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

Roberto_gas

Lads..a noob question...what items do i need for maintenance of chain of a daily commute bike...? Any other parts which shud be taken care of as well ? Its a new bike.

07Lapierre

07Lapierre wrote: »

You have two options:

1: if your bike has a 10 speed groupset, you can use your 11speed wheels, with a 10 speed cassette and spacer.

2: buy a new bike with an 11 speed groupset.

(Yes....10 speed cassette and spacer is your best option.)

Out of curiosity, what would happen there if the OP used an 11 cassette on a 10 speed group set and shifters? Could you even index it to use 10 of the 11 with or without spacers ?

07Lapierre

Deleted User wrote: »

Out of curiosity, what would happen there if the OP used an 11 cassette on a 10 speed group set and shifters? Could you even index it to use 10 of the 11 with or without spacers ?

Well, it might get you home in an emergency, but it wouldn't index correctly. An 11speed chain is narrowed than a 10 speed one and the spacing between each sprocket on a 10 cassette is different to an 11 cassette.

dahat

If a chain is sized to a 52/36 & 11/25 set up, can i switch wheels to 11/28 for a race with full confidence?

CramCycle

Roberto_gas wrote: »

Lads..a noob question...what items do i need for maintenance of chain of a daily commute bike...? Any other parts which shud be taken care of as well ? Its a new bike.

Very little, oil for wet weather, wipe down every now and again. If it is getting very grimey, degreaser and reoil.

Type 17

Roberto_gas wrote: »

Lads..a noob question...what items do i need for maintenance of chain of a daily commute bike...? Any other parts which shud be taken care of as well ? Its a new bike.

I service a lot of neglected commuter bikes, so if you have a new one, here's some pointers to avoid killing it too quickly:

Lube/clean chain as CramCycle mentions, lube some other items as well (not necessarily as often as the chain, but don't ignore them completely):

Pivots of the front derailleur (especially if not protected from rear wheel spray by full-length mudguards)
Pivots and jockey wheels of the rear derailleur
Barrel adjusters on rear derailleur, and top of down-tube of frame
Gear cable guides under bottom bracket shell
Brake and gear cables (slacken cables by quick-releasing brakes and by shifting to big ring/sprocket and then releasing the cable without pedalling) - unhook the housings from the frame-stops and then wipe down the inner wire and lube the usually-hidden sections.

Also, if your brakes make a "rustling" sound in the dry (and the pads aren't fully worn through), there may be particles of grit embedded in the brake pads - remove the wheels and flick them out with a pick or blade - grit like this will wear your rims out more quickly.

Pump the tyres regularly - all vehicle tyres lose air over time, but bicycle tyres have minimal air at higher pressures, so a small volume loss means a big drop in pressure, and soft tyres mean increased rolling resistance, increased tyre & tube wear, and increased chance of rim-damage & pinch-punctures. Ideally, pump them every two weeks and once a month at a minimum.

Lagnagoushee

Hi,
I need a recommendation for someone who can:
-remove the current spray paint from my steel Colnago.
- remove and treat remaining rust on frame and chrome joins.
-spray etching coat, primer and top coat on chrome forks.
-spray paint frame and forks with primer and finishing coats of paint.
I’m in Waterford but can travel.
Thanks for your help.

jamesd

dahat wrote: »

If a chain is sized to a 52/36 & 11/25 set up, can i switch wheels to 11/28 for a race with full confidence?

It would need adjustment and maybe the might bé to short too.

07Lapierre

Lagnagoushee wrote: »

Hi,
I need a recommendation for someone who can:
-remove the current spray paint from my steel Colnago.
- remove and treat remaining rust on frame and chrome joins.
-spray etching coat, primer and top coat on chrome forks.
-spray paint frame and forks with primer and finishing coats of paint.
I’m in Waterford but can travel.
Thanks for your help.

You could try www.bicycledesigncentre.com

I’ve never used them,but I’ve heard good reportsz

Ray Bloody Purchase

I'm thinking of buying a powerwasher for the patio and to wash all the sh1te off my bike.

Is it bad to powerwash the chain?

ec18

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

I'm thinking of buying a powerwasher for the patio and to wash all the sh1te off my bike.

Is it bad to powerwash the chain?

The chain is probably alright but what I've read about the downsides of using power washers is that it can strip the grease out of the internal bearings

Type 17

It’s bad to powerwash the whole bike - it’s so easy to force water into the lubricated parts (hubs, freehub, headset, bottom bracket, pedals, brake calipers, derailleurs and brake/gear cables) and damage them, that it’s not worth trying to powerwash a bike.
PS: it’s easy to clean a bike with a few brushes and a hosepipe with a gentle spray-head, and it’s much quicker than having to disassemble and re-grease everything

Here’s a good vid on washing a bike:
https://youtu.be/B2sKhSDrugE

07Lapierre

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

I'm thinking of buying a powerwasher for the patio and to wash all the sh1te off my bike.

Is it bad to powerwash the chain?

DO NOT POWERWASH YOUR BIKE!

(Bucket of soapy water and a sponge is more than adequate)

8valve

Lagnagoushee wrote: »

Hi,
I need a recommendation for someone who can:
-remove the current spray paint from my steel Colnago.
- remove and treat remaining rust on frame and chrome joins.
-spray etching coat, primer and top coat on chrome forks.
-spray paint frame and forks with primer and finishing coats of paint.
I’m in Waterford but can travel.
Thanks for your help.

you will need to source somewhere yourself to gently blast your frameset (I know that's a paradox-glass blast rather than sandblast-less abrasive on the frame) .

For paint, you will look long and hard before finding a better man than Davy Pickard Jr in Westside Business park.

It will NOT be cheap, though, as his work is of a very high standard.

Ahhhh for forks sake!

How do you know what PSI should be in my tyres? It doesn't say it on the rim. It's a hybrid bike (700 x 35C) if that matters. I don't want to burst the tyres but I also don't want them under inflated. I'll just go to my local Esso and set the pump to whatever psi and fill the tyres.

magicbastarder

it'd be very unusual for the tyre not to have a pressure guide on them - but your best bet is to get a floor pump (you might be lucky and get one of them still in lidl - they're only 7 quid) and IIRC they have a pressure gauge on them. at 35c, you'd probably be aiming for about 50PSI.

magicbastarder

any suggestions as to what's best for cleaning old adhesive crud off handlebars before refitting/rewrapping? or is it worth the effort?

LollipopJimmy

magicbastarder wrote: »

any suggestions as to what's best for cleaning old adhesive crud off handlebars before refitting/rewrapping? or is it worth the effort?

Tar remover makes mincemeat of adhesive.

07Lapierre

magicbastarder wrote: »

any suggestions as to what's best for cleaning old adhesive crud off handlebars before refitting/rewrapping? or is it worth the effort?

Not worth the effort. I use a stanley knife to cut off the old tape and also to scrape any stubborn bits that remain stuck to the bars.

Milk_Tray

07Lapierre wrote: »

You have two options:

1: if your bike has a 10 speed groupset, you can use your 11speed wheels, with a 10 speed cassette and spacer.

2: buy a new bike with an 11 speed groupset.

(Yes....10 speed cassette and spacer is your best option.)

Hey buddy- hoping you can help, so I have the 11 speed cassette of the wheels now and ready to put a 10 speed cassette on , I have this spacer
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WSPXCS11S/planet-x-cassette-spacer-for-11-speed-shimano-sram-freehub-bodies

Is that all I need? I have no idea where do I put on the spacer, is that put on first? do I need more spacers?

07Lapierre

Yep...put the spacer on first, then the cassette.

Edit: that fact that you got the 11 cassette off, I assume you have the lock ring tool? You’ll need one to tighten the cassette lock ring.

Milk_Tray

07Lapierre wrote: »

Yep...put the spacer on first, then the cassette.

Edit: that fact that you got the 11 cassette off, I assume you have the lock ring tool? You’ll need one to tighten the cassette lock ring.

got one and the chain tool to remove etc, all good just didnt know what spacer to use....people say i need to use 2 but according to that link from planet X its just that 1 spacer yeah? Seems tiny that is all I need??

07Lapierre

Milk_Tray wrote: »

got one and the chain tool to remove etc, all good just didnt know what spacer to use....people say i need to use 2 but according to that link from planet X its just that 1 spacer yeah? Seems tiny that is all I need??

Depends on the thickness of the spacer. Put it on the freehub, put on the cassette and then put on the lock ring. Using the lock ring tool, tighten the lock ring. Once tight, the cassette sprockets should not move from side to side. If they do, then you need another spacer. But, the spacer you linked to does like it's the correct thickness.

Gasco

The blurb says that the 11 speed cassette is compatible with 10 hubs.

So - does this mean that as a 10 speed user, I can make the jump to 11 speed and use my current wheelsets?

It is a little unclear - from the Shimano website:

Updates within the drivetrain include a new mid-compact 52-36T crankset, to add to the 50-34T and 53-39T cranksets, and new 11-30 (CS-R7000) and 10-speed compatible 11-34 cassette (CS-HG700-11) options to better suit gravel, adventure or CX riding.

Anyone any insight? Or just wait until the release in June?

ford2600

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=99964163&postcount=22

Allows you to run 11 speed cassette, as 10 speed, with a dead gear

Type 17

Gasco wrote: »

...and 10-speed compatible 11-34 cassette (CS-HG700-11)...

Sounds like the new 105 groupset includes a special 11-speed cassette that will fit 10-speed freehubs.

padyjoe

As for bearings, what should be the maintenance schedule? The hubs and pedals are sealed, in theory they are supposed to last long time. The headset bearing is not that sealed, but still ok. I've never done them yet.
What's not overkill? What would be the sensible approach to them? Taking them apart every year or after a certain kms, cleaning and greasing them? Same thing about the shifter mechanism. Would be enough to flush them WD40/GT85? Or taking them apart too? As for the BB, can't do much, it's replacement only?
After 4 years my bike is still in good nick, I look after it 'on the outside'. It's time to treat the inside as well. Thanks!

Crocked

Put the summer wheels back on the bike last week. Indexing was a bit off during the initial spin and went to re-index them last night. It was taking ages and I couldn't understand why it wasn't working. Began to suspect maybe the hanger had been bent but as it was fine on the other wheels and the bike hadn't had a knock in the last week I ruled that out.

I then noticed the cassette seemed to move at one stage and sure enough when I put a finger on it it wiggled side to side. Assumed I'd just not tightened the cassette lock ring properly. As I went to tighten it it was actually fine but I noticed this nut seemed to be out from the body of the axle. I initially just finger tightened it but then got out some spanners to ensure it was properly tight. Now wondering though if I should have left it just finger tight if it means there's now too much resistance on the axle? Hope to get out for a spin this evening to test it out.

So should it be finger tight, spanner tight or whats the story?

This is the nut in the image:

cdaly_

Given that the nut seems to be a cap for the axle I would think spanner tight. Spin the wheel in your hand and see does the axle 'tug' at all. It shouldn't.

schemingbohemia

I may threaten the title of this thread.

Got a new tyre put on back wheel by bike shop and bike serviced a few weeks ago, rode it once or twice after with no problems. Went on holidays, went to ride bike to work and back wheel is seizing, I can start cycling but then back wheel seizes, when it first happened I thought it may have been due to the cold weather (!) but now that it's warmed up same issue is still there.

Is it likely the bike shop over-tightened(?) the back wheel, but how would the bike have been ok at first and seized up later? Will be bringing it back to the shop this weekend but would like to have some idea of what people think it might be and what I can do myself (clueless) to try and fix it beforehand.

When I turned it upside down the wheel won't spin freely, it will go through maybe one revolution at most.

It's a Felt X-City with hub gears and disc brakes just to complicate matters.

http://2011.feltracing.com/Italy/2011/Mountain/X-CITY/X-CITY-1.aspx