Category: Bike maintenance
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ToolboxWars: A battle between professional cycling tool nerds
A battle has been brewing on Instagram, and if you’re a tool nerd (like me), it’s a wonderful thing. The #toolboxwars jokingly started am...
Chain cleaning: A complete guide from lazy to obsessive
Your bicycle's chain is like a mechanical log of your riding adventures: road grit from that last wet ride, red mud from adventuring in t...
Seeking the holy grail: A fast chain lube that saves you money
If you’re one that likes your bike running like a finely tuned machine, you’ll likely already know that chains often need to be replaced ...
End vibrating, noisy disc brakes with a proper bed-in process
Your new bike shines in the same untouched way a new car smells, glistening from every curve and component. Its disc rotors catch morning...
Clean like a pro: Nine of the best chain keepers reviewed
Whether you call them dummy hubs, chain keepers, wash buddies, or doodads, these small devices are always in use by professional race mec...
How to deal with an impossibly tight tyre
The stubbornly tight tyre. Anyone who’s had to change a tyre or tube has likely experienced such a pain at one point. It often results in...
In search of the best derailleur hanger tool
Sticking out in the wind, controlling your rear gears and just waiting to be bent. The rear derailleur sits in a precarious position and ...
How to be a good riding buddy
On Sunday I rode the Giro Della Donna, which is a stunning loop out of the town of Warburton, Victoria, consisting of 105 kilometres and ...
How to clean your bike for apartment dwellers
I live in an apartment with my partner and eight bikes. The most annoying thing about living in my apartment complex is that there is no ...
Starter toolbox: Bike maintenance tools all cyclists should own
Bike maintenance is an important part of cycling that many of us overlook, outsource or put off until it’s too late. Staying safe on the ...
Top 5 bike maintenance tips you should do regularly at home
Whether you are a commuter, racer or weekend warrior, it's important to maintain your bicycle. In between professional tune-ups, there ar...
Top five pesky bike noises that can easily be fixed
Please welcome our newest Ella contributor, Annie May. Hailing from the 'burbs of Minneapolis, Annie has been riding bikes pretty much ev...
Mixing groupsets: what works together and what doesn't
With three major groupset manufacturers, transmissions of anywhere from seven- to 11-speed, and an excess of aftermarket cranksets and wh...
Bicycle Warranty Basics
Many of us have done it. We walk into our LBS with a battered bike after we've driven into the garage while it was still on the roof rack...
Bike Wash Zen
There's no chore that is more therapeutic and gives me more satisfaction than the bike wash. I usually wipe my bike down after every cou...
Check Your Skewers!
I've seen in dozens of times and have been through it myself. Your bike is making a mysterious creaking noises and it's hard to pinpoin...
The Practicalities Of Tubulars
Unless you're new to cycling I think most people know the difference between tubulars and clinchers. I don't want to drag you into yet a...
Cash In Your Tyres
Cold hard cash can be good for all sorts of things. Usually for the things that you can buy with it but in some cases it's good for what ...
One Bike Or Two Bikes?
There are differing opinions when it comes to the debate of having one bike for training and one bike for racing, versus owning one bike ...
Cycling Twips
First and foremost, I want to thank each and every reader who comes to this blog. It's grown exponentially and I'm grateful that you hav...
Going Through The Gears - A Key Move
Wherever you are, there will always be a handful of pro level mechanics who have made careers out of their trade. They’re talented, respe...