Bike Maintenance Course

Lesson 1 • Personal and Environmental Safety

Addresses eye protection, gloves, chemical handling, and waste disposal. Safe practices protect the technician and the environment during all service work.

Lesson 2 • Workspace Setup and Organization

Teaches bench height, lighting, parts trays, and repair stand use. An organized workspace reduces errors and speeds every maintenance procedure.

Lesson 3 • Essential Hand Tools

Identifies hex keys, screwdrivers, cone wrenches, and torque wrenches. Correct tool selection prevents fastener damage throughout all maintenance tasks.

Lesson 1 • Drivetrain Component Overview

Introduces cranks, chainrings, chain, cassette, and derailleurs. Students map the power-transfer path from pedal to wheel.

Lesson 2 • Frame and Fork Fundamentals

Covers frame geometry, materials, and fork types. Establishes the structural baseline all other components attach to.

Lesson 3 • Braking System Identification

Surveys rim, disc, and coaster brake types. Connects brake component recognition to later adjustment and replacement tasks.

Lesson 4 • Wheels, Tires, and Tubes

Explains hub, spoke, rim, tire, and tube relationships. Prepares students for wheel truing and flat repair chapters.

Lesson 1 • Clincher Tube Repair

Teaches tire lever use, tube removal, puncture location, patching, and reinstallation. This is the most common roadside and shop repair skill.

Lesson 2 • Wheel Removal and Installation

Covers quick-release, thru-axle, and bolt-on wheel removal. Proper removal technique is the prerequisite for every tire and tube service task.

Lesson 3 • Tubeless Tire Setup and Repair

Explains rim tape, valve installation, sealant injection, and burping. Tubeless systems require distinct sealing and maintenance procedures.

Lesson 1 • Rim Brake Pad Replacement

Teaches pad wear assessment, cartridge and threaded pad removal, and correct installation angle. Worn pads are the leading cause of rim brake failure.

Lesson 2 • Rim Brake Adjustment

Covers cable tension, pad alignment, centering, and reach adjustment. Properly set rim brakes are the foundation for understanding cable-actuated systems.

Lesson 3 • Hydraulic Disc Brake Bleeding

Covers bleed port access, fluid types, syringe bleeding procedure, and lever feel verification. Hydraulic bleeding restores firm lever feel and consistent modulation.

Lesson 4 • Mechanical Disc Brake Service

Explains cable pull, pad contact adjustment, and rotor clearance for cable-actuated disc brakes. Builds on rim brake cable skills with disc-specific geometry.

Lesson 1 • Derailleur Pulley Maintenance

Covers pulley removal, bearing inspection, cleaning, and reinstallation. Worn or dirty pulleys increase drivetrain noise and reduce shifting precision.

Lesson 2 • Chain Cleaning Methods

Compares on-bike scrubbing, chain machine use, and solvent bath techniques. Clean chains reduce wear on cassette and chainring teeth significantly.

Lesson 3 • Lubricant Selection and Application

Distinguishes wet, dry, wax, and ceramic lubricants by condition and use case. Correct lube type prevents premature chain and cassette wear.

Lesson 1 • Rear Derailleur Indexing

Covers cable tension, barrel adjuster use, and B-screw setting for accurate rear shifting. Indexing is the most frequently needed drivetrain adjustment in any shop.

Lesson 2 • Front Derailleur Setup

Teaches height, rotation, limit screws, and cable tension for front derailleurs. Front derailleur setup is more sensitive to position than rear adjustment.

Lesson 3 • Rear Derailleur Limit Screws

Explains high and low limit screw function and adjustment to prevent chain derailment. Correct limits protect the derailleur, wheel, and frame from damage.

Lesson 4 • Electronic Groupset Basics

Introduces wireless and wired electronic shifting systems, firmware updates, and micro-adjustment procedures. Electronic systems require different diagnostic logic than cable systems.

Lesson 1 • Spoke Tension and Nipple Turning

Explains spoke tension relationships, nipple turning direction, and incremental correction. Students learn to correct deviations without creating new ones.

Lesson 2 • Truing Stand Setup and Use

Covers stand mounting, feeler gauge use, and reference point identification. Accurate stand setup is the prerequisite for all spoke tension work.

Lesson 3 • Stress Relieving and Final Check

Teaches spoke stress relief, tension evenness check, and dish verification. Stress relieving prevents post-ride spoke settling and wheel deformation.

Lesson 4 • Cartridge Bearing Hub Service

Explains bearing press and drift use, seal removal, and cartridge replacement. Cartridge hubs are common on modern bikes and require different tools than cup-and-cone.

Lesson 1 • Headset Service and Adjustment

Teaches headset cup removal, bearing replacement, crown race seating, and preload setting. A properly adjusted headset eliminates steering play and bearing wear.

Lesson 2 • Bottom Bracket Removal and Installation

Covers threaded, press-fit, and T47 bottom bracket standards, tool selection, and torque specs. Correct installation prevents creaking and premature bearing failure.

Lesson 3 • Suspension Fork Basic Service

Covers lower leg removal, foam ring and seal replacement, oil bath refresh, and air pressure reset. Regular fork service maintains consistent travel and damping performance.

Lesson 4 • Full Bike Pre-Ride Safety Check

Applies a systematic M-check covering all systems before a ride. Students integrate all prior skills into a repeatable safety inspection routine.