BusinessBeginnerPreview
Bike Maintenance & Repair
A hands-on, beginner course that takes you from roadside flat repair to a full home tune-up using real torque values, named tools, and shop-proven procedures.
For new and returning cyclists who own a bike and want to maintain and repair it confidently at home.
Course content
Workbook & downloads
Put the course into practice — a printable workbook plus editable templates you can fill in and reuse.
Preview the workbook
This workbook turns the course into hands-on practice on your own bicycle. Each section pairs with a course module and mixes guided exercises, fill-in worksheets, and checklists you will use at the workstand. Work through it with your bike, tools, and a torque wrench within reach, and keep the templates to track wear and tune-ups over time.
Workshop Setup, Bolts, and Safety
Build your toolkit, learn your bike's torque specs, and lock in a pre-ride safety habit.
Worksheet: My Bike's Spec Sheet
Find these values from the bolts, the sidewall printing, and your bike or component manuals, and record them so you never have to guess mid-repair.
- Bike make and model
- Brake type (rim or disc)
- Front tire pressure range (psi, from sidewall)
- Rear tire pressure range (psi, from sidewall)
- Stem bolt torque spec (Nm)
- Seatpost clamp torque spec (Nm)
- Wheel system (quick-release or thru-axle)
- Thru-axle torque spec, if applicable (Nm)
Checklist: Minimum Toolkit Acquisition
- Hex key set including 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 mm
- T25 Torx key for disc rotors and many cranks
- Torque wrench covering roughly 2 to 14 Nm
- Set of three tire levers
- Floor pump with a working pressure gauge
- Chain checker (wear gauge)
- Bicycle-rated cable cutter
- Repair stand or a way to hang the bike off the ground
Exercise: Run the ABC Quick Check
Perform the ABC plus quick-release and drop test on your bike, then answer the prompts. Repeat before your next three rides to build the habit.
- Were both tires within the printed pressure range, and if not, how far off?
- Did each brake lever firm up well before reaching the bar?
- Did the drop test reveal any rattle, clunk, or buzz, and where did it seem to come from?
- How long did the full check take once you knew the steps?
Wheels, Tires, and Flat Repair
Practice the full flat-repair sequence, diagnose punctures, and confirm your wheels are secure and true.
Exercise: Timed Flat Repair Drill
Remove a wheel, take the tube out, reseat or swap it, and reinflate, following the course sequence. Do it twice and compare. Practicing on a calm afternoon makes the roadside version effortless.
- Did you remember to shift to the smallest cog before removing the rear wheel?
- What did you find when you ran your fingers around the inside of the tire?
- How did you avoid pinching the tube while seating the final section of bead?
- What was your repair time on attempt one versus attempt two?
Worksheet: Puncture Diagnosis Log
For the next flat you get, inflate the removed tube, locate the hole, and fill this in to identify the root cause before you reinstall.
- Date and ride conditions
- Hole location (tread side, rim side, or sidewall)
- Number of holes (single or paired snakebite)
- Suspected cause (debris, pinch, rim tape, valve, blowout)
- What I found in the tire casing on inspection
- Tire pressure I was actually running
- Action taken to prevent a repeat
Checklist: Wheel Security and True Check
- Wheel seated fully and squarely in the dropouts
- Quick-release lever needs firm effort to close and leaves a palm imprint
- Thru-axle threaded fully and torqued to spec
- Wheel spins centred between brake pads or caliper with no rub
- No side-to-side rim wobble while spinning
- All spokes feel evenly tensioned when plucked
Brakes and Shifting
Set pad clearance and lever feel, replace worn pads or cables, and index your gears for clean shifts.
Exercise: Brake Setup and Lever Feel
Adjust your brakes for correct pad contact and clearance, then test the lever feel. For disc brakes, practice the loosen-squeeze-tighten centring trick to eliminate rotor rub.
- Do the pads contact the braking surface squarely, missing the tire and the frame?
- How far does the lever travel before it firms up, and does it stop well short of the bar?
- If you have disc brakes, did the centring procedure remove the rub?
- Did you keep all oil and lube away from the rotor or rim surfaces?
Exercise: Index the Rear Derailleur
Following the limit-screw then cable-tension sequence, index your rear derailleur in the stand. Then run every gear up and down to confirm each shift lands in one click.
- Did setting the H and L limit screws stop the chain from overshooting either end?
- When a shift to a larger cog was slow, which way did you turn the barrel adjuster?
- How many quarter-turn adjustments did it take to get clean shifts across the cassette?
- Which gears, if any, still hesitate, and does that point to limits or tension?
Worksheet: Brake and Shift Service Record
Record what you inspected and replaced so you know when each wear item was last touched.
- Date of service
- Brake pad condition front and rear
- Pads replaced (yes or no)
- Brake cables replaced (yes or no)
- Pinch bolt torque set to (Nm)
- Barrel adjuster final position notes
- Shifting quality after indexing (1 to 5)
Drivetrain Care and Seasonal Tune-Up
Clean, measure, and lube the chain, check bearing systems, and run a complete seasonal service.
Exercise: Chain Clean, Measure, and Lube
Clean and dry your chain, measure it with a chain checker, then apply one drop of lube per roller and wipe off the excess. Choose dry or wet lube based on your typical riding conditions.
- What did your chain checker read against the 0.5 and 0.75 percent marks?
- Based on that reading, does the chain need replacing now or can it keep going?
- Did you choose dry or wet lube, and why for your conditions?
- After wiping, does the chain look nearly dry on the outside?
Exercise: Bearing Play Diagnosis
Check the headset and bottom bracket for play and roughness using the course tests. The goal is accurate diagnosis, not overhaul.
- When you held the front brake and rocked the bike, did you feel any headset knock?
- Was the steering smooth, or gritty and notchy, when you swept the bars?
- Did the crank have any side-to-side play when you pushed and pulled it?
- Did you hear or feel any grinding when backpedaling, and is it a fix-now or shop item?
Checklist: Seasonal Tune-Up Run-Through
- Bike washed, dried, and frame inspected for cracks near welds and head tube
- Tire pressure and tread checked, casing inspected for cuts and debris
- Wheels secure and spinning true
- Chain cleaned, measured, and replaced if past 0.75 percent
- Brakes adjusted with firm levers and worn pads replaced
- Derailleur indexed and every gear confirmed
- Headset and bottom bracket checked for play and roughness
- Stem, seatpost, and brake-mount bolts re-torqued to spec
- Low-speed test ride completed and signed off
Your Action Plan
- Assemble the minimum toolkit and complete the My Bike's Spec Sheet worksheet so every torque and pressure value is on hand.
- Run the ABC quick check before each of your next three rides until it becomes automatic.
- Practice the timed flat-repair drill twice at home so the roadside version is calm and quick.
- Start the Puncture Diagnosis Log and use it to fix the root cause of your next flat, not just the symptom.
- Set up your brakes for correct pad clearance and a firm lever, replacing pads or cables if worn.
- Index the rear derailleur and run every gear up and down until each shift lands in one click.
- Clean, measure, and lube the chain, recording the wear reading in the Drivetrain Wear Tracker.
- Diagnose headset and bottom bracket play, and decide which jobs you will do versus hand to a shop.
- Run one complete seasonal tune-up following the checklist from wash to test ride.
- Schedule your next tune-up two to four months out and log it in the Maintenance Schedule template.
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