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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?

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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?

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!!!

Wishbone Ash

Annie get your Run wrote: »

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

Tube I presume?

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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?

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!

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.

Type 17

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

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!

If there is a 10-speed cassette on the wheel already, then yes, that cassette should fit.
You will need to have the right derailleur cage, as you mentioned - do you know how to calculate the capacity required?

Type 17

magicbastarder wrote: »

this is (pun intended) doing my nut in.

Any chance of drilling out the spinning riv-nut? - what material is the drop-out/fork blade made from?

Unknown Soldier

Type 17 wrote: »

If there is a 10-speed cassette on the wheel already, then yes, that cassette should fit.
You will need to have the right derailleur cage, as you mentioned - do you know how to calculate the capacity required?

I do, thanks for the reply. I am assuming it does not need re-indexing! Which was probably my real question.

magicbastarder

actually, i just got it out. i had dropped a few drops of superglue in the other day, which had tightened the nut up without actually stopping it spinning, but i just flexed the bolt to one side (it had gone in at an angle, which was the cause of the woes) and out it came. here's hoping superglue doesn't degrade carbon fibre...

Type 17

Unknown Soldier wrote: »

I do, thanks for the reply. I am assuming it does not need re-indexing! Which was probably my real question.

Shouldn't need re-indexing at all, but check everything before you ride it, just in case (better to find issues with the wheel spinning only under its own weight).

Type 17

magicbastarder wrote: »

actually, i just got it out. i had dropped a few drops of superglue in the other day, which had tightened the nut up without actually stopping it spinning, but i just flexed the bolt to one side (it had gone in at an angle, which was the cause of the woes) and out it came. here's hoping superglue doesn't degrade carbon fibre...

Are the threads damaged (damaged enough to cause the nut to start rotating again)?

magicbastarder

they don't seem to be - i took the washers off and screwed the bolt back in and it seems to go in smoothly past the point where (when i've the mudguards mounted) it'd have them tightened onto the fork.

Type 17

Sounds good - I was worried that if the threads were damaged, the nut would start rotating when you tried to screw anything back in there.

Takca

Takca wrote: »

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?

Ok, I've taken off the cranks to have a look, looks like the one I have is sm-bb71-41

I've cleaned and greased as much as I could, I'll get out over the weekend to see if the problem is solved but I still feel like it doesn't revolve a free as I would expect it to.

Thargor

The left crank on my MTB has started brushing against the chainstay slightly as I pedal and its driving me crazy, why would it just start with no crash or heavy use or anything.

Type 17

Is it loose?
Is the bottom bracket loose?
Is it bent? (could have been damaged by a manoeuvring car while the bike was parked)

D13exile

Hi all

My road bike is approaching its third birthday and still has the original drivetrain components. I cycle approx 200kms a week and give the bike a good clean every weekend and particularly the drivetrain which gets degreased, washed down and re-lubed. However despite this maintenance, I've noticed my gears hopping for the past few weeks. If I change up or down, the change isn't immediate and I can spin the pedals for a few rotations before the gears change. This can be annoying as sometimes I think the gears haven't changed and I click the lever again only for it to hop two gears. I plan to put it on the work stand today to check its indexed ok but if that doesn't solve the problem, is it down to a worn and stretched chain?

Type 17

D13exile wrote: »

Hi all

My road bike is approaching its third birthday and still has the original drivetrain components. I cycle approx 200kms a week and give the bike a good clean every weekend and particularly the drivetrain which gets degreased, washed down and re-lubed. However despite this maintenance, I've noticed my gears hopping for the past few weeks. If I change up or down, the change isn't immediate and I can spin the pedals for a few rotations before the gears change. This can be annoying as sometimes I think the gears haven't changed and I click the lever again only for it to hop two gears. I plan to put it on the work stand today to check its indexed ok but if that doesn't solve the problem, is it down to a worn and stretched chain?

At that mileage, the entire drivetrain will be completely worn out, even though you have treated it well with cleaning/lubing ( if you hadn't it would have been dead much sooner).
Given that it's skipping and has poor changing, even though it's indexed, you probably need a new rear derailleur (worn pivots/dead jockey wheels) as well as new chainrings, chain and cassette.

magicbastarder

dead jockey wheels are dead cheap to replace though.

D13exile - one thing you didn't specify is how old the cables are. delayed changes could be cables sticking in the housing, i guess?

D13exile

magicbastarder wrote: »

dead jockey wheels are dead cheap to replace though.

D13exile - one thing you didn't specify is how old the cables are. delayed changes could be cables sticking in the housing, i guess?

Cables are original ones. Never thought it could be sticking cables. Do I need a new one or will silicone grease fix the issue?

All My Stars Aligned

Type 17 wrote: »

At that mileage, the entire drivetrain will be completely worn out, even though you have treated it well with cleaning/lubing ( if you hadn't it would have been dead much sooner).
Given that it's skipping and has poor changing, even though it's indexed, you probably need a new rear derailleur (worn pivots/dead jockey wheels) as well as new chainrings, chain and cassette.

I wouldn't agree with is. New cables, cassette & chain would be my first port of call. Perhaps jockey wheels while you at it. Unless the derailleur has received a few knocks I would imagine it's fine. I certainly would go throwing money at it unless actually proves to not be functioning after cables, cassette & chain have been changed.

magicbastarder

D13exile wrote: »

Cables are original ones. Never thought it could be sticking cables. Do I need a new one or will silicone grease fix the issue?

try silicone grease first maybe as a quick fix, but new cables shouldn't be more than about €20.