"Izzy Sez - Cycling IS... Easier with a well-lubricated bike"

After rain or hosing your bike, dry, or leave it to dry, then lubricate chain, derailleur', brake, pivot points and where cables enter or exit housings.

If you break a spoke, stop immediately and twist it around another spoke or remove it. It could snag in your rear derailleur - (assuming its your rear wheel of course) and cause significant damage to your bike and perhaps you, should you fall off!

Clicking sounds from your wheels can often be two spokes rubbing together. Oil the points where they cross, unless of course you like the sound. If you ride clipless pedals, applying oil to the cleats and also eliminate creaks and clicks. This trick does not however work on clicking and creaking knees!

Headsets come loose. Check by applying the front brake and rocking the bike backwards a forwards, a loose headset is very obvious. Go to see your CoBR dealer who will adjust it for you at very little cost, certainly a lot less than the cost of a new headset.

There you are wanting to go for a ride and the chain is as rusty as an old gate and the gears are so stiff you'll probably snap the lever if you push hard. Hopefully an exaggeration of the state bikes can get into if left unattended, however……..

You will perform basic care, maintenance and repair in two totally different locations and you therefore need different tools for the job.

Normal maintenance - usually performed at home - requires specific tools, many of which are shown in the site.

On "the trail" you need tools for those "little emergencies" which can be sorted out without curtailing your ride. Ideally these need to be light, easy to use, but preferably "workshop quality". Examples are again shown within the site.