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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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nicksnikita

dahat wrote: »

Are the chainsets all 110bcd? This would mean you can but older ones were 110/130 bcd.

If i do i'll be running an 11/30 cassette, should be fun and allow mean some leeway for hills while giving me some power on rolling stuff.

WARNING: Installing 53-39 won't give you any more power.

dahat

nicksnikita wrote: »

WARNING: Installing 53-39 won't give you any more power.

I know!

CramCycle

dahat wrote: »

Ultegra chainset on a new bike - can i swap out 52/36 for 53/39 chainrings or will i need a new chainset?

Yep, I've done it without issue, you should get away with not changing anything but the rings.

dahat

CramCycle wrote: »

Yep, I've done it without issue, you should get away with not changing anything but the rings.

Thanks for confirming that, way cheaper than a chainset.

DaveyDave

DaveyDave wrote: »

Got a new cassette for the turbo the other month, bike wasn't running smooth so I replaced the chain and it still isn't running smoothly. Rotating the pedals with my hand the chain seems to move outward ever so slightly at a certain rotation of the cassette.

Cassette refit to ensure it's flat, no play. No kinks or stiffness in the new chain. Definitely doesn't feel good when pedaling. I'll try swapping them and see if it persists. 11 speed Shimano 25-12 cassette, SRAM chain.

I haven't changed a cassette in a few years, is there a break in period?

So I swapped the cassettes around. After a bit of indexing it didn't seem to help the new cassette on the turbo, now the old cassette is on the turbo and new cassette on the bike. Cycled on the turbo and as expected the old cassette is fine, didn't ride the bike with the new cassette as it's raining but as I was going through the gears it felt smooth. Considering the gears were fine it's odd that it felt a bit off when pedaling.

Sorted anyway!

ofthelord

Hi All,
In the process of trying to identify the source of a very annoying creaking/clicking sound on my bike I removed the seat post to clean out any grit which may have gotten in around there. While I had the seat post out I noticed printed on it in small text near the bottom of the post "do not use off road".
This is the seatpost type - Orbea OC-I 27.2x350mm.
The bike (Orbea Terra) came with this seatpost and I have been using the bike for over a year now without issue, with the majority of the cycling being off road on a mixture of fire-roads and some pretty bumpy trails.

Just really wondering if anyone here knows if it'd be advisable for me to upgrade the seatpost to something more durable and off road suited? I think just seeing this note on the seatpost has put it in my head that it'll break on the next bumpy off road section i hit!!
Thanks.

EDit

EDit wrote: »

job of changing rear derailleur has morphed into a need to change rear gear cable (when the old derailleur was removed, the cable was found to be seriously frayed and trying to tidy it up has only made things worse)

Anyway, question is whether replacing rear gear cable is really as straightforward as the various YT videos make it out to be? The bike is a giant TCR (2019) and has internal cabling (if that makes a difference)

So i swapped in some new gear cable on my bike and (per the YT videos) it was relatively easy. I’m now changing the rear derailleur on my wife’s bike and aimed to do that without a cable change. However, the cable seems a bit short in terms of reaching the clamp on the new derailleur.

So my question is... is the cable being too short expected when going from short cage to medium cage derailleur or should it not make any difference (ie, the body of the derailleurs would be the same)?

magicbastarder

anyone know if this is available in ireland? and if not, a comparable product?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3THVf2xS33Y

cletus

I haven't seen it for sale in any shops. Here's a .ie domain selling it, but not sure if it's actually an Irish website.

https://www.efox.ie/shop_item.php?section1=Lubrication&section2=Rust%20Remover

Alternatively, there's the vinegar approach, or the electrolytic approach. The latter is trickier to do, but I find it works better than the vinegar

magicbastarder

cheers, they do seem to have a presence here.
i'm also trying to rescue some 1950s steel gutters rather than replacing them with PVC, so immersion is out of the question.

g0g

Need to replace the cranks (not necessarily front ring) on a Boardman Pro 2016-ish MTB I bought second hand. Don't want to go nuts and spend SRAM GX money (€ 120+) on one so am looking on Ali Express at GXP cranks.
How the hell do I figure if I need 3mm or 6mm offset for it? I think it's something to do with Boost which I haven't a clue about. It doesn't appear to be written on the chainring as the internet suggests!
For example this one has options of 170mm/34T/3mm and 170mm/34T/6mm

cletus

magicbastarder wrote: »

cheers, they do seem to have a presence here.
i'm also trying to rescue some 1950s steel gutters rather than replacing them with PVC, so immersion is out of the question.

For the gutters, have a look at how this guy deals with large pieces of steel

https://youtu.be/zYlxZD9hjTk

Otherwise, angle grinder and wire brush attachments

54and56

Thanks to the advice I got her a few weeks ago I'm now set up to do regular cleaning and chain lubing etc plus some DIY maintenance but I'm not a very accomplished DIY'er so tend to get the LBS to do anything more than routine cleaning and lubing.

The wall mounted stand rack I got from Amazon was only £15 and is an easy and tidy solution which folds up and away when not in use. Two bolts into the garden wall and the job was Oxo.

One question I do have relates to the disc brakes. I know they are to be covered when applying lube and never to use spray lube etc on the chain/cassette but is it OK to let degreaser and / or muck off type washing liquid near them or are they to be kept dry and free of all liquids at all times?

ridelikeaturtle

Here's a good article about bicycle disc brakes - seems there are some minor differences between car and bicycle brakes that could be important. (E.g., don't buy a giant can of "brake cleaner" that'd work for a car's disc brake rotors, for your bicycle, etc.)

https://off.road.cc/content/feature/whats-the-best-way-to-clean-disc-brakes-on-a-bicycle-2937

54and56

ridelikeaturtle wrote: »

Here's a good article about bicycle disc brakes - seems there are some minor differences between car and bicycle brakes that could be important. (E.g., don't buy a giant can of "brake cleaner" that'd work for a car's disc brake rotors, for your bicycle, etc.)

https://off.road.cc/content/feature/whats-the-best-way-to-clean-disc-brakes-on-a-bicycle-2937

I have some isopropyl alcohol so going to give that a go now.

Thanks for the article, very helpful.

Type 17

I've never had any issues with soapy water on disc brakes, although I don't use washing up liquid (salt content), and I do make sure that the brakes are well-rinsed with clean water.

MojoMaker

Nice Trek, but that saddle looks....painful :pac:

velo.2010

When replacing headset bearings, always remember to replace BOTH bearings at the same time. I thought the top bearing was fine when I replaced the tricky bottom one over the Christmas. Surprisingly, the steering started to feel rough after only a few weeks, but I decided to put the winter/spare bike away. Took it out to have a look at it the other day and, lo and behold, I find the top bearing is fcuked. Luckily, I had a spare top bearing and replaced it there and then. No more problems... hopefully.

jethrothe2nd

The allen bolt to centralise my 105 direct mount brakes has stripped and no matter what I do I can't get it to budge. Any ideas on ways to move it?

Also wondering if it is a replaceable item?

CianRyan

jethrothe2nd wrote: »

The allen bolt to centralise my 105 direct mount brakes has stripped and no matter what I do I can't get it to budge. Any ideas on ways to move it?

Also wondering if it is a replaceable item?

Can you post a picture?

jethrothe2nd

CianRyan wrote: »

Can you post a picture?

I've given up and put the bike back in the shed, but below is a picture off the web with the bolt highlighted

Attachment not found.

Type 17

If you can get the old one out, a replacement is available - part no. Y8PS14000

jethrothe2nd

Type 17 wrote: »

If you can get the old one out, a replacement is available - part no. Y8PS14000

Magic - thanks a million

magicbastarder

Type 17 wrote: »

If you can get the old one out, a replacement is available - part no. Y8PS14000

there's an interesting question - is that the cheapest genuine dura-ace part it's possible to buy separately?

'oh yeah, my bike is a mixture of 105 and dura ace...'

jethrothe2nd

magicbastarder wrote: »

there's an interesting question - is that the cheapest genuine dura-ace part it's possible to buy separately?

'oh yeah, my bike is a mixture of 105 and dura ace...'

It might well be until you add in delivery from that website which comes in at a whopping 30 quid sterling for express delivery with no other available shipping options.

Have to shop around a bit - I might drop down to the lbs and see if they have one lying around (if I can get the bust one out)

Type 17

Yeah, I only used that link to illustrate the part and its part number, some Googling of the part number is required.

Pity about SJS now being stuck behind the “Brexit Curtain”, they were great for tricky small parts like this.

CramCycle

Type 17 wrote: »

Yeah, I only used that link to illustrate the part and its part number, some Googling of the part number is required.

Pity about SJS now being stuck behind the “Brexit Curtain”, they were great for tricky small parts like this.

Holy f***, just looked at SJS shipping, 35euro for a 2euro part

CramCycle

jethrothe2nd wrote: »

It might well be until you add in delivery from that website which comes in at a whopping 30 quid sterling for express delivery with no other available shipping options.

Have to shop around a bit - I might drop down to the lbs and see if they have one lying around (if I can get the bust one out)

thebikeinn have it for €2.50 and €8.50 shipping with An Post so a better bet even if still shockingly expensive

fat bloke

CramCycle wrote: »

Holy f***, just looked at SJS shipping, 35euro for a 2euro part

Jeez! I predict a new wave of thievery. Like the lads cutting catalytic convertors out of Priuses. Be wary of anyone loitering around coffee shops with a tiny Allen key

68 lost souls

CramCycle wrote: »

Holy f***, just looked at SJS shipping, 35euro for a 2euro part

If its a small part like that chance your arm and ring them or email and ask can they pop it in a iffy bag and royal mail it to you?