Basic Bike Repairs - What do I Need to Know?

It's always good to have a spare tube or patch kit handy, just in case.  I assume you already have a pump. Keeping your tires pumped up will minimize the chance of a pinch flat.

For your first race, particularly with a new bike, I wouldn't worry too much.  Just check it over for any loose bolts, punp up the tires, and you should be good to go.

If you decide you are going to get serious about tri's, you'll eventually want to learn more about bike maintenance and start collecting more bike-specific tools.  The Park Tool site has a wealth of information and would be a good place to start:  www.parktool.com

It's always better to learn how to fix a flat tire in the comfort of your garage rather than by the side of the road during a race.  But then again, for your first race I woldn't worry about it.  Just go out an have fun.  Doing your first race will be a tremendous learning experience in itself.

Good luck

Mark

I would definitely not try anything new to the bike, except practice changing a flat tire a few times. If something should happen there would be no time to fix it. If your worried about it, take it to an LBS and have them give it a good tune-up. When you have more time, then you can focus on doing more of your own repairs, because the first time you try something new chances are you will screw something up. Everyone does. ParkTool is a great website, and here is another one that I use all of the time:

http://bicycletutor.com/

You can get a cheap bicycle tool kit from Ebay for about $100 or less.  The minimum you want is a set of hex wrenches, crescent wrench, BB wrench, and screwdrivers.  If those don't work, get a heavy duty hammer and duct tape.

Good luck with your first tri. Don't worry, just have fun.

Most bike shops will do a free "tune up" after a month of riding, so take advantage of that and also ask them to show you how to change the tire.  You should at least carry a flat kit, and know how to use it.  Here's a video from bicyclingtutor.com that shows how. There are a lot of other important skills to eventually learn, but everyone should know how to fix a flat. 

You can't screw up the tire, but you might give yourself a snakebite flat on the inner tube, so keep that in mind.  I would also suggest at least once practicing using a co2 cartridge unless you intend to only use a frame pump on the road. (The first time I used CO2, I ruined the valve, and had to borrow my buddy's spare to finish the ride). Also, if you don't have one, get a decent floor pump to keep the tires pumped up before rides.  It will pay for itself in the long run, and makes keeping the tires pumped up much easier than always using the frame pump (and much cheaper than using co2 all the time!)

Okay, I'm just going to urge you to ALWAYS ride with a small repair kit, whether racing or not.  You don't want to end up 20 miles from home with a flat and no way to fix it.  You can't predict when they'll happen and they will, eventually. I've ridden 3 years and never had an en route flat (have had flats at home from slow leaks and other repair issues) until last weekend about 40 miles into a 53 mile ride.  Walking home 13 miles in cycling shoes would have sucked for sure but I had all the tools to get it changed.  Well, except maybe the patience at that time but I dug deep and found some of that.  I always carry: CO2 pump, spare tube, patch kit, multi-tool and tire levers.  I keep meaning to put a pair of tweezers in after Sunday's flat where a tiny shard of metal was embedded in my tire which took some real doing to get out without tweezers. 

Thank you all SO much,

I've bookmarked those bike repair shops and will be buying that book soon.  I have just a basic Allen and Torx wrench tool right now (like $9 or something from a large Sports Store franchise - can't type the name cause this site always "Bleeps" it out cause it thinks I'm using a dirty word for a male part and rhymes with stick, as in Stick's Sporting Goods),

... anyhow ... this is where I bought the bike and next week will take it in for my free "tune-up" that I'm supposed to get within the first 30 days.  I also bought the 3 yr. warranty that includes a tune up each year.

No, I don't even have a pump yet and meant to buy one this weekend but forgot ... but will definitely get a tire kit and one of those saddle bags.  I'm going to hold off and practicing changing a tire or tube till after Sept 14th (the race day), but will ask the Bike shop to tell me how while he's tuning it up.

I've not got stuck 20 miles out with a flat yet, but did kinda get stuck with a broke seat 7 miles out.

Couple of weeks ago (just had the bike about 1 week) I went to the race site and plotted the course in my car to scope it out, then parked back at the eventual transition site and took the bike out to test ride the course.  About half way out I thought my arse was going numb or something because it felt like the seat kept wobbling, twisting, and moving around.

Eventually I realized it was coming loose.  The allen nut that hold the angle of the seat and whether it is pointed straight ahead or to one side or the other, was loose.  I had no tools at all and so had to finish about the 7 or 8 miles to get back, standing up out of the seat the whole time.

As you can imagine, I was speaking fluent "french" the whole way back!  It was later that day I bought the Allen wrench tool kit.

Anyhow, thanks for all the input, it will be very useful.