Trailside repairs are the skill that separates a bike ride that “works” from one where things go wrong and you still get home. On an everyday ride in the local woods a puncture is an annoyance — you walk the bike back to the car and fix it at home. On a bikepacking trip in the mountains a puncture is something you have to fix yourself, right where you are, often in the rain. The difference is not that the task is technically harder — it is that you have no option of letting someone else deal with it.

For longer trips, mechanical skills are not optional competence. A puncture 40 km from the nearest road has to be fixed by you yourself. Worn-out braking technique, a dropped chain, a worn gear cable — all are things that are trivial if you know what to do, and decisive if you do not.

What you need to be able to fix yourself

For a typical Norwegian multi-day trip there are five mechanical problems that cover 95 per cent of what you can meet on a trip:

Puncture — the most common. Patching the inner tube or swapping in a new one. Requires tyre levers, patches or a new tube, a pump, and 5–10 minutes’ time. Fail to fix a puncture and you do not get home.

Dropped or snapped chain — can happen on a steep climb or if the chain is worn. Requires a chain breaker (on the multi-tool) and possibly a spare chain link. 10 minutes with practice.

Shifted gears — the brake or gear cable has stretched or moved. Requires an adjustment screw and a basic understanding of how the gears work. 5 minutes.

Brake that does not work — especially on a steep descent. Can be worn brake pads, lost hydraulic fluid, or a worn tyre. Depending on the problem, from 5 minutes to not fixable along the way.

Rim repair — a buckled rim or a loose spoke. Requires a spoke key and a little experience, but most of it can be adjusted temporarily so you can get home.

For more serious problems — a cracked frame, a broken hub bearing, a snapped fork — there is rarely anything to be done along the way. Then it is a matter of walking the bike, ringing for help, or finding the nearest bike shop.

The multi-tool — the most important single piece of kit

A good multi-tool is the most important single investment in repair equipment. A typical multi-tool should contain:

Allen keys in 4, 5, 6 and 8 mm — build and strip down most things on the bike
Screwdriver for cross-head and flat-head
Torx bits (T20, T25) — modern bikes use more and more Torx
Chain breaker — for opening and closing the chain during a repair
Spoke key for adjusting the rim

Classic makers: Park Tool (USA), Topeak (Taiwan), Crank Brothers (USA), Lezyne. The price is in the range of 300–800 kr for a good tool that lasts many years. Do not buy the cheapest — the tool is used rarely, but when it is used, it has to work.

In addition to the multi-tool:

Pump (mini-pump or CO2 cartridges) — to inflate the tube after a repair
Tyre levers — to free the tyre from the rim during a puncture repair
Patches and glue — or one or two spare tubes
Bike strap or tape — for emergency fixes on loose parts

Total weight of a tool kit: typically 400–800 g. Light, but you do not notice it until it is gone.

Multi-tools goes through choosing a multi-tool for cycling and friluftsliv more generally.

Puncture — the most important thing to know

A puncture is the most common mechanical problem on a bike. Here is how you fix it:

Stop and find a dry spot with a little space and light
Turn the bike upside down (carefully if you have a shifter on the handlebar) or lean it against a rock or tree
Remove the wheel by opening the quick-release or undoing the axle
Break the tyre down off the rim with the tyre lever — hook it in under the tyre edge, lever up, work your way round
Pull out the tube and check it for holes. If you cannot see the hole, inflate the tube and listen for escaping air or feel for it with your lip.
Check inside the tyre for what caused the puncture. Glass, a thorn, a nail — remove it.
Patch the tube or swap in a new one. Patching: clean the area with sandpaper, spread glue, apply the patch, press hard for 1 minute.
Put the tube back in the tyre, put the tyre back on the rim, inflate.

The whole process takes 10–15 minutes with practice. The first time often 30 minutes. It is one of those hands-on skills that is easier to learn at once than to google on the phone in the rain.

Tubeless — the alternative

Many modern MTB and gravel bikes run tubeless — without an inner tube, with sealant directly in the tyre. The advantage: small holes seal themselves automatically, and you have fewer punctures. The drawback: when you actually get a puncture that does not seal, the repair is more complicated.

For a tubeless repair you need:

Tubeless plug kit (a sticky rubber strip) — to plug small holes in the tyre
Sealant for topping up
A tube as backup — even on tubeless a spare tube is sensible, because some punctures are too big to plug

For longer trips the combination of tubeless plus a spare tube is the most common set-up.

Chain and gears

The chain is the single part most likely to fail on a long trip. A worn chain gives skipping in the gears, poor power transfer, and can come off on a steep climb.

Chain that skips in the gears — usually a sign of a worn chain or a worn cassette (the rear sprockets). Temporary fix: keep the chain off the two outermost gears. Permanent: replace the chain (and possibly the cassette) at home.

Chain that comes off — can happen if you shift wrongly on a steep climb. Stop, put the chain back on by hand, carry on.

Chain that snaps — rarer, but can happen on worn chains. Requires a chain breaker to remove the damaged link and join it back together. With practice it is 10 minutes, without practice 30 minutes of swearing.

Gears that will not shift — usually a cable that has stretched or come loose. The adjustment screw on the derailleur can often fix it temporarily. Adjust in small steps with the adjustment screw until the gears shift cleanly again.

For anyone who wants to build up mechanical competence: take a weekend on an introductory course at a local bike shop or club. It is the difference between guessing and knowing.

Brakes

Brakes are the most important safety equipment on a bike. On a steep descent a brake failure can be serious. Common brake problems:

Worn brake pads — replaced by hand, requiring only an Allen key and possibly a Torx. Check the wear before every longer trip.

Stretched brake cable (mechanical brake) — adjusted with the adjustment screw on the brake lever.

Hydraulic brake leaking — harder to fix on a trip. Stay away from exposed steep descents and find a bike shop as soon as possible.

Disc brake squealing — usually contamination on the rotor or pads. Clean it with isopropanol if you have it. If not, live with the noise.

Disc brake rubbing — the caliper is out of alignment. Loosen the two screws on the caliper, let it centre while you hold the brake lever, screw it back.

Braking technique on a steep descent is a separate article — there it is more about how you use the brakes than about how you fix them.

Essential tool pack

For a typical Norwegian bikepacking trip:

Standard:

Multi-tool (with chain breaker)
Mini-pump or CO2 cartridges
Tyre levers × 2
Spare tube
Patches and glue
Bike chain link (master link)
Bike strap or gaffer tape

For longer trips:

Tubeless plug kit (if relevant)
Spare brake pads
Spare electronics for the shifters (if electronic)
Small flat-head screwdriver for adjustments

Only for long trips:

Spare chain
Spoke key
Small screwdriver for other adjustments

Total weight: 0.5–1.5 kg depending on level.

When you cannot fix it

There are some things you cannot fix on a trip. Then it is a matter of recognising it and acting:

Cracked frame — walk the bike, ring for transport
Snapped fork — as above
Wrecked wheel (beyond a single spoke) — walk
Hydraulic brake with no fluid — ride home on the remainder of one brake if accessible, otherwise walk
A worn bearing that prevents rotation — walk

For longer trips: plan the route so that you have return options. Bus, train, or taxi from the nearest road. Norway has good public transport that takes bikes — an advantage you do not always get in other countries.

Next steps

If mechanics are new to you: take an introductory course at a local bike shop or MTB club. Two evenings give you the basic skill — puncture repair, chain adjustment, brake replacement.

If you have the basic skill: build on it with practice at home. Strip down and rebuild your bike after every longer season. You spot small faults early and build intuition for what is on the way to becoming a problem.

For equipment: multi-tools goes through choosing tools for cycling and friluftsliv. Bikepacking packing is the context for how the tools are packed.

Learn more

Text: Snuitide (2026).