nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

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

magicbastarder

is there a simple list of chemicals which you should not get near disc brake pads? i.e. would even something like a detergent cause issues with contamination; i was wondering as i was cleaning the bike earlier if i can be overcautious in cleaning the bike near the brakes.

any tips on looking after a steel frame? my latest purchase has mountings for racks and also a couple of unthreaded holes - should i tape those up to keep water out, or leave them uncovered to let the water out should it get in?

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

magicbastarder

magicbastarder wrote: »

a very irritating little issue i managed to cause tonight - i took the mudguards off the bike, and as i was screwing the bolt back into the boss on the left hand side of the fork, i either misthreaded the bolt, or there's some grit in there, and the 'nut' (it's round, not hexagonal) embedded in the fork that it screws into is now spinning in the socket, so i can't tighten or remove the bolt. i tried a little 3 in 1 to see if it would allow the bolt to come out, but it just means the 'nut' is spinning more freely now. i may just leave it a few weeks for the oil to dry off and try to get some superglue in (hopefully without gluing the nut) and secure it back in place long enough to get the bolt out.

this is (pun intended) doing my nut in.

Unknown Soldier

No chance of this being a sticky?

NO? OK so!

I was wondering... can you put an MTB cassette on a road bike? Leaving aside the rear derailer bing short or medium cage to take the 32/34/36 cog

Shimano SLX CS-HG81 can that go on a 10 speed road bike? Are MTB different to road, other than being more for MTB than road?

Thanks!

Takca

I've got a really annoying creak somewhere around my bottom bracket, also when I take the chain off it doesn't spin freely for long there is more resistance then I would have expected.

I'm going to have a go at cleaning out the BB and maybe replace it if it comes to it.

The bike is a Giant Defy 1 2016
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/ie/defy-1-2016

Which says the BB is "Shimano PressFit", which of the different bottom brackets I've been reading about is this likely to be? So I can figure out what removal and press tool I need. Also is it OK to remove a BB and put it back in or should a new one be put in?

outfox

OleRodrigo wrote: »

For the last month I have been struggling with one of the worst problems you can have with a steel framed bike - seized aluminium seatpost.

It might be too late now, but could you try to twist the seat post, maybe by modifying the top of the post to slot a lever in there? I read somewhere that bonds are most vulnerable to shearing forces.

magicbastarder

a very irritating little issue i managed to cause tonight - i took the mudguards off the bike, and as i was screwing the bolt back into the boss on the left hand side of the fork, i either misthreaded the bolt, or there's some grit in there, and the 'nut' (it's round, not hexagonal) embedded in the fork that it screws into is now spinning in the socket, so i can't tighten or remove the bolt. i tried a little 3 in 1 to see if it would allow the bolt to come out, but it just means the 'nut' is spinning more freely now. i may just leave it a few weeks for the oil to dry off and try to get some superglue in (hopefully without gluing the nut) and secure it back in place long enough to get the bolt out.

Annie get your Run

^^Thanks, will have a look at that tomorrow ^^

Jimoslimos

Annie get your Run wrote: »

Anyway, have issue with my gears, I bought the bike 2nd hand a year ago, it was 2 years old at the time. From day 1 I've had a problem with gears changing randomly, usually if I go over a bump but not always. It stops for a while (or lessons) after a service but keeps coming back and today was a disaster, it wouldn't sit right on the lowest gear.

Is common? I'm considering looking at changing the drivechain & shifters (if that's the right terminology!) Would that make a difference or has anyone any ideas why this is happening - I do clean and oil the chain & bike usually once a week but maybe that's not enough?

It's a Merida road bike.

Sounds like your gears need indexing. They might have put a new cable on when it was serviced and this stretched over time. Not too difficult to try yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbk5RcH0bbQ

Annie get your Run

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Tube I presume?

Yep, see, I can't even get the terminology right :rolleyes:

Anyway, have issue with my gears, I bought the bike 2nd hand a year ago, it was 2 years old at the time. From day 1 I've had a problem with gears changing randomly, usually if I go over a bump but not always. It stops for a while (or lessons) after a service but keeps coming back and today was a disaster, it wouldn't sit right on the lowest gear.

Is common? I'm considering looking at changing the drivechain & shifters (if that's the right terminology!) Would that make a difference or has anyone any ideas why this is happening - I do clean and oil the chain & bike usually once a week but maybe that's not enough?

It's a Merida road bike.

Edwardius

OleRodrigo wrote: »

For the last month I have been struggling with one of the worst problems you can have with a steel framed bike - seized aluminium seatpost. It happens if the post gets wet and forms a reaction within the steel seat tube and effectively bonds to it. Lesson learned: lube your seat post regularly especially in wet weather.

I've tried everything, hot water, cold ice, WD40, anti seize compound, nothing has worked, so it came down two last ditch desperate remedies. I avoided the worst option, although its one that is almost guaranteed to work - pouring caustic soda into the seat tube to melt down the seatpost. It takes a lot of prep to make sure the frame isn't damaged and a lot of care to make sure the area you work in isn't contaminated( like garden soil ), as well as taking care not to spill any on yourself.

Instead I went with cutting the seatpost in half with a hacksaw blade leaving about an inch protruding from the seat tube. I then started started to cut town the seatpost horizontally, with just the blade and some sellotape to act as a handle. The idea here is to cut two or three lines along the length of the post while not damaging the inner seat tube, so that the post can collapse in on itself and fall out in pieces.

Needless to say, it hasn't gone according to plan. In 6 weeks I've gone through 5 blades, the cut lines have not been even or straight...but I think with a bit more effort it'll be cut through in a week or two. The seat tube hasn't been damaged I'm fairly sure. Will report back with results.

Did this a few months ago, it's painful!

OleRodrigo

For the last month I have been struggling with one of the worst problems you can have with a steel framed bike - seized aluminium seatpost. It happens if the post gets wet and forms a reaction within the steel seat tube and effectively bonds to it. Lesson learned: lube your seat post regularly especially in wet weather.

I've tried everything, hot water, cold ice, WD40, anti seize compound, nothing has worked, so it came down two last ditch desperate remedies. I avoided the worst option, although its one that is almost guaranteed to work - pouring caustic soda into the seat tube to melt down the seatpost. It takes a lot of prep to make sure the frame isn't damaged and a lot of care to make sure the area you work in isn't contaminated( like garden soil ), as well as taking care not to spill any on yourself.

Instead I went with cutting the seatpost in half with a hacksaw blade leaving about an inch protruding from the seat tube. I then started started to cut town the seatpost horizontally, with just the blade and some sellotape to act as a handle. The idea here is to cut two or three lines along the length of the post while not damaging the inner seat tube, so that the post can collapse in on itself and fall out in pieces.

Needless to say, it hasn't gone according to plan. In 6 weeks I've gone through 5 blades, the cut lines have not been even or straight...but I think with a bit more effort it'll be cut through in a week or two. The seat tube hasn't been damaged I'm fairly sure. Will report back with results.

Wishbone Ash

Annie get your Run wrote: »

It's just taken me nearly 90 mins to change a tyre...

Tube I presume?

Annie get your Run

It's just taken me nearly 90 mins to change a tyre :rolleyes: still don't know the cause of the flat (think it's a dodgy tube valve, does that happen?) hope to god I don't have to do that again for another year!!!

route66

68 lost souls wrote: »

since I started cycling a couple of years ago I have only ever used Conti Race 28 tubes and have never had a problem. Did you open the valve fully?

Yes - I normally open it fully. I also tried leaving it half open, but it was no different. Whatever about my AC pump with adapter setup (even though it has worked well over the years on all 7 bikes in the family fleet with both presta and schrader valves) I'd have thought that the Lezyne pump would have worked.

I seem to recall a similar problem a few years ago - maybe my stuff just doesn't work with Continental tubes. I wonder is it because they have removable valves?

68 lost souls

since I started cycling a couple of years ago I have only ever used Conti Race 28 tubes and have never had a problem. Did you open the valve fully?

route66

I recently fitted a Continental tube (link) to my bike, along with a GP4000SII tyre. The fitting was ok (as in, the usual PITA

) but I found I had a problem - great difficulty pumping it up.

I have been using an AC-powered pump (link) with a Presta-Schrader Valve Adapter (link) for nearly 10 years without difficulty, but with the Continental tubes, the adapter doesn't seat very well and therefore the air doesn't go in. I tried other things: a Lezyne Pressure Drive Mini Pump (link) and another pump that was lying around but with no luck. I also tried screwing the adapter in very tight, but this still didn't work very well and caused the separate valve in the tube to unscrew when I took the adapter off :eek:

In the end, I gave up and swapped the tube out for a Halfords tube and this worked as expected.

Is the tube faulty or are Continental tubes just "different" ???

Type 17

crosstownk wrote: »

Blasphemy.

robyntmorton wrote: »

And that's a maximum fine of 25k if it gets reported to the guards.

Better buy Crosstownk an N+1 before he gives that statement...

(Incidentally, it's also the best way to solve any bike maintenance issue)

Hey, I only mentioned that the concept existed, I didn't recommend it as a plan :eek:

robyntmorton

crosstownk wrote: »

Blasphemy.

And that's a maximum fine of 25k if it gets reported to the guards.

Better buy Crosstownk an N+1 before he gives that statement...

(Incidentally, it's also the best way to solve any bike maintenance issue)

crosstownk

Type 17 wrote: »

(the only way to prevent it is to not ride the bike!)

Blasphemy.

magicbastarder

all bike chains have the same link length, it's the width that changes as the number of gears change.

moonboy52

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Yup.

Sweet, Thank you Ash, added to the wishlist (that is growing strong:p)

Wishbone Ash

moonboy52 wrote: »

Would this cheap tool do the job you reckon on a 9-speed Sora?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/x-tools-chain-wear-indicator/rp-prod10219

Yup.

(I use a similar one with a different brand name - I think they are all made by the same company and branded to order).

moonboy52

Type 17 wrote: »

measure it regularly with a chain-wear measuring tool

Would this cheap tool do the job you reckon on a 9-speed Sora?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/x-tools-chain-wear-indicator/rp-prod10219

Wishbone Ash

D13exile wrote: »

...I'm also concerned about the pedals. I got Keo Look pedals with the bike but they're mostly plastic. I'm no lightweight and I'm wondering if the years of my weight pressing down on them might have weakened them structurally

In my experience, the plastic itself doesn't break but becomes detached from the spindle. I've had Look Keo's break on two occasions as I ignored the tell tale signs and kept using them. If the pedal becomes stiff and resistant to spinning by hand or when trying to clip in, then I'd change them. (You won't notice the resistance while actually pedalling).

moonboy52

Thank you Type 17.

Great advice there. Appreciate your time.

Type 17

I'd suggest that the best way to maintain a chain is by eye, rather than by km or time - take a look at it after each ride, but don't do anything unless it needs it - if you only go out in dry weather on clean roads, you may not need to do anything for a few rides, and even then just some dry lube may be fine, but if you go out on a particularly wet winter day (roads dirtier/possibly salty in winter), you might even need to add some lube during the ride (if the chain begins to make the "rustle" sound of a dry chain) as well as degreasing afterwards to get rid of the dirt/salt.

There are a million opinions about how best to keep a chain clean, but the best practice/least hassle tradeoff is to keep it from getting too dry or too dirty, and measure it regularly with a chain-wear measuring tool, with a view to replacing it before you need to replace both it and the cassette.

Remember that all chains wear out no matter what you do (the only way to prevent it is to not ride the bike!), so don't kill yourself spending loads of time on it. Obviously you can keep the wear process slower by avoiding lots of cross-chaining and keeping it lubed and fairly clean, but there's no need to be too religious about it - yes, treat it well, but ultimately, treat it as a consumable like brake pads or tyres.

moonboy52

What is the story with degreasing and re-lubing?

I have a Park Tool Cyclone Chain Scrubber CM5.2 and Muc-Off Bike Cleaner Concentrate (using it in the scrubber) and Muc-Off Dry Lube.

I know dry lube needs to be re-applied more than wet.

Would degreasing after say 150k (3 cycles) be acceptable?

Would you add dry lube every cycle?

Complete noob here

Type 17

For the money involved and, given that the only way to reassemble a shifter like that is to have an identical-but-assembled one to copy, I'd say get a new one.

Macy0161

Type 17 wrote: »

Maybe it's not that - what are the symptoms?

Changed cables as I thought that was the issue. It's the top one not engaging at all - changed up, but won't change back down. I thought it may be the cables that were fecked (which they probably were).

Opened it up to try and clean it, and springs and everything came apart (even with the shifters flipped, so bottom was the top).

It's not that time is necessarily more precious than money, but I can get an Alivio 9 speed for under €20 delivered, so kinda in a debate about whether to spend more time on it or right it off. Bike was sat up for a long time!

Type 17

Macy0161 wrote: »

Still trying to get the hardtail back on the trail. Rear shifters are stuck. Tried to follow a youtube video to unstick and not having any joy -
even though on the outside it looked to be the same shifter as the video, it was different underneath and I can't get it back together and working! So will any (shimano) 9 speed shifter work?

Beginning to realise why the LBS were suggesting it might not be worth spending money on it, but I'm kinda happy to plod away as I'm spreading the cost and paying no labour....

Assuming that it's not the cable that's sticking, is the issue that the lower (thumb) lever is not returning fully after pressing, thereby not fully releasing the mechanism, and preventing the upper (forefinger) lever from being able to work?
If that's the case, try removing the circular cover that rotates with the thumb lever (remove the small phillips screw and unhook the cover). If it works ok without it, the cover has warped over time (seems to be an issue with some Shimano flat-bar models). File away the edge of the cover as required.
Maybe it's not that - what are the symptoms?

Macy0161

Still trying to get the hardtail back on the trail. Rear shifters are stuck. Tried to follow a youtube video to unstick and not having any joy -
even though on the outside it looked to be the same shifter as the video, it was different underneath and I can't get it back together and working! So will any (shimano) 9 speed shifter work?

Beginning to realise why the LBS were suggesting it might not be worth spending money on it, but I'm kinda happy to plod away as I'm spreading the cost and paying no labour....