There are a few basic bike maintenance tasks that all cyclists need to master.

• changing an inner tube
• cleaning a drivechain
• carrying out a safety check
• adjusting brakes and gears

Sure, nine times out of ten you will be able to get a professional mechanic to service your bike when you think something might not be quite right, but what happens when you get a puncture at the top of a mountain or in the middle of the countryside? If you use your bike to travel further than to the local shop, it’s time you made the vow to get to grips with the basics in bike maintenance this year.

Your Essential Bike Maintenance Kit

Most bike cafes, bike shops and mechanics run one or two-hour bike maintenance courses which cover all of the basics and a little bit more. Evans Cycles run excellent women’s only FixIt! one hour classes which can be booked online for £15 a session.

Many communities set up their own free bike maintenance classes too, such as the Hackney Bike Workshop in London, so it’s always worth having a search on Google for your closest free bike maintenance class before splashing out.