Maintenance

How to create the best space for fixing your bikes

Designing the perfect workshop

If you are anything like me, you need everything in its place. Your garage is no exception. Wherever I have lived throughout my life, I have always taken the time to set up a space to work on my bikes. A home workshop space is essential if you plan to tackle some maintenance on your own. Here are some of my tips for doing so.

How much space do you need? I would say a minimum of 100–150 sq. ft. This area would allow for enough room for a small workbench and stand. You’ll want a small rubber mat to stand on in front of your workbench, especially if you have a concrete floor. The mat will save your legs and knees for riding your bike. The bench itself can be whatever your heart and budget desires. You can get fancy (and sometimes expensive) with a purpose-built bench with storage drawers, but you can also get by with an old table or makeshift bench made with plywood and some two-by-fours. For a work surface on the bench, I prefer hardwood or metal. If you already have a bench with a not-so-great surface, you can go to a metal store with exact measurements and have a piece of sheet metal cut. You can affix the sheet onto the top of your bench for a durable work surface.

On the bench, you’ll want a parts tray with dividers or a set of small stackable bins to keep things organized. Having a magnetic parts tray is also useful and will stay put on your metal work surface. So that small items don’t roll around on the work surface, use a piece of shelf liner in the centre of your work area. You can use leftover speed/cadence magnets to hold it in place or glue it down with spray adhesive. It’s great to have a shelf or two beneath your bench for storage of parts or tools.

A key essential is your actual bike stand, which is a must if you plan to work on your bike. Some are portable and some are not. You must determine what would be more economical and beneficial to you. A portable one is great for taking your bike outside to wash it; it is not as sturdy as a professional-grade one that is bolted into the ground. If budget is of no concern, then get both.

“The mat will save your legs and knees for riding your bike.”

Having important tools up on your wall above your workbench makes things easier to reach. It also looks great when organized properly. There are a few ways to organize them. You can use a classic peg board with various hooks, a magnetic strip or a combination of the two. I actually use kitchen-storage magnetic strips from Ikea to hold my commonly used tools, such as cone wrenches, Allen keys and screwdrivers. Your less-commonly used tools can be stored in drawers or a toolbox.

Your toolbox could rest on top of your bench or underneath it. A rolling tool chest with drawers is a nice touch wheeled under your workbench. You’ll keep more bulky and heavy tools in here, such as bearing drivers, headset tools and power tools. You’ll also want something smaller to carry essential items when you travel to races and rides.

A shop is not complete without a good bench vise. If you will be building your own bikes, then the vise is essential for cutting down carbon steering tubes. Most cutting guides are made to be held in a vise. It is also a must if you plan on doing any suspension work.

A workshop that’s dialed will make getting your bike ride-ready faster and easier. Maintenance is enjoyable, especially in a great space, but riding is still way more fun.