Chapter thirteen of Bike Easy is about coping with emergencies. They do happen, but they’re rare. In fact a well-maintained bicycle is a superbly reliable machine. I once cycled from Greece, into Turkey and up into Eastern Europe, eventually finishing in Prague. The total distance was 1,250 miles. My diary records two punctures and a broken gear cable (both fixed by the roadside) and two broken spokes (replaced when I got home). A colleague had an even more hassle-free journey: 4,900 miles across Canada with just four punctures. And I’ve known several people who’ve ridden from Lands End to John O’Groats with no mechanical problems whatsoever.
When things do go wrong on a bike you often get an advance warning in the form of a funny noise. Often the cause is something benign – a crisp packet trapped between mudguard and tyre, or a twig stuck in the spokes make a heck of a racket, but they’re easily dislodged. It’s more serious if something has broken or worked loose, or if the noise emanates from the wheel hubs or the bottom bracket. But even then you can often effect a temporary repair with a bit of ingenuity.
This chapter will help you cycle with confidence. It will teach you a few quick fixes and it suggests a few creative strategies for those who aren’t mechanically minded. More>>>
