5 reasons to learn bike maintenance

Whatever kind of cyclist you are (or hope to become!), having the ability to maintain and repair your bike has loads of benefits. Here are our top five:

1. Save money. Many routine repairs and adjustments can be done at home with just a few basic tools. Catching problems early will prevent them turning into major (and expensive!) issues. For example, regularly replacing your brake pads and chain will keep more expensive bike parts happy for longer. We teach when and how to do these on our intro courses. For major jobs, you can visit a community bike workshop – such as our sister project, Pedallers’ Arms – to access the lesser-used and more expensive tools. For the price of a professional service*, you could do our 2-day course, but the latter will give you a serviced bike plus the skills to do it again next time!

*approximately!

2. It makes your bike safer to ride. The ability to spot and fix wear & tear is very, very valuable – not just for your wallet but for your safety. Small routine issues can snowball into big major issues if left unchecked – we’ve seen some pretty alarming things in our time! Regular health checks and replacement of a few key parts are easy to do; your bike will thank you for it, and reward you with many more miles happy cycling!

3. It makes your bike a pleasure to ride. Safety first, naturally, but once that’s sorted, let’s not forget the all important comfort-factor. Loads of people end up on bikes that aren’t the right fit or aren’t adjusted to their needs. It’s also a pain in the a*se if your brakes constantly rub or your chain keeps falling off. Getting the right size bike, saddle, accessories and luggage solutions can make all the difference.

These three reasons are probably the real culprits behind all the cobwebbed bikes in sheds across the nation… but it doesn’t have to be that way. A bike maintenance course is a great investment in your cycling future, and will help you discover the real hidden joys from learning bike maintenance…

4. Get practical skills. We’ve lost count of how many new visitors to the workshop have told us “I don’t have a mechanical mind”. But a lot of bike maintenance is really simple stuff, and so bikes are a great entry point to gain practical skills. Bike parts are mostly very visible – you can clearly see how things connect – and with a bit of explanation, a few tools and some practise you can know your way around a bike quicker than you’d think. You may then be surprised at how quickly this knowledge becomes useful in other contexts… and you’ll be on your way to becoming a practical, problem-solving DIY expert.

5. Independence. Ultimately, learning bike maintenance can make you a much more self-sufficient cyclist. This can give confidence to cycle more regularly and further afield. Understanding the machine you’re balanced on can be truly liberating; you may end up exploring by bike places you never imagined you could go before. We think bike maintenance can be really empowering and welcome anyone who wants to learn with us 🙂

If you are interested in learning more about bike maintenance at Leeds Bike Mill, check out our upcoming dates and more info about the courses we currently offer.