Workstands

Carbon frame tubes are not designed to withstand the side forces of being squeezed in workstand jaws

The chain and cassette need looking after to ensure a long service life.Use a degreaser to clean the grit and diirt from the chain and cassette. Once they are clean, a little chain lube will keep them running smoothly, shift the gears up and down the cassette a couple of times to ensure the chain and cassette have a even coating ready for your next ride.

If you ride your bike off-road a lot, chain and cassette cleanliness is extra important - gravel dust or mud can turn into a gloopy mess which speeds up the wearing process.

No. There are several different fitting alternatives, depending on the frame and fork. If you are replacing a headset, you need to find an exact match for the existing headset. For a new frame & fork, you will need to get the manufacturer recommended headset. If you have any doubt, Park Tools have a very informative Standardized Headset Identification System (SHIS) guide, put 'Park Tools SHIS' into your online search.

Yes and no. Because the hydraulic brake is a closed system, once they are set up, they should not require much servicing at all. If you regularly use the brakes in filthy weather or in deep mud, braking could wear rotors prematurely because of the mud and grit on the pads grinding into the rotor.

Multitools offer the most options in the most compact tool. Most multitools have all the hex / allen keys you might need as well as flat & cross screwdrivers as a minimum. Also remember tools for punctures such as tyre levers, tubes and inflation device.

If you need to get all the essential tools, a full tool kit such as the Merlin 20 or 31 piece kit will have the main tools you will need to keep your bike on the road.

We are living in the information era, where experience, skills and know-how are just a mouse click away. So with the right tools and knowledge, it is relatively easy for someone who does their own bike maintenance to build a bike, especially if you have a fair amount of experience with bike maintenance. However, relatively new riders or those who usually drop their bike in at the mechanics for a service, might prefer to get a mechanic to do their build.

Firstly, think about where you inflate your tyres. Do you need to inflate in the garage before your ride? Or out on the roads / trails, for emergency punctures? Floor pumps are best for keeping at home and offer the quickest and easiest way to inflate tyres to the right pressure. Mini pumps are best for taking on your ride, to use in the event of a puncture.

Tubeless pumps have an extra capacity tank which can release a large volume of air in one go. This helps seat tubeless tyres onto the rim.

Check which type of valve your pump needs to fit. Presta valves are thinner and have a screw closure at the end of the valve. Schrader valves are like car valves, fatter with a metal pin closure system. There are lots of pumps that can do both valves, if you need both types for different bikes.

We always recommend following manufacturers instructions for fitting any component. The Youtube channels of Park Tools and GCN Tech have very indepth and comprehensive advice for completing all sorts of jobs on bikes, these are also worth watching particularly if you are inexperienced or unsure.