the 'there's no such thing as a stupid question' bike maintenance thread

MangleBadger

Done just over 7000km to date. So probably about time to replace. What is the benefit in also replacing outers?

CramCycle

MangleBadger wrote: »

Done just over 7000km to date. So probably about time to replace. What is the benefit in also replacing outers?

Cleaner, if there is grit or water or whatever in them, it will increase the lifespan of your new cables. I wouldn't do it that often though, even on a dirty bike, most people I know some just blast through the outers with a spray like GT85. I never maintain them so this advice isn't followed by myself.

magicbastarder

my good weather bike was cabled up over two and a half years ago, but not taken out if rain is forecast; and i've zero plans to re-cable it, it's performing fine.

Type 17

Also the plastic liner inside the housing wears through on the inner radius of curves, so even a clean section of housing up high won’t last forever.

I have (decent quality Shimano SLR) brake and gear cables that are over 25 years old still working fine, although the bike does’t see much rain and the gears are 7-speed (less precision required).

07Lapierre

MangleBadger wrote: »

Done just over 7000km to date. So probably about time to replace. What is the benefit in also replacing outers?

Housings wear out too. they wont break but the inner sleeve will wear excessively where the cable bends.
Are your cables routed internally? if yes...replace the outer housing BEFORE you remove the inner cable from the frame (use the inner cable to guide in the new housing)

MangleBadger

07Lapierre wrote: »

Housings wear out too. they wont break but the inner sleeve will wear excessively where the cable bends.
Are your cables routed internally? if yes...replace the outer housing BEFORE you remove the inner cable from the frame (use the inner cable to guide in the new housing)

Yes cables are internally routed to an extent, just through the down tube.
My main sport is sailing so I've a fair bit of experience in trying to feed cables/ropes through tubes. I'm hoping this will stand by me later on.

Only real issue I have with replacing outers is my current ones are orange and match the bike. Guess I'll have to settle for black.

magicbastarder

you should be able to get orange housings.

MangleBadger

magicbastarder wrote: »

you should be able to get orange housings.

I'm very impatient though. Was planning on popping out to a shop this afternoon to pick up the parts.

What would be a good LBS in Dublin for these sort of parts?

magicbastarder

which side of dublin are you? cycle superstore in tallaght would be one of the biggest, so might have wider stock.

MangleBadger

magicbastarder wrote: »

which side of dublin are you? cycle superstore in tallaght would be one of the biggest, so might have wider stock.

I'm southside, that was where I was thinking of going. Cheers

ironictoaster

Mundo7976 wrote: »

Cal Jones might be able to help you out, thorough video helped me out.
https://youtu.be/UkZxPIZ1ngY

Think I'm sorted. Half turn with the adjuster seemed to fix it. Any noise the bike makes has me paranoid!

Tombo2001

As a matter of interest - which is the largest northside bike shop, best stocked.....

I dont mean city centre, capel street etc. Lets say, beyond the canal?

It might actually be Decathlon, I cant think of any others that are large.

magicbastarder

highest number of bikes on display, might be eurocycles out beside airside shopping centre. but i've never warmed to the place.

MangleBadger

Next stupid question. Only cassette I could get my hands on was 11-36 and my current is 11-34. I presume my old chain won’t fit. Is there a standard number of links to add or do I just measure from scratch?

Type 17

Your chain might fit, but if you can't get it go onto big ring/biggest sprocket, don't ride it like that - I've seen frames destroyed as the rider thought it would be ok, but then forgot/didn't realise what gear they were in on a hill, and went down one more sprocket, pushing hard, as you do on a steep hill, and the (carbon) chainstay collapsed :eek:

If you do need to add links, use the "measure on big/big without the rear derailleur and then add two links" method.

magicbastarder

Would be standard to replace the chain of you're replacing the cassette anyway.

MangleBadger

magicbastarder wrote: »

Would be standard to replace the chain of you're replacing the cassette anyway.

Planning on replacing chain. Last time I just counted links on the old chain and matched that to the new chain.

MangleBadger

So I’ve obviously missed something in routing my new gear cable.
Nothing happens when I shift up or down. As in there is no action from the cable. And no audible click. I just ran it through the hood from the eye on the outside of it and through the existing outers.

Any ideas?

CramCycle

MangleBadger wrote: »

So I’ve obviously missed something in routing my new gear cable.
Nothing happens when I shift up or down. As in there is no action from the cable. And no audible click. I just ran it through the hood from the eye on the outside of it and through the existing outers.

Any ideas?

Depends on the gear you are using but I imagine you have simply not caught it inside the shifter

MangleBadger

CramCycle wrote: »

Depends on the gear you are using but I imagine you have simply not caught it inside the shifter

That is kind of what I thought. How do I force it to catch inside?

07Lapierre

MangleBadger wrote: »

That is kind of what I thought. How do I force it to catch inside?

Watch this:

https://youtu.be/-PBSku77uBI

Rua_ri

Has anybody fitted gp5000 tubeless tyres to mavic kysrium wheels?

I can't even get one side of the tyre over the rim.

MangleBadger

New cable issue fixed. There old end of the cable was still inside and I think it had jammed the barrel from rotating. Took off the cover and it popped out and good as new.
Now i just need to index it. Which I hate.

Thanks for all pointers.

DaveyDave

Dropped the bike into the shop last week, after fitting a new cassette and chain the chain would drop off the big ring. Gears were shifting fine etc. Bike shop says the big ring needs replacing.

I trust them not trying to upsell me parts (especially since the won't have them til next month!) but surprised it's worn. Bike has about 5,000km on it and the new chain is the third one as I try to change at 2,000-2,500km.

Is it common for a big ring to wear that soon? Would it be cross chaining or not cleaning enough? I try to avoid the lowest two gears when in the big ring but I'm sure I've been in the big big combo plenty of times.

Type 17

Post a pic of the teeth without the chain on them, and take a pic of the teeth where most wear occurs, which 90 degrees from the crank arm, ie: place the cranks horizontally, and take a pic of the teeth at the top of ring.

Even if a new chain doesn't skip on a worn ring (or sprocket), the new/old mesh means that fewer links of the chain are taking the full load, so the new chain will wear down to the rest of the drivetrain's level that bit quicker, so sometimes starting again with a new ring may help your chains last longer.

CramCycle

Rua_ri wrote: »

Has anybody fitted gp5000 tubeless tyres to mavic kysrium wheels?

I can't even get one side of the tyre over the rim.

Only advice I can give is to make sure that when you get the first part of the tyre on, make sure the bead is resting in the valley of the rim as you roll it on the rest of the way, it's a mistake I have seen a lot, some tyres can take it but a lot can't. Into the valley the whole way round is the only way you get enough lee way to pop it over the rim.

Type 17

CramCycle wrote: »

Only advice I can give is to make sure that when you get the first part of the tyre on, make sure the bead is resting in the valley of the rim as you roll it on the rest of the way, it's a mistake I have seen a lot, some tyres can take it but a lot can't. Into the valley the whole way round is the only way you get enough lee way to pop it over the rim.

And note that whenever you get a bit more bead over the rim, and things get tight again, keep going back around the part that's mounted and pushing it back into the valley, as things shift about as you work on it.

magicbastarder

DaveyDave wrote: »

Bike has about 5,000km on it and the new chain is the third one as I try to change at 2,000-2,500km.

very surprised if it's worn and the chain has been maintained like that. one 'rule' is to replace the cassette every three chains, and replace the chainrings every third cassette.

Mundo7976

Broke my first spoke today and managed to limp home.
Has anyone got a recommendation for a wheel mechanic who can replace and true the wheel in the Ashbourne /Ratoath /Swords general area?
Thanks folks

Mundo7976

Weepsie wrote: »

Any half decent shop should be able to do that. Humphreys In finglas is a straight run in the old n2, probably richie's in swords

Sound. Thanks 👍🏻