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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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tnegun

Any tips for removing stuck pedals? Tried heat and a proper pedal spanner but just rung it

other side it stuck hard too but didn't try too hard as I didn't want to ring it too.

John Hutton

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a good set of puncture resistant tyres for my hybrid commuter?

I'd a puncture this morning in the wettest, sh1ttest conditions. Little shards of glass in my tyres from cycling around Dublin CC. :mad:

Scwalbe marathon plus or regular marathon

Ray Bloody Purchase

Can anyone recommend a good set of puncture resistant tyres for my hybrid commuter?

I'd a puncture this morning in the wettest, sh1ttest conditions. Little shards of glass in my tyres from cycling around Dublin CC. :mad:

Type 17

Possibly, if the ride was in an urban area, some of the water splashed up can be contaminated with diesel particulates or oil leakage (rainbow puddles).

North of 32

Type 17 wrote: »

I'd say that a heat gun would work well (I use a blow-torch, and it's great) but either method only works well if the contamination is mild or moderate (like accidental overspray from chain lubing, etc) - I've found that if the pads are soaked in oil*, or brake fluid (especially for a long period, from a leak), there is no solution other than pad-replacement.

*Some people have come into the shop, saying that their disc brakes were squealing, and that they oiled them, but that it didn't help :eek:

The thing is, I cannot think of a time when I exposed the pads to a contaminant.

The noise started after a very wet ride and leaving the bike in the shed for 2 weeks untouched.

I guess I could have picked up the contaminant during the wet ride?

Type 17

magicbastarder wrote: »

One thing I do (without much knowledge of how much effect it actually has) is to use a heat gun on the pads.

I'd say that a heat gun would work well (I use a blow-torch, and it's great) but either method only works well if the contamination is mild or moderate (like accidental overspray from chain lubing, etc) - I've found that if the pads are soaked in oil*, or brake fluid (especially for a long period, from a leak), there is no solution other than pad-replacement.

*Some people have come into the shop, saying that their disc brakes were squealing, and that they oiled them, but that it didn't help :eek:

saccades

John Hutton wrote: »

Desperately need help folks.

Spent the day servicing my bike.

Fixed up my cantilever brakes with nice new pads, cleaned and greased everything. Spent a million years getting them set up *just right*

Was screwing the rear cantilever back on and it was just about tight enough and the head of the screw snapped off.

So now I have most of a screw stuck in the cantilever boss.

It's not sticking out or even flush but slightly recessed.

What on earth do I do? (Aside from cursing and feeling sorry for myself, I'm doing loads of that).

Massive internet high five for anyone who can help me out with any ideas.

So so so pisssed off.

Bolt/thread extractor. It goes lefty tighty to dig into exposed bolt and do a lefty loosey on the original so you can extract it.

magicbastarder

One thing I do (without much knowledge of how much effect it actually has) is to use a heat gun on the pads.

Type 17

Oil contamination on the pads - remove them and sandpaper them with the sheet of sandpaper on a flat surface. Clean the discs with a degreaser/solvent (not white spirit). If it still squeals, the pads are soaked through and need replacement.

Future tip: never lube the bike with an aerosol spray, use a dribble nozzle bottle of lube.

North of 32

My disc brakes are making an almighty racket. My bike sounds like a 1920s steam engine train when I slowly come to a stop.

I've brushed down the actual discs with an aluminum scrubber to shift the small rust spots but no improvement. I'm guessing I have to clean the pads?

Type 17

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

I find working on heads strangely therapeutic. There's nothing like lapping in a valve by hand

I agree, working on engines (or any other part of older bicycles or cars) is lovely - except when trying to remove snapped-off, rotted, seized, corroded or rounded-off parts

LollipopJimmy

Type 17 wrote: »

Good job

You were also lucky that you had just had the bolt out, so the threads weren't seized and/or rusty - I was involved in the removal of several snapped exhaust manifold studs from a 50-year old aluminium cylinder head, and it was no fun at all...

I find working on heads strangely therapeutic. There's nothing like lapping in a valve by hand

Well done John, having the correct tools makes the world of difference

Type 17

Good job

You were also lucky that you had just had the bolt out, so the threads weren't seized and/or rusty - I was involved in the removal of several snapped exhaust manifold studs from a 50-year old aluminium cylinder head, and it was no fun at all...

John Hutton

Mission successful!

You can see below a picture of the broken screw. I managed to get it out with a bolt extractor, I drilled, with a narrow bit, into the stuck screw, and then put the bolt extractor into the hold I'd made and, grabbing the end with a wrench, slowly turned it out. You can see a pic of the removed bolt and an original.

I'm very relieved. My top tip, if working on a vintage bike, replace all the bolts even of they look fine!!!

John Hutton

site_owner wrote: »

if you're near baldoyle i have a set of screw extractors you can try.

I actually live in Baldoyle, I may take you up on that, thanks so much. I have a pile of stuff in the shed that whoever lived in my house before left behind so I'll have a look there first to see if I have one

John Hutton

triggermortis wrote: »

If the head came off, and you can now remove the brake, is there nothing left protruding to grip onto?
If not, you'd need to drill into the damaged screw and use an ez-out to remove it

This is exactly what has happened. Looks like I'll need screw remover, or do you think a left handed drill bit?

It's well greased and the bolt was going in and comes out fairly easily

site_owner

if you're near baldoyle i have a set of screw extractors you can try.

triggermortis

If the head came off, and you can now remove the brake, is there nothing left protruding to grip onto?
If not, you'd need to drill into the damaged screw and use an ez-out to remove it

Type 17

John Hutton wrote: »

It's an old steel frame and appears to all one bit stuck on? I'll have another look tomorrow

Here's a good pic of one, so you can see which bit unscrews and what is welded to the rest of the frame. note that the join may be painted over.

https://www.amazon.com/Surly-Cantilever-Stud-1mm-Threaded/dp/B001GSONNA

John Hutton

Eamonnator wrote: »

photograph please.

I'll get one tomorrow (don't trust myself to go near the bike again)

If a bit were still sticking out I'd Dremel a groove in it an screw it out, but it's about 3/4mm recessed into the boss

John Hutton

Type 17 wrote: »

Most canti bosses are actually screwed into a recess on the frame - check if there are two flats at its base, ready to take a 7 or 8mm open-end spanner - if you can get a spare one off a scrap frame (I have a few spare ones if you're in Dublin), you can then afford to attempt to unscrew the old one (they're usually tight as hell, and you may round off the flats, so be prepared to get the Vice-grips out).

It's an old steel frame and appears to all one bit stuck on? I'll have another look tomorrow

Type 17

Most canti bosses are actually screwed into a recess on the frame - check if there are two flats at its base, ready to take a 7 or 8mm open-end spanner - if you can get a spare one off a scrap frame (I have a few spare ones if you're in Dublin), you can then afford to attempt to unscrew the old one (they're usually tight as hell, and you may round off the flats, so be prepared to get the Vice-grips out).

Eamonnator

John Hutton wrote: »

Desperately need help folks.

Spent the day servicing my bike.

Fixed up my cantilever brakes with nice new pads, cleaned and greased everything. Spent a million years getting them set up *just right*

Was screwing the rear cantilever back on and it was just about tight enough and the head of the screw snapped off.

So now I have most of a screw stuck in the cantilever boss.

It's not sticking out or even flush but slightly recessed.

What on earth do I do? (Aside from cursing and feeling sorry for myself, I'm doing loads of that).

Massive internet high five for anyone who can help me out with any ideas.

So so so pisssed off.

photograph please.

Eamonnator

homer911 wrote: »

Sorry for the dumb question. I've just changed my gear cable as the gears were slipping and I noticed the cable was fraying at the derailleur. I've watched a few videos online of H/L setting and indexing. My problem is that I cant get the gears to shift lower than 4th gear. Adjusting the L setting makes no difference. Is the tension in my gear cable wrong or am I missing something stupid. I understand the barrel adjustment is only for indexing.

Many thanks

Your gears may have been slipping because of a worn chain and/or cassette.

John Hutton

Desperately need help folks.

Spent the day servicing my bike.

Fixed up my cantilever brakes with nice new pads, cleaned and greased everything. Spent a million years getting them set up *just right*

Was screwing the rear cantilever back on and it was just about tight enough and the head of the screw snapped off.

So now I have most of a screw stuck in the cantilever boss.

It's not sticking out or even flush but slightly recessed.

What on earth do I do? (Aside from cursing and feeling sorry for myself, I'm doing loads of that).

Massive internet high five for anyone who can help me out with any ideas.

So so so pisssed off.

Type 17

homer911 wrote: »

Sorry for the dumb question. I've just changed my gear cable as the gears were slipping and I noticed the cable was fraying at the derailleur. I've watched a few videos online of H/L setting and indexing. My problem is that I cant get the gears to shift lower than 4th gear. Adjusting the L setting makes no difference. Is the tension in my gear cable wrong or am I missing something stupid. I understand the barrel adjustment is only for indexing.

Many thanks

Don't touch the H/L screws to set the indexing, and if you have, you need to set them up again before riding.

Both the limit settings (H/L) and the indexing (cable tension) are covered here

homer911

Sorry for the dumb question. I've just changed my gear cable as the gears were slipping and I noticed the cable was fraying at the derailleur. I've watched a few videos online of H/L setting and indexing. My problem is that I cant get the gears to shift lower than 4th gear. Adjusting the L setting makes no difference. Is the tension in my gear cable wrong or am I missing something stupid. I understand the barrel adjustment is only for indexing.

Many thanks

Type 17

S_D wrote: »

How does one know the condition of a front hub? Spoke are solid, spins freely etc anything else to check? (Going to look at a 2nd hand wheel hence the question)

Hold the axle and spin the wheel - should be silky-smooth with no roughness (or minimal, consistent "texture" if it's a cheap wheel, but I presume you aren't going to buy a wheel that cheap on the secondhand market).

Check the rim is straight, with no hops or dents, as well as no sideways run-out.

If it's a rim-brake wheel, check the brake tracks for wear - there may be a rut worn into the centre of the brake-track (if so, leave it, unless it's really cheap).

Bring a spoke key and turn a few spokes a half-turn open (and then turn them back, to avoid messing up the trueness) - if the nipples are seized or part-seized, walk away. Another sign that the nipples may seize soon is a lot of corrosion (white bloom on the aluminium) under the rim-tape - don't buy a wheel without seeing under the rim-tape - if the seller doesn't want to take the tyres off, walk away.

Eamonnator

Weepsie wrote: »

Anyone know if there's any Italian Threaded BB386EVO bottom brack at all at all? I was about to pull the trigger on a BSA one, then realised my bike was likely Italian threaded (Guerciotti) so scuppered some plans

Can you put up a link to the bike?

S_D

How does one know the condition of a front hub? Spoke are solid, spins freely etc anything else to check? (Going to look at a 2nd hand wheel hence the question)