Bike Frame Repair

Cycling is a very interesting leisure activity that is enjoyed by people of all ages. As a kid, you have enjoyed it with your friends and siblings, especially when you got over the learning part. Apparently, there’s more to it than just fun times with friends.

Cycling is now considered as one of the most effective ways of losing weight. At the same time, more and more people are seeing the wonderful effects that cycling brings to the environment. Instead of riding a car to work or to get groceries, taking a bike is a more practical option. Aside from having a few minutes’ worth of workout, you can also save up on gas.

Truly, getting a bike is a good investment for you. And if you are yet to get your own bike, you should know a few things that you need to consider when choosing a bike.

• Weight – With the advent of technology, developers have come up with different materials that reduce the weight of the bike. As a result of reduced weight, your speed increases. Although, the lighter the material used, the more expensive it is.
• Geometry – Different bike frame angles offer different ride characteristics. Choose one that is appropriate for your riding style and purpose.
• Tubing – The most recommended frame tubing that you can get for your bike is plain-gauge tubing. They do weigh more than butted tubes but it’s definitely more durable.

It is more practical to get a bike with a solid frame; that way you won’t have to worry about breaking the frame if you get on some minor accidents on the road. You need stability and durability with your bike frame and you can’t guarantee that with cheap bikes.

However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that expensive bike doesn’t need maintenance anymore. You still have to do constant maintenance checks on your bike and you have to include your bike frame as well.

The rest of the bike components are being adjusted based on how parallel and aligned they are with the frame. You must make sure that it is aligned properly.

How to Maintain and Repair the Bike Frame

Before you do a repair, you need to know what needs fixing first. Here’s a checklist of the things you need to check:

1. Are there cracks? You can check for the cracks by looking near the welded areas. Cracks usually appear in these places. You still need to check the entire frame, though. Most importantly, check for a crack on the underside of the down tube. This is the most critical place for a crack to be in. If this is overlooked, it may cause some serious injuries while you’re on the road. The thing about cracks, though, is you can’t fix them. If you find a crack anywhere on your bike frame, stop riding it at once. Replace it with a new, more durable one.
2. Has the frame corroded yet? Corrosion may not be a major problem, but it certainly is something that you should attend to as soon as possible. To check for frame corrosion, you have to remove the seat post and stick a rag down the seat tube. You can use a screwdriver or any rag that will help you reach as far into the seat tube as possible. If it comes out with tinted orange dirt on the rag that means the inside of your frame tube is already starting to corrode. You can check DIY maintenance videos on what to do with corroded bike frames or you can always take your bike to a shop to have the bottom bracket removed so you can deal with the corrosion.
3. Is your chainstay getting beat up? If you can see scratches or tiny chips in the paint that means your bike’s chainstay is already getting beat up. What you can do is to replace them as soon as possible.
4. Is your bike misaligned? Always check for the bike’s alignment. If something doesn’t feel right about your bike, maybe the wheels are not properly aligned to the frame. This may sound like something only a mechanic can do but don’t be so sure about it.

Some repair or maintenance steps may seem too complicated for you to handle that you decide to just bring your bike down to a shop. But once you watch the DIY bike repair videos at DIY Bike Repair you may change your mind.