The right tool for the right job

Right, so if you're following this blog you know we've been racking up a fair number of miles in a pretty short time and will be racking more and more up as the weeks go on. As our bodies need proper maintenance (food, rest and exercise) so do our bikes.

To maintain the bike you need a few essential tools - remember using the right tool for the right job will ensure that you dont damage your bike or more importantly yourself -either during the maintenance or worse. Just imagine your wheels deciding to fall off when you are travelling at 30mph down hill.

So...which tools do you need. Well it depends on your bike. I'm not going to pretend I know much about those fancy carbon fibre road bikes and will instead concentrate on the mountain bike as its my favourite.

Never leave home without:

• a multi tool like this one from topeak
• a puncture repair kit - no brainer really.
• a good pump (ideally with a big barrel and dual action so you inflate the tyre in half the time).
• a set of tyre levers - well kind of obvious given my habit for picking up punctures recently.
• a chain splitter - it can also be used to rejoin chains if they snap.
  

At home - if you are interested in your bike as we are you should have at least:

• A set of allen keys - for tightening/loosening most components.
• A decent number 2 phillips screwdriver - for adjusting the derailleurs.
• A decent number 2 flat screwdriver - might be needed for the derailleurs too.
• Pliers - for helping tension gear cables.
• Wire cutters - to cut the gear cables to length.
• A 14mm spanner (open ended)

And finally - for the competent mechanics amongst us (or wanna-be grease monkeys):

• A crank puller - to remove the cranks so you can get to the crank bearings
• A chain whip - to help you remove the rear freewheel mechanism
• A Locking nut - for your specific gear set so you can remove it. Shimano uses different means from other manufacturers and even within its own range.
• a BottomBracket tool - again watch out for the manufacturer and model as it will be different for each one.
• 3/8" Ratchet Drive - because I am lazy and dont like using spanners unless I really have to!
• and loads of grease!

I'll not bore you with the details of how to maintain your bike just yet; but I will say this for now, its important to make sure that the chain is well oiled (use oil not grease) and that the bike is left upside down overnight at least once a week if you have suspension to allow the top seals to be kept free from any perishing effects from drying out. A rubber o-ring might seem an innocuous piece of kit but if you dont take care of the smallest detail it can let you down big time.

I'll use rest days to ensure that my bike is running as it should to help ensure that the training is as problem free as possible.