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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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Mundo7976

magicbastarder wrote: »

i don't think i'd notice a 1mm difference!
i suspect it's as much to do with how the wheel is sitting in the dropouts, as it is to do with how it's dished. i certainly wouldn't be playing with the spokes yet...

Cheers.
Yeah dont want to be messing with them really. Ive reseated the wheel a few times in the dropouts to be sure i hadn't got that off.
I really notice the difference when lookimg down from behind the seat, but then it only 1mm when i measure it.
It shouldn't effect performance of the bike though?

magicbastarder

are the dropouts clean?
don't forget that it can just take something tiny in the dropouts to have a 1mm effect at the rim.

Mundo7976

Yep. Gave the whole bike a proper wipe down and clean last week!

loyatemu

is it really necessary to go to 100psi on a 25mm tyre? It depends how heavy you are but I was going 80 rear and 75 front before I switched to 28mm and I have those even lower.

fat bloke

adrian522 wrote: »

Tyre is GP 4000S 25. :It's nearing the end of its life now I'd say.
Tube in continental Road Tube Presta.

I've checked the inside of the tyre and not noticed anything but perhaps I've missed something.

I'll take a look at the tube to see where the issue is but I'm suspecting it may be an issue with the Rim tape on the wheel. I may take it back to the shop to see if they agree it is an issue with the wheel or if it is the tyre.

If it happened twice then you should have two tubes to compare and see if it holed in the same place?

adrian522

loyatemu wrote: »

is it really necessary to go to 100psi on a 25mm tyre? It depends how heavy you are but I was going 80 rear and 75 front before I switched to 28mm and I have those even lower.

I've no idea. I've never had issues with it before. I could drop it down to 80 to see if that makes a difference.

CianRyan

More stupid questions for the no stupid questions thread!

I have two sets of wheels, both 700c.
1 is set are a 2006 era bontrager with decent braking surface and the wrong hubs for the job.
This other are older track style hubs with knackered rims and dangerously bad braking surface...
You probably get where I'm going here.

How mad would I have to be to attempt to make a good set from both?
Will it work and will I need a new set of spokes, etc?

Type 17

If you're really lucky, the ERDs of the two sets of rims will be the same, and you can swap the good rims onto the wheels with the correct hubs.

However, it's more likely that they're not, which would mean measuring up (online spoke-length calculators are available), and ordering the right length spokes to rebuild the set of wheels you want.

ERD = effective rim diameter, the diameter of the rims from one of the seats of a given nipple directly across the centre of the rim to its opposite nipple-seat (more details in link).

AhhHere

Picked up a Bike to Work roadbike recently. Ordered some bits on Decathlon and been out a few times a week since.

My stupid question is, why dont all clothes have back pockets? I bloody love them.

But real Q - I don't have any maintenance skills afraid of getting a puncture while out. What should I carry and know ahead of time?

CianRyan

Type 17 wrote: »

If you're really lucky, the ERDs of the two sets of rims will be the same, and you can swap the good rims onto the wheels with the correct hubs.

However, it's more likely that they're not, which would mean measuring up (online spoke-length calculators are available), and ordering the right length spokes to rebuild the set of wheels you want.

ERD = effective rim diameter, the diameter of the rims from one of the seats of a given nipple directly across the centre of the rim to its opposite nipple-seat (more details in link).

That is about as positive as I'd have hoped!
I'll take some measurements this weekend so, if I can keep this build below €100, by god I'll do it!

Type 17

AhhHere wrote: »

...But real Q - I don't have any maintenance skills afraid of getting a puncture while out. What should I carry and know ahead of time?

This Park Tool video probably explains it better than any amount of typing on here. Also confirm that you can remove the wheel from your particular type of bike.

PS: Rear jersey pockets are brilliant, but be careful when sitting down on a chair if you've got fragile or sharp items in the pockets

CianRyan

AhhHere wrote: »

Picked up a Bike to Work roadbike recently. Ordered some bits on Decathlon and been out a few times a week since.

My stupid question is, why dont all clothes have back pockets? I bloody love them.

But real Q - I don't have any maintenance skills afraid of getting a puncture while out. What should I carry and know ahead of time?

I am guilty of risking the flat but then, we can't go more than 5km anyway...

Your basics are going to be:
Plastic tyre levers, minimum two but I prefer 3.
A new inner tube. (And a repair kit at home to save the old one as a new spare)
A means of inflation. Co2 cartridges are convenient, a good mini pump is for ever..

That's assuming your wheels are quick release, if not you'll have to bring the correct tool to remove your wheel.

cletus

CianRyan wrote: »

That is about as positive as I'd have hoped!
I'll take some measurements this weekend so, if I can keep this build below €100, by god I'll do it!

Are you planning on rebuilding the wheels yourself?

It's something I'd love to try

AhhHere

Type 17 wrote: »

This Park Tool video probably explains it better than any amount of typing on here. Also confirm that you can remove the wheel from your particular type of bike.

PS: Rear jersey pockets are brilliant, but be careful when sitting down on a chair if you've got fragile or sharp items in the pockets

That is an excellent video thanks. Need to pick up a multi tool and spare tire. Wheels aren;t quick release. Should the multi tool have the correct tool required?

Sorry these are reall stupid questions. Thanks for your patience.

Type 17

AhhHere wrote: »

...Wheels aren't quick release. Should the multi tool have the correct tool required?

Not if the wheels have nuts, like the bottom-left bit of the video at 1:11 - in that case, you'd need to bring a (usually) 15mm spanner.

If they're not quick-release, and they don't have nuts, then they are probably thru-axles, in which case, the multi-tool should have a suitable Allen key.

CianRyan

cletus wrote: »

Are you planning on rebuilding the wheels yourself?

It's something I'd love to try

That's the plan, it's two sets that would otherwise sit there for years or get thrown in the dump so I've nothing to lose but the spokes.

Sure eh... How hard could it be?

AhhHere

Type 17 wrote: »

Not if the wheels have nuts, like the bottom-left bit of the video at 1:11 - in that case, you'd need to bring a (usually) 15mm spanner.

If they're not quick-release, and they don't have nuts, then they are probably thru-axles, in which case, the multi-tool should have a suitable Allen key.

Nice one. Checked there and back is quick release front is through axle I assume. I could see right through it

So you're on the button. Thanks

Type 17

AhhHere wrote: »

Nice one. Checked there and back is quick release front is through axle I assume. I could see right through it So you're on the button. Thanks

If you can see through it and it said 15mm on the end, it's a thru-axle, but the 15mm refers to the outside diameter of the thru-axle spindle itself - you'll need some size of Allen key to open it.

cletus

CianRyan wrote: »

That's the plan, it's two sets that would otherwise sit there for years or get thrown in the dump so I've nothing to lose but the spokes.

Sure eh... How hard could it be?

Fair play, make sure you update the progress

Eamonnator

CianRyan wrote: »

That is about as positive as I'd have hoped!
I'll take some measurements this weekend so, if I can keep this build below €100, by god I'll do it!

I hope you've counted as well as measured.

CianRyan

I'll have done neither until tomorrow evening.

I'm a gluten for punishment as you can see...

Large bottle small glass

CianRyan wrote: »

More stupid questions for the no stupid questions thread!

I have two sets of wheels, both 700c.
1 is set are a 2006 era bontrager with decent braking surface and the wrong hubs for the job.
This other are older track style hubs with knackered rims and dangerously bad braking surface...
You probably get where I'm going here.

How mad would I have to be to attempt to make a good set from both?
Will it work and will I need a new set of spokes, etc?

Very very unlikely spoke length is the same, even if the spoke count was.

Go away and get one or both online books that are available, by Roger Musson or Jobst Brandt or it'll probably end in tears no matter what parts you use.

Once you get what a wire wheel is and how it works it'll help with building. It's a pre tensioned tensile structure; when the compressive load is at it's highest (6o'clock) the tension in wheel is high enough for that spoke to remain in tension.

If you have good hubs you'll put a wheelset together for €100 if you shop around. High spoke count built 3 cross and follow the instructions and you will be grand. It's forgiving for amateurs like us.

There is a rare breed that can build good wheels (even low spoke count) without ever reading a thing or having any tools, but they are super rare. The one guy I know like that is stone fcuking mad

ugo.santalucia and the cycleclinic have posted a lot on
https://forum.bikeradar.com/discussion/13020726/handbuilt-wheels-the-big-thread

CianRyan

Thanks for the reading materials, I'll dive into that before I dive into the wheels.
I would also be close to stone mad, I have for example built a car loom out of spare scraps of cabling I had in my tool box. :pac:

The principal of balancing tension isn't lost on me either, mechanical engineering is a great interest of mine. That's partly why I thought I'd try and build my own wheels rather than buy a new set!

fryup

what's this grub screw for on the brake calipers??

cletus

It centres the brake calipers

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/dual-pivot-brake-service#:~:text=Dual%20pivot%20brakes%20commonly%20have,the%20side%20opposite%20the%20screw.

The relevant passage:

CENTERING

Dual pivot brakes commonly have a centering screw on one arm. Turning the screw clockwise will draw both pads to the side of brake with the screw. Loosening the screw will move both brakes toward the side opposite the screw.

CramCycle

fryup wrote: »

what's this grub screw for on the brake calipers??

Sh1ts and giggles

In all seriousness though, I think its alignment after you tighten the brakes up to the frame

fryup

^^^^^^^^

and what's with the giggle?

CramCycle

fryup wrote: »

^^^^^^^^

and what's with the giggle?

I repair a lot of scientific equipment and the amount of times there are parts that are completely redundant is incredible. Now most of the time it is a leftover from previous models and it was never reviewed or it was designed by a scientist and built by an engineer and never the two ever talk to each other. So you often find bits and pieces that serve no purpose other than too look like they do.
So I always think it's just some ****h*** of a designer put them there for sh1ts and giggles, i.e. to get a laugh out of the number of people who will think they are essential or spend inordinate amounts of time trying to use or figure out their purpose.

cletus

And tell me, cramcycle, do you often have equipment that you no longer require, and that you subsequently may wish to give to random people on the internet, like, for example, a bench power supply, or oscilloscope...

CramCycle

cletus wrote: »

And tell me, cramcycle, do you often have equipment that you no longer require, and that you subsequently may wish to give to random people on the internet, like, for example, a bench power supply, or oscilloscope...

Drop me a PM with a list of what you are looking for, and if it ever comes up for disposal I will let you know (I gave an oscilloscope away a few months ago). I always actively search out alternative users rather than waste disposal. If I can find a good home and it poses no danger, it is yours.