New to cycling and majorly need help

[mrs fry]

As I can't drive, I've had to take up cycling in order to get home from work. My boyfriend drives me to work with the bike on the car rack, but as he works evenings - I have to bike home. It's 7 miles, which for a beginner is quite a way. On my first go it took me 2 hours to get home, but after 4 trips I'm now down to 50 minutes which I am fairly happy with.

The thing is, I am pretty much clueless on bikes and bike mainentence. Last night, the chain came loose. I fixed it, or thought I had but on the main road it came off again and I was stranded 6 miles from home, then I sprained my already dodgey ankle. Luckily, a nice man and his little boy offered me a lift (I wouldn't usually accept lifts from strangers but I was crying, stressed, in pain and it was unlikely he was dangerous since he had his 6 year old with him. Thankfully he had a big car and lived not far from where I needed to go.

I'm taking the bike back to Halfords tomorrow to get them to look at it. I was just wondering if anyone knows the things I perhaps should be carrying with me in case this happens again and any other things I should be wary of happening.

Any advice would be great.

 

[Rob3rt]

Im also pretty clueless in bike maintenance. So I'd take it some where other than halfords, a local bike shop is your best bet. A local bike shop, if you have a nice one will talk you through what the problem is and tell you how to fix ityourself if its a small issue (which it probly is being a new bike).

All I carry is, a set of spanners, a set of allen keys, a small pump and a puncture repair kit. Its quite easy to get your chain back on, if you watch someone do it you will be doing it on your own very easy. If its dropping the chain a lot it sounds like chain is slack or gears arent set up properly.

 

[2Loose]

All I carry is;
Latex gloves, multi-tool (& spanner for wheel if not quick release),
pump & p**cture kit inc. tyre levers in case the fairy visits.
baby wipes are useful to get hands etc. clean afterwards,
Lock, phone and cash if a taxi is required!

 

[nigelb]

I got a bike shop to check out (and fix) my "new" (second hand) bike, meant I started with everything pretty much as it should be.

After that, a few more things happened, but they were easy to spot (as I knew what the bike was like when it was ok), some I've fixed, others I've had the shop do.

Maybe someone on here will know a friendly bike shop near you?

Nige

 

[Scoosh]

mrs fry and to Cyclechat

2hrs ... 4 trips ... 50 mins ... watch out Lance/Alberto

Many congratulations on deciding to cycle - and sticking with it (no matter there is an element of compulsion - we all need that push )

+1 to finding a good local bike shop LBS (there are some recommends from CC folk here) and building a good relationship with them. They'll provide you with advice, knowledge, a joke or two ... and help you spend loadsa ££ !

I carry :
2 x inner tubes (it's easier/quicker just to change the tube at roadside than trying to fix a flat)
tyre levers
'flat' repair kit (in case of >2 flats )
latex gloves
pump
small purse with allen keys, cash, mob phone

Now, how long before you start cycling TO work as well as back ?

 

[swee'pea99]

Hi Mrs Fry! And as per t'others, congratulations.

Broad picture - if you have a half decent bike set up properly, that should be it. No chains falling off or anything else other than the occasional puncture. Halfords don't have a great reputation hereabouts, tho' I think the truth is it's largely a matter of luck who you actually end up dealing with - a 63 yr old bloke called Len who knows what he's doing and gives a damn or a 19 yr old numpty.

A good local bike shop, if you can find one, would be your best ally. But like I say, the main thing is to get it running properly once and for all - then your ride should be (largely) problem free.

 

[Amanda P]

Well done, Mrs Fry. It's not the most comfortable time of year to start getting to work by bike, but you've done it anyway.

If you don't have a clue with your bike, as others have said, you should cultivate a good bike shop. But you should also know how to fix a puncture as a minimum - there wont' always be a knight in a big car to come to the rescue. Other cyclists can be very helpful, though. Are there any on your route? Chat them up to them. You can always use more friends.

Find out if anyone runs a basic bike maintenance course near you. Some bike shops do, or local councils sponsor them from time to time. It would give you the confidence to fix things, because you'd have done it before on the course.

Does anyone who works where you work cycle? If so, cultivate them. We're mostly a friendly and helpful bunch, and five minute spent in the company of someone who knows how to use a spanner, pointing at bits of bikes, is worth any amount of on-line advice, especially if you're not sure what things are called.

Having said that, there are videos online that make things very clear. I believe Park Tool have some, and there will be others along in a minute with links to lots more.

 

[ACS]

Mrs F

Welcome. Not much more to add to the above except to reassure that most of us have been there at some point.

 

[Debian]

Welcome Mrs Fry

Well done for taking the plunge and try not to let a small setback put you off. You'll soon get the hang of it, bike maintenance is not rocket science and once you get used to it changing an inner tube is a five minute job.

As others have said, try to find a local mate who's bike savvy rather than rely on a LBS.

Finally, don't feel shy for asking for any advice on here.

Keep it up.

 

[cyberknight]

Welcome !!

Sounds like your local halfords did not set the bike up right . Does the chain fall off when swapping the front gears?

I do not know any cycle shops in tamworth but this link shows some


http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?oe=ut...roup&ct=more-results&resnum=1&ved=0CBoQtQMwAA

I carry ..

inner tube
instant patchs
pump
tyres levers
multi tool ( including chain breaker )
instant inflate+ seal aerosol
mini spanner


on top of which..

rainlegs ... small rain proofs for legs
spare gloves, windproof,buff,i do not carry spare batteries for lights as i look like a x mas tree so i chance it that if 1 goes that the rest should be ok and i recharge every weekend.

My local shop is in swadlincote ,derbyshire
Lloyds cycles and they are great and dependant on what they have on can be quick , i took my commuter in on saturday afternoon for a fix i was not sure to do and they had it done in less than an hour.


A site worth looking at is bicycletutor.com

http://bicycletutor.com/


has lots of vidoes for general maintenence.

EDIT !!!!

If you got the bike from halfords it should be under warranty and these problems should be fixed free of charge as it does not work as intended, also what bike have you got?

 

[Arch]

Having said that, there are videos online that make things very clear. I believe Park Tool have some, and there will be others along in a minute with links to lots more.

For example, Bicycle Tutor...

http://bicycletutor.com/

(edit, I was beaten to it...)

Or, get a book. There are lots of bike repair manuals (even Haynes do one). Perhaps go to your local big book shop and ask them what they have (or maybe your library if it's big). Leaf through a few, and see which you find easy to follow. Also, charity shops are worth a look, there have been dozens of 'the big glossy book of the bike' types of book, and they often end up being passed on. They'll have a lot of stuff about racing and so on, but may have a section on basic maintenance.

Also, practice at home. Things like changing a tube, mending a puncture, you can do dummy runs at home, in the warm, with the book to hand and a cup of tea.

Finally, and this might sound daft but... Look at your bike. Bring it in the warm, lean it up against the wall and look at it. Look at the way the brake cables operate the brakes, look at how the gears work (if you have a derailleur, you'll be able to see this, if you have hubgears it'll just be a box of tricks. Nonetheless, look at how it's fixed, where the cable goes etc.) Look at how the chain fits round the various bits. Get to really know your bike, in a situation where you can be relaxed about it. Then if something does go wrong, you'll have a lot more chance of seeing what's wrong, and how to fix it. (The very best way to learn all this is to strip a bike down and rebuild it, but that's a bit extreme, until you get really keen). The thing about bikes is, they are, really, very simple, and anyone can work them out - once they know how they work. But if you don't know, they are as complicated as a jetplane...

Things to carry - I commute 3 miles each way at the most, and carry a pump, a multitool and a puncture repairkit. But I could easily walk home. On a longer run, I carry more tools - spanner, screwdriver, chain tool (this breaks and rejoins the chain if you have to), spare inner tubes. But you don't have to go mad - it's daft to carry loads of tools you don't know how to use. Latex gloves are useful, to save you getting gunky fingers, and some baby wipes will deal with any gunk you do get on you.

Oh, and welcome and well done! You've come on brilliantly in a short time, and at a crappy time of year. Just wait for the fine light evenings, you'll be thinking of extending your ride home a bit.... Also, think of the toning effect on your legs... (oh, and that's coming from a girl, in case you think I'm perving!)

 

[swee'pea99]

Nice one Arch! Top post. <thumbs up smiley>

 

[bauldbairn]

Welcome to the CC Forum Mrs Fry - the others seem to have all bases covered regards your maintenance needs.

Congratulations on starting commuting at what is the worst possible time of the year(weather wise) - it'll only get better for you. In no time you'll easilly get that commute down to around half an hour.

Only tips I'll add is have a look at "puncture resistant tyres" these should eliminate some unecessary glass/thorns penetrating your tyres. Wear Hi-Viz clothing on the roads - have flashing L.E.D. lights on your bike front and rear(night or day) these are relatively cheap(Poundland/Lidl/Aldi have some ocassionally) - and as mentioned carry enough money for a taxi home, should you break down(and not be able to fix it).

Good Luck!

 

[Arch]

[quote name='swee'pea99']Nice one Arch! Top post. <thumbs up smiley>[/QUOTE]

Why, thank you!

I'm by no means a technical whizz, but I learned a lot from stripping down a second hand bike, and with a bit of thought I can usually work out what the problem is, even if I can;t fix it.

The one thing I know nothing abhout is disc brakes, which I need to sort, since my new ride has them....

 

[mrs fry]

Thank you very much for all the helpful replies.