Electric Bicycle Tools for the Road

TOOLS FOR THE ROAD

Know your ability
• Take tools for work that you can perform
• Try to fix things if you are sure that you can improve how they work
• Do not depend on others for your mechanical needs

Know your bike
• Maintain your electric bicycle or let a bike shop do it for you; twice a year for heavy use
• Catch problems before they happen on the road with regular inspections
• If you have hard to find items on your bike, stock up when you can

Know your ride
• If you are going to be far from civilization, prepare with extra tools or parts
• For short rides, you might not carry any tools if you don’t mind walking
• Urban areas may have more glass in the roadway; bring patches and a tube

Know your tools
• Tire levers, tube, pump and patch kit for flats
• Allen wrenches, chain tool and screwdriver for mechanicals
• Understand which tools are needed for your bike; tools don’t fix things, people do

Know your options
• If you carry a phone for emergencies, make sure you have reception on your ride
• First aid can be an important part of a tool kit; know how to use it
• Stop to help others but only attempt to fix what you know you can

Tire maintenance
• Tires naturally lose air over time; if you don’t pump them up, they will go flat
• Floor pumps work best at home; they move the most air and are easy to use
• Skinny tires need air almost daily; fat tires need air weekly

Tire emergencies
• Hand pumps work well in emergency situations; convenience over performance
• CO2 is fast and easy but can be tricky; carry a pump as backup
• Long skinny pumps for high-pressure skinny tires; short fat pumps for fat tires

Valves
• Know your valves, presta or schraeder; carry an adapter just in case
• Both types of valves can be damaged; some tire sealants can clog valves
• Presta valves tend to hold air better than schraeder valves

Pressure preference
• Recommended pressure is printed on tires; be careful if you go higher or lower
• Mountain bike commuters frequently inflate tires to 80 psi for faster going
• Tandem riders can inflate hybrid tires to 90 psi or more

Air pressure tips
• Use the largest tube that fits your tire; it will hold air longer and resist flats better
• Check your tire pressure with a gauge before every ride
• Find a favorite pressure for your tires and stick to it; it may change with different tires