Hot Bicycle How-Tos « Bicycle

How To: Assemble a beach cruiser bicycle, start to finish

If you have recently ordered a new bike online, or purchased it at a store where it is not fully assembled, check out this clip.

How To: Make a Super-Simple Smartphone Mount for Your Bike or Motorcycle Using Plastic Clamps

There are plenty of ways to make a camera mount for your car, but what if you don't have a car? If you use a bicycle or motorcycle to get around, you can still take smooth videos with this awesome DIY mount for your iPhone (or any other smartphone) by antoinebugleboy.

How To: Spruce Up Your Bicycle with This Wooden DIY Riser Handlebar

Looking for a way to make your bike stand out? You could light it up with LED rim lights or turn signals. Or if you're looking for something a little less flashy, you could make your own set of custom wooden handlebars like these by furniture designer David Moore. To actually make these wooden handlebars, you will need some woodworking tools, not to mention some actual woodworking skill, or at least the tools and some knowledge on bending and forming wood. In his video below, David shows exac...

How To: Check if your bike's bearings are worn

If you need an easy way to determine whether your bike's bearings are worn, this tutorial should help. You'll need to suspend your bike in the air using either a stand or hanging it from the roof.

How To: Install a seat post

This is a video tutorial in the Sports category where you are going to learn how to install a seat post on your bike. This is pretty easy. But, it's important that you get proper measurements for the inside and the outside diameter of the tube using a caliper. Now find the correct seat post and the seat clamp. Fix the clamp on the tube. Put generous amount of grease on the bottom part of the seat post and on the inside part of the tube and slide the seat post inside the tube. There is a minim...

How To: Mount a wire basket to the front of your beach bicycle

In this clip, learn how to mount a wire basket to the front of your beach bike so you can carry your towels, suit and whatever else you may need to bring with you this summer. Pete from BeachBikes.com will show you the quick and easy way to hook up a basket for all your carrying needs.

How To: Remove the rear wheel from your bike

Don't know how to take that rear wheel off of your bike? Is the chain making things difficult? Check out this instructional cycling video that demonstrates how to remove your rear wheel if you have to change your bike tire or fix a flat. This is a VERY BASIC and non-technical tutorial for the absolute beginner who has never taken their rear-wheel off before. It will just make life easier. Sure, you can muddle through it your first time and curse the chain as to why it's being belligerent into...

How To: Change a bike tire step by step

A step by step video tutorial that shows you how to change the tire from a Triathalon or road bike! Don't get stuck with a flat tire in the middle of nowhere! Gear West Bike and Triathalon show you how to: shift into the smallest gear, release the brake, open up the quick release and remove the wheel, remove the tire and tube, inspect the tube and tire, Install a new tube and remount the tire, reinstall wheel with quick release and close the breaks. Very basic, easy to understand instructions...

How To: Make Your Night Bike Glow in the Dark with Phosphorescent Paint

With gas prices constantly digging into your wallet, biking will always be a cheap and easy alternative for getting around—and it's a perfect way to get in a little exercise. But with the fall season about a week away, it is going to start getting dark a lot earlier and that ride home might be a little more dangerous. So to save yourself an unexpected trip to the ER, take a little time to make your bicycle impossible to overlook.

How To: Unpack a bike and put it together

Got a shiny new bicycle and trying to figure out how to build it? This how-to video offers some general tips for unpacking a bike and putting it back together piece by piece. Be careful not to hurt yourself, because lots of bike parts are very sharp. Watch this video bike repair tutorial and learn how to build your bicycle.

How To: This DIY Arduino Bicycle Safety System Includes Turn Signals, Brake Lights, Strobe, and More!

As dedicated bicyclists are well aware, riding can be very dangerous. Now that daylights savings time has ended in the United States, darkness appears quicker, and the night is especially dangerous for cyclists because of the low visibility that drivers have. Not only is darkness a danger, but also fog, blizzards, and heavy rain—all wreaking havoc on the vision. To combat this, bikers attach reflectors: clear front reflectors, red rear reflectors, amber pedal reflectors, and clear side reflec...

How To: Properly lace a 32-spoke rear bicycle wheel

You could go out and buy a bike, but what fun would that be? Make your own! One main step in making a bike is lacing your wheel. In this great two-part video you will learn how to lace the drive side and non drive side spokes on a rear 32 wheel with the right patterns. Mike goes into great detail on which holes to lace first and what patterns work the best.

How To: Remove a wheel & 3 speed shifter from your bike

In this clip, learn how to remove a back wheel and the three speed shifter on any beach bike. This clip, hosted by Stephan, will show you specifically how to remove the Shimano Nexus Internal 3 Speed Shifter and the entire rear wheel. He will also show you how to put it back together safely.

How To: Change a tire on a folding bike

In this tutorial, we learn how to change a tire on a folding bike. First, you need to know how the bike goes together so you can take the tire off correctly. Once you have taken the tire off of the rim of the bike, you can discard with it. You can use either strong fingers or a wheel lever to help you take the wheel off if it's difficult. Next, you will need to slightly inflate the tire and add on the rim to the tire. Once it's on, you will need to inflate it and then place on the bike! Now y...

How To: Adjust SRAM internal 3 speed hubs on your bike

In this tutorial, learn how to adjust multi-speed internal hubs on your beach bike. This particular video is for SRAM hubs, so make sure you are adjusting the right one. Pete from BeachBikes.com will walk you through everything you need to know to get started with your tune up!

How To: Change a 700Cx38 bicycle tire with baby powder

In this how-to video, you will learn how to change a 700Cx38 bicycle tire with baby powder. You need a tire tool, a new tube, new tire, baby powder, a bag, and a bicycle that needs a tire change. Run the tire tool around the rim to remove the tire Remove the old tube from the tire and check the tire for foreign objects. Take out a brand new tube and place it in a bag with baby powder. This will help the tube move around freely once installed. Inflate the tube a tiny bit, find the label on the...

How To: Dish a rear bicycle wheel

In this video, Mike shows us how to dish a rear bicycle wheel. First, you need to measure the distance from the wheel to the hub and axle. Do this on both the non-drive and drive side. Set the dish on both sides, then find the gap from each of the side. Now you will know if the rim needs to be pulled more to one side. Loosen the non-dry spokes and tighten on the dry side spokes. Do this by loosening the non-dry a quarter turn each all the way around, then tighten the dry side a quarter turn e...

How To: Adjust your beach cruiser bike to fit you & be comfy

Finding the perfect seat and handlebar height on your bicycle can mean the difference between a comfortable and irritating riding experience. In this tutorial, Ryan from BeachBikes.com, shows you how to make sure your bike is the perfect size for your body so you aren't slipping and sliding while you try to ride.

How To: Avoid cross-chaining

Active Expert Gale Bernhardt explains the problems with cross-chaining in this instructional cycling video. This is a common error for new cyclists and puts the chain in a lot of tension across the bike. Learn a few techniques to avoid cross chaining in this cycling tutorial video.

How To: Load your bike on a MUNI bus rack

Bike Racks on Buses Have no fear! The bike racks on the front of Muni and other regional buses are easy to use - just check out this short video how-to, brought to you by DPT's Bicycle Program, and Brian McCarthy and Dave Winters of Muni.

How To: Need a Place to Store Your Bike? Try One of These Cheap and Simple DIY Bicycle Racks

If you bike a lot and live in a small room or apartment, it can be tough to find the space to store your wheels. There are tons of bicycle racks and mounts you can buy, but where's the fun in that when they're so easy to DIY? Here are some of the best inexpensive solutions for your bike storage woes.

How To: Change the seat on a beach cruiser bicycle easily

In this clip, learn how to change out the seat on your beach bike. This clip will show you exactly how to take that tough, standard seat that comes with your new bicycle and change it out with a comfier, better seat. The difference between a bumpy ride and a relaxing one is all in the seat cushion, so make sure you have one installed that best fits you.

How To: Unpack and assemble a new bicycle

Bill D., the tech lead at all3sports.com takes us through the steps involved in unpacking and assembling a brand new bicycle. The first he says is to set up or insert the seat post. He recommends using a work stand if you have one at home. He says not to unpack everything at the beginning, but to just expose the seat pack first. Use a wire-cutter to get rid of the film protection used for packing. He has mounted the frame-set on the work stand. The seat post goes into the frame-set. He asks t...

How To: Fit your bike correctly

Jessi Stensland, professional triathlete, explains how selecting the right bike can mean the difference between a comfortable ride and possible neck, back, knee or shoulder pains. Stensland first takes us through finding the right bike size with charts such as those available on Schwinn bikes. After the right size is determined, riders should determine the proper fit by adjusting their bike's handlebars and seat. Lastly, Stensland instructs bike riders on how to choose the proper saddle.

How To: Reach for a water bottle while cycling

This how-to video offers some tips for building the skills needed to drink and bike at the same time. Don't feel comfortable taking a hand of the handlebar just yet? Work your way there, by trying to bike one handed every now and then. Watch this video cycling tutorial and learn how to reach for a water bottle while bike riding.

How To: Load a bicycle onto a bus rack

Sometime we can't ride our bike everywhere and we need need to take public transportation. This instructional how-to video shows you how load your bicycle onto a bus rack. Follow along and learn the proper way to ride the public transportation with your bike.

How To: Use the bike rack on a public bus

Take three minutes to see how to put your bike on the rack mounted to the front of the bus.

How To: Keep Your Bike Chain Clean on Rainy Days with This Super Easy DIY Mud Guard

Nasty weather is bad enough when you drive, but if you ride your bike to school or work, it's really not a pleasant way to start the day. And if getting soaked isn't sufficient, a wet commute means your bike chain is going to be caked with mud and all kinds of other gross stuff.

How To: Add LED Turn Signals to Your Bike for Safe Road Cycling

In the past few weeks, you've already learned how to make your bike light up at night with some DIY rim lights and handlebar lights. But how about something a little more functional? Instead of using those tedious hand signals (which drivers don't even understand), spruce up your ride with some do-it-yourself LED turn signals.

How To: Change the handlebar grips on your beach cruiser bike

Good handlebar grips can make your bike ride much more enjoyable. In this tutorial, learn how to remove the current grips on your cycle and replace them with better, comfier and more stylish versions.

How To: Identify vintage bicycles styles

Old bicycles are a great collectible for cyclist lovers everywhere. Learn how to identify vintage bicycles by tires, frames, accessories and more in this free video series from an experienced vintage bike dealer.

How To: Illuminate Your Bike at Night with These Super Bright DIY Rim Lights

Riding your bicycle at night is dangerous on busy streets, especially if you've got no bike lights. In most states, it's illegal to ride your bike at night without any lights because drivers on the road won't be able to see you until it's too late. Plus, how is anybody going to notice your sweet ride without a little illumination?

How To: Install an LED light on your bicycle.

Safety is important. If you are going to be riding a bike at night, make sure you are wearing light colored clothing and that you have lights. Lights help cars and other cyclists see you in the dark so you stay safe.

How To: Change a tire on a Dutch bike

This video shows you how to change a bicycle tire with your bare hands. First, he shows you how to get the tire out. Use the valve cap to let all the air out of the tire tube and then loosen the bead all the way around. Eventually you can just pop the tube off then inspect and patch it. Then you put the tire back on and pump some air into it. Make sure the tire looks like it's seating properly. That is how you change a bicycle tire.

How To: Make the Most Brilliant Bike Light Ever with This LED Handlebar Mod

If you ride your bike at night frequently, you've probably had at least one close call with a car, pedestrian, or some other moving obstacle because of reduced visibility. Not only is it dangerous to ride at night without lights, it's illegal in a lot of places. Make sure no one can miss you with these DIY handlebar lights from Becky Stern at Adafruit. What You'll Need

How To: Assemble a quick release wheel on your beach bicycle

In this tutorial, learn how to install and use a quick release wheel on your new beach bike. This front wheel is pretty easy to install and shouldn't take long, so follow along with Pete as he shows you the ropes.

How To: Change Your Bicycle's Tire, Inspect for Damage, and Detect Hidden Problems

Many things cause a bike tire to deflate. Glass, sharp rocks, tacks, and nails can pierce the tire and puncture the tube within. A tube can be pinched between the rim and tire causing the tube to split when inflated. If a tire has a hole in it, the tube, which is filled with air pressure, will bulge out of the opening and pop. As well, the valve holding the air pressure in the tube can be damaged or faulty.

How To: Remove and reinstall the rear wheel of your bike

The rear wheel of a bicycle is the more complicated to work with of the two because of it's position in the frame. If you have quick releases, it's still pretty easy to remove and reinstall. This video will show you how to do it step-by-step, and should have you back on the trail again in no time.

How To: Remove and install a freewheel

In this tutorial, we learn how to remove and install a free wheel. First, take out the skewer from the wheel. Then, take off the nut from the inside of the hub with a cone wrench. After this, go to the other side of the axle and loosen it up. Now place your free wheel tool onto the wheel. Firmly secure the free wheel tool onto the wheel until you're sure it won't come off, with any tools you have available. When you are finished, put your nuts and bolts back onto the axle, then use bicycle lu...

How To: Properly tune a multi-speed bicycle

Make sure you take good care of your new bike. Just like a car, every once in a while you will need to tune up your bicycle.