(Don't wanna be a) Monkey Wrench: Get your bike ready to ride

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Time to 'fess up – not all of us on BikeRadar are expert bike mechanics. While some staffers have spent years wrenching in shops, others are less… handy. So when the opportunity came to spend the day one-on-one with Rob Weekes, workshop development manager at UK mega-retailer Halfords and formerly a technical centre manager for SRAM, I grabbed it in the hope I might learn something.

Hours later, dirt grimed under the fingernails of my dainty office worker hands, I can safely say that I did. Being a big believer in learning through doing, Rob kicked off with the 'M-check'. Not a pre-concert rehearsal for everyone's favourite white rapper, this is the basic safety check of all the main working parts of a bike, from the front hub backwards. 

We then moved through replacing gear cables, wrapping bar tape and even truing wheels. Given that new tennis racket grips have previously defeated me, I didn't have high expectations for any of this, particularly the bar tape – but, incredibly, my bike ended the day fully fettled and bedecked with new cables and tape. This was a testament to Rob's patience (I've a nagging suspicion he may have fixed a few mistakes when my back was turned).

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Related: How to wrap bar tape

'Is that right?'

Rising standards

So is bike servicing an important earner for Halfords? You betcha, and it's growing too: the firm has more than 400 trained mechanics at stores around the UK, and around 300 higher-level technicians; this number will continue to grow as Rob and his team put more employees through the dedicated training scheme.

The M-check

1. Front wheel

• Is the quick release tight? 
• Does the rear wheel spin free and straight?
• Is the tyre inflated correctly?

2. Handlebars

• Do the brakes work correctly, front and back?
• Does the steering operate freely, with no excessive play at the headset, or obstruction by cables?

3. Crankset

• Do the front gears change properly?
• Are the pedals fitted correctly and tightly?

4. Saddle

• Is the saddle fitted and at the correct angle?
• Is the seat clamp tight?
• Is the frame free from rust, damage or cracks?

5. Rear wheel

• Do the rear gears work correctly and change smoothly?
• Do the cranks spin freely with no 'side-to-side' play?
• Is the tyre inflated correctly?
• Is the quick release tight? 
• Does the rear wheel spin free and straight?

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