Being on a bike tour shouldn’t mean constantly worrying about your bike breaking down. Nevertheless, bikes are machines, and issues can occur. Here’s what to look for if something doesn’t sound, feel, or work right.
Understanding the most common bike problems can help you troubleshoot effectively:
Symptoms: A sudden loss of air pressure or difficulty riding.
Solution: Use a tire lever to remove the tire, locate the puncture, patch it or replace the tube, and re-inflate.
Symptoms: The chain falls off or skips when pedaling.
Solution: Realign the chain onto the sprockets and adjust the derailleur if necessary.
Symptoms: Squeaking, reduced braking power, or misalignment.
Solution: Adjust the brake pads or cables, and ensure the wheel is seated properly in the frame.
Take care of brake pads; don’t brake constantly. If the brake disk becomes too warm from overusing the brakes, stop for a moment or squeeze the brakes in order to cool down the disc
Symptoms: Difficulty shifting or skipping gears.
Solution: Adjust the derailleur using the barrel adjuster or check for a bent derailleur hanger.
Always use a gear that is comfortable for you, so that you can maintain a high cadence of pedalling; this is better for both your legs and the bicycle. That is, don’t use the lowest gears of the smallest disk, or the highest gears of the largest disk. Most of our routes are filled with ups and downs, so bear this in mind and change your gears ahead of time instead of when you’re struggling with a climb.
Symptoms: A wobbling wheel or uneven tension.
Solution: Secure the loose spoke, reduce strain by loosening the adjacent spokes, and ride carefully to the nearest repair shop.
In case of an accident, keep calm, get off the road and go to a safe place (such as the hard shoulder) where you can evaluate the problem. If you suspect that you need medical care, call the Spanish emergency services on 112, explaining clearly where you are and what the problem is. Have your passport and your insurance documentation handy before calling. Please contact our office immediately after speaking with emergency services.
Remember that personal insurance it is not included on our self-guided tours. We offer an optional insurance policy. If you choose not to purchase this, please make sure that you keep own insurance documentation with you (including your passport).
The tour price does not include any roadside assistance with bicycle maintenance (e.g. flat tires) or any other taxi transfers during the tour. Any repairs that need to be caarried out on the bicycles that are not a result of negligence on Bike Spain Tours’ part will be paid for by the client.
