Have you ever been on a ride, had a problem, and someone magically produces the exact tool and skill needed to save the day? I recently went out filming, broke my chain, and discovered that while I knew how to fix it, I didn’t have a chain tool. Or a quick link. Or any dignity left…
That little incident got me thinking: what skills would actually be useful for every cyclist to learn? So not in any particular order, here’s a rather long (but not overly daunting) list. Because while we can buy the fanciest kit, ride the fastest bike and develop legs like pistons, being useful is still the coolest thing a cyclist can be.
We promise there’s something on this list you’ll learn, use one day, and maybe even thank us for teaching you…
Change an inner tube
It’s miserable if you don’t know how, but easy with a few tricks. Wheel off, fully deflate the tyre, pop the bead into the centre of the rim, levers in at the valve, pop one side of the tyres off, out with the old tube, in with the new one, start getting the tyre back on opposite the valve, work it round towards the valve, do the final bit with your thumbs or a set of levers, inflate and go.
Do this quickly on a group ride and people will think you’re a wizard.
> Change an inner tube quickly
Plug a tubeless tyre
Some of the tube-changing steps help when using tubeless, but if you choose a life without inner tubes, you should also know how to plug a hole. It’s quicker than you think and far less dramatic than calling for a lift.
> The 8 essentials to take with you when you use tubeless tyres
Ride one-handed
You’ll need this one to drink while riding and signal. It also really helps when riding in groups, but when you’re getting started, it can be scary, so take you’re time.
Ride out of the saddle
While you’re at it, get comfortable riding out of the saddle. It’s surprising how many regular cyclists don’t feel comfortable doing this, yet it helps so much when you’re tackling steep climbs.
Put a dropped chain back on
Chains can get properly jammed and your hands will get filthy, so this can be annoying even if you know the tricks.
If you’re still rolling along downhill or on the flat, try gently pedalling and shifting first. Outside drop? Shift to the small ring. Inside drop? Shift to the big ring. If that fails, stop, pull the derailleur cage forward for slack and lift the chain back on.
Rescue a chain from the spokes
If it’s fallen off the cassette, gently guide it out from front to back. Then wash your hands in a puddle or some wet grass. Alternatively, cover your bike, clothing, face and bar tape in black, oily muck.
Index your gears
In an ideal world, however, you would prevent the two previous events from ever occuring with perfectly set up gears.
The methods for doing so varies between systems, but learning basic indexing will stop dropped chains and strange noises. YouTube, or our handy guide will be your friend here.
Align rubbing brakes
Rubbing brakes are bad for your sanity. Fixing them for someone else on a ride is basically a guaranteed coffee.
Disc brakes can often be aligned by loosening the calliper bolts, holding the brake lever on and then tightening the bolts. If that doesn’t work, gently align the calliper by hand.
Wrap bar tape neatly
Everyone has a preferred bar wrapping method, but these are the basics. Start at the ends, wrapping outwards with even overlaps. When I get to the shifter I go over the outside, cross at the back, around under the shifter and then continue wrapping towards the stem.
Cut the tape on the stem edge and then stick it all down with electrical tape. Lovely.
Ride safely in a group
Being able to ride in a group is great for making bike friends. Hold your line, be predictable, chat, and point out potholes using that one-handed riding skill.
> Top tips for riding in a group
Draft another rider politely
There will come a time where you’re riding at the same speed as another person, in the same direction, on the same road. Say hello and if you want to take a little rest, ask if you can sit on their wheel. If you say nothing, it’s creepy.
Understand padded shorts and chamois cream
Yes, you put cream on your undercarriage. No, you don’t wear pants underneath. Are you sure you want to get into cycling?
Getting shorts that fit you well will really help you stay comfortable on long rides. Try a few brands and see what works for you.
Plan a decent route
Many UK A-roads are grim. Think about traffic, surfaces and the wind, because riding home into a headwind is a special kind of punishment.
> Learn how to plan a cycling route here
Stop at red lights
There, it’s been said. Knowing and following the rules of the road helps to keep you and others safer.
If you’re off to ride in a different country, it’s worth checking out their road rules which apply specifically to cyclists.
Dress for different weather
Hot, dry cold, wet cold, warm rain, cafe spin in mild conditions, riding-hard on a cold day, and December all require different clothing choices. Learning which layers you need to combine for these various conditions will allow you to ride in comfort.
But as a general rule, cold rain is always awful, no matter what you wear.
> How to layer up for winter cycling
Keep your hands and feet warm
Special attention should be paid to keeping your hands and feet warm. This alone might prevent a mid-ride cry.
Again, layering can really help. Thermal socks, oversocks, overshoes. Don’t be afraid to deploy them all on the coldest day.
> How to keep your feet warm on the bike
Unclip from clipless pedals
Toe first and heel down to get in. Heel out in a smooth rotation to get out. Imagine your dad dancing to Footloose at a wedding. His technique is spot on.
> Here’s how to use clipless pedals
Watch the Tour de France
We’re not talking about how to tactically analyse the race. Simply knowing how to see the world’s biggest bike race is a little complicated these days since coverage has been taken behind a paywall…
Dial in your tyre pressure
Vital for road riding and absolutely crucial for gravel. Use a pressure calculator like Silca’s, then experiment. Slightly lower pressure up front often gives more grip.
> Learn how to get your tyre pressure spot on
Clean a chain properly
Your drivetrain will last longer, run quieter and look nicer. All wins. There are a number of methods for cleaning a chain, and how much time and money you invest in doing so also varies.
> How to clean your drivetrain
Corner with confidence
Good cornering technique is a massive confidence boost. It’ll allow you to carry more speed throughout your ride and being in control means you’ll be safer too.
> 14 expert tips for better descending
Perform an emergency stop
Knowing how to brake hard and safely is something you’ll be very glad of one day.
Fuel and hydrate on the bike
Bonking 20 miles from home is far from ideal. Learn how many carbs you need, but also how you prefer to take them in, whether that’s food, gels or drinks.
Speaking from experience, it’s just as important to figure out what to avoid.
> Our top tips for fuelling on long rides
Use common hand signals
Left, right, pothole, slowing, moving out, crosswind split, hello, and one unprintable classic. These will all be useful.
> Know your group riding hand signals
Set your saddle height
This is a minefield with endless opinions and complex methods. There’s no single right way, so either make an educated guess by ensuring you have a slight bend in your knee when your foot is at the lowest point, or get a bike fit.
> How to set your saddle height
Blame all noises on the bottom bracket
Any creak is obviously the bottom bracket, and should not be blamed on other common causes such as loose cleat bolts… that’s not strictly true, but it’s worth knowing that creaking underneath you can often be attributed to the bottom bracket (once you’ve eliminated shoes and cleats as a potential cause).
Pace long climbs
And finally, learn to pace climbs properly. You’ll get up more of them, maybe faster, and with far less suffering.
Learn these, and you won’t just be a faster cyclist. You’ll be a useful one too.
What have we missed? Let us know your essential tips in the comments, and they might make the next update.
19 thoughts on “26 things all cyclists should learn: Get to know the basics to make your riding simpler, cheaper and more enjoyable”
Re bottom bracket noises.
Re bottom bracket noises.
Years ago I had one of those unexplained creaks beneath me – not shoes, not pedals, not seatpost, not saddle and I didn’t think it was the bottom bracket.
This had been going on a while – and was of course annoying – when I went to take a bottle out of an aluminium bottle cage I’d had for years, and the bottle cage broke in two. It was the cage that had been creaking, which was a new one to me.
If they’re serious about
If they’re serious about blaming noises on the bottom bracket, that’s terrible advice. Just about anything on a bike can and will creak yet people assume it’s always the BB and waste so much time doing the wrong things. I’m not saying a BB can’t creak, of course it can, but it’s very often not the culprit.
Noises are indeed extremely
Noises are indeed extremely devious. About 20 years ago I experienced a noise in time with pedalling. I assumed it was the BB, saddle, pedals etc. in turn. Acting on a suggestion from Paul Hewitt in Leyland, where I’d got the Merlin, I put some copper grease under the band-on front mech. The noise has never returned, although I still can’t make any sense of it
Paul Hewitt does know a thing
Paul Hewitt does know a thing or two, and then some…
I’d never have thought of that as being a cause of unwanted noise.
I had a clicking noise
I had a clicking noise develop on my time trial bike last summer.
I narrowed it down to be linked to pedalling and a specific position of the pedals.
It turned out that it was the bottom bracket this time.
Quote:
… if you’re riding in the UK you need to be able to cope with all of these in one ride.
I think I used Chamois cream
I think I used Chamois cream about 2 or 3 times last year and I did just over 10,000 miles on road. My longest ride 217miles was cream free. Only time Ive ever had problems down there was just before my cancer op 6 years ago when I now know I was pretty open to infections in general due to low blood iron.
“26 things all cyclists
“26 things all cyclists should learn: Get to know the basics to make your riding simpler, cheaper and more enjoyable” – Watch the Tour de France
HOW??
Smoggysteve wrote:
Also WHY??
I’ve probably only seen a few minutes of Tour de France over the years and that’s mainly to check out cool looking bikes. I don’t really see what watching a race would do to improve my cycling apart from making me bored.
Well it seems like, in your
Well it seems like, in your case, it might drive you to go for a ride, which has got to be good, right?
mdavidford wrote:
I’m sure there’s easier and cheaper ways of getting bored – I could watch Big Bang Theory for free
What about the Giro, or Tour
What about the Giro, or Tour of Flanders, or even Red Bull Hardline…….The cycling media’s obsession with the Tour de France is pretty nauseating…….
Velophaart_95 wrote:
I’ve enjoyed watching Red Bull Soapbox racing, but can’t say that I’ve watched the others. I’m just not particularly interested in watching sports.
Changing my perception of
Changing my perception of other people helped me massively. I started road racing at the age of 13 and used to view other people as obstacles and a threat to my oh so precious average speed. That left me angry and frustrated and got me into heated debates about respect and the right of way. Once I started to view thos “obstacles” as other people who – like me- can make mistakes and just accepted that those albeit unnecessary brake-and-accelerate situations will always be part of the game I suddenly was not upset anymore and had far fewer offers for getting my face kicked in. Respect, no matter what.
“so take you’re time”
Ed?
“so take you’re time”
Ed?
A better starting assumption
A better starting assumption is that other people aren’t “creepy,” but are generally well-intentioned and simply seeing the situation differently than you are. That applies whether someone sits on your wheel as you pass them or as they pass you (and it applies just as much to people in cars, at the grocery store, in the office…)
If you assume people are decent, you’ll find most of them are. If you label someone a creep simply because you don’t like how they’re riding, the problem may be the assumption, not the rider. And if you truly don’t want someone on your wheel, you have easy options: slow down, speed up, or change direction. It’s a big world, and avoiding another cyclist isn’t that hard. The last time I thought some creep was chasing and yelling at me, it turned out he was just trying to return the wallet I’d left at the coffee shop.
To be fair, the article was
To be fair, the article was specifically talking about people who sit on your wheel without ever saying anything and that definitely can be creepy. A while ago I was out in the Surrey Hills when a guy I had just overtaken latched on to my rear wheel and followed me for more than five miles (from Headley Common to Ewell); I slowed right down several times to see if he would pass but he didn’t, I looked over my shoulder several times to see if he wanted to communicate but he just carried on staring straight ahead with gritted teeth. Fortunately I’m quite a solid unit and not scared of much, if I was smaller or female it would definitely have been quite concerning rather than bemusing. A simple “mind if I tag on?” or even just a “good morning” costs nothing.
The only time I’ve latched
The only time I’ve latched onto wheels without asking was RAGBRAI, but everyone is doing it all day long. I usually offered to take a turn on the front if I felt capable.
There are many problems
There are many problems associated with cycling in Lancashire, mostly caused by the combination of drivers and the police, but unwanted wheel sucking isn’t one of them because other cyclists are rarely encountered – I had to go into Lancaster yesterday, about an hour each way, and didn’t see another cyclist. I was expecting the odd masked villain on an illegal electric motorbike – I would definitely have seen some in Blackpool or Preston, and was intending to put a photo on here.