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

tdf7187 wrote: »

I had new derailleur and gear cable fitted about three weeks ago. (I had cycled over some plastic tarpaulin and it got caught in old derailleur and basically destroyed it). Chain was slipping so bought it back to bike shop. They adjusted, but chain still slipping. I checked chain myself and there was at least one stiff rivet, I estimated I had put 4,000 km on the chain which apparently is all you would usually get out of a chain before the rivets start getting stiff, so I bought new chain (at different bike shop) and installed myself. The fitting is still not right though. Should I go back to original bike shop and ask them to fix the set-up (for free?) They charged €74 for installation and fitting of derailleur and gear cable so I don't want to fork out more unless absolutely necessary.

First, did you check the length needed for the new chain, and break it accordingly.

Second, did you re-index the rear derailleur

Third, the time to go back to shop one would have been before you bought the new chain. Why did you buy from a different shop?

tdf7187

cletus wrote: »

First, did you check the length needed for the new chain, and break it accordingly.

Second, did you re-index the rear derailleur

Third, the time to go back to shop one would have been before you bought the new chain. Why did you buy from a different shop?

Right well hindsight is 20/20, yeah? Original shop sorted the alignment at no charge.

tdf7187 wrote: »

Right well hindsight is 20/20, yeah? Original shop sorted the alignment at no charge.

I wasn't making a dig. Genuine question. I wondered if you were unhappy with the work done, perhaps.

A good result of the shop are willing to rectify issues not caused by them at no cost

tdf7187 wrote: »

Right well hindsight is 20/20, yeah? Original shop sorted the alignment at no charge.

I wasn't making a dig. Genuine question. I wondered if you were unhappy with the work done, perhaps.

A good result if the shop are willing to rectify issues not caused by them at no cost

CantGetNoSleep

I'm swapping over the components from one bike to another & want to make sure I have everything ready when the new frame arrives to do it in one go. The existing bike has a braze on front derailleur but with band on adapter, think it is 31.8mm though. The new one also takes a band on but 28.6mm. Am I better off buying a new smaller adapter, or a full band on FD?

Most new bikes use a braze-on mount, so band-on FDs are harder to find these days, so it’s probably easier to get an adaptor for your existing FD.

CantGetNoSleep

Type 17 wrote: »

Most new bikes use a braze-on mount, so band-on FDs are harder to find these days, so it’s probably easier to get an adaptor for your existing FD.

Thanks

Breezer

I changed the chain on my hybrid yesterday. It’s now making a rapid clicking noise when I pedal, a bit like the noise you get when indexing gears. It’s actually riding and shifting fine, it’s just noisy.

I think the new chain is one link shorter than the old one (my fault, I initially removed an outer link instead of an inner link). Both chains are SRAM 11 speed, although different models.

Any ideas? The whole drive train needs a good clean, so I guess it could be that, but it seems strange that a new, clean chain would cause a noise to suddenly start.

Check the path of the chain between the two jockey wheels in the rear derailleur - there's a tab to prevent chain slap just below the top wheel, and it's easy to route the chain on the wrong side of it.

If you have, it's often easier to remove the lower jockey wheel and loosen the top one a tiny bit, so you can swing the inner plate of the jockey wheel cage around and re-route the chain.

Breezer

Type 17 wrote: »

Check the path of the chain between the two jockey wheels in the rear derailleur - there's a tab to prevent chain slap just below the top wheel, and it's easy to route the chain on the wrong side of it.

If you have, it's often easier to remove the lower jockey wheel and loosen the top one a tiny bit, so you can swing the inner plate of the jockey wheel cage around and re-route the chain.

That’s exactly what I’ve done, thank you. I’ll sort that out shortly. Currently watching the hurling!

Update: yes, that’s fixed it. Much better! Thanks again!

Here's one. I've come across info on increasing spring tension in ultegra rear derailleurs (and subsequently reducing chain slap, at least to some degree)

Question is, does anyone know if the same thing can be done with the Sora R3000 RD

Changed the headset bearings back in September before I took out the winter bike - had it on the trainer the other day and noticed this gap between the frame and fork.

Is this a sizeable gap, and if so where did I go wrong? There doesn't seem to be any play/movement but I can't remember if the gap was as big before I changed the bearings and I have no old pictures I could double check against.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Does seem a bigger gap than normal - does it turn ok - no heavy friction?

You might have intalled something upside down - maybe lay the bike on its side and remove the stem, and you can slide things apart without taking everything completely apart (or just fully disassemble it if you're happy to do it).

Type 17 wrote: »

Does seem a bigger gap than normal - does it turn ok - no heavy friction?

You might have intalled something upside down - maybe lay the bike on its side and remove the stem, and you can slide things apart without taking everything completely apart (or just fully disassemble it if you're happy to do it).

Have no reference for size of the gap - everything feels fine on it. Took it apart the other day and everything seemed to fit, but still a gap - will try again in a few

There's a gap at the bottom of my headset too, I've posted the picture for reference. It is correct, and the seal actually angles back up (yes my bike is dirty, no I won't go clean it immediately

)

cletus wrote: »

There's a gap at the bottom of my headset too, I've posted the picture for reference. It is correct, and the seal actually angles back up (yes my bike is dirty, no I won't go clean it immediately )

That is quite a gap too...

I disassembled it and seen the order was; Fork - Bearing - Seal

So I tried; Fork - Seal - Bearing, which resulted in a tighter fit (see pic) but when I tightened up the headset, the steering was very tight and the headset wouldn't tighten properly.

I'm thinking the seal was getting in the way of the bearing seating into the crown race when compressed?

So I guess this means the gap is meant to be that big?

It just seemed counter intuitive as it is an ingress point for water and road crud, although in saying that when I serviced the headset back in August - I could have gotten away with only replacing the top bearing (sweat etc) the bottom bearing was in good nick so I guess this isn't a problem at all and a design feature? (Probably stop the bearings being crushed against the frame and fork?)

The bearing shouldn't be outside the seal. Water washing across that gap is not the same as water ingress

cletus wrote: »

The bearing shouldn't be outside the seal. Water washing across that gap is not the same as water ingress

So the seal should be put on to sit on the crown race followed by the bearing? It feels very gummy when the headset is tightened up

So working from the top down, you should have bottom cup, bearing, dust seal, fork race

cletus wrote: »

So working from the top down, you should have bottom cup, bearing, dust seal, fork race

I'm an idiot - I had the seal the wrong way round, it's tapered on the crown race side, I had it that side facing up hence the gummy steering.

All sorted now, thanks for all the tips/help folks

68 lost souls

Speaking of headsets. I’m looking at fitting a kids seat to the front of a road bike. I’m guessing I need an ahead adapter to fit my road bike? Something like this https://www.deporvillage.net/bobike-one-mini-a-head-adapter?country=IE&gclid=Cj0KCQiAifz-BRDjARIsAEElyGJvjI8jHiedHDYlYYgLZW4ZE3R_JBwyEIMdjpVKd0ySh8Nch_a-puAaAvwlEALw_wcB

It says 4mm space needed so I imagine it replaced a headset spacer but are they not 5mm? Seems like it might be tough to find a 1mm spacer then to make up the difference?

The exact stack-height is not crucial on an A-head stem - once the top cap is not bottoming out on the top of the fork's steerer tube (too few spacers), and not so high that the upper pinch bolt on the stem is not clamping at or above the top of the (aluminium*) steerer tube, it will be fine.

2mm spacers are available, check with your LBS if you need one.

*This is more crucial on a carbon steerer tube - the clamping force shouldn't come too near the top of the steerer (many manufacturers specify that one spacer is kept above the stem, so it doesn't crack the top of the steerer)

68 lost souls wrote: »

Speaking of headsets. I’m looking at fitting a kids seat to the front of a road bike. I’m guessing I need an ahead adapter to fit my road bike? Something like this https://www.deporvillage.net/bobike-one-mini-a-head-adapter?country=IE&gclid=Cj0KCQiAifz-BRDjARIsAEElyGJvjI8jHiedHDYlYYgLZW4ZE3R_JBwyEIMdjpVKd0ySh8Nch_a-puAaAvwlEALw_wcB

It says 4mm space needed so I imagine it replaced a headset spacer but are they not 5mm? Seems like it might be tough to find a 1mm spacer then to make up the difference?

Once you take off the top cap, have a look at the difference in height between the top of the first spacer, and the top of the steerer tube.

There's normally a couple mm difference, so as long as it's greater than 1mm, you'll be ok. Remember, the top cap doesn't tighten down onto the steerer tube, it tightens to the spacer or stem

*Edited to add* I had this window open while making dinner. By the time I answered, Type17 had already posted

68 lost souls

Thanks guys, glad to have it confirmed from two sources.

CantGetNoSleep

I want to swap the shifters on my road bike (moving from the older RS505 Shimano non series hydraulic levers to the new R7020 105 disc levers - purely because the new ones are much more comfortable).

My bike has awkward internal cabling - if I switch is there any way of disconnecting the cables and hoses at the lever and just swapping in the new shifters, or do I need to remove the cables fully i.e. thread through the frame?

You can remove the hoses from the old levers and you should be able to refit them to the new levers (if the mounting points are in a similar location).

The outer gear cable housings can also remain under the bar tape, but the inner wires will have to be withdrawn and re-inserted with the new levers.

Feeding inner cables through an alu or carbon frame isn't too bad if you use magnets - have a look at this video (you don't necessarily need the IR-1.2 kit, just some decent magnets) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msIyofUud3A

magicbastarder

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

the new ones are much more comfortable).

what's the difference? i test rode a bike a few years ago (was 105, but i can't be certain if the levers were stock 105 or not, and if so it was the older generation anyway), and the lever hoods were weirdly long. didn't feel right in the hand.

There is a fair difference:

Shimano-105-BR-R7070-ST-R7020-Disc-Brake-Set-spark-silver-set-front-rear--65756-286505-1568872648.jpeg

magicbastarder

cheers, i have mechanical 105 levers and TRP HY/RD hybrid brakes on one bike, have mulled swapping over to full hydraulic, but i dunno if it'd be worth the cost (i'm guessing over half the price of a new groupset) and the extra length in the hoods.