10 Years of Bike Maintenance Knowledge In 5 Minutes

If you want your steed to give you a 100% on every ride, it is vital that you maintain it carefully. This means regular servicing of the components and replacement when worn out.

Having worked on various bikes for over 10 years, Ollie gives a quick breakdown on what you should always look out for when maintaining your bike!

00:00 A wealth of knowledge in 5 minutes
00:16 Don't do your maintenance the night before your race
00:38 Use the correct tools
01:28 Invest in a torque wrench
01:52 Invest in a chain checker tool to identify any wear on your chain
02:20 Use a bike stand
02:36 Remove any salt from the bike, especially in handlebars
03:06 Clean and dry drivetrain and brake surfaces properly
03:33 Add lubrication to the chain
03:44 Don't oil grease
04:12 Jet washing is fine
04:18 Check your tyres
04:31 Change gear cables when worn out
04:47 Don't be afraid to ask for advice

Useful Links:

Are you doing any of the mistakes Ollie mentioned? Let us know

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🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵
Easily Distracted - Margareta
Clap Attack - South Pause
Bad Vibe - Crystal Shards

#gcntech #gcn #cycling #roadcycling #roadbike #bike #bikes #bikelife #biketech #maintenance #bikemaintenance #maintenancemonday #drivetrain #chainlube

📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sprint Cycling Agency

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[gcntech]

Are you doing any of the mistakes Ollie mentioned? Let us know👇

[yeyeTF]

Do not leave your bike outside. Even if it doesnt rain it will become lonely and feel very sad. Always let your bike sleep in the bed with you.

[kennethward]

Most important tip-don’t be afraid to learn how to work on your own bike. 😊

[derickcastillo]

My daughter has to do a 5-minute presentation for her university collage class. She was practicing all night for it. I hope her presentation goes as well as yours has. Thank you Olie

[brianmurray]

Great advice. I have made a couple of these mistakes over the years. The time you put into these videos saves countless hours of grief for so many of us that watch them. Thank you.

[philipcooper]

Do NOT lube the chain right before you go for a ride. The lube will leak out of the rollers whilst you ride, and the lube will attract dust and dirt, making the chain crunchy in a few miles.

[kylehudgins]

Awesome video. Anyone thinking about working on their own bike should watch this.

[stuartdryer]

Maybe your best video ever. One more: know when you're in over your head.

[SteevyTable]

1:20 Since I'm screwing around with developing tolerances for something I'm designing with this going in the background, this was said backwards. Low tolerance is what you want in your tools (smaller window of acceptable dimensional range before quality control throws it out), high tolerance is cheaper because the larger window you can give manufacturing, the easier the part is to make, fewer parts get rejected, and usually the faster it can be made.

[Natuh]

There are rumors that Ollie recorded this video shortly after cycling 100km because the tank was still full of energy. xD

[oplkfdhgk]

2:38 yeah i noticed that when i was riding my bike in winter when roads were salted to keep ice away from roads. basically every bolt on my bike was rusted after that so i invested in stainless bolts. they are great and also fairly cheap.

[tomreingold]

Yes, making a change before an important ride is a big mistake. After I make any change bigger than changing an inner tube, I ride the bike around the block. Then I ride it for a couple of miles. Then I hope I have time for a longer ride than that before the big ride, especially if the big ride will be with others. I don't want my problem to become their problem. Once I made the mistake of installing a suspension seatpost. That seems pretty foolproof, but it didn't allow me to install the saddle low enough. My 100 mile ride had my saddle too high.

I agree about good quality tools. They are actually a good value. However, I have installed headsets without proper tools. I guess I don't recommend it, but I haven't caused any damage to anything. Maybe I'm lucky that way.

I agree about a proper bike stand. I regret all the years I spent without it. That and a proper floor pump.

[konradmarais]

Every GCN video should follow this sense of urgency!! ❤

[davidadamus]

Jeesh just buy the Park cable cutters, i've used them many times changing shift cables on my bikes, my kids bikes, neighbors kids bikes.. Just awesome quality. 7 years later, still ticking.

[SweetappleC]

Good stuff and a must view for all newbies. How about a 5 min special on disc brake cleaning and care?

[johnstrac]

Another winner Ollie, good work. A chain checker is a crackin' investment.

[HardCOR_]

Away from your event countdown, periodically check that all of your bolts are tightened to spec., especially your pulleys, cable clamps, and brakes. There's nothing worse than an epic ride becoming a nighttime hike-a-bike and/or call of shame.

[brautus]

Another tip, and probably a matter of what terrain you're biking on.. But as one who loves riding on more forest trails than asphalt ones - I find cleaning the rotors with a decent brake cleaner helps out. Every now and then even take out the pads and clean them aswell.

[pendodave]

Always take a couple of pics before diving in.
I know this because I didn't .

[easterguts]

Wanted to buy a copy of the GCN Maintenance book. But I’m not about to pay $49 delivery cost to Australia for a book that costs $41!