Velo Garage

Prepare your bike by adjusting handlebar position. Peel back rubber hoods on “brifter” units Loosen clamp and slide unit onto handlebar and position (rear derailleur control on right) Tighten shifters in place with 5mm allen tool Check position. End of brake lever should be at lower curve of drop. [...]

Save the Sprockets! Proper installation and regular inspection for chain wear will preserve your whole drive train and save you money. New chain installation There are several methods of determining chain length for derailleur-gear drive-trains, but none is more simple—or any more accurate—in my [...]

A simple bucket of warm, soapy water is the foundation of bicycle ablution. Any liquid car wash will do the trick. If you use dish soap, note that it often contains salt, so rinse well.

Sponge the frame, making sure to get in all the nooks and crannies. Use a retired toothbrush to reach difficult spots, such as behind brake calipers and cranks. [...]

A home recipe for polybutl repair If you followed my advice on the Fixing a Flat page to save your punctured tubes to patch at home, you might have collected a few. Here’s how to patch them: Find the puncture First, inflate the tubes and examine them for punctures. Hold tubes up to your cheek to [...]

& beautify your bicycle Complete Honjo Aluminum fender kit Hardware requirements (see list, right sidebar) will vary, depending on your bike. Fortunately, Honjo offer enough fasteners to thrill a phalange of fitting freaks. Here we are mounting the fenders to a Rivendell Bleriot, with Tektro R-556 (long-reach) caliper brakes. Rear Fender/Mudguard     1. Begin by [...]

New bicycling booties from old (or make sure your new ones last) Reinforced sole (optional) For this project you will need: Tools Scissors Popsicle sticks or palette knife Darning needle Respirator (recomended) Materials Cordura nylon Thread Shoe Goo™ Many otherwise serviceable neoprene cycling booties come with insufficient or non-existant soles. This is especially important to [...]