The question ‘How to service a bicycle?’ can be broad but it’s something that can be done at home with some basic knowledge and the right method. We would always recommend your local bicycle shop for your servicing needs by a professional but if you’re looking to give things a go yourself then continue ready.
Tools
To start off you are going to need some tools to get you going. To perform a basic service surprising you don’t actually need to invest too much. Something like this tool kit from amazon will cover you for the main jobs with a bike stand on top if you want to make things easier.
An allen key set
Screwdrivers
Chain Lube
TF2 or similar spray
A pump
A Bike Stand
Torx set (if your bike has torx heads)
Pedal Spanner
The key points
Be methodical – working through your bike methodically will help you to not miss certain things.
Take your time – Theres no rush, treat each step at a time.
The Method
Below is based on our mechanical experience and how we would service a bicycle and we would class this as a full service safety check. If you have any specific issues that you come by please follow the links to how to articles. These jobs require more experience.
The Checks
The first thing is to do all your major checks. These are things that can cause major issues while on your ride. Checking these every few months will help to make sure issues do not get worse or cause yourself injury.
Tyres – Pump both tyres up fully, see the side wall (as pictured) for recommended PSI.
Wheels – Check each quick release or bolts are tight that hold the wheel in place and make sure the wheels are sitting properly. Do this by putting your bike on the floor, loosening the QR (or bolts) so that the wheel sits in properly, then tighten again. After you know the wheels are both in place, spin each wheel and check each one is straight and true. If your needing to true your wheel,
Road caliber cable disc adjustment
Cable/Mechanical disc brake adjustment
V brake adjustments
Hydraulic disc brake adjustment
Now you know that your wheels and tyres are good, you’re ready to move onto the next steps. Doing these steps correctly first makes sure your set to service the rest of the bicycle.
Brakes – Squeeze both brakes to make sure they are functioning correctly. For cable brakes make sure the pads are moving in and out smoothly and not touching the rim or disc. If you have brakes rubbing or not functioning correctly see below:
Gears – Gears obviously play a vital role in your bikes functionality. It can be easy to ride your bike not knowing of issues that are happening, including skipping gears and not getting a full range. Ideally with your bike in the stand flick through each gear individually, make sure you do this at a slow pace so you can see each specific change. As you change gear watch the chain jump up to each gear one at a time, your chain should not be skipping over or struggle to get up each gear. This includes the front and rear gears. If you are experiencing any issues with gears not engaging in certain cogs etc please see the guides below.
Rear gear adjustments
Front gear adjustments
Di2 Gear Tuning
Headset – Move your handlebars as if you are steering your bike. Check to make sure it is smooth without any gritty or binding feelings. Headsets come in many forms but a stiff headset often means you need a bearing change.
Headset Bearing change
Cranks – Move your cranks from side to side to check for any movement (not forward and backwards). If you have movement this will most likely mean you need a bottom bracket or bearing change. Catching this seem will make sure you don’t get more serious issues in the future. There are many different bottom bracket styles and designs. This is best to be fixed by your local bike shop.
Bolt tightening checklist
Now that you have checked over all of your main systems on the bike your ready to do the final tightening check. This is super important and not to be missed as missing just 1 bolt can lead to much more serious issues in the future. As we said previously it is important to be methodical about this to make sure you do not miss anything.
Tightening list – IMPORTANT please check appropriate torque settings for components. If you need a general list of torque settings when servicing your bicycle the check here
Wheels
QR or bolts (although this should be done prior to this as it can effect brakes)
Brake Disc and caliper/brake bolts – this includes all mounting bolts for your brake and the bolts (ofter t25 torx) that holds your disc on. For v-brakes and calipers check the mounting bolts and the pads. If using mechanical brakes check the bolt that clamps the cable on. If you have hydraulic brakes stay away from all the cable fixtures as this can cause fluid leaks.
Derailleurs – Your front and rear derailleur will be mounting on with a mounting bolt and also a cable clamp (if applicable). This are both to be tightening and are ofter 5 or 4mm allen keys. Do not tighten any screws (flat or cross head) as these will all be for tuning.
Handlebars – Tighten all brake lever and gear shifter clamp bolts. These are usually on the underside of the bars and 4 or 5mm.
Stem – your stem will have usually 4 bolts at the front and 2 on the side to clamp the forks along with the compression bolt on top. For tightening its highly recommended to watch the following guide as there is a way for each to tighten.
Cranks – The most common bolts for tightening are below. There are many variations of cranks so its best to look at your specific model. These bolts needs to be checked along with all chainring bolts.
Pedals – Taking some of the most force on the bike, your pedals are super important to make sure they are tight, using your pedal spanner or allen key make sure these are nice and tight.
Saddle and seatpost – Your seatpost will most likely have bolts underneath the saddle, check these evenly to make sure you do not tilt your saddle degrees. Your seat post will then have a seat clamp to be checked on the frame, these often only need to be tightened to 5nm so check before you tighten.
And that’s it. Your bike is fully safety checked. If during any of these steps you find any issues we would always recommend you take your bike to your local bike shop.
We hope this has given you a bit of insight into how to service a bicycle.
If you’re looking to get your bike sorted for a race or an event it can be more cost effective to hire a bike if your looking for something a bit more suitable.