Essential Bike Maintenance for Long Distance Tours

Mechanical problems on a long-distance bike tour range from annoying to trip-ending. A squeaky chain is annoying. A broken spoke 50 miles from the nearest bike shop can end your day early. A cracked frame in the middle of nowhere can end your trip entirely. Most mechanical issues are preventable with basic maintenance before you leave and simple upkeep during the ride.

You do not need to be a professional mechanic.

But you do need to know the fundamentals.

Before You Leave: The Pre-Tour Checklist

Drivetrain

Your chain, cassette, and chainrings are the heart of the drivetrain. A worn chain accelerates wear on everything else. Use a chain checker tool to measure stretch. If it reads 0.5% or more, replace the chain before your trip. If it is over 0.75%, you likely need a new cassette too because a new chain on a worn cassette will skip under load.

Clean and lube the chain.

Shift through all the gears and listen for skipping, hesitation, or grinding. Adjust the derailleur if needed. Make sure the limit screws are set correctly so the chain cannot shift off the cassette into the spokes (which can cause catastrophic damage at speed).

Brakes

Check brake pad thickness. If your pads are more than halfway worn, replace them before the trip. Carry a spare set of pads in your toolkit.

For disc brakes, check that the rotors are straight and the calipers are aligned. For rim brakes, make sure the pads contact the rim squarely and do not touch the tire.

If you have hydraulic disc brakes and the lever feels spongy, the system needs bleeding. This is a task you can do at home with a bleed kit, but if you are not comfortable with it, a bike shop can do it in about 30 minutes.

Wheels and Tires

Spin each wheel and watch for wobbles.

A slightly out-of-true wheel is normal and fine. A significant wobble needs truing. Check every spoke by squeezing them in pairs. They should all feel similarly tight. A loose spoke is a spoke that is about to break.

Inspect your tires for cuts, embedded debris, and worn tread. If you can see the casing threads through the rubber, the tire is done. Replace it. Fresh tires before a long tour are cheap insurance.

Check tire pressure and make sure your valve cores are tight. Slow leaks from loose valve cores are surprisingly common.

Bearings and Bolts

Check the headset by standing over the bike, applying the front brake, and rocking the bike forward and back.

Clunking means the headset is loose. Check the bottom bracket by grabbing a crank arm and trying to wiggle it side to side. Play means the bottom bracket needs attention.

Go over every bolt on the bike with the appropriate tool. Check stem bolts, handlebar bolts, seatpost clamp, water bottle cage bolts, and rack bolts. Things come loose from vibration over time, and a loose stem bolt on a rough descent is dangerous.

During the Tour: Daily and Weekly Tasks

Daily

Give the bike a quick visual inspection every morning before riding.

Check tire pressure (tires lose air gradually, and low pressure leads to flats and rim damage). Look at the chain for excessive dirt. Do a quick brake check by squeezing each lever. Bounce the bike and listen for rattles that might indicate something loose.

Every Few Days

Wipe down and re-lube the chain. In wet or dusty conditions, you may need to do this daily. A clean, well-lubed chain shifts better, lasts longer, and is more efficient.

Use a wet lube in rainy conditions and a dry lube in dusty conditions.

Check your brake pads for wear, especially if you have been riding in rain or grit, which accelerates pad wear. Check the tires for embedded objects that have not yet caused a flat but could at any time.

Weekly

Check wheel trueness by spinning each wheel with the bike flipped over. Minor wobbles are cosmetic, but a wheel that is rubbing the brake pad or frame needs truing.

If you carry a spoke wrench (and you should), small truing adjustments can be done trailside.

Check all bolts for tightness. Rack bolts and fender bolts are especially prone to loosening from vibration.

What to Carry for Repairs

A good touring toolkit includes: a multi-tool with Allen keys, screwdrivers, and a chain breaker; tire levers; a spare tube (or two); a patch kit; a mini pump; a spare chain quick link; a spoke wrench; zip ties; and duct tape or Gorilla tape wrapped around your pump or a water bottle. Some riders also carry a spare derailleur hanger, which is a small, light part that is bike-specific and can be hard to find on the road.

This kit handles the vast majority of trailside repairs. Knowing how to use everything in it before you need it is just as important as carrying it.