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

8valve · 05-05-2021 07:14PM

spiggotpaddy wrote: »

Just replacing my chain. Is my big chainring ; good to go.
Good for a while.
Or good for the bin.
Just using for exercise.
how to say i love you poem

Bin, unfortunately.

ED E · 06-05-2021 08:21AM

8valve wrote: »

BBB do a set of jockey wheels that are shimano and campagnolo 10/11 speed compatible for small money.

ED E wrote: »

Good tip, ta. Got them on Amazon with Prime, VAT taken off, delivery free, arriving Tuesday.

They've plastic shims :eek: I've PTSD from FSA shimmed BBs. Hopefully will last until I can grab some Shimanos.

Type 17 · 06-05-2021 08:25AM

They're only spacers, and no parts rotate against them, so they won't wear. With the low torque on the jockey wheel bolts, there's no danger of them splitting either.
I've fitted them to countless bikes and never had a return or issue.

kadman · 06-05-2021 09:09AM

Ok Folks, another stupid question.

As a 66 year old noobie biker, thanks to my son who brought his own roadbike down from the big smoke.
I took it out, and liked it.
But I cant be doing puncture repairs every day I take it out.
Here is the question,,
Its fitted with Maxxis Detonator 700x32c tyres, that seem like very soft supple material to me.

Is there a better tougher alternative for country cycling.
I dont want my enthusiasm dampened by too many punctures,

Thanks

magicbastarder · 06-05-2021 09:12AM

what pressure have you been running them at? often repeated punctures are caused by low pressure, or something sharp stuck in the tyre which re-punctures it after you fix it.

CramCycle · 06-05-2021 09:31AM

kadman wrote: »

Ok Folks, another stupid question.

As a 66 year old noobie biker, thanks to my son who brought his own roadbike down from the big smoke.
I took it out, and liked it.
But I cant be doing puncture repairs every day I take it out.
Here is the question,,
Its fitted with Maxxis Detonator 700x32c tyres, that seem like very soft supple material to me.

Is there a better tougher alternative for country cycling.
I dont want my enthusiasm dampened by too many punctures,

Thanks

If you want a guarantee of no punctures, you are looking at Schwalbe marathons but you lose a bit of comfort and speed. Maxxis Detonators, while not high end, shouldn't be puncturing regularly, in fact very few tyres should. As MB said, take them out, check the tyre carefully for a lodged shard of something, check the actual wheel and see if there are any issues internally (metal shards, spokes coming through rim tape. Also check are the punctures happening in the same spot, to help you identify the issue. Make sure the tyres are pumped enough (as well as not too much). For guidance you would need to tell us your weight. If your not looking for incredible speed and desire comfort, and have no issue with dropping a few euro, WTB do a range of almost smooth gravel tyres that should see you right without sacrificing comfort.

kadman · 06-05-2021 09:39AM

Thanks for the fast response guys, much appreciated.

I'm 66, so not looking for speed at my age, got enough of that when I was riding
the bikes with engines.

I am not sure of the pressures, its the sons bike, and i never even checked. Will do that and see.
Weight 95 kg. And the money for the right tire wont be an issue.

What pressure should i be looking at.
Thanks,
K.

magicbastarder · 06-05-2021 09:59AM

according to this, 65psi+

https://road.cc/content/feature/how-choose-your-tyre-pressure-180830

06-05-2021 10:01AM

kadman wrote: »

Thanks for the fast response guys, much appreciated.

I'm 66, so not looking for speed at my age, got enough of that when I was riding
the bikes with engines.

I am not sure of the pressures, its the sons bike, and i never even checked. Will do that and see.
Weight 95 kg. And the money for the right tire wont be an issue.

What pressure should i be looking at.
Thanks,
K.

Tyre pressure really depends on on the weight of you plus the way of the bike but based on the information given for the size of the tyres and your weight and assuming the bike weighs around 12 kilos, an online calculator I just tried recommends a pressure of 60psi for the front and 90psi for the back.

kadman · 06-05-2021 10:05AM

Brilliant guys, thanks for the help.

Just fixing the puncture, and the problem was a wire like thickness thorn. Minute
and about less than 1/2 milimetre long. The inside of the tire seems soft enough
to let this through.

If this is the case, is this going to be an ongoing issue with this tyre. Or is it the wrong bike for country
road use. Is there a tougher tire available.
K.

magicbastarder · 06-05-2021 10:12AM

yes, you'd definitely be able to get tougher tyres. that seems about middle of the road for puncture protection, from what i can see.

" The Detonator is certainly tougher through the tread than some of its peers but it’s not as impenetrable bead-to-bead as some tyres we’ve tested recently, so it’s better on good roads than glass-strewn tarmac.

Rolling performance is very good, and we’d agree with Maxxis that it’s just about ‘supple and grippy enough to race on in summer’. "

https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/components/tyres/maxxis-detonator-road-tyre-review/

kadman · 06-05-2021 11:22AM

Just back from a 4 mile spin, all good so far.

Is there a specific tool for measuring tyre pressure. I am more familiar with the car
gizmos. I assume the same goes for the pump,

K.

IrishLad90 · 06-05-2021 12:29PM

Had some repairs done very recently (new derailleur) and since then my chain keeps going slack. Ive brought it back to the shop and to be told the wheel doesnt reverse in the wheel and the derailleur is fine.. It still leaves me off the road for the moment

Is there anything I can do myself to repair this?
Or have these lads had me on!

ED E · 06-05-2021 12:38PM

kadman wrote: »

Just back from a 4 mile spin, all good so far.

Is there a specific tool for measuring tyre pressure. I am more familiar with the car
gizmos. I assume the same goes for the pump,

K.

Pick up a Joe Blow pump.
https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bike-maintenance/bike-pumps/topeak-joe-blow-sport-iii-545399.html

magicbastarder · 06-05-2021 12:54PM

lidl occasionally have floor pumps for €6 or €7 too. €40 is at the upper end of what you'd pay for one.

kadman · 06-05-2021 12:54PM

ED E wrote: »

Pick up a Joe Blow pump.
https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bike-maintenance/bike-pumps/topeak-joe-blow-sport-iii-545399.html

Can that be attached to the bike.??
Thanks

ED E · 06-05-2021 12:56PM

magicbastarder wrote: »

lidl occasionally have floor pumps for €6 or €7 too. €40 is at the upper end of what you'd pay for one.

Cheap pumps are a false economy IMHO. Joe blow you can get new seals for every few years and it just keeps going.

kadman wrote: »

Can that be attached to the bike.??
Thanks

No, thats not what a track pump is for. Mini pumps on the bike are emergency use only things not what you'd use to check pressure before a ride.

Paul Kiernan · 06-05-2021 01:31PM

IrishLad90 wrote: »

Had some repairs done very recently (new derailleur) and since then my chain keeps going slack. Ive brought it back to the shop and to be told the wheel doesnt reverse in the wheel and the derailleur is fine.. It still leaves me off the road for the moment

Is there anything I can do myself to repair this?
Or have these lads had me on!

What did the shop recommend?

Can you post a short video of the problem?

Type 17 · 06-05-2021 03:47PM

Sounds like the freewheel/freehub is jamming, in which case the derailleur is fine and the shop aren't taking you for a ride (unless you had this issue before the new derailleur, and they said a new derailleur would fix it).

If you're lucky, there's a single bit of grit in the mechanism, and a good clean-out will fix it, but if the wheel is old and has been ridden in lots of wet weather, it may just be worn out and some parts (or even a new wheel) might be required.

Maybe post a pic of the hub, from the non-chain side, so we can get an idea of what type it is/what condition it's in.

iamstop · 06-05-2021 03:52PM

Quick question. I keep my chain oiled pretty good. The issue I'm having is that I hear a squeak only when I'm changing gears. I've tried oiling the derailleur in a few spots but I'm obviously missing the one that is squeaking. Any idea where specifically I need to oil to get rid of the squeak?

Cheers in advance.

DaveyDave · 06-05-2021 04:34PM

ED E wrote: »

Cheap pumps are a false economy IMHO. Joe blow you can get new seals for every few years and it just keeps going

Yeah I got a floor pump out of Lidl and the gauge wasn't working properly from the start. Got another Joe Blow, been using it for years without any trouble. It's rare that something relatively inexpensive lasts for so long these days.

8valve · 06-05-2021 06:27PM

iamstop wrote: »

Quick question. I keep my chain oiled pretty good. The issue I'm having is that I hear a squeak only when I'm changing gears. I've tried oiling the derailleur in a few spots but I'm obviously missing the one that is squeaking. Any idea where specifically I need to oil to get rid of the squeak?

Cheers in advance.

Cable creaking/squeaking inside the housing?

DaveyDave · 06-05-2021 10:27PM

Last week I posted about needing a new chainring after just under 5,000km, here's what it looks like. As mentioned previously I replace chains around 2,000-2,500km. Some of the teeth are worse than what's pictured. I don't clean it as much as I should though. I guess this is a result of cross chaining? From what I've read extensively online it seemed people were divided on whether or not it was an issue, I guess it is!

I have a 25t on the bike now so I'll be in the small ring more often, I'll definitely need to clean it regularly and I bought a chain stretch tool to keep an eye on things.

MangleBadger · 07-05-2021 05:01PM

So trying to index my rear derailleur. And I can get the indexing fine for the smallest few sprockets. And the biggest couple seem fine. But I can never seem to get it to shift right in the middle gears. It is always skipping or jumping.
Sora 9 speed for reference. Am I just expecting too much from sora to be that smooth? Feel like I’ve always had less than ideal shifting. New cables chain and cassette recently fitted.

hesker · 07-05-2021 06:22PM

MangleBadger wrote: »

So trying to index my rear derailleur. And I can get the indexing fine for the smallest few sprockets. And the biggest couple seem fine. But I can never seem to get it to shift right in the middle gears. It is always skipping or jumping.
Sora 9 speed for reference. Am I just expecting too much from sora to be that smooth? Feel like I’ve always had less than ideal shifting. New cables chain and cassette recently fitted.

Try tuning it while in the middle gear. That has always worked for me.

Are all components from same manufacturer. I had an issue recently with a new 11 speed chain from one manufacturer not playing nice with a new 11s cassette from another even though they were supposed to be compatible

07Lapierre · 07-05-2021 08:21PM

MangleBadger wrote: »

So trying to index my rear derailleur. And I can get the indexing fine for the smallest few sprockets. And the biggest couple seem fine. But I can never seem to get it to shift right in the middle gears. It is always skipping or jumping.
Sora 9 speed for reference. Am I just expecting too much from sora to be that smooth? Feel like I’ve always had less than ideal shifting. New cables chain and cassette recently fitted.

How old is the rear derailleur?
If you put the chain on the smallest sprocket, hold the lower jockey wheel and move it in towards the wheel...is their any free play/flex? (Their shouldn't be)

MangleBadger · 07-05-2021 09:00PM

07Lapierre wrote: »

How old is the rear derailleur?
If you put the chain on the smallest sprocket, hold the lower jockey wheel and move it in towards the wheel...is their any free play/flex? (Their shouldn't be)

About 18 months old. There seems to be a bit of play in and out. It seems to be coming from the lower half, as it seems solid at the hanger.

https://imgur.com/a/8KQfz9c

07Lapierre · 07-05-2021 09:13PM

MangleBadger wrote: »

About 18 months old. There seems to be a bit of play in and out. It seems to be coming from the lower half, as it seems solid at the hanger.

https://imgur.com/a/8KQfz9c

That looks fine. The next thing I'd check is the distance between the cassette and the top jockey wheel. Unscrew the "B" screw and bring the jockey wheel as close as possible but without rubbing

Park tool videos are excellent: skip to,the 14:00 minute mark.

https://youtu.be/UkZxPIZ1ngY

MangleBadger · 08-05-2021 12:04PM

07Lapierre wrote: »

That looks fine. The next thing I'd check is the distance between the cassette and the top jockey wheel. Unscrew the "B" screw and bring the jockey wheel as close as possible but without rubbing

Park tool videos are excellent: skip to,the 14:00 minute mark.

https://youtu.be/UkZxPIZ1ngY

When I set the b limit screw there is still play in the derailleur for me to push it forward, and closer to the cassette. Should I worry about that or will tension hold it back?

Dcully · 08-05-2021 12:22PM

So im hearing like a rattle or vibration from my front disc braking system on my MTB, got it serviced mechanic said all was fine.
Its going on months now only really noticeable on roads.
Theres nothing loose that i can see myself,all i can think is the pads in their housing are the cause of noise if this is possible.
I dont see any real wear on the pads and braking performance is excellent as always.
Im not worried about anything mechanically but would like to silence it,possibly new pads the only way?

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

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