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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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cletus

crosstownk wrote: »

Plenty of cars and vans have fixed mounting points for transverse bars so it seems unlikely (or silly) that bars should require repositioning.

Picked up the Thule Freeride 523. It's Thule's budget offering, but streets ahead of the Halfords rack. And I didn't have to move the roof bars either

a148pro

Not really a maintenance q but is there any functional difference between 32 - 32 gearing and 34 - 34 gearing

And can you put a 34 cassette on a 32 ring (48 - 32)?

CramCycle

xckjoo wrote: »

Will check later but nearly definite that it's gone through

Then you need a new tube as it's just going to blow the tube out the slit. You might get unlucky and it holds until you hit a bump.

TychoCaine

a148pro wrote: »

Not really a maintenance q but is there any functional difference between 32 - 32 gearing and 34 - 34 gearing

And can you put a 34 cassette on a 32 ring (48 - 32)?

No functional difference between the two. 34/34 = 32/32.
You can run an cassette with any chainring, however you should make sure your rear derailleur can handle it.

CormacH94

Planning on upgrading my 10 speed Tiagra to 11 speed 105 - Recommendations for a wheelset to go with 105 groupset (If they are ever back in stock that is)? Was looking at just getting the R501's but is there anything to be had for 200 - 300?

ironictoaster

Dumb question.

Does anyone know what does plastic adapter things in the top right corner of this photo are called? Looking to buy em online

Looking to mount lock to my seat stay and I need those plastic things to do so

Type 17

ironictoaster wrote: »

Dumb question.

Does anyone know what does plastic adapter things in the top right corner of this photo are called? Looking to buy em online

Looking to mount lock to my seat stay and I need those plastic things to do so

Ask in any LBS, that sells Abus locks - every lock comes with a full set, and they only get used about 1% of the time - they literally get thrown out/recycled every time a lock is fitted to a bike.

Not sure if they have a name, but I'd ask for "the packing collars that enable Abus brackets to be fitted to thinner parts of the frame"

They won't charge you (or if they try, leave, and go to a decent bike shop...)

fat bloke

fat bloke wrote: »

Are 1x groupsets all disc braked, or is there such a thing as a 1x rim braked (road) set up?

So stupid I had to ask it twice!

CantGetNoSleep

fat bloke wrote: »

So stupid I had to ask it twice!

I've never come across a rim braked one but no reason why you couldn't build one up from separate parts? You'd probably just end up with a redundant left shift lever. Or see if such a thing as 1x cable disc groupsets exist and swap over the brakes?

Gasco

I became convinced that my alloy bars are near end of life and ordered Deda Superzero (alloy) replacements. Thought I had ordered DCR, but mistakenly ordered the non-concealed cable version.

I decided I would use them, but, where the bend meets the top there is a line saying to stop taping here, which is grand, I can ignore this line or not. But if I were to stop taping here, what happens with the cables? I could just put a single wrap of tape nearer to the stem to keep them in the under-bar groove - or do you just deal with floppy cables?

CramCycle

ironictoaster wrote: »

Dumb question.

Does anyone know what does plastic adapter things in the top right corner of this photo are called? Looking to buy em online

Looking to mount lock to my seat stay and I need those plastic things to do so

Are you talking about the shim to make the bar wider or the actual holder on the left of the photo. If the former, wrapping an old tube around the frame will bulk it out enough, if the latter, you can get them here: https://mobil.abus.com/uk/on-road/Locks/Holders-and-Brackets/Lock-Brackets-Bike

Gasco wrote: »

I decided I would use them, but, where the bend meets the top there is a line saying to stop taping here, which is grand, I can ignore this line or not. But if I were to stop taping here, what happens with the cables? I could just put a single wrap of tape nearer to the stem to keep them in the under-bar groove - or do you just deal with floppy cables?

A bit of electrical tape although it sounds silly you have to stop wrapping the bar there. Maybe they meant taping the cable to the bar and you can keep going with handlebar tape as I can't figure out why you wouldn't.

Gasco

Thanks Cram - looking online all of the cool people have the tape stopping at roughly this point, grand if the cables route through the bars, but impractical for external routing (and also comfort).

Will wrap as normal - I am not cool.

CramCycle

Anyone know the BB for a rose X Lite 2019. I presume its a pressfit BB86 but I know Rose are really slow at replying since the pandemic, and I have just started to hear that creaking telling me its time to change.

wheelo01

Possibly need to start a thread (if I do, I apologise)

I have a Cube Attain GTC 2019 https://www.cube.eu/en/2019/bikes/road/road-cyclocross/attain/cube-attain-gtc-sl-disc-carbonngrey-2019/ it says it has Fulcrum Racing 66 DB wheels, I can find no info on them at all - nothing on fulcrum website, they mention racing 6, not 66. Apparently I need to replace the bearings in the front wheel, but I can find no videos on how it's done (or if I'm capable), nor specs to tell me what bearing it is.

Secondly, I want to tighten the brakes, I feel there is too much pull before they bite, is this a difficult thing to do ( God be with the days I'd just twist a thingummy on rim brakes)
Thanks in advance.

Type 17

wheelo01 wrote: »

Secondly, I want to tighten the brakes, I feel there is too much pull before they bite, is this a difficult thing to do ( God be with the days I'd just twist a thingummy on rim brakes)
Thanks in advance.

Check out pages 53/4 here (PS: I've found that some of these 105 levers don't have the free stroke adjustment, even though they are a model that should have it):

https://si.shimano.com/api/publish/storage/pdf/en/dm/RADBR01/DM-RADBR01-07-ENG.pdf

Cee-Jay-Cee

wheelo01 wrote: »

Possibly need to start a thread (if I do, I apologise)

I have a Cube Attain GTC 2019 https://www.cube.eu/en/2019/bikes/road/road-cyclocross/attain/cube-attain-gtc-sl-disc-carbonngrey-2019/ it says it has Fulcrum Racing 66 DB wheels, I can find no info on them at all - nothing on fulcrum website, they mention racing 6, not 66. Apparently I need to replace the bearings in the front wheel, but I can find no videos on how it's done (or if I'm capable), nor specs to tell me what bearing it is.

Secondly, I want to tighten the brakes, I feel there is too much pull before they bite, is this a difficult thing to do ( God be with the days I'd just twist a thingummy on rim brakes)
Thanks in advance.

They're the same as the Fulcrum 6, theyre just OE spec wheel for factory bikes.

If they use the same bearings as the Fulcrum 5 (which they probably do as I believe its the 4 and lower that use cup/cone and all above use cartridge bearings) then the bearings in your wheels will be marked 61903 but they're not, they are actually 18307's with 61903's seals. Don't buy ridiculously expensive fulcrum bearings thinking they're proprietary as they're not, just buy 18307's.

Its very simple to change the front wheel bearings. Watch this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsyYlj9cdcM

TychoCaine

ironictoaster wrote: »

Dumb question.

Does anyone know what does plastic adapter things in the top right corner of this photo are called? Looking to buy em online

Looking to mount lock to my seat stay and I need those plastic things to do so

They're called bracket shims. Abus don't sell them separately. You'd have to buy the whole bracket from https://mobil.abus.com/uk/on-road/Locks/Holders-and-Brackets/Lock-Brackets-Bike

8valve

wheelo01 wrote: »

Secondly, I want to tighten the brakes, I feel there is too much pull before they bite, is this a difficult thing to do ( God be with the days I'd just twist a thingummy on rim brakes)
Thanks in advance.

Are the pads worn, allowing more pad/piston travel before reaching the discs?

If so, new pads are your solution.

wheelo01

8valve wrote: »

Are the pads worn, allowing more pad/piston travel before reaching the discs?

If so, new pads are your solution.

I left the bike in for a service relatively recently, I pointed this out to him, he did something, and they were better, just not what I expected.
No, they were never "instant" gripping, there was maybe 10 mm play before grip. Now, here's the disclaimer, these are my first disc brakes, so my expectations may be way higher than the actuality.
I must stop someone who thinks their brakes are right and take a spin to compare.

The whole bleeding thing looks like something I could leave to the LBS.

Thanks for that video about the bearings Cee-Jay-Cee, that does look like something I could tackle.

cletus

wheelo01 wrote: »

I left the bike in for a service relatively recently, I pointed this out to him, he did something, and they were better, just not what I expected.
No, they were never "instant" gripping, there was maybe 10 mm play before grip. Now, here's the disclaimer, these are my first disc brakes, so my expectations may be way higher than the actuality.
I must stop someone who thinks their brakes are right and take a spin to compare.

The whole bleeding thing looks like something I could leave to the LBS.

Thanks for that video about the bearings Cee-Jay-Cee, that does look like something I could tackle.

I have disc brakes. I think they are working right. I can pull skids with them. Can you pull skids?

wheelo01

cletus wrote: »

I have disc brakes. I think they are working right. I can pull skids with them. Can you pull skids?

I think with the right weight movement I could, I'll try it for certain tomorrow

cletus

wheelo01 wrote: »

I think with the right weight movement I could, I'll try it for certain tomorrow

I was being a little facetious, but you should be able to lock up you wheel if the brakes are working correctly

brownian

TychoCaine wrote: »

They're called bracket shims. Abus don't sell them separately. You'd have to buy the whole bracket from https://mobil.abus.com/uk/on-road/Locks/Holders-and-Brackets/Lock-Brackets-Bike

A couple of wraps of old tube may do the same thing?

beauf

Slightly odd question. I'm thinking of swapping the teens quick release skewers for non quick release for school use. Anyone done it.

Thus far I've been using those cables, but I think they are marginal security at best, and fiddly both to use and carry.
Going to two locks seems over kill especially for school. U locks are a pain to carry and difficult to mount on smaller frames.

I know on my own bike switching to chain that locked without a key made the whole locking and unlocking much easier and faster.

tomasrojo

On my main bike I've got an Axa Defender frame lock for the rear wheel, and a Pitlock security skewer for the front wheel.

Pinhead security skewers are cheaper so a reasonably priced option is Pinhead for front and rear wheel.

There are also security skewers where you have to turn the bike upside down before you can start unscrewing the skewer. I don't think they're all that secure, but they might do the trick, and then your kids don't need to bring the security skewer key with them.

This is a good round-up of what's available:
http://thebestbikelock.com/wheel-locks-and-seat-locks/

beauf

Cheers..

Melanchthon

Looking at getting a Peugeot Cadre Allege, a 70's/80's cheap enough bike back on the road
Same model as in this video
https://youtu.be/HbhMGhNlEAY

Bottom bracket is seized and need to replace bearings I think in the freewheel.
Currently have very very limited tools so wondering about picking up a tool set but since it's a older bike (and cheaper) bike I am wondering what set too buy or too just leave it (I would make use of a toolset for another bike I have though so willing to spend more than the 50 euro the bike is worth)

https://www.decathlon.ie/ie_en/900-bike-toolbox-en-s100427.html

magicbastarder

this may be the thread you need:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058088554&page=4

cletus

A tool set like the Decathlon one you link to is a good way to jump start your tool collection box for working on bikes etc. Once you have a basic set, buying a tool each time you need to do a job is a great, and relatively cheap way to expand on the tools you have, and the jobs you are able to complete.

I know you say that you have limited tools, but have a look at the actual contents of the set above, as you may already have the more common tools, such as screwdrivers, Allen keys, spanners, etc. and might not want to double up.

Having said that, I have quadrupled (and possibly quintupled) on a number of different types of tools, but I may have a problem:o:D

8valve

Melanchthon wrote: »

Looking at getting a Peugeot Cadre Allege, a 70's/80's cheap enough bike back on the road
Same model as in this video
https://youtu.be/HbhMGhNlEAY

Bottom bracket is seized and need to replace bearings I think in the freewheel.
Currently have very very limited tools so wondering about picking up a tool set but since it's a older bike (and cheaper) bike I am wondering what set too buy or too just leave it (I would make use of a toolset for another bike I have though so willing to spend more than the 50 euro the bike is worth)

https://www.decathlon.ie/ie_en/900-bike-toolbox-en-s100427.html

Might be best to look at specific tools for the freewheel and bottom bracket fitted to the Peugeot, as modern bottom bracket or cassette tools probably won't suit.

Other than that, threaded headset spanners and some axle cone spanners might be the only specialist tools you need.

Decent sets of Allen keys, combination spanners and screwdrivers always go a long way when working on vintage bikes.

Oh.....and trust me on this.....a good hefty hammer!!