Top 10 Money Saving Bike Maintenance Hacks

Save cash and keep your bike running smoothly with our top ten bike maintenance hacks.

Riding a bike is one the cheapest and most efficient ways of getting around, and to keep cycling really cost-effective we've come up with our top ten mechanical hacks.

Sometimes, parts will just need replacing, but at other times the chances are that a hack will save you some hard earned cash.

Check out the video and let us know your bike maintenance hacks in the comments!

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A tip I got from a mechanic and really love is rotating the chainrings by 90 degrees or one position of the crank bolts.
Generally speaking, most people don't apply force to the pedals the whole turn cycle and you will notice that the chainrings are worn only there were the pressure is applied (on the downstroke of the pedals). Rotate the chainring by a quarter or 90 degrees will get the less worn teeth there where you want them: where the force is applied. Be warned as this will not (or might not) work with the more modern chainrings, at least not the outer rings I know know and use. They fit in only one or two positions on the crank depending on manufacturer. I am sure of that for the Shimano chainsets. 

[brunokabbaz]

buying your own tools is one of the best pieces of advice a friend gave me when i started cycling (about a year ago), nowdays he'd ask me for tools or help to fix his bike instead of going to our local shop

[TezTezTezTezTez]

I've done loads of jobs/maintenance on my bikes now thanks to GCN videos. I will have a go at doing anything now... and if i balls it up, then I'll take it to my LBS (which hasn't happened yet!!)

[robertpaynter]

With swapping tires, surely the better thing to do is to buy a new one for the front, put the old front, which has worn far less, on the rear and then you can be sure you aren't going to slide out on a corner! And you only buy one tyre at a time

[woozertoo]

Nice to see updates coming from you guys so quickly!

[dingo-dile]

I got out of cycling mainly due to cost. So expensive when you add up accessories, tools, gear, on going maintenance etc. Cycling was costing me more than running my car!

[AllanWatkins]

Everywhere I go a derailleur hanger adjustment is 20 bucks, the tool was 60 bucks on amazon.   If you train and race a lot you'll probably end up doing this 2-3 times a year anyway.   Buying my own tools has saved me a lot, I do take my bike in to the mechanics once a year for a overhaul though because they catch a lot of stuff i'd have normally missed. 

[DavidCulshawmer-r]

swapping your tires and keeping your drive train clean are two of the best ones there, dead easy to do and saves a lot of money in the long run :)

[woodyeckerslyke]

I'd add that if you're going to do your own maintenance:
1) invest in a bike stand
2) buy decent tools
in the long run these two will also save money.

[massspike]

Another advantage to DIY maintenance (vs. your LBS) is you don't have to wait for the repairs. During the peak season around here you could be waiting weeks to get it into the shop.

[factsabouturmum]

11) Find alternatives for products. Many bike-specific lubricants, tools, and gear are quite pricey. I have learned to think of other things. Why spend a bunch of money on chain lube when a couple drops of 2-stroke oil works better, lasts longer, and comes in a $5 bottle that will last years? Why spend $100 on a single pannier when a pair of small backpacks, a bungee cord, a couple carabiners, and any flat, stiff material can become a nice full set of them with a bit of effort? If you truly want to save money, that's how you save hundreds.

[Toastybear]

if you have open backed stairs (i.e like a wooden staircase set into a wall where you can see the underneath of the steps) put a couple of bike hooks under the right height stair for your handlebars to rest on it with your bike vertical and the back wheel on the ground to store it neatly- then flip it round so your bike is hanging the right way up from its handlebars at about head height, with the front wheel resting against the stairs- this will allow you to spin the pedals and back wheel for maintenance, and now you have a free bike stand :)

[onlyAerik]

I've saved up 3 additional tire on top of the ones I'm already using on my trainer.  Two are just from a really old bike, all full of cracks from being exposed to several years worth american midwest temperatures, and one that got a large puncture.  All you need to do is add a boot (superglue a piece of a busted innertube to the inside) and a tire too worn for roads becomes perfect for the trainer.  I'm pretty sure I can make it through the winter.

[jamegenis]

Thanks for the uploads. Could you do some more stuff on money saving?

[GGorman]

Another one for the turbo trainers is to use old tires that have had a blow out and patch the hole with a small square of card and some duct tape. This does work on the road but if it fails and you're 50km from home don't blame me ;)

[KRclan]

The do it yourself tip has costed me more than i saved me ;D

[bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

My 1st bike stand was 2 mop handles sticking out of the garden wall.duct tape & rubber bands to stop slippage. BTW try using brown greaseproof packing paper amazon for dislodging cassette crude

[MarcAllenTidon]

My bike hack? Wax the frame and forks after cleaning them. The wax absorbs the dirt instead of the frame, and you can wipe it off easily. This works a treat with white or matt frames!

[zacharyrobbiano]

I've always wanted to be more consistent with my bike cleaning but unfortunately I live in the city and don't have access to a garden hose to wash off my bike or a lawn to wash all the crude off into. Any tips on getting the job done inside of a typical apartment or on the street without a hose?

[sagarbrar]

idk why im watching this i dont even have a bike