How much bike repair knowledge do you really need for bikepacking?

This is one of the most common worries I hear from soon-to-be bikepackers, and it’s a very valid question. I have a hard time answering it clearly because I’m of two minds about it, but I’m going to try.

On one hand I’m tempted to answer “Next to none! Just go for it. You’ll learn as you go.” This is how I started: I had been on the road for about 4 months over two different trips before I ever fixed a roadside flat! There can be so many reasons NOT to take that first trip, don’t let this be one of them.

In other cases I’m tempted to dive into the risk analysis of riding through remote places without all the repair skills. I don’t want to be the reason you run out of water and food while walking your injured bike 30 miles to the nearest road.

So, like everything else in life, the annoying answer is: it depends. It depends on your route, risk tolerance, problem solving abilities, and mechanical aptitude. But mostly your route!

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Choose Routes That Match Your Current Mechanical Ability

If I had to sum it up in a single sentence:

Your bike repair knowledge should be proportional to how screwed you would be if something you can’t fix goes wrong on your specific route.

Unsolved mechanical issues have the practical effect of slowing us to walking pace, so consider the distances involved in a bailout and whether you have the supplies and stamina to cover them at 3mph.

Of course we don’t always have to walk the entire way. The trail provides, and the kindness of strangers plays a prominent role in many bikepacking stories. But for this to work we need strangers in the right place at the right time.

On a singletrack trail, no one is coming to save you. On the bright side, walking pace is probably closer to the riding pace you were expecting if the trail is technical. Side note: This is why it’s important to have good offline maps showing the nearest roads and towns. The shortest distance to help is often off-route.

On a remote dirt road with a few cars per day, you’ll eventually find help, but it could get dicey if you run out of water in the heat or get stuck at the top of a pass in a storm.

On a “backcountry highway” kind of gravel road, you can usually count on getting a ride within a few hours. But the hassle of getting to an actual bike shop shouldn’t be discounted. Hitching a ride is a reasonable plan for something weird like a busted chainring (this actually happened to my husband, still not sure how), but relying on it for simple fixes is asking for major disruption to your plans.

If you’re touring in a populated area and don’t mind a little extra “adventure” (hitchhiking, itinerary changes, communicating across language barriers), honestly you can get away with knowing very little about bike repair. Heck, in Sudan I once had four men trying to fix my flat tire for me! People are usually willing to give a stranded cyclist a hand or a lift, but that doesn’t mean the process will be smooth.

An exception would be populated places where bike shops are unfamiliar with parts of your bike (e.g. hydraulic brakes, 12-speed drivetrain), or where there aren’t any bike shops. A lack of basic repair knowledge could be trip-ending in that case, but at least you can get to a safe place and have a shot at figuring it out.

It’s also worth considering who you’re riding with (if anyone) and their skill level. It’s easy to feel more confident with company, but don’t make the mistake of relying on a partner who doesn’t actually have much more experience than you do. If someone does have more experience, ask first if they’re ok being your mechanic because not everyone wants that responsibility.

Learn to Solve the Most Common Problems First

When it comes to bikes, there are actually all kinds of things that can go wrong out there. Where to start? It can seem overwhelming in the beginning.

Thanks to my engineering background I can’t help but think of it this way: the goal is to minimize the probability of a trip-disrupting issue that I can’t fix. This means thinking about which issues are most likely to happen, as well as which ones I can reasonably learn to fix.

Nobody carries ALL the tools and knowledge to fix everything that could go wrong out there. Almost no one carries a spare chainring or derailleur or brake calipers. Yet these things do, on occasion, fail. But we accept that risk because we can’t control everything, and otherwise we’d never go anywhere.

On the one hand, this is freeing. As a beginner, you can summon the courage to get out there knowing you have this in common with more experienced riders: we all have the potential to end up stranded by the roadside. We go anyway!

On the other hand, it’s also a clear invitation to improve your odds of success. Learn how to fix the low-hanging fruit, the potentially trip-ending problems that are easy to repair with a reasonably lightweight set of tools and spares.

These are the tasks to start with, ordered by highest priority first:

• Tubes: replacing and patching tubes (even if running tubeless, since a tube is your plan C, though much lower priority in this case)
• Tires: plugging a tubeless puncture, topping up sealant (I highly recommend learning to install your own tubeless tires at home. The experience will help you troubleshoot issues on the road. The Airshot is my best friend.)
• Shifting: adjusting your derailleur(s)
• Brakes: adjusting your pads, if necessary. Also important for longer trips: replacing pads.
• Chain: breaking a link and installing a quick link (you can practice this at home while installing a new chain)

After you’ve mastered those, I highly recommend learning to replace cables and housing for your derailleur(s) and brakes (if mechanical). You might need to replace a cable on the road someday, though in 20,000+ miles of carrying spare cables I’ve never used them, knock wood. But more importantly, the process teaches you about the mechanics of the system and forces you to practice the adjustments you absolutely will need to make on the road.

Avoid Your Local Bike Shop

I’m all for supporting local bike shops, but hear me out: the best way to learn repair skills for bikepacking is to do all your own repair and maintenance at home.

The next time your bike needs work or a routine tune-up, don’t just take it into the shop. Hop on YouTube (Park Tool and Syd Fixes Bikes are two of my favorites), order a few basic supplies if you don’t have them (I suggest investing in a starter home tool set), and set aside a couple hours to experiment.

If it doesn’t work out, you can always take it in after you’ve given it a good try. I’ve done this. I felt sheepish about it, but they were happy to help and glad to see someone making an effort to learn.

There’s really no substitute for getting your hands dirty with your own bike. You can watch all the videos in the world, but when it’s time to fix something by the side of the road what you really need is muscle memory and hands-on experience.

Great easy places to start with this:

• Installing new tires
• Replacing a chain, brake pads, or cables
• Wrapping drop handlebars

Over the years this is how I learned to do everything from the simple tasks above to servicing hubs, cutting and installing a new fork, and rebuilding my dropper seat post. My rule of thumb is: if the task requires buying an expensive tool I’ll rarely use, OR carries risk of ruining an expensive part (why I only recently found the courage to try a brand new fork install), I consider the bike shop. Otherwise, I try it myself.

I know time is a major constraint for many people. I used to have all the time in the world. Now I have a one year old son and no time for anything at all. But I am still making it a priority to find time for bike work, because I consider it part of being a cyclist and bikepacker.

Believe in the Magic of Practice

I can’t explain exactly how this works, but the learning process really is magic. Somehow the frustrating, messy, greasy, brute-force battle turns into a routine task after a couple attempts.

The first time I ever replaced a tube, in my living room for practice, it took TWO HOURS. I struggled getting the bead off the rim. I struggled getting it back on the rim. I pinched the tube with my tire lever. I realized, too late, that the tire was facing the wrong way and had to start over. My fingers were literally bleeding when I finished. How the heck do people do this on the road?

Since then I have patched and replaced tubes by the roadside dozens of times. I once patched 12 flats in a single afternoon! This was, not coincidentally, right before I switched to tubeless tires (highly recommend).

All this to say, don’t be discouraged. If you try a task and fail, or succeed but just barely, don’t be scared to try again. You’ve already done the hardest part, and the rewards are still to come.

The fun and frustrating thing about bikes is, there’s always something new that needs fixing. I’m a pro at replacing brake cables on my Long Haul Trucker and Fargo, but Stella’s hydraulic brakes still scare me. I did successfully bleed them once and it was a messy, desperate process.

It needs doing again soon and I’m tempted to take it into the shop, but with you all as my witnesses, I’m going to try it myself. So when you’re struggling with your next DIY mechanical project, think of me up to my elbows in brake fluid and say it with me: don’t give up! This is a meaningful step on the road to bike mechanic competence and we will reap the benefits down the road.

More Bike Repair Resources

If you want to dive deeper into building your bike mechanic skills and supplies, I have a few other articles and resources for you:

• 10 Real-Life Mechanical Disasters from My Bike Trips (stories and lessons learned)
• What’s In My Bikepacking Repair Kit (the big list, organized by trip type)
• Essential Bike Repair and Maintenance Every Cyclist Should Learn (with links to my favorite videos)
• 9 Simple Supplies in My Repair Kit (that aren’t tools or spares)
• 4 Tools I Never Ride Without (quick peek inside my main toolkit)

Bike Repair Kits

Lastly, a shameless plug for the repair supply kits I’ve developed and assembled. I buy the components in bulk and divy them up to help folks get the right supplies for less money than buying them all separately:

• Bikepacker’s Fix It Kit (essential odds and ends)
• Tubeless Tire Repair Kit (comprehensive yet lightweight)