at least the half price of a bike......

Your Bicycle Technician!

If your looking for an expert bike mechanic in Italy-Abruzzo, able to inspect, repair & service bicycles, diagnose & adjust every single part, satisfy the amateur biker as well as professional one removing all troublesome noises & problems (even repairing Campagnolo or Shimano control levers mechanism) MyBikeHoliday provides you his address:

la Maglia Rosa Bikes - di Paride Paolini, via F.P.Tosti, 166 -66023 Francavilla al Mare - tel. e fax 085.4914384 - e-mail: lamagliarosa@micso.net

Racing, mountain-bike, city bike, sale, rental & repair. Bike accessories, MTB wear, summer & winter clothes, bike shoes, bicycle tools, racing tandem, customized frames, all for bicycle bricolage.

- Instant working, just wait for dispatching time!