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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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Type 17

Probably the cable is too slack, and is a whole click/gear out - shift to the hardest gear/smallest cog and if you find the cable is even a little slack, then this is the issue.

If so, check/correct the H limiting screw, slacken the rear derailleur barrel adjuster, and then open the cable clamp and hold the cable's "tail" tightly while you re-tighten the clamp - if you do this correctly, the indexing will then be fine, and even if it's not perfect, it should be only a little out on the barrel adjuster.

Useful video

ofthelord

Hi All - apologies if this has been asked here before but i'm getting really frustrated this evening with the gears on my bike.
for some reason they won't shift up into the easiest gear. never had this issue before so at a loss trying to fix it the last hour.
All other gears shifting ok. Limiting is ok, I can shift into easiest gear by pulling the cable by hand while turning the pedals, but the shifter on the handle bar won't gear up past 2nd easiest gear.
Any suggestions appreciated. was hoping top get out on club spin in the morning so looking to get this fixed this evening if i can.
thanks

Charman921

Recently the pedals on my bike started to 'slip'. I knew immediately it was something to do with the cassette on the rear wheel. I brought the bike to the bike shop (one I've used for 10 years) and they inform me that the 'body' of the cassette has worn out but to replace it, the entire wheel has to be replaced. That's because the body is part of the hub on the rear wheel.

I'm now a pensioner but I raced almost 50 years' ago. Those days if the cassette (the 'block' as we called it then) gave trouble, you had a tool with which you could unscrew the block off the hub and replace it with another. Indeed it was even possible to repair the block in maany circumstances.

Now, we are in the 'use-once-and-dispose' era. Which, as far as I'm concerned is a step back, not a step forward in cycling technology.

A decent modern cassette, if that's all that's needed, costs about €60. A new rear wheel costs from €100 to €250, for a decent 'sportive' wheel

loyatemu

some of these may not be available here, but I though it was an interesting look at how they work (there's a part 1 on his channel as well):

Peter T

Have you tried acetone ? If you cant get your hands on that maybe some nail varnish remover (Used to have acetone in it but has been taken out i think)

1800_Ladladlad

magicbastarder wrote: »

that's up to your employer. has the bike been ordered?

not with the bike shop no. i have to wait until they send a voucher out for the chosen amount so i can order the bike, they stated it would be 30 days

magicbastarder

that's up to your employer. has the bike been ordered?

1800_Ladladlad

Can you cancel the bike 2 work scheme with your job when thee approved it?

magicbastarder

cheers, may try that. i'm not short of epoxy (have been using it to fill cracks in wood) so, in the grand tradition of 'to a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail' i may try that first.

Type 17

Rivnuts do expand, but actually squeeze the walls of the tube or panel that they're mounted in, rather than trying to expand the hole in the tube/panel - a common use for them is water-bottle cage mounts.

CramCycle's method for re-tightening them is fine, assuming that they are rivnuts.

magicbastarder

yeah, it looks like a rivnut (had to google to confirm i knew what you were talking about) - didn't know they'd have been used in a carbon fork as they seat by expanding?

CramCycle

magicbastarder wrote: »

on my carbon forks, there are two captive nuts in each tine for attaching muguards - they've come a bit loose though (while still remaining captive), and spin as you're screwing a bolt in to tighten the forks on.
i assume there'd be no issue with dropping a little bit of epoxy in to 'capture' them again? i assume it's not that dissimilar from the resin used in the carbon of the forks.

Are they small rivnuts? If so, use a nut slightly wider than your bolt, put the bolt through it and use a spanner to stop it spinning with the rivnut when it gets in far enough. It basically acts as a brace against the rivnut and holds it in place. Tighten the bolt, with a slight extra push once it is in as far as it will go and this will hopefully pull the rivnut tight again.

magicbastarder

on my carbon forks, there are two captive nuts in each tine for attaching muguards - they've come a bit loose though (while still remaining captive), and spin as you're screwing a bolt in to tighten the forks on.
i assume there'd be no issue with dropping a little bit of epoxy in to 'capture' them again? i assume it's not that dissimilar from the resin used in the carbon of the forks.

magicbastarder

the one i went to when wrapping bar tape was certainly the park tools one. GCN is grand for an 'oh i'll watch this just in case i ever need to do it' sense, but if you're actually sitting down to do the job and need a cheat sheet, park tools are usually more in depth.

Type 17

Thargor wrote: »

Do you ever notice with that Global Cycling Network channel that they always solve the problem immediately and make it look so easy, they never actually take the bike down and ride it on the road to see that the problem is still occurring which happens 99% of the time? I think every single problem Ive ever had on a bike that crowd have been the first result on Youtube and its always "oh just make a 1/4 turn on this limit screw and the problem is solved" but it never works like that in the real world, they're kind of timewasters tbh, nothing on a bike is ever as easy to do as they make out.

I like most GCN videos (about fitness, riding styles, etc), but for technical stuff, I find the Park Tool channel to be better, and it's the one I recommend to interested customers.

The Adjust a Rear Derailleur one includes Possible Scenarios, for when the obvious solutions aren't the answer, and they also have in-video links to separate advanced troubleshooting videos for when basic setup and adjustment haven't corrected the issue(s).

cletus

My first thought would be indexing too. The cable will most likely have stretched a little with use (although 3 years sounds like a long time for this), so you may need to tighten at the derailleur, then index.

It may also be wear at the chain or cassette, but it costs nothing to index, and that's the price point I like to start at

Thargor

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Gonna ask a stupid question but did you try indexing them? If not watch this https://youtu.be/Bbk5RcH0bbQ

Do you ever notice with that Global Cycling Network channel that they always solve the problem immediately and make it look so easy, they never actually take the bike down and ride it on the road to see that the problem is still occurring which happens 99% of the time? I think every single problem Ive ever had on a bike that crowd have been the first result on Youtube and its always "oh just make a 1/4 turn on this limit screw and the problem is solved" but it never works like that in the real world, they're kind of timewasters tbh, nothing on a bike is ever as easy to do as they make out.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Thargor wrote: »

My chain is skipping, a couple of gears unusable (will just hop to another gear), cant trust standing on the pedals anymore. Gave it a good clean and lubrication today, seemed to fix it for about 2 kilometers then started happening again. Google says I might need to tighten the derailleurs? Or could it be chain stretch after 3 years of moderate use if thats even a thing? Whats the best way to go about fixing this issue please?

EDIT: Its a Giant Defy roadbike.

Gonna ask a stupid question but did you try indexing them? If not watch this https://youtu.be/Bbk5RcH0bbQ

ED E

Thargor wrote: »

My chain is skipping, a couple of gears unusable (will just hop to another gear), cant trust standing on the pedals anymore. Gave it a good clean and lubrication today, seemed to fix it for about 2 kilometers then started happening again. Google says I might need to tighten the derailleurs? Or could it be chain stretch after 3 years of moderate use if thats even a thing? Whats the best way to go about fixing this issue please?

EDIT: Its a Giant Defy roadbike.

Would they be your most common gears? (at a guess the 11/12/13's range) You may be into new cassette territory.

1. Get a wear tool https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J3AA1A2/
2. Get somebody familiar with it to review your cassette. If you know what you're looking at you can see the damage when its that severe. Clean it with strong degreaser/petrol first.

Thargor

My chain is skipping, a couple of gears unusable (will just hop to another gear), cant trust standing on the pedals anymore. Gave it a good clean and lubrication today, seemed to fix it for about 2 kilometers then started happening again. Google says I might need to tighten the derailleurs? Or could it be chain stretch after 3 years of moderate use if thats even a thing? Whats the best way to go about fixing this issue please?

EDIT: Its a Giant Defy roadbike.

coast to coast

magicbastarder wrote: »

maybe give this chap a shout? he's a frame builder.

http://www.bicycledesigncentre.com/

cheers

magicbastarder

maybe give this chap a shout? he's a frame builder.

http://www.bicycledesigncentre.com/

coast to coast

Does anyone know of anyone in the country who fixes Vitus 979 frames? One of the glued joints of the frame has dried out — apparently a known issue — and the fix seems fairly/very complicated. (i.e. ThinkBike wouldn't do it)

Ray Bloody Purchase

Type 17 wrote: »

Make sure it has a head that you like (some are very awkward to use), a plastic barrel is fine for light use, but a metal one is better, and ones with a tripod-style foot are much more stable (ones with a two-way bow-tie foot fall over every time you look at them).

Bontrager have a good one (Charger) for a rrp of €29

Thanks. I have a crap Giyo one that doesn't really work and is very unstable. It always falls over in the shed too. And then i get caught up in the hose. :mad::mad:

Type 17

Make sure it has a head that you like (some are very awkward to use), a plastic barrel is fine for light use, but a metal one is better, and ones with a tripod-style foot are much more stable (ones with a two-way bow-tie foot fall over every time you look at them).

Bontrager have a good one (Charger) for a rrp of €29

CrowdedHouse

I've got good service from one of these

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/topeak-joe-blow-sport-iii-track-pump/rp-prod167584

Ray Bloody Purchase

Any recommendations for a decent floor pump?

S_D

Type 17 wrote: »

Strange - did it come on suddenly (did you take it apart before and accidentally omit a shim?) or if not, do the bearings in the feel free (or is the grease dried up and stiff?).

If not, it's hard to say...

I think I'll bring it to a shop to check it lol

Type 17

S_D wrote: »

smooth stiffness

I don't think so but I'm sure I have the eyes for that

Strange - did it come on suddenly (did you take it apart before and accidentally omit a shim?) or if not, do the bearings in the feel free (or is the grease dried up and stiff?).

If not, it's hard to say...

S_D

Type 17 wrote: »

Smooth stiffness, or rough and/or noisy?

Any damage/burring/spreading on the working edges of the pawls?

smooth stiffness

I dont think so but I'm sure I have the eyes for that