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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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saccades

cletus wrote: »

So, being annoyed that the wheels I got don't fit (at least the rear doesn't), I decided to do what any sensible person would, and take the axle apart to see was there any way to Jerry rig it to fit.

Having removed two spacers, the distance between overlocking nuts (o.l.d., I think) is now 125mm. So the axle fits between the dropouts.

I now have two options open to me.

a) run one of the spacers on the outside of the dropout to take up the excess space (less than ideal)

b) cut off enough of the axle to allow the qr skewer to tighten up on the dropouts.

Is there any reason not to go for option b?

125 spacing on the muddyfox?

I thought it might be 130 and you would get the 135 in there, sorry - should have double checked the width.

I'd go for option b.

cletus

saccades wrote: »

125 spacing on the muddyfox?

I thought it might be 130 and you would get the 135 in there, sorry - should have double checked the width.

I'd go for option b.

No apologies necessary. Looks like I'll be able to make it fit. Need to get my hands on a cassette removal tool, and swap spacers from one side to the other to balance things out

8valve

MiskyBoyy wrote: »

I have this saved as a word document on my PC. I copied it from here I think so sorry whoever posted it. I can't remember who, to give you credit.

twas meself!

You're welcome; great to see that it is of use.

[Deleted User]

Hi there I had an issue with squeaky brakes on my daughters bike so I squirted rapeseed oil on them to try and see would that help. The noise is gone but now they won't work at all. My local bike shop is out the door with repairs. Can anyone please advise me on what to do now? thanks

crosstownk

Clean off all the rapeseed oil! :eek:

Brakes work on friction; oil massively reduces friction. By using oil you have effectively rendered the brakes useless and the bike dangerous.

Use a degreaser - your local hardware should have something suitable in stock. Clean the brake pads/blocks thoroughly. Same with the rims. Get rid of ALL that oil. You may even need to replace the brake pads/blocks but clean them first and see if that sorts it.

If you're unsure just wait for the bike shop. This is probably your best bet.

dahat

The conclusion of the noise from my bike.

BB replaced
Headset stripped & greased
New shoes
New cleats
Chain checked
Chainring bolts checked
New pedals axles x 2

A bloody expensive investigation.

The source of the noise was the new look cleats that had grips on them. I tried old shoes with non grip cleats & no noise at all.

While sickened for the spend I've lovely new shoes and now need to spend further cash without arousing suspicion that previous spend wasn't nessecary!!!!!!

Tony04

dahat wrote: »

While sickened for the spend I've lovely new shoes and now need to spend further cash without arousing suspicion that previous spend wasn't nessecary!!!!!!

To be fair you've saved on inevitable bike maintenance. Expenditure on bikes is never unnecessary

[Deleted User]

crosstownk wrote: »

Clean off all the rapeseed oil! :eek:

Brakes work on friction; oil massively reduces friction. By using oil you have effectively rendered the brakes useless and the bike dangerous.

Use a degreaser - your local hardware should have something suitable in stock. Clean the brake pads/blocks thoroughly. Same with the rims. Get rid of ALL that oil. You may even need to replace the brake pads/blocks but clean them first and see if that sorts it.

If you're unsure just wait for the bike shop. This is probably your best bet.

Ah okay. I'll give that a go. Thanks for your help

magicbastarder

dahat wrote: »

BB replaced
Headset stripped & greased
New shoes
New cleats
Chain checked
Chainring bolts checked
New pedals axles x 2

not sure whether dahat's upcoming ads in the cycling adverts forum will feature in the 'bargain alerts' thread.

[Deleted User]

I was kindly given a CUBE Attention Mtb. I guess 2012 ish. It had one serious issue and all worn out consumable stuff but €250 later most are fixed. I'm OK with that it's a reasonable bike.

Anyway the fork is a RockShox XC28 that was probably never serviced. I went looking for kits but am unsure:

Do I need this Wiper Kit
https://www.bike24.com/p2129554.html

OR
This more involved kit

https://www.bike24.com/p2132791.html

Neither come with fluid. Do I need that?

Any help appreciated. I would like to service it to keep it going rather than have it wear out from lack of maintenance.

CramCycle

Anyone know what brake pads would go with the following brakes: Shimano BR-RS505, Hydr. Disc Brake, Flat Mount (160/160).

Type 17

CramCycle wrote: »

Anyone know what brake pads would go with the following brakes: Shimano BR-RS505, Hydr. Disc Brake, Flat Mount (160/160).

Shimano L02A, with the heat-sink fins

5cd297b1188e7__04337.1557400898.jpg?c=2&imbypass=on

woody33

Broken Spoke again!
My bike is a 10 year old Felt MTB, bought off a friend not long ago. The back tyre started rubbing, I found a broken spoke, buddy who is handy with bikes didn't have the tool to remove cassette, so off to the LBS who repaired it for 20 bucks, much appreciated. A couple of days ago the back tyre started rubbing, buddy trued it up but today I have found another broken spoke. Feck.
Maybe I'm hitting the old speed bumps too hard? The local ones are kind of long and not too sharp, and I get out of the saddle and keep my weight back. Tyres are 26" 2.25 at about 30psi, so reasonable cushiony. Should an MTB be able to cope with that sort of thing? And would I be ok tightening and loosening nearby spokes to get rid of the rubbing until I can get it repaired? Thanks for any ideas.

Type 17

Possibilities:

Overall spoke tension of the wheel is too tight. When trueing a wheel it's important to loosen some spokes as you tighten others, rather than just trying to achieve all desired rim adjustments by tightening (might not be your mate's fault, could have happened that way anytime before you bought it).

Chain has gone down between the biggest sprocket and the spokes at some stage, and has chewed the 9 outer spokes (if it's a 36-spoke wheel) on the right flange, making them weak (if they're mangled / thinned, you can change the others all at once and restore full strength to the wheel).

Wheel had not-brilliant spokes to start with, they've all been in the same wheel for the same time, and now they've all started to fail from fatigue.

woody33

Thanks, all quite plausible. I would have hoped the LBS might have spotted any other spokes that were dodgy. Anyway, I've asked him to book me in again, he's up to his eyes at the moment. I've adjusted the wheel in the dropouts to stop the rubbing as a temp fix.
So a half decent hard tail should be ok with speed bumps? (Maybe I should stop saying "wheee" to myself as I fly over them.)

Type 17

woody33 wrote: »

...So a half decent hard tail should be ok with speed bumps? (Maybe I should stop saying "wheee" to myself as I fly over them.)

Yes, speed bumps / weight shouldn't be an issue unless you're really heavy, or you're carrying a lot of gear (many manufacturers specify a combined total weight limit of about 135kg for the rider/bike/cargo).

saccades

woody33 wrote: »

Thanks, all quite plausible. I would have hoped the LBS might have spotted any other spokes that were dodgy. Anyway, I've asked him to book me in again, he's up to his eyes at the moment. I've adjusted the wheel in the dropouts to stop the rubbing as a temp fix.
So a half decent hard tail should be ok with speed bumps? (Maybe I should stop saying "wheee" to myself as I fly over them.)

Tbf to the bike shop, they will be mad busy and they probably did spot the spokes but forgot to tell you - over half the time replacing one would be enough to fix the problem.

You might need a smoother technique but I too go "whee" over speed bumps so I reckon it's old age/condition of the wheel.

Seth Brundle

I've two noises coming from the bike now.
The first is when I change from the small wheel to the large one, I get a squeak. I assume it's the cable and just needs to be replaced.
The other noise is, I think, from the BB. It's a kind of clicking as I'm moving and the cadence is under a bit of pressure. It's the original so has about 10k kms on It. Would that be normal wear?
I was thinking leaving it into the LBS but that would be 10 days away and I'd be without my road bike for 2 or 3 days (panic!).
Is the BB a diy job on a Shimano 105 setup?

Deano12345

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I've two noises coming from the bike now.
The first is when I change from the small wheel to the large one, I get a squeak. I assume it's the cable and just needs to be replaced.
The other noise is, I think, from the BB. It's a kind of clicking as I'm moving and the cadence is under a bit of pressure. It's the original so has about 10k kms on It. Would that be normal wear?
I was thinking leaving it into the LBS but that would be 10 days away and I'd be without my road bike for 2 or 3 days (panic!).
Is the BB a diy job on a Shimano 105 setup?

The squeak could just be the pivot mechanism/arm on the front mech needs a little oil, I’d try that before swapping cables.

Not too sure on wear since I don’t run threaded BB’s on my road bike, but I would imagine 10k is a reasonable amount of miles to put on a BB.

It needs a tool to remove and reinstall, but it’s an easy job! Basically you need to take the preload bolt out of the non drive crank, loosen the two bolts and take the non drive crank off, then take the drive side off and use the tool to remove the BB. It’s a different tool depending if it’s square taper/octolink (on older cranks) or Hollowtech. Most local bike shops carry the tool and it’ll run you around 20-25 quid and about the same in cost for a new BB as well. First time I removed one it took around 20 mins!

Tony04

Is there lateral play between your cranks? then your bb needs to be replaced. If you need to replace order it and the relevant tool online, is it a threaded bb?

crosstownk

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I've two noises coming from the bike now.
The first is when I change from the small wheel to the large one, I get a squeak. I assume it's the cable and just needs to be replaced.
The other noise is, I think, from the BB. It's a kind of clicking as I'm moving and the cadence is under a bit of pressure. It's the original so has about 10k kms on It. Would that be normal wear?
I was thinking leaving it into the LBS but that would be 10 days away and I'd be without my road bike for 2 or 3 days (panic!).
Is the BB a diy job on a Shimano 105 setup?

FWIW, I got 25,000km out of my 105 5800 BB.

Check everything else - make sure the chain isn't rubbing the front mech, put some grease on the drop outs if you've QR. Check that the seat post isn't causing the click if it's alu/alu. Make sure the bottle cages are tight.

So many things cause clicks that can result in the BB getting falsely accused.

I'd start with the front mech - check for chain rub that may be so slight that it sounds like a click. Especially as you have that squeak as you change. If the two noises presented at the same time then it's quite possible that they are related.

From what you describe, I'd start by adding a bit of tension to the front shift cable.

triggermortis

Pretty much any job is doable yourself just depends if you have the tools, knowledge and patience. Half the job is knowing what type of BB you need as this will lead you to the right tools and YouTube guidance. GCN and park tools both have great channels with loads of info.
As mentioned already, try some oil on the front mech. A squeak is a sign of friction so a quick squirt of oil should probably sort that

dahat

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I've two noises coming from the bike now.
The first is when I change from the small wheel to the large one, I get a squeak. I assume it's the cable and just needs to be replaced.
The other noise is, I think, from the BB. It's a kind of clicking as I'm moving and the cadence is under a bit of pressure. It's the original so has about 10k kms on It. Would that be normal wear?
I was thinking leaving it into the LBS but that would be 10 days away and I'd be without my road bike for 2 or 3 days (panic!).
Is the BB a diy job on a Shimano 105 setup?

Be sure before you throw money at bike noises!

Sometimes it's the simplest thing like some lube on a pedal contact point thats the issue.

Hairy Japanese BASTARDS!

How can you determine whether your tyres are still safe to ride on?

Is there a minimum thread depth recommend like there is for cars?

I can't seem to find the recommended psi on the rim, does anyone have a ballpark what the psi should be for a hybrid? I don't want to overinflate and it bursts when I'm cycling.
My tyres are 700x28C

Type 17

Hairy Japanese BASTARDS! wrote: »

How can you determine whether your tyres are still safe to ride on?

Is there a minimum thread depth recommend like there is for cars?

I can't seem to find the recommended psi on the rim, does anyone have a ballpark area it should be in? In don't want to overinflate and it bursts when I'm cycling.

Thinner bike tyres aren't necessarily more unsafe (until they're paper-thin), but they are more prone to punctures (smaller, so therefore more, bits of crud can go all the way through a thinner tyre and puncture the tube).

Car tyres have a legal tread depth because they're wide enough for aquaplaning to be an issue in the wet - not an issue for bike tyres at bike-speeds.

Max PSI is on the tyre, not the rim (except for some carbon-fibre rims, where the lower of the rim/tyre is the max). Also, max PSI is not the best PSI for you - best pressure is a combo of bike/rider/cargo combined weight and tyre-type width.

cletus

Here's an infograph giving an idea of the sliding scale that Type17 was talking about. It's by no means gospel, but gives you a point to start at

184222-largest_Hed-cycling-recommended-road-tire-pressure-640px.jpg

184222-largest_Hed-cycling-recommended-road-tire-pressure-640px.jpg

woody33

Spokes again...
My MTB rear drive side broken spoke is threaded in from hub centre, do you think I could lace it in without removing the freewheel? There is a chain catcher plastic disk between spokes and chain. I don't have the 4-prong Park Tool FR-3 freewheel socket and they are pricey enough with shipping. And then there is the chain whip I'd need. Thank you kindly...

seamus

You'll never replace a spoke without removing the freewheel, you'll end up badly bending it out of shape.

Chain whips are ten a penny, bit the four-pronged yoke seems to be a bit niche.

My experience is that once a spoke has broken on the drive side, they'll all go eventually, the wear is pretty uniform. That's assuming it broke at the elbow and not in the middle. You need to replace all of the spokes on the drive side or you'll be replacing them every couple of weeks.

So I'd be inclined to get a shop to do this work, or if the wheel is pretty cheap you could be better off in the long run getting a new wheel with a freehub.

You can always collect the tools and then you have them forever more;
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/park-tool-freewheel-remover-fr-3
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/bbb-turntable-chain-whip-btl11

But the freewheel remover is so niche that unless you plan on riding fixies, it'll gather dust in your shed for the next 20 years. On the other hand, you should be able to source and entire new wheel + cassette for about €80.

woody33

Ok, thanks for the reply. I bought the bike used off a buddy only a couple of months ago, and this is the second broken spoke. The first one cost €20 to fix at my local shop, I don't want to keep shelling out. Some say I'm being over-enthusiastic on speed bumps, which is possible, but it's supposed to be a mountain bike for feck's sake! And yes, I do get out of the saddle for bumps. You might be right about the new wheel. Anyway, thx again.

padyjoe

Sora 9 3500 indexing, if the high gears are ok, the lows not so and the other way around. New cable, big chainring, cassette. Jockey wheels are old but regularly cleaned and greased, hanger straight AFAIS. Sometimes I think the derailleur doesn't have the strength to come back down to 11T. Drivetrain has 25000 kms mileage.