What to have in your repair kit:

This is for a basic repair kit- the essentials.

First, you should definitely have a pump. In the video is a morph pump, which can morph out and become a floor pump.

Second, you should have some extra tubes that fit the size of the wheels and tires used on your bike. If not tubes, at least have a patch kit, though you may find yourself with holes to big to be patched at times.

Having a little bit of cash in your repair kit that is separate from your pocket cash is always a good idea. You can use it for patching your tire or for buying something essential you may have forgotten.

Make sure to have a couple tire levers, usually 2 or 3. It can be a good idea to have three just in case one breaks while you are working with it. You will need at least two, typically, to get your tire off.

Tire Levers

Having a pair of gloves will come in handy. If you need to do repairs while you are on your way to somewhere nice and you don’t want to have your hands dirty, gloves will prevent that. Grease can be a pain to get off your hands without proper soap.

It’s really important to have a multi-tool that will have your allen keys, screwdrivers, and a chain tool in case your chain breaks.

Multi-Tool

Having a extra toe strap can come in handy. You can use it to cinch down things if something fell off of your bike. Obviously it can be used as an extra toe strap as well.

Toe Strap

A rag to wipe off hands and chain.

This is a really basic tool kit but is great to carry around riding in the city or a place where help and a bike store aren’t incredibly far away.

Installing Integrated Brake/Gear Levers:

To begin, peel back the brake hood. Slide a lever on to the handlebar into position and tighten with a 5mm allen wrench. Positioning should look similar to in the video.

Once Lever is in Position Tighten with a 5 mm hex

Thread the gear shift cable into the mechanism. In the video is a Campagnolo Ergopower 10 speed. Cut housing to length with quality cutters. Measure twice, cut once. Add ferrules where needed. Thread the rear derailleur cable through its housing and back through the first stop on the frame. You can position the cable on the bars and secure it with electrical tape. Now, thread the cable through the cable guide on the bottom bracket. Install your pre-cut housing between the stop on the chain stay and the rear derailleur, and thread the gear cable. Secure the cable to the rear derailleur.

Thread Cables Through Appropriate Paths and Housing

Now, following a similar procedure, lets thread a brake cable. Thread on your brake cable housing and secure it with tape. The rear brake cable usually runs along the top tube between stops to a second short cable housing. Push it through the cable clamp, but don’t tighten it just yet. When you install your brakes, add a little grease to the threads.

To install front derailleur cables, thread through the first stop on the frame and lead it back down under the bottom bracket. Thread through the cable guide and pull it up behind the seat tube. Pull it up over the pivot arm of the front derailleur and tighten it down.

Make Sure to Feed Cable Through Guide Under Bottom Bracket Shell

Now you are ready to do fine adjustments and tape your bars. Once that is done, roll the brake hood back into place. Make sure the hood doesn’t interfere with the free running of the mechanism.

Finally, clip and crimp your cables.

Overhauling and Adjusting Cup and Cone Hubs:

Many wheels run on sealed bearing hubs these days, but there are many good cup and cone hubs worth maintaining.

A cone wrench and a crescent wrench are really all you need to get started. Hold the cone in place and break the locknut free. Particularly if you are working on a rear wheel, you want to count the number of threads beyond the locknut. With the rear wheel, you will need to remove the cassette or freewheel. Remove the locknut and spacers, and remember their order. Now you can use your hands to spin off the cone and withdraw the axle. Clean and carefully examine the cones.

A Crescent Wrench and A Cone Wrench are Needed to Access the Hub

Now, turn your attention to the hub itself. Remove bearings from both sides of the hub. A magnetized tool can make this a lot easier. With degreaser, clean inside the hub shell. Buff the cup thoroughly, then examine it with a ballpoint pen for any pitting.

Remove Bearings From the Hub

If all is well, fill the cup with fresh grease and replace the bearings. Typically a rear hub will have nine 1/4” bearings and a front hub will have ten 3/16” bearings. Put some more grease over the bearings. Now, carefully slide the axle back in. Re-install the cones by threading with your hands. Make sure your threads are equally spaced here, so adjust them until they are. Then, replace spacers and locknuts.

Use Plenty of Grease When Reinstalling the Hub

The last part can take several attempts since you want neither binding nor play with the bearings. Work the cone and the locknut in concert until everything runs smoothly. Patience is key. When everything runs freely in the frame, you are ready to roll.

Here’s how to put a new hand grip on a bicycle.

To remove the old grip, you can just cut up the middle with scissors and pull it off. If you are trying to take it off and save it, then that’s much more work.

The secret ingredient for this is rubbing alcohol. If you put rubbing alcohol inside of the grip before slipping it on, then that will lubricate it and make it slip on easily. Then it will quickly evaporate, leaving the rubber to stick on to the handlebar. Other quick evaporating substances will work well for this too, such as nail polish remover, hairspray, or hand sanitizer.

Put Quick Evaporating Liquid On The Bar and In The Grip

Make sure the handlebar is cleaned and dry. Then place a little bit of alcohol on the handlebar itself and little bit inside the grip. Then just slide it on and put it into the position that is most desired.

Push The Grip On And Into Desired Position

If there are brake levers on the bike, loosen and move them over first, then install the grip and move the brake lever back to the desired position.

Give it about a half hour to dry or quicker out in the sun, and you are ready to ride.

This video will show you how to make a DIY bicycle headset cup remover tool.

To do this at home, you will need a hacksaw, something to secure the tube such as a seat clamp or vise, a file, and pliers.

Start with an old or crappy seat post, however any tube of metal should work provided the diameter is not too big to fit into the bicycle. Thick walled aluminum works great because it is a relatively soft metal and has a low risk of damaging anything. Try to avoid using steel. One size tool will work for both 1” and 1 1/8” steering tubes.

The first this to do is remove the clamp end of the post. A hacksaw will do the trick and it will be easiest if the seat post is secured. Try to make the top as flat and straight as possible.

There is a slight angle at the end of the other seat post end. This will also need to be removed so the remover tool can properly grab onto the headset cups. You can file it down with a file. Now, this end will need to be divided into thirds. Mark where you will do this with a magic marker. It doesn’t need to be exact. Then divide it into sixths. Extend each magic marker line down the side about 2-3 inches. Once you have your guidelines drawn, go ahead and cut around them with the hacksaw. The cuts should be more or less equally spaced.

Mark on seat tube where to cut

When you are finished making the cuts, get a set of pliers and pull each prong up. You can bend and re-bend until they are more or less sticking all out at the same angle.

Make 6 cuts about 2-3 inches

Fold cuts out with pliers

To use the tool insert it skinny end first with the prongs at the bottom. Pull it all the way through until you hear it pop. Once it pops, push it back down so it rests on the headset cup. Then tap the skinny end with a mallet until the headset cup falls out, then turn over and repeat with the other side.