EMERGENCY FIXES

How to fix your bike when disaster strikes and you’re miles from home, and what tools to carry to fix any immediate problems

You’re midway through one of the best rides you can remember when fatigue and a momentary lapse of attention cause you to edge your front wheel into the rear of your riding buddy’s bike, catching his derailleur in your spokes. The consequences are a buckled front wheel and a broken rear mech 30 miles from home.

Rather than facing the prospect of having to rely on thumbs and the generosity of strangers, or mobiles and a friend, most of us would prefer to be able to rely on our own skills to get us home.

Although by no means exhaustive, we’ve tried to highlight the most common and likely occurrences and technical difficulties. What’s certain is that if you ride a lot, the odds of experiencing these scenarios will only increase with time, and a little knowledge might just go a long way.

(01) BENT RE ARM ECHO R GEAR H ANGER

Place the bent rear mech into the smallest cog and big ring, then carefully and slowly pull the derailleur back into position. The cage of the rear mech should be in line with the smallest sprocket and check that it’s pointing in a perpendicular direction to the ground. Be careful when selecting the lowest gear while riding afterwards though, as the derailleur might no longer be as well adjusted and could get caught in the spokes.

(02) TY RE REMOVAL

A useful trick is knowing how to remove a tyre without tyre levers. Make sure all the air is removed, then lean over the wheel, holding it vertically against the ground. Starting with both hands at the top, pinch and manipulate the tyre beads into the centre of the rim channel simultaneously, with both hands working downwards. As your hands meet towards the bottom you’ll have gained a substantial amount of slack, which should be enough to pull the bead over the rim flange. If it’s still a little tight, remove your quick-release skewer and use the lever. Check the tyre for debris before fitting the new inner tube. Run your hands around the inside of the wheel rim to feel for anything that may have pierced the casing, taking care not to cut yourself.

(03) GEAR CABLE REPAIRS

If you break a gear cable, it’s most likely to be the rear one, in the lever or near the head-tube where most friction occurs. Remove your front derailleur cable and thread it through the right lever (you’ll probably have to twist it in the direction of the winding to stop the strands from fraying). Tie it using a square knot onto the cable attached to the rear mech, about halfway along the down-tube. Before tying the knot, push the mech up onto the big cog. This will take up any slack when it’s released. You can also immobilise the derailleur in a specific gear if all cable options are gone – jam a twig or piece of debris in the parallelogram, after placing it into the desired gear.