I have a confession to make. Unnecessary bike noise really bothers me.

Not the standard whir of the chain whizzing round, that can actually be quite cathartic, but the irritating little noises that occur from time to time, like the sound of a chain skipping due to an improperly aligned derailleur, or constant chain rub on the front derailleur cage. It’s just really annoying.

Just like you’d judge a mechanic who leaves his tools dirty and lying all over the place, a cyclist with a bike that’s desperate for a clean and makes all sorts of noises should be treated with suspicion. It might be a cliché, but if you look after your bike, it’ll look after you. Keep everything in good work order and clean and you’ll find that mid-ride mechanicals are at a minimum, and you won’t need to replace things all that often.

When you look at it, there are comparatively few things that can go wrong on a road bike and if you get into the habit of keeping things clean a bike should need minimal maintenance unless you’ve been out in really filthy conditions.

Finally, if you see a rider at the side of the road who’s suffered a mechanical or puncture, then ask if they’re ok, before riding off into the distance. They might have run out of tubes or not know how to fix something. Remember, the first rule? Be nice…