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

fun loving criminal

Not a maintenance question. But recently took up a new job with a bit of a trek. The cycle isn't bad. But longer than what I'm used to. The mornings are quite getting into work. But coming home feels like I'm stuck in a circus with drivers/cars/buses doing whatever the hell they want.

My safety comes first and unfortunately a different route isn't an option at the moment because of roadworks and a blocked road. Coming home makes me feel so stressed on the bike and it shouldn't be like this at all. Not sure what to do. But I'm considering getting a camera. Not sure what it will do but to have recording and proof if something happens might help. So when it comes to safety and ignorant drivers, I don't want to put a limit on how much to spend on a very good camera. So does anyone have any recommendations for a camera?

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119374301#Comment_119374301

This happened to me, the bung was loose, never even thought of it, I popped it back in and that squeak stopped. I had replaced my BB before I discovered it sadly.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119375705#Comment_119375705

How long is the commute? Personally if the aim is to put people off, make it an awful, on top of your helmet one. They look stupid but more likely someone will notice and not be an a***hat.

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119376975#Comment_119376975

Big Go-Pro with a helmet mount is the most obvious one.

Or else Spin11 have the safe cycling Ireland jerseys back in stock if you really want to make it known

https://spin11.com/shop#!/Stayin-Alive-at-1-5-short-sleeve-jersey-2022/p/187290367/category=23622817

traco

As I mentioned above - I've been pricing cables, shrouds, chain etc. Should I use a LBS or go online. Have most of teh stuff in a cart on bike24 at the moment. Are the decent or any other recommendations?

magicbastarder

where do you live? someone may be able to suggest a nearby bike shop; you won't get them as cheap as you would online but sometimes the advice you get in the shop will be worth the difference.

How Soon Is Now

So I noticed Monday cycling home from work this clicking noise. Every rotation of the peddles you get it and it seems to get a bit more obvious the harder you peddle. Had a look at it that night couldn't see any obvious issues and its literally only happening when peddling forward everything else I tried there was no clicking.

So as I work in Dublin city centre I brought the bike into two different shops around the Capel street area the first place had a look and by that I mean spun the wheel around moving the chain and changing gears and said he couldn't see anything. The other place has no mechanic in until tomorrow morning. A place local to me I cant get anyone to look at the bike until sometime early August.

So I was told there's no immediate issue and its more an annoyance than anything very much so haha and that it could be a bearing somewhere around the peddles. I'm just gonna have to call back into this place tomorrow morning and see what there mechanic says. Until then I'm wondering does anyone here have any ideas what it could be? The bike was grand Monday morning when I cycled into work so whatever happened it was out on the road Monday afternoon and I cant think of anything that could of caused it!?

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119393148#Comment_119393148

BB, Handlebars, stem, chainring bolts, your shoes or crank hitting the derailleur wire, loose QR, the chain tipping the front derailleur.

1. Is it one click per rotation?
2. Is it on a specific side?
3. Are you in or out of the saddle when it happens or does it make any difference?

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119393223#Comment_119393223

1. One click
2. I was thinking it was on my right but fella in Halfords last night said he taught he felt it on both sides!?
3. Its happening either way. The only thing that stops it is coming off of the peddles. When I'm heading downhill and stop peddling the chain is still moving but there's no clicking.

The noise seems to be coming from down low on the bike so I'm thinking surely it has to be something to do with down near the peddles I could be wrong though ha.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119393235#Comment_119393235

The last point adds more possibilities, could be your freehub going down the swannie, could be your BB.

1. If you can, try pedalling with no hands on the bars to see does it continue, rule them out ASAP.
2. Take off the rear wheel and look for any play in the cassette
3. Loosen, clean, regrease and tighten the bolts attaching your chainrings
4. feel for any movement in the cranks. If you pull and push them side to side is there any movement/play in them?
5. Did your mechanic feel it on the stand or while riding it? If it was while riding it, loosen, clean and regrease the bolts for your saddle and seatpost.
6. Have you only tried Halfords?

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119393235#Comment_119393235

re: 3 - if you're freewheeling, the chain is not moving

Hold the crank still and spin the pedal on each side to see if its the pedal.

Take the chain off the front chainring and turn the cranks to see if it's the bottom bracket.

How Soon Is Now

I'm in work atm so when I get home if I get time I'll see what I can do cheer's lads!

I've had it in three different places two of them gave it a look over it was checked on the stand and while riding.

I cycled without holding the handle bars and I could still hear it. It only seems to happen when I'm on the bike peddling forward.

hesker

Try following this guide

http://jimlangley.net/wrench/keepitquiet.html

You’d be lucky to get it fixed in a bike shop in my opinion. It’s just too time consuming to be profitable.

al87987

Bought a new bike online a couple of months ago, 1 year warranty.

On arrival the front brakes weren't working, I paid at bike shop to fix as didn't want the hassle of sending it back and waiting weeks.

Now some of the parts around the suspension have loosened / fallen off completely and the bike has become misaligned. Some of the parts look really worn down already. It is no longer safe to cycle.

I have sent photos to manufacturer but they are slow to reply and haven't offered any real solutions.

The bike is great when working but just seems incredibly unreliable for such a new bike.

The manufacturer doesn't have a presence in Ireland so any repairs would probably involve picking the bike up and shipping abroad. I'm wondering should I just look to get fixed again at bike shop and avoid hassle/wait with manufacturer? Or is there a chance that manufacturer would pay for the repairs if I supplied the invoice?

I just don't want this bike gathering dust while I try to sort out issues with manufacturer.

Any and all help appreciated.

Seth Brundle

Or is there a chance that manufacturer would pay for the repairs if I supplied the invoice?

it would be incredibly unlikely that they will pay for work that they did not authorise. However, paying your LBS to fix the bike sounds like your best bet as you could end up spending months waiting on the manufacturer only to be rejected.

magicbastarder

any photos? when you say parts are disintegrating, are they seals which are failing, etc?

07Lapierre

What bike is it? Most bikes are easy to work on so why not fix it yourself?

al87987

Here are a few photo's I sent the manufacturer.

magicbastarder

yeah, i think that looks unsafe to ride.

cletus

In the first picture, there's a bolt (well machine screw, really) just under your hand. It looks like there should be a corresponding bolt at the right on that bracket. Did you remove it. If not, you've probably lost it.

When you bought the bike, did you do the initial setup? It's very common to have to re tighten all fasteners a few weeks after initial setup, so much so that bike shops will often offer this service free when buying a new bike.

You may need to go over the bike completely, grease and tighten every fastener.

EDIT in fact, looking at it on the laptop, there's probably two bolts missing there.

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119393235#Comment_119393235

Click, pops, taps and pings are the most frustrating things to diagnose on a bike.

I'm dealing with one at the moment, that seemed to eminate from the stem/handlebars. I've checked stem, handlebar, steerer, chainring bolts, pedals, cable end for front derailleur.

I think I might have it fixed, it looks like the internally routed cable for the rear derailleur was crossed over the fittings for the bottle cage holder inside the down tube. Next ride should tell me if it's sorted or not.

All of which is to say that really, you'll just have to work your way through from most likely to least likely culprits to see can you find the cause.

Bike shops either won't do this, or will charge so much as to make it not viable, I would imagine.

al87987

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119394199#Comment_119394199

I didn't remove it, must have fallen out at some point. The bike has the same fixture on the opposite side so at least I can see what's missing.

I did do the initial setup, but there was nothing to do around the current problem area as that part was already assembled. I tightened what I could on arrival but didn't do it again since.

Thanks for help

cletus

I'd go back and retighten everything, and grease any fasteners that weren't greased.

The likelihood is those bolts worked their way loose, or weren't righted to spec in the factory

How Soon Is Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119393452#Comment_119393452

Cheers for this and all the other reply's lads! Guess ill just have to figure it out.

How Soon Is Now

So just a follow up on the issue I mentioned I had the other day.

Cycling home yesterday half way through the journey and it starts raining. About five ten minutes later the clicking stops....

So either the rain was some kind of magic! haha or something needed to be lubricated. I only did the chain on Sunday should I be lubing other parts of the bike as well? Surely a bit of rain wouldn't make that much difference?

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119402984#Comment_119402984

Best case scenario it's masking whatever the issue is but yes, your chain is not the only thing that needs lubrication, just the most regular by a long way.

fun loving criminal

I bought a brand new bike four weeks ago. It currently has 320km on the odometer. One of the tyres has visible wear on it which I wasn't expecting so soon. Puncture resistant tubing is showing through the tyre. I don't know what I did to cause this, if I done anything at all. Should I bring it back to the shop I bought it from?

cletus

Can you put up a picture of the wear?

Also, is it an ebike?

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119411075#Comment_119411075

Yes it's an e-bike and I don't know how to attach pictures here.

Going by this, looks like second picture but different colour

https://www.schwalbe.com/en/verschleiss

cletus

Is the wear on the rear wheel? Are you commuting, i.e. carrying a load in panniers on the back? Is the bike unrestricted, or is it pedal assist and limited to 25kph?

If you take a photo on your phone, then tap the picture icon (second from left in the comment box), it should give you the option to attach the photo