Editing Bicycle (section)

==Maintenance and repair==
Like all devices with mechanical moving parts, bicycles require a certain amount of regular maintenance and replacement of worn parts. A bicycle is relatively simple compared with a car, so some cyclists choose to do at least part of the maintenance themselves. Some components are easy to handle using relatively simple tools, while other components may require specialist manufacturer-dependent tools.

Many bicycle components are available at several different price/quality points; manufacturers generally try to keep all components on any particular bike at about the same quality level, though at the very cheap end of the market there may be some skimping on less obvious components (e.g. bottom bracket).
* There are several hundred assisted-service Community Bicycle Organizations worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|title=Community Bicycle Organizations|url=http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Community_Bicycle_Organizations|publisher=Bike Collective Network wiki|access-date=15 January 2013}}</ref> At a Community Bicycle Organization, [[wikt:layperson#Noun|laypeople]] bring in bicycles needing repair or maintenance; volunteers teach them how to do the required steps.
* Full service is available from [[bicycle mechanic]]s at a [[local bike shop]].
* In areas where it is available, some cyclists purchase roadside assistance from companies such as the [[Better World Club]] or the [[American Automobile Association]].

===Maintenance===
The most basic maintenance item is keeping the tires correctly inflated; this can make a noticeable difference as to how the bike feels to ride. Bicycle tires usually have a marking on the sidewall indicating the pressure appropriate for that tire. Bicycles use much higher pressures than cars: car tires are normally in the range of {{Convert|30|to|40|psi|kPa}}, whereas bicycle tires are normally in the range of {{Convert|60|to|100|psi|kPa}}.

Another basic maintenance item is regular lubrication of the chain and pivot points for derailleurs and brake components. Most of the bearings on a modern bike are sealed and grease-filled and require little or no attention; such bearings will usually last for {{Convert|10000|miles|km}} or more. The crank bearings require periodic maintenance, which involves removing, cleaning and repacking with the correct grease.

The chain and the brake blocks are the components which wear out most quickly, so these need to be checked from time to time, typically every {{Convert|500|miles|km}} or so. Most local bike shops will do such checks for free. Note that when a chain becomes badly worn it will also wear out the rear cogs/cassette and eventually the chain ring(s), so replacing a chain when only moderately worn will prolong the life of other components.

Over the longer term, tires do wear out, after {{Convert|2000|to|5000|miles|km}}; a rash of punctures is often the most visible sign of a worn tire.

===Repair===
Very few bicycle components can actually be repaired; replacement of the failing component is the normal practice.

The most common roadside problem is a puncture of the tire's [[inner tube]]. A patch kit may be employed to fix the puncture or the tube can be replaced, though the latter solution comes at a greater cost and waste of material.<ref name=Guardian>{{cite web |last=Van Mead |first=Nick |date=3 May 2016 |title=Cycling: how to fix a puncture (even if you don't have the right tools) |website=theguardian.com |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/may/03/cycling-how-to-fix-a-puncture-even-if-you-dont-have-the-right-tools |access-date=13 November 2024}}</ref> Some brands of tires are much more [[Puncture resistance|puncture-resistant]] than others, often incorporating one or more layers of [[Kevlar]]; the downside of such tires is that they may be heavier and/or more difficult to fit and remove.

===Tools===
{{main|Bicycle tools}}
[[File:Puncture-repaire-kit.jpg|thumb|Puncture repair kit with tire levers, [[sandpaper]] to clean off an area of the [[inner tube]] around the puncture, a tube of rubber solution ([[Vulcanization|vulcanizing]] fluid), round and oval patches, a metal grater and piece of chalk to make chalk powder (to dust over excess rubber solution). Kits often also include a wax crayon to mark the puncture location.]]

There are specialized bicycle tools for use both in the shop and at the roadside. Many cyclists carry tool kits. These may include a tire patch kit (which, in turn, may contain any combination of a [[Bicycle pump|hand pump]] or [[Bicycle pump#CO2 Inflators|CO<sub>2</sub> pump]], [[tire lever]]s, spare [[Inner tube|tubes]], self-adhesive patches, or tube-patching material, an adhesive, a piece of sandpaper or a metal grater (for roughening the tube surface to be patched) and sometimes even a block of [[French chalk]]), [[wrench]]es, [[hex key]]s, screwdrivers, and a [[chain tool]]. Special, thin wrenches are often required for maintaining various screw-fastened parts, specifically, the frequently lubricated ball-bearing "cones".<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://sheldonbrown.com/flats.html#patching
| title = Sheldon Brown: Flat tires
| access-date = 29 May 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513032548/http://www.sheldonbrown.com/flats.html| archive-date= 13 May 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.bikewebsite.com/bikeop.htm
| title = BikeWebSite: Bicycle Glossary – Patch kit
| access-date = 20 June 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513060825/http://www.bikewebsite.com/bikeop.htm| archive-date= 13 May 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref> There are also cycling-specific [[multi-tool]]s that combine many of these implements into a single compact device. More specialized bicycle components may require more complex tools, including proprietary tools specific for a given manufacturer.