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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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magicbastarder

or else leave them be and plant his maincrop spuds in them.

CramCycle

Type 17 wrote: »

That hanger looks bent - tell him not to ride it, and to go to his lbs unless the can change it himself.

I thought it was the derailleur itself but yours makes more sense. Should be easy enough to replace.

cletus

Thanks folks, Type17, the more I look at it the more I think you're right. I'll ask him for some pictures from the back tomorrow.

cletus

CramCycle wrote: »

I thought it was the derailleur itself but yours makes more sense. Should be easy enough to replace.

I thought so too, didn't even look at the hanger initially

Thargor

Why do the freewheels in some bikes make so much noise? A clicking noise like you were spinning a ratcheting wrench around? Whats the reason for it? You'd imagine it adds up to a lot of wasted energy and rolling resistance for no reason.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Thargor wrote: »

Why do the freewheels in some bikes make so much noise? A clicking noise like you were spinning a ratcheting wrench around? Whats the reason for it? You'd imagine it adds up to a lot of wasted energy and rolling resistance for no reason.

It depends on what sort of pawl/drive system they use. The type/thickness of oil/lube will also effect the noise.

Type 17

Some carbon frames make the freewheel noise louder too

saccades

Thargor wrote: »

Why do the freewheels in some bikes make so much noise? A clicking noise like you were spinning a ratcheting wrench around? Whats the reason for it? You'd imagine it adds up to a lot of wasted energy and rolling resistance for no reason.

So people know you bought hope...

Handy on the trails to let people know you are behind them and no wasted energy.

tnegun

Type 17 wrote: »

What series of 105 RD did you get? - the current model (R7000) is 11-speed only and won't work with 10-speed setups. The RD for the 105 10-speed series (5700) is very hard to get now.
The symptoms you mention are typical of a mismatch, but other issues can also cause them.

Just wanted to post back and say you were 100% correct. I sourced a replacement Tigra 4600 and it's shifting perfectly now thanks for the help and advice!!

rayman1

Hi, I have a Cube Attain Race which I use as my winter bike. I would have done about 6,000 km on it over the winter.
Just wondering should I clean and re grease the headset or would it be ok for another winter? I don't use a front mudguard just a seat post mounted rear one.

magicbastarder

it was a wet winter, i'd be inclined to check it and clean it.

two wheels good

Thargor wrote: »

Why do the freewheels in some bikes make so much noise? A clicking noise like you were spinning a ratcheting wrench around? Whats the reason for it? You'd imagine it adds up to a lot of wasted energy and rolling resistance for no reason.

I often think; new bike, not enough grease applied at assembly.
I don't think it will sap energy though.

CantGetNoSleep

One of the hydraulic disc brakes on my bike is problematic and always has been. It has been bled twice and goes back to working well, but within a few weeks it is spongy, pulls the whole way back to the handlebars, and completely ineffective. At the moment it won't even lock the wheel when pressed in fully.

I'm trying to find a place with a free spot to look at it but wondering if anyone knows what I am doing wrong in the meantime?

Deano12345

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

One of the hydraulic disc brakes on my bike is problematic and always has been. It has been bled twice and goes back to working well, but within a few weeks it is spongy, pulls the whole way back to the handlebars, and completely ineffective. At the moment it won't even lock the wheel when pressed in fully.

I'm trying to find a place with a free spot to look at it but wondering if anyone knows what I am doing wrong in the meantime?

I find that nothing is ever certain in the dark art of bleeding brakes but that sounds like there’s a leak causing air to get into the system slowly, once the brakes are used. Could just be a line or fitting isn’t quite tight enough or faulty possibly, maybe a o-ring somewhere. The fact that one brake is fine tells me it’s not down to something you are doing.

You’ve also reminded me to re bleed my rear brake

CantGetNoSleep

Deano12345 wrote: »

I find that nothing is ever certain in the dark art of bleeding brakes but that sounds like there’s a leak causing air to get into the system slowly, once the brakes are used. Could just be a line or fitting isn’t quite tight enough or faulty possibly, maybe a o-ring somewhere. The fact that one brake is fine tells me it’s not down to something you are doing.

You’ve also reminded me to re bleed my rear brake

Thanks - I had in my head a leak in the cable for some reason but you must be right with a connector or fitting somewhere. Did a mini bleed (bleeding through the shifter only) tonight which seems to have worked well for now & will get me through tomorrow's group ride but will get it back to a shop whenever I find one that will take it

two wheels good

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

One of the hydraulic disc brakes on my bike is problematic and always has been. It has been bled twice and goes back to working well, but within a few weeks it is spongy, pulls the whole way back to the handlebars, and completely ineffective. At the moment it won't even lock the wheel when pressed in fully.

I'm trying to find a place with a free spot to look at it but wondering if anyone knows what I am doing wrong in the meantime?

Maybe some dirt in a seal? But if there an air leak leak I'd expect to see some dampness.
The obvious stuff: Check the banjo connections. Check push rod seal on the master cyl. Remove the lever if necessary. Remove the pads to check the piston seals.
A clean and some brake grease on piston sides might help. Check the bleed nipple . Was it over-tightened in the past?
Was the correct brake fluid used? Is the level too low?

CramCycle

I know little about hydraulic bike brakes, any recommended brands of fluid or pads?

emc2

Hi,

Hoping for a pointer in the right direction, I want to give a bike a facelift with a new coat of paint. Any advice on what type and where I could get it?

Thanks

Plastik

Hear good things about spray.bike

magicbastarder

it's not an easy thing to do well without a complete stripdown of the bike, is that something you've got any experience of?

cletus

magicbastarder wrote: »

it's not an easy thing to do well without a complete stripdown of the bike, is that something you've got any experience of?

Honestly, stripping and rebuilding a bike is not that big a deal. Take your time, bag and label stuff as it comes off, and take plenty of pictures. It ain't rocket surgery

two wheels good

CramCycle wrote: »

I know little about hydraulic bike brakes, any recommended brands of fluid or pads?

Fluid: The brand isn't critical. It's the type e.g. DOT4, DOT5, mineral. Often stamped on the m-cyl cover.
Pads: No idea. A reputable brand?

woody33

Ok, if I may: I have one of those chain cleaning baths you use with the chain still on, the question is which to put in it, White Spirit or Heating oil/Kerosene? The chain is not too dirty at all, but I changing from Tri-Flow to Weld-Tite TF2/Halfords All Weather with Teflon. Or maybe I should just wipe the chain and add one lube on top of the other? (My unending research informs me Tri-Flow is actually a solvent oil. (Who knew, live and learn, some people are very gullible, etc.). Thanks for any words of wisdom, W.

crosstownk

Clean the chain first with a degreaser. Otherwise the existing dirt mixed with the new oil will turn into a grinding paste and do further damage.

Petrol, diesel, etc will do a good job but are harmful to both you and the environment so if possible use an environmentally friendly degreaser. Your local hardware should have something suitable.

dahat

Annoying squeak on the bike with the below done so far.

New BB
New cleats
Front skewer greased
Chainring bolts checked

All that's left is headset,yeah? It feels fine but what else could be the cause?

Also for a complete noob is it a handy job to grease it? Bike is a 2016 tcr.

Tony04

dahat wrote: »

Annoying squeak on the bike with the below done so far.

New BB
New cleats
Front skewer greased
Chainring bolts checked

All that's left is headset,yeah? It feels fine but what else could be the cause?

Also for a complete noob is it a handy job to grease it? Bike is a 2016 tcr.

Seatpost, saddle and I've even had seatpost clamps creak .

Wheel axles, is their lateral play?

Have you ever replaced the headset bearings before, it might be worth checking, all you need is a torque wrench.

CramCycle

When does it creak, is it random, at a certain point of the pedal stroke, in or out of the saddle, high power or all the time?

crosstownk

I’d an annoying creak/squeak that turned out to be a slightly loose bottle cage.

07Lapierre

dahat wrote: »

Annoying squeak on the bike with the below done so far.

New BB
New cleats
Front skewer greased
Chainring bolts checked

All that's left is headset,yeah? It feels fine but what else could be the cause?

Also for a complete noob is it a handy job to grease it? Bike is a 2016 tcr.

Probably not the BB, or your cleats, or the front skewer or chainring bolts. It could be the rear skewer, the wheels, the pedals, the saddle, the handlebar stem or the seat post.

1: remove your wheels, put a drop of grease on your finger and apply a bit to the frame dropouts and fork drop outs. Refit wheels and go for test ride.
2: remove your pedals, apply some grease to the treads, refit the pedals and go for a test ride.
3: remove the seat post, apply some grease, refit and go for a test ride.
4: carry out a full tightness test on all bolts. Go for a test ride.
5: if none of the above solves the problem, buy a new bike!

grogi

07Lapierre wrote: »

3: remove the seat post, apply some grease, refit and go for a test ride.

Never ever do that, especially on a carbon frame. Alu will tollerate a bit more of abuse, but is not immune either.

Seat post is intended to stay in place, not to move. You don't want to reallign it every ride. Lubrication reduces fricion - to stay put the seat post needs to be secured with higher clamping force applied to the seat tube. This simply is a receipe for a damaged frame.