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

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119436565#Comment_119436565

I don't think so as they haven't anyway to grip them internally or externally. Newman also make quite thick QRs so you can see in, so I'm confident they are. Wish I'd just spent the cash and bought the removal tool they make but I want/need to get them off by tonight as I have to replace the freehub. I am trying to get a thin screwdriver and see can I wedge it from the farside, all my long Allen keys are rounded so they slip off.

hesker

Maybe post a photo. Might be possible to improvise a removal tool

Edit: Is this the tool and removal method

https://youtu.be/pp6Tu0bdeEM

If so then yeah maybe if you got two screwdrivers and got them in at 6 o’clock and 12 and lever both at the same time it might work. Risk of marking the hub though I’d imagine

Another option might be to clamp a vice grips onto the end cap then try to lever it off with a big spanner

nicksnikita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119436405#Comment_119436405

Would a vice grip do the job?

Put a rag or something on the endcap so it doesn't get scraped up in the process

CramCycle

Tried the vise, can't get a tight enough grip with a hand or bench one and have marked the end cap trying. Just gonna buy the tool and not cheap out the next time. Thought either a vise or the screwdriver trick would work but the endcap is so neatly machines that it's almost flush and the screwdriver ( or anything I have tried) can't get purchase on it. Time to give up alas.

nigeldaniel

On the topic of tyres and wheels, anyone throw in the towel when trying to get old tyres off double-walled rims. The bike is a Triban from decathlon. The bleeping things just will not come off. I got a second set of rims and fitted hybrid tyres in the end.

PS does anyone find the decathlon website seems to have a very limited payment option here? no PayPal or anything bar the credit card?

Elvis Hammond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119440290#Comment_119440290

I've never heard of anyone getting new rims because they couldn't get the tyres off the old, until now.

Which model Triban is it? How far do you get with tyre removal before getting stuck?

nigeldaniel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119440775#Comment_119440775

its the thomson tyres that were the issue, i never came across such a tough pair of rubbers in my life [i put a lot of miles on them]. i damaged a small bit of the back rim and that when i stopped trying. the bike is a flat bar triban 500. i have since gone back to using my mountain bike.

Elvis Hammond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119442510#Comment_119442510

Thomson tyres? Where did they come from? The originally fitted Triban branded ones are the same as the RC120 comes with, & I could get them on & off just with my hands.

The wheels might be a bit different, but hardly in a way that makes trouble like that.

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119330686#Comment_119330686

I think I have sorted this issue.

we all know how sounds like to migrate around the bike, and I finally settled on this particular sound coming from the seatpost area. Took the seatpost out, and the Giant D-Fuse post is held in place with a 3 piece wedge. Took it apart, greased all surfaces, reassembled and re-seated it properly (fore those of you familiar with the setup, it wasn't bottomed out in the section tht holds it.

Also cleand and greased the seatpost, and cleaned inside the seat tube. Short spin down the road and back, and the noise seems to be gone 🤞🤞🤞

Bot1

So, I bought a new Giant TCR Advanced 2 disc from a Giant store in France.

I'm back home but I'm looking at the tyres.

Does anyone know if they come set-up tubeless already? no tube and with with sealent added?

Or are they merely tubeless ready - with rim tape already added, need to remove tube and add sealent.

How would I check?

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119475609#Comment_119475609

Giant website says “Factory tubeless set up including sealant, 32mm max tyre size” so they’re probably setup with sealant.

Have a look at the valve stem, usually they’ll have a much thicker locking ring than the usual skinny silver one for tubes.

Or you could deflate it and peek into the rim but then you’ll have to re-bead the tyre of course

Bot1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119475668#Comment_119475668

Yeah, it's got the thick locking ring alright.

Just checked the website and as you say it says sealent added.

I'm going to assume they are setup tubeless.

Any recommendations for tubeless tyre pressures for Irish roads?

Roberto_gas

Best place to source cheap carbon paste for seat post ?

Roberto_gas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119475684#Comment_119475684

I keep them around 80-90 range most if the times

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119475698#Comment_119475698

i think i got some in halfords once.

JMcL

Any recommendations for tubeless tyre pressures for Irish roads?

I'm running 70-75 on 28mm tyres for the past 4 months or so with no issues. I played around with pressures between about 65 and 80 and that seemed to be the sweet spot for me though depending on hoe heavy you are that might vary - I'm around the 90kg mark at the minute, though if/when I shift some of that, I'll likely back off the pressure a bit

I keep them around 80-90 range most if the times

If you're going that high, I'd make sure there's no upper limit (hookless rims for example usually have a limit in the low 70s). For what it's worth, I'd usually have run 25mm Conti 4 seasons around the low 90s (with tubes) and I think only ever got the one pinch flat (which in the particular circumstances would have been hard to avoid)

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119475684#Comment_119475684

What weight are you and bike combined? What's actual tyre width? Are you riding smooth tarmac, tar and chip or broken roads?

There's no one answer but I don't see much point to tubeless unless you are looking for low pressures circa 4bar/60psi.

I'm running around those pressures with tubes in 31mm tyres at a combined 95kgs on bad surfaces.

Bot1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119479767#Comment_119479767

As a mountain biker who has been running tubeless tyres, over the most extreme surfaces for about 3 years without a puncture!

I'm completely sold on Tubeless tyres.

In a mud-fest I can lower the front tyre pressure to 16psi on my 2.5inch tyres!

I have zero experience of tubeless on the road though.

I'm 68kg and the bike is ~8-9kg.

cletus

Is it possible to take brifters from a rim brake bike, and put them on a cable actuated disc brake bike?

Elvis Hammond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119498720#Comment_119498720

What kind of levers are on the bike as it is? If they're brifters of some kind then it almost certainly has calipers with the same cable pull as the rim brakes.

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499377#Comment_119499377

They are Sora brifters. Looking at replacing with 105 brifters

Elvis Hammond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499449#Comment_119499449

Yeah, the same levers would be used for rim & disc. Of course, one would assume this is a properly spec'd bike, with 'road' type calipers.

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119499520#Comment_119499520

One can assume all other aspects of the swap have been thought of, and catered for 😁

Cheers Elvis

magicbastarder

not a maintenance question, per se - anyone here have a bosch motor on their e-bike and knows how conservative they are in terms of range estimation?

my wife's bike currently states a range of 3 miles in tour or 2 miles in sport, but the battery gauge is still showing two of five bars; i think she's done 50 or 60km since last charge, so my guesstimate would be over 15km per bar of battery, but that doesn't match the range estimate when the battery does hit two bars.

she's never let it get below two bars i think, mainly because of that estimate.

Thargor

What type of valve is this please? Is it actually a Presta? It lets all the air out as soon as you unscrew the silver wheel. A neighbour got given a bike with two of these on it and I couldnt get a fit to pump it without losing half the air, would a Shrader to Presta adapter work for his Schrader pump?

monkeyslayer

Yea you'd need an adapter for your presta pump, it's a dunlop/woods valve, think halfords might do them as you'd find them on kids and 'ladies' bikes

Thargor

Okay thanks, thats weird that I never heard of that, this will do the job I assume?

https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/inner-tubes/halfords-woods-valve-kit-and-adaptor-267168.html?

magicbastarder

given the hassle involved, rather than the cost, i'd just consider replacing the tube.

Remember the old school pumps you could attach to the top tube and they had the attachment you screwed onto the valve and the pump, if you take the collar off the valve core will just pop out no? Modern pumps all seem to clamp on.

I actually found some old valve cores in the shed not too long ago and took me a while to remember what they were for.

traco

That valve brings back memories. Haven't seen one in decades.