Bike maintenance is a must to do stuff for all cyclists. Whether you are a casual rider or a hardcore tracker, you have to keep your bike clean and healthy for getting smooth-riding experiences. But, sometimes cleaning and lubrication is not enough for enhanced riding experiences. You have to do some fine-tuning and repairing to get a ready-to-go bike. Besides, if you are a long-distance rider, you can face flat tires, inefficient braking power, and loosen bolts in the middle of a ride. To fix these problems, you must have some bike repair kits ready!
So, which bike repair kits to carry on a toolbox?
On the bicycle gear market, you will find various types of bike repair kits and toolboxes. Many riders don’t know how to use them, so they get confused about choosing. If you are one of them, then read this post to the end. We have described which bike repair kits are essential and how to use them.
Must have bike repair kits
Whether for home maintenance or long rides, some bike repair kits are a must-have for all times. Those necessary tools are for regular maintenance and flat fix. However, let’s learn how to use them.
Tire levers
Let’s start with the basic flat-fixing kits. For fixing a flat, you have to release the wheel and take the tire off the rim. Tire levers can help you to do so and pull out the flat tube for repair. It is more useful for road bike tires as they fit tightly with the rims. However, many people use a screwdriver instead of tire levers. We suggest not to do so as there is a risk of damaging tires while using a screwdriver.
Patching kits
If the tube gets punctured because of minor leakage, it’s OK to patch them instead of replacing them. A patching kit box contains glue, patching tubes, and everything that is needed for patching. Just identify the leakage positions and seal them with patching tubes. It’s that simple. However, make sure the glue and patching tube has compatible with your bike’s inner tube.
Spare tubes
You have to replace the inner tube when it gets severely damaged. So getting spare tubes is a must for bike repair. However, consider the latex tubes while buying an inner tube. They are lightweight and provide less rolling resistance. If you want an affordable option, go for butyl tubes. Heavy yet durable butyl tubes are perfect for carrying as spares. Besides, consider your bike’s wheel size and type of valve (Presta or Schrader).
Floor pump
Prevention is better than cure!
So, regular bike maintenance is more important than repairing it after a break. I am talking about the floor pump. A floor pump with a pressure gauge can help you to maintain the correct air pressure on the tire. If you do it regularly, the chances of puncture or flat tire decrease by 70%. Moreover, a floor pump is needed after every flat fix.
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Lubrication supplies
As I said, Prevention is better than cure!
Regular cleaning & lubrication can help you to get rid of the rusty chain or drivetrain. For that, you will need a small container full of lubricant, clean rags, and cleaning agents. So?
Get suitable lube for your bike and lubricate the chain regularly.
Multitool
Loosen bolts are a common problem that every cyclist faces. Besides, you need to adjust the brakes and shifter when it gets very loose or very tight. If you get an all-in-one solution to these problems, how would it be?
Yes! I am talking about a multitool. It comes with a variety of tools that helps to tighten or loosen all sizes of bolts. Additionally, a few more tools are provided for various stuff. However, all multitool doesn’t suit bike repairs. Before buying a multitool, make sure it provides these tools that fit your bike bolts and help repair works.
For Advance Bike Maintenance
If you like to take care of your bike by yourself, get some advanced bike repair kits. You can’t repair like a pro but can save some money on maintenance by this.
In case if you forget to read our previous content you can check out Bike Maintenance: 5 Easy Steps for the Beginners.
Spares
If you know basic bike repair works, then keep some spare parts at home. We know you can’t swap all those parts, or some of them don’t need to change all the time. So, we have listed those spares that are easy to replace and frequently need replacement.
- Tires: For a casual rider, tires don’t need to be replaced regularly. But, if you are a hardcore sprinter/tracker, or a trip guy, the tires get damaged frequently. So, keeping spare tires is good. However, if you are on a long trip, carry foldable spare tires.
- Brake/derailleur cable: You can’t go out with your bike when a cable is broken. So, there is no better choice than to replace it immediately. That’s why you will need to keep some cables both at home and on long rides. When a cable breaks, cut a new one according to the required length and swap with the old one.
- Nut bolts: Every pair of nut bolt gets loosen, and the thread breaks after a particular time. So, get some spare nut bolts and carry them on long rides. Consult your nearby bike shop to get the required size of nut bolts for your bike.
- Chain: You need to swap up the chain when it gets too rusty. Get spare chains so that you can replace them quickly. Also, carry some chain links on long rides as you will need them when the chain breaks.
- Spokes: If you know how to replace spokes, then buy a bundle of spokes. Of course, you must know your bike’s wheel size before buying it. Don’t go for it if you can’t do this work accordingly.
Chain tools
For repairing the bike chain, you will need some chain tools. Get a suitable chain breaker that can help you to break the chain. If you need to replace rusty chains, use the chain breaker. Also, use a small hammer and iron board for closing the chain.
Wheel stand
Can you do serious bike repair works like hub replacement or bent rim fixes?
If you can, get a wheel stand. It eases those stuff as you can set a wheel on it. However, you can mount, replace, or fix spokes quickly with it. Any kind of repair related to wheels gets accessible if you own a wheel stand.
Spoke wrench
The spoke wrench is a small handy tool for tightening/loosening the spokes. It is easily carriable and useful. You can use it for rim bent fix, spoke replacement, or hub swap. Before buying a spoke wrench, make sure it fits with your bike’s spoke.
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Bike repair kits for long rides
Day-long tours and long journeys are fun until you face any problem on the bike. It gets impossible to resume riding when your bike needs to repair in the middle of a ride. Moreover, if your routes are in remote areas, it’s hard to find a bike repair shop. So, carry some bike repair kits so that you can perform necessary bike repair works quickly. But what to carry on long rides?
Well, if possible, carry all the tools we have mentioned above. However, some of them are not suitable to carry. Replace them with their options.
Mini Pump
You can’t carry a floor pump while cycling. So, it’s good to have a mini pump or portable CO2 charger. It is lightweight and easy carriable. You can simply attach it with the seat tube and unmount it when needed. Before buying a floor pump, make sure it has enough padding on the handgrip. Besides, consider its length so that you can mount it with your bike’s frame.
Wrenches
Wrenches are one of the most used bike repair kits. Whether you need to tighten/loosen the bolts or unmount bike parts, they are a must. However, get both Allen and open-end wrenches. If you can afford full sets, that’s great. Buy only the required sizes of tools if you have a tight budget.
Screwdrivers
Like wrenches, screwdrivers are also crucial for bike repairs. Of course, you must get the matched screwdrivers with the screw heads. After that, make sure the handle is comfortable to hold. The bulkier the handle, the more comfortable the screwdriver is.
Chain Link
On a long ride, it’s better to carry some chain links instead of a whole chain. Because they are small in size and easy carriable. When the chain breaks, just throw the broken link away and swap it with a new one. Use a small hand hammer or pliers to close the chain.
Pliers
Pliers are one of the most versatile bike repair kits. You can use it for cutting or bending wires, closing chains, and many more purposes. On a long ride, pliers are lifesavers. Different types of pliers have different utilities. They are useful for brake adjustment, chain swap, or bend fixes.
Other things to carry
Besides all bike repair kits mentioned above, you will need a few other things to carry on long rides.
- Duct tape: Necessary for tying things with the bike. For single use.
- Zip Ties: Utility is the same as duct tape but can be used several times.
- Nails: Nails are necessary for multiple purposes. For opening or closing chain, you will need nails.
How to carry bike repair kits?
You have got all the essential bike repair kits, right?
But how to carry them?
Well, some have the facilities to mount on the bike. For example, the mini pump can be attached to the frame with zip ties.
Yet, some of the tools and spares are tiny in size and can be lost if you don’t preserve them correctly.
For short-distance urban rides, get a small saddle bag to carry multitool and small spares. You can also use a little pouch bag to carry the tiny parts separately.
However, use frame bags to carry heavy tools and inner tubes when you go for a day-long ride. If you love to go for multi-day trips, get a backpack and extra luggage.
Anyways, a rear rack can help you to carry bulky luggage and backpacks. So, for multiday long journeys, buy a durable rear rack.
Conclusion
There is no option over getting the essential bike repair kits. After all, it’s fun to maintain and repair your bike by yourself. Besides, you are saving valuable time and money with this. We guess you have understood its importance after reading the post. So, whenever you buy the bike repair kits, remember our suggestions and get the essential ones. We hope you stay healthy as well as your bike stay problem-free.
