General Blog - How To...

All of these articles are written to explain "How To" do various things, but they aren't specific to any one cycling discipline. We've collated our experience and knowledge into these handy blog posts, covering subjects from creating your perfect indoor training room, to teaching your child to ride a bike, to mechanical issues that could occur on any bike, such as fixing a chain. Whether you're looking to learn a new skill, save money by doing something yourself, or just looking for inspiration, these blog posts should contain something of interest.

How To Create A Cycling Training Room

Having a dedicated training room in your house can make all the difference in your performance and overall cycling experience. Especially here in the UK, when the dark and cold winter months...

A Guide To Cycling Training During The Cold Months

Winter may put a damper on your outdoor cycling activities, but don't let the cold weather keep you from achieving your cycling fitness goals. You can still keep up with your training during the winter season, as long as you know...

How To Avoid Saddle Soreness From Cycling

Cycling is one of the best low-impact exercises that offer great benefits to our health. However, as with any other activity, cycling can come with its own set of challenges. One of the most common issues that cyclists deal with is saddle...

How To Choose The Right Cycling Jersey

When it comes to cycling jerseys, whether you are buying one for yourself or buying a jersey as a gift - there is an almost unlimited choice of colours,...

How To Relieve Hamstring Pain When Cycling

Cycling is one of the most popular and effective forms of exercise known to man. It is great for cardiovascular health, builds endurance, and is an outstanding way to explore the great outdoors. Despite the many benefits of cycling, it can cause hamstring pain, which can be quite frustrating...

Teaching Your Child How To Ride A Balance Bike

One of the most exciting milestones in a child's life is learning how to ride a bike. But before your little one can tackle a two-wheeler, they need to learn the basics of balance and coordination...

How To Fix A Bike Chain

In order for you to be able to fix a broken bike chain, you will need one or both of the following: A chain splitter Quick/speed link pliers A chain splitter (sometimes just called a chain tool) is...

How To Fall Back In Love With Cycling

Cycling is a fantastic sport, but as with anything in life - a few difficult rides, some poor form and fitness or some bad weather can see your passion and...

How To Cycle Past Horses

If you cycle on UK roads, especially rural roads - you will be all too familiar with the other road users that you have to share the road network with. Typically, as cyclists we can come across...

How To Cycle Into A Headwind

Heading into the winter months, cycling in adverse weather conditions is sadly part and parcel of life, if you want to continue riding and commuting during the colder months. One of the main...

How To Cycle Faster

Although cycling speed may not seem too important when you start out on your cycling interest and journey - it’s one of the easiest ways to record your performance on the bike. With many cycling...

How To Clean Bicycle Disc Brakes

Disc brakes are the most powerful and the most effective types of brakes which can be fitted to any mountain or road bike, providing superior performance compared to older styles of rim brakes...

How To Choose Your First Bike

At Westbrook Cycles, we speak to many customers coming to us to choose their very first bike. Although most people have ridden a bike before, we find many customers come to us for...

How To Choose The Perfect Cycle Jersey

As with any specialist sport, choosing the right equipment and clothing makes life significantly easier. The right cycling jersey for example, makes every ride more comfortable, more...

How To Change A Bike Tyre

One of the most common basic maintenance skills required as a cyclist is knowing how to change a bike tyre. Whether you have punctured the tyre or just want to change the tyre for another one, the principle is the same and it is a...

How To Burn More Calories When Cycling

A lot of people use cycling as a low impact form of exercise to help shift weight. As well as being low impact, protecting the joints - cycling is also a very fun and stimulating form of exercise...

How To Measure A Bike Frame

Whether you're looking for a Road Bike, a Mountain Bike or a Hybrid Bike, it is equally important to make sure that you are on the correct size frame. A bicycle that is too large can lead to difficulty riding and handling the bike which can be dangerous...

How To Measure Bike Wheel Size

A common question asked is "how to measure bike wheel size". The truth is that it isn't usually possible to accurately measure a bike wheel and match it to the...

How To Replace Bike Spokes: Step-By-Step Guide

Cycling is a fantastic sport and a great way to stay fit and healthy. However, like any vehicle, your bike will eventually need repairs. One of the most common issues cyclists face is a broken or snapped spoke...

How To Measure Bike Tyre Size

Bike Tyres are hopefully the only contact point that your bike has with the ground, whether that’s gnarly off-road terrain or smooth tarmac. Bike Tyre sizes are important for a number of reasons, a...

How To Sell Your Old Bike Online

At Westbrook Cycles, we speak to lots of customers who have come to us to purchase a new bike - who have an old bike that they need to sell. Reasons for selling an old bike are numerous...

How To Adjust Bike Gears

We often get asked how to adjust bike gears so this guide aims to cover the basics in setting up your gears and ensuring they stay running correctly. A lot of cyclists can find adjusting the gears a...

How To Use Tubeless Tyre Sealant

Tubeless Tyres have been massively growing in popularity in recent years - these tyre setups are used by road cyclists, mountain bikers and gravel...

How To Use Bike Gears

For those new to cycling, knowing how to use bike gears can be a confusing experience as some bikes seemingly have so many to choose from. A modern high-end road bike can easily have 24...

How To Use A Bike Pump

It is almost like a rite of passage, every cyclist at some point will need to know how to use a bike pump. Even if you don't get a puncture you will probably have to put some air in your tyres, as...

How To Teach A Child To Ride A Bike

Over the years the "best practice" theory has changed on how to teach a child to ride a bike. A few years ago, the main way to teach a child to ride would have been through the use of stabilisers attached to the child's bike, which tended...

How To Remove Rust From A Bike

When the Iron in Steel is exposed to Oxygen and moisture, it results in a form of corrosion we call rust. This process is known as Oxidising. If you live in an area where salt is common, either from being...

How To Remove Bike Pedals

There is only really one thing to learn about how to remove bike pedals and that is that each pedal has an opposite thread on the axle. The reason for this is so that as you are pedalling, one of them...

How To Raise Bike Handlebars

Whether you are looking to raise the handlebars on your hybrid bike to improve comfort, or to bring the front higher on your downhill bike for the steep stuff, there are a number of...

How To Pump Up Bike Tyres

Knowing how to pump up a bike tyre is basic knowledge that will benefit all cyclists and bike riders at some point. Pumping up bike tyres can seem a bit...

How To Lock A Bike

The last thing you want to happen to your bike, whether it's your pride and joy or your mode of transport, is for someone to steal it. Although reported crime figures for bicycle thefts in England...

How To Clean A Bike Chain

Basic bike maintenance is essential to keeping your bike running well, and can help keep costs down in the long run as it increases the longevity of a lot of...

How To Make A Bike Feel Like New Again

If you feel that your bike is not running properly, or your bike is beginning to sound like it’s not running properly - you may start to want a new bike, but that’s not always required. There are several ways to bring your bike into feeling new...

How To Use Clipless Pedals

The history of Clipless Pedals, and the technology used with them - can be traced back to ski binds. Ridden to victory in the Tour de France in 1985, Clipless Pedals have been used by professional...

How To Improve Cycling Braking Performance

Braking on a bike is not only about performance, it’s also about remaining legal and adhering to bike specific legislation, which dictates that a bike must have working brakes. Bikes used by adults in the UK must have two independent braking systems, namely a...

How To Improve Bike Comfort

One of the biggest barriers to enjoying a new bike, or maximising your performance on the bike - is the comfort of your bikke. There are often times when out riding when pain is good, th...

How To Stop Bike Brakes Squeaking

One of the most irritating things about a bike ride, is having to listen to squealing brakes on your bike - squealing brakes affect all bikes equally, mountain bikes, gravel bikes and road bikes all suffer...

How To Refurbish And Refresh An Old Bike

Your Mountain Bike or Road Bike will more than likely feel like an old friend, a bike you have owned for a while will feel familiar and you can expect to understand how the bike performs, knowing...