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the 'there's no such thing as a stupid question' bike maintenance thread

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    #2312
    Weepsie
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,933 Mod ✭✭✭✭Weepsie


    Cutting a fork (or2)

    Spacers are on, bars on.
    I'd normally have a small 1mm spacer between bar and top cap too. Do i cut fork where itlines up with bars, or do I leave a few mm, or have it under a few mm.

    Does it matter that much?


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    #2313
    cletus
    Registered Users Posts: 7,888 ✭✭✭cletus


    Weepsie wrote: »
    Cutting a fork (or2)

    Spacers are on, bars on.
    I'd normally have a small 1mm spacer between bar and top cap too. Do i cut fork where itlines up with bars, or do I leave a few mm, or have it under a few mm.

    Does it matter that much?

    Is there only a 1mm spacer between stem and top cap?


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    #2314
    Tony04
    Registered Users Posts: 646 ✭✭✭Tony04


    You've got to cut a few mm for top cap to compress properly as far as I'm aware, gmbn tech do a nice video on it.
    Measure twice, cut once!


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    #2315
    Weepsie
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,933 Mod ✭✭✭✭Weepsie


    cletus wrote: »
    Is there only a 1mm spacer between stem and top cap?

    Might be slightly bigger.


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    #2316
    devonp
    Registered Users Posts: 803 ✭✭✭devonp


    smallest spacer i have or seen are 3mm...


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    #2317
    cletus
    Registered Users Posts: 7,888 ✭✭✭cletus


    Tony04 wrote: »
    You've got to cut a few mm for top cap to compress properly as far as I'm aware, gmbn tech do a nice video on it.
    Measure twice, cut once!

    It's this. That's why I was wondering if your spacer was only 1mm, you'd want to be pretty accurate with your cut.

    Essentially, you need to make sure the cup is compressing on the spacer, not the top of the steerer tube



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    #2318
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,537 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    i paid derek humphries €15 to do mine. to be fair, it was a carbon fork so i was taking no chances.


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    #2319
    Weepsie
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,933 Mod ✭✭✭✭Weepsie


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    i paid derek humphries €15 to do mine. to be fair, it was a carbon fork so i was taking no chances.

    I have 2 frames to be done including fork. I wish to both support them and save money.


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    #2320
    cletus
    Registered Users Posts: 7,888 ✭✭✭cletus


    Weepsie wrote: »
    I have 2 frames to be done including fork. I wish to both support them and save money.

    What needs to be done with the frames


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    #2321
    cletus
    Registered Users Posts: 7,888 ✭✭✭cletus


    Weepsie wrote: »
    I have 2 frames to be done including fork. I wish to both support them and save money.

    Just thinking, a plumber's pipe cutter might be a good way to get a clean and level cut


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    #2322
    Tony04
    Registered Users Posts: 646 ✭✭✭Tony04


    cletus wrote: »
    Just thinking, a plumber's pipe cutter might be a good way to get a clean and level cut

    Yeh they're the best option if you dont have a vice, although some cheaper ones are designed for pvc so mightnt be strong enough. Definitely better than holding a hack saw with the fork between your knees. Although if your cutting carbon you might want a carbon specific blade, for a better cut, you mightnt find on a pipe cutter.

    Also be careful of carbon dust meant to be a bit dangerous to inhale.


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    #2323
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,537 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    if they were aluminium, i have a mitre saw with a blade that can cut aluminium.


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    #2324
    Weepsie
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,933 Mod ✭✭✭✭Weepsie


    I have the cutting guide tool, hack saw and a file. It's not the cutting so much as the cutting it too much.

    They're both touring frames, so want them fairly relaxed.

    I cheapest out on the star nut tool too but will give that a go.


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    #2325
    swarlb
    Registered Users Posts: 1,244 ✭✭✭swarlb


    A query more than anything, but can anyone point out when bikes 'changed'...
    The last time I raced a bike was late 80's, and the last time I rode a bike in any reasonably long distant event was the last of the Dublin Belfast mar- cycles of the early/mid 90's.
    Back then virtually all bikes were steel, with a few exceptions of Vitus and Alans... but basically everything was 'the same'.... cassette sprockets were reasonably new, and a rear sprocket bigger than 21 or 23 on a racer was probably unheard of, as was an inner ring smaller than 40 on the front, and you changed gear on the down tube. Tyres were 19mm wide, and disk brakes were on cars or motorbikes.
    I dragged my old bike out of the cobwebs during the lockdown and went for a few spins. On chatting to a few people I met, I was curious at the width of tyre, and amused (maybe not the right word) at electronic gear shifters....
    I feel like Rip Van Winkle in a strange new world....


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    #2326
    Weepsie
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,933 Mod ✭✭✭✭Weepsie


    They've been forever changing, and will change again. Incrementally at least.


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    #2327
    cletus
    Registered Users Posts: 7,888 ✭✭✭cletus


    Bikes, like every other technology, are always changing. There's no one discernible point where the Modal T turned into a Tesla, where Del Boy's portable phone turned into an iPhone, or where your steel racer turned into a carbon fibre di2 road bike.

    What you will find is that there is a certain cache for bikes like the one you pulled out of the shed, steel being real, and all that.


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    #2328
    cletus
    Registered Users Posts: 7,888 ✭✭✭cletus


    Weepsie wrote: »
    I have the cutting guide tool, hack saw and a file. It's not the cutting so much as the cutting it too much.

    They're both touring frames, so want them fairly relaxed.

    I cheapest out on the star nut tool too but will give that a go.

    If you have the tools, then take of the top cap, arrange the spacers and stem how you would like them, and mark around the steerer tube using the top edge of the top spacer as a guide. Figure out the actual height of your top spacer, and make the cut somewhere between the top mark you made, and height of the top spacer. 2mm in the difference should be fine to get the clamping force you need


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    #2329
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,537 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    swarlb wrote: »
    cassette sprockets were reasonably new, and a rear sprocket bigger than 21 or 23 on a racer was probably unheard of
    from my understanding, two things have changed to influence this; having say six or seven gears with a cassette sizing of 11-28 would have resulted in massive gaps between the gears, but the increasing number of indexed gears at the back has certainly facilitated a usable jump in the size of the cassette sprockets.
    the second was a move to the 'spin to win' ethos where it's less taxing to keep cadence high, than it is to grind up hills.


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    #2330
    El Tarangu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,615 ✭✭✭El Tarangu


    To someone who is good at eyeballing frame sizes - does this look more like a 56cm than a 58cm?

    82951183_10157721318863458_1709401786889734183_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_sid=b9115d&_nc_ohc=NB_czI4UhcIAX-qq3cC&_nc_ht=scontent-bru2-1.xx&oh=17180b22085bc512e23ff2a25eae94d3&oe=5F217B5B


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    #2331
    Type 17
    Registered Users Posts: 2,730 ✭✭✭Type 17


    It's a nice flat-on shot, so it's possible to measure it on-screen, and it looks like a 58 - I screenshotted the pic on my desktop, scaled it until the bead diameter of the wheels was about 62mm (622mm in reality), and then found that the centre-to-centre of the top tube was 58mm (580mm in reality).


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    #2332
    Type 17
    Registered Users Posts: 2,730 ✭✭✭Type 17


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    from my understanding, two things have changed to influence this; having say six or seven gears with a cassette sizing of 11-28 would have resulted in massive gaps between the gears, but the increasing number of indexed gears at the back has certainly facilitated a usable jump in the size of the cassette sprockets.
    the second was a move to the 'spin to win' ethos where it's less taxing to keep cadence high, than it is to grind up hills.

    And cassettes arrived because a freewheel with more than 6 sprockets and a standard hub, leads to axles snapping at the drive-side cone (most bikes shops do a few 7-speed axle-replacements a week).

    You're right about the gaps though - I'm used to my good bike having an 11-speed cassette, and now I'm also riding a 9-speed cassette bike, and the bigger gaps are pretty annoying...


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    #2333
    cletus
    Registered Users Posts: 7,888 ✭✭✭cletus


    This is more a confirmation of what I already think, rather than a question, but can anyone say if the pedal in the pictures can be serviced. The pedal axle looks to be peined in, and the cage is riveted, so I'm thinking no, unless anyone can offer some insight

    518836.jpg

    518837.jpg


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    #2334
    Type 17
    Registered Users Posts: 2,730 ✭✭✭Type 17


    No, you're right about it not being possible to take it apart - you can dribble some heavy oil onto it (3-in-1 style, rather than thin WD-40 stuff), but if there's a lot of play or some crunching that the oil doesn't fix, then it's done...


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    #2335
    caviardreams
    Registered Users Posts: 5,440 ✭✭✭caviardreams


    So I finally got a bell but it seems to be too small for teh handlebars of my road bike (30mm or so). Most bells I have seen online are 22-25mm - is it hard to find one that fits 30mm that doesn't cost a fortune (I saw a nice knog one) or is there some way to make the smaller ones fit?

    Or are my road bars very chunky and in need of a diet? :o


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    #2336
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,745 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    caviardreams wrote: »
    So I finally got a bell but it seems to be too small for teh handlebars of my road bike (30mm or so). Most bells I have seen online are 22-25mm - is it hard to find one that fits 30mm that doesn't cost a fortune (I saw a nice knog one) or is there some way to make the smaller ones fit?

    Or are my road bars very chunky and in need of a diet? :o

    I can't remember what my handlebars are, but I just had to get some longer bolts for this fairly standard bell to fit. I wrapped a bit of electrical tape around so the fitting wouldn't abrade the tape.

    518894.jpeg


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    #2337
    caviardreams
    Registered Users Posts: 5,440 ✭✭✭caviardreams


    Oh thanks - longer bolts would probably do the trick alright! Much appreciated.


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    #2338
    tomasrojo
    Registered Users Posts: 11,745 ✭✭✭✭tomasrojo


    I included the nuts that came with the new bolts. The inside of the hole of the bell fitting is threaded anyway, but I thought no harm reinforcing it with extra nuts.


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    #2339
    rayman1
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭rayman1


    caviardreams wrote: »
    So I finally got a bell but it seems to be too small for teh handlebars of my road bike (30mm or so). Most bells I have seen online are 22-25mm - is it hard to find one that fits 30mm that doesn't cost a fortune (I saw a nice knog one) or is there some way to make the smaller ones fit?

    Or are my road bars very chunky and in need of a diet? :o

    This bell fits around my 30mm bars without any problem. Held in place by strong elastic band.


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    #2340
    Pa ElGrande
    Registered Users Posts: 3,501 ✭✭✭Pa ElGrande


    Today my left crank arm fell off. It's Shimano Deore FC-M591-L. On inspection I could see the security tab had popped up at both sides so when I got home I loosened the pinch bolts, the only thing holding the security tab was the grease. This should be easy to fix, the spline seems to be ok. Does anyone know any local bike shops in Dublin that stock said part (Y1FU98120)?

    Net Zero means we are paying for the destruction of our economy and society in pursuit of an unachievable and pointless policy.



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    #2341
    El Tarangu
    Registered Users Posts: 1,615 ✭✭✭El Tarangu


    Type 17 wrote: »
    It's a nice flat-on shot, so it's possible to measure it on-screen, and it looks like a 58 - I screenshotted the pic on my desktop, scaled it until the bead diameter of the wheels was about 62mm (622mm in reality), and then found that the centre-to-centre of the top tube was 58mm (580mm in reality).

    Very clever! thanks :)

    You were right; in the end the size was right, but now having bought it I've decided that it's a bit too heavy for my needs, so I think I will sell it on again - oh well.


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