Written for riders who service their own bike
These guides are for people who have a repair stand, hex keys and a torque wrench, and want to do their own servicing.
Why the guides are organized by model number
Shimano and SRAM print a model number on almost every component: RD-M6100 on a Deore rear derailleur, BR-MT200 on an entry hydraulic caliper, FC-R7100 on a 105 crank. That number tells you which pads fit, which chain the derailleur was designed around and what torque the clamp bolt takes. General repair articles skip that detail because they have to work for every bike. Each guide here covers one family of parts, so the figures on it apply to your part.
Torque values, part numbers and tool numbers come from the manufacturer's own dealer manuals, exploded views and service documents. Each model page links to those documents so you can check a figure against the original before you tighten anything.
What the guides cover
- Rear derailleur setup: limit screws, B-tension, indexing, chain length, pulley replacement.
- Shift and brake cable replacement on mechanical groups.
- Disc brake pad replacement and bleeding of brakes that use mineral oil.
- Rim brake pad replacement and centering on road calipers.
- Removing and installing Hollowtech II cranks and threaded bottom brackets.
What we leave out, and why
- E-bike batteries and motors. Opening a lithium-ion pack or a drive unit risks fire and electric shock. Take these to a dealer for that brand.
- Suspension air springs and damper internals. They hold stored pressure and need the maker's service tools.
- Carbon repair and frame or crank safety checks. Whether a cracked or delaminated part is safe to ride is not something a web page can judge. If you are worried about a Shimano Hollowtech II crank, use Shimano's own inspection pages and see a dealer.
- Wheel building and spoke tensioning. A wheel built wrong fails under load.
- Brakes that use DOT fluid. DOT fluid is corrosive and toxic, and it destroys the seals of a mineral-oil brake. Every brake bleed on this site is for a system that the maker specifies for mineral oil.
Independence
Bicycle Manual is an independent site. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Shimano, SRAM or any other manufacturer or retailer. Brand and model names are used only to say which parts a guide applies to. The site carries no advertising and no affiliate links.
When to hand it to a mechanic
Brakes and the parts that hold you on the bike leave no room for guesswork. If a step does not behave the way a guide describes, if a bolt will not reach its torque, or if a brake still feels wrong after a bleed, stop and have a qualified mechanic look at it before you ride.
Contact
Corrections, model requests and questions go to hello@bicyclemanual.com. If a figure on a page differs from the manufacturer's current document, tell us which page and which figure and we will check it against the source.