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

Seth Brundle · 09-08-2021 08:24AM

As per my post in the Tell us about your cycle today part III thread, the cable to my rear derailleur snapped yesterday. I can't change gear and the part of the cable I can access at the derailleur has lost all tension (I can (but won't yet) pull it out).

Anyhow, my question is more around the shifter itself since the snap, is it normal that I can't click up or down. It's as if the shifter paddles have nowhere to go.

cletus · 09-08-2021 08:25AM

Just a quick word on beam torque wrenches. While they are technically more accurate than the 'click' versions, they do take more expertise to read, so they're only more accurate when you read them accurately

magicbastarder · 09-08-2021 08:32AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726666#Comment_117726666

snapped inside the shifter and jammed it up, would be my guess?

cletus · 09-08-2021 08:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726666#Comment_117726666

My answer to almost all questions of this type is "open it up and have a look". It's how I do about 98% of my bike maintenance

MangleBadger · 09-08-2021 08:59AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726666#Comment_117726666

When my cable snapped the ball end was still lodged in the shifter handle. And the drum had over rotated. There was a screw underneath to open a panel to give a little more access and the ball end fell out.

Either that or if you have no tension on the cable it will not shift.

secman · 09-08-2021 09:08AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726705#Comment_117726705

Wonder is there a bad batch of gear cable doing the rounds, never had it happen before and I've had it on 2 bikes last week, both were serviced in different shops in different counties 🤔

Nigzcurran · 09-08-2021 04:45PM

Hi folks really hoping someone can help me with this please, I’m trying to set up a turbo trainer and my wheel seems to be too big, can someone confirm if these wheels should fit? I’m not sure if mine are 29”. Thanks

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Brian? · 09-08-2021 05:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117729517#Comment_117729517

Your wheels aren’t too big. They’re 28

Nigzcurran · 09-08-2021 06:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117729752#Comment_117729752

I can’t get it to fit at all, tyre is rubbing off the bracket that holds the flywheel

Nigzcurran · 09-08-2021 06:23PM

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That make any sense?

Nigzcurran · 09-08-2021 06:24PM

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I’ve tried everything I can think of

crosstownk · 09-08-2021 09:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726666#Comment_117726666

As already posted, it could be jammed because the cable has broken up at the shifter. Every time a front or rear gear cable has snapped on me it's been up at the shifter. On some occasions I've had to remove the lower plastic cover on the shifter to get at and extract the broken piece of cable.

Without the tension provided by the RD the shifter will feel loose and floppy but you should still be able to feel the clicks - if it's jammed then that'll be down to the broken cable stop being caught in the shifter mechanism.

Seth Brundle · 09-08-2021 10:13PM

I replaced the front and rear gear and brake cables today. Sure enough, the cable snapped in the shifter and had to remove the underside cover to get the piece out.

Feckin pain trying to get the tension on the front derailleur right. Its tight but needs a few clicks to move up to the big ring - I'll get the adjustment finished tomorrow.

The front gear cable was missing half of the barrel adjuster. It was my LBS that last replaced the cables 🙄. After a tiring day at work, I just wanted it done so threaded it through the frame and crimped the cable. Thinking now, I should have left it until tomorrow.

magicbastarder · 09-08-2021 10:16PM

do you have an inline barrel adjuster for the front derailleur?

Seth Brundle · 09-08-2021 10:21PM

I had thought I did. It was only when I was taking the old cable out that I noticed it was only half there. Half barrel adjuster and the other half was just a end block thingy. Had I known beforehand I'd have bought the parts from the shop today.

gaffmaster · 10-08-2021 09:08AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117729940#Comment_117729940

Have you tried a narrower tyre?

Brian? · 10-08-2021 09:51AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117729940#Comment_117729940

The tyre is too fat, I think. If you fit a 700x23 turbo specific tyre it’ll be fine

ARX · 10-08-2021 10:14AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726527#Comment_117726527

What torque range and what price range? I got this and it's pretty good, nice precise gauge (some of them are very vague), good solid click even at the lowest setting. I wouldn't get the shiny silver one though as reflections make it hard to read the gauge.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08BCTT5NH

crosstownk · 10-08-2021 11:03AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117731010#Comment_117731010

It'd be a good idea to install a barrel adjuster as soon as you can. The new cables will settle in and may need slight adjustment after a short time which will be a pain without a barrel adjuster especially if you need to do it on the fly. Although if you've to weigh that up vs. internally routed cables................

Seth Brundle · 10-08-2021 11:29AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732534#Comment_117732534

I picked up a barrel adjuster and a new cable just in case. I figured a very long thread tied to the end of the current cable (bought yesterday) pulled through will hopefully allow me to get the cable back through the frame again easily. If not, it can help me route a the cable bought today.

Nigzcurran · 10-08-2021 07:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117731947#Comment_117731947

No I dont have anything like that to try, but yep the tyre was the problem as it’s huge. I’m going to get a different trainer that suits the tyre so I can leave the wheel as it is

Nigzcurran · 10-08-2021 07:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732133#Comment_117732133

Yeah I just presumed when it said it suited 28” wheels then mine would be fine, I’ve sold the trainer on to a friend who needed one so I’ll keep my eye out for a suitable one for my size tyre

Brian? · 10-08-2021 08:46PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117734821#Comment_117734821

you're better off buying a dirt cheap rear wheel and throwing a turbo tyre on it. They’re pretty cheap. The idea is that you save wearing out a more expensive better tyre on the turbo. The turbo will wear a tyre way quicker than the road

Nigzcurran · 10-08-2021 10:46PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117735053#Comment_117735053

Ok yeah sorry I get you, so I’d need to get a 28” rim with the exact same cog as the existing wheel and a turbo tyre and I’d be good to go?

Brian? · 11-08-2021 06:03AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117735598#Comment_117735598

Exactly.

Clarifier: by "cog" you mean cassette? if you need help picking parts just ask. You don't need exactly the same cassette, just a cassette with the same number of gears.

Seth Brundle · 11-08-2021 07:59AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732657#Comment_117732657

Managed to fit the barrel but to tension and index both derailleurs was a complete PITA. Although I was replacing the barrel in the front, I had to undo the rear to allow me access the underside of the bike frame. This then meant the cable popped out in the shifter without me realising and the "nut" at the end of the cable became wedged in there when I started tightening it. Anyhow, I managed to get them done in a frustrating couple of hours (all inbetween dealing with various numpties whilst working).

Then as planned, I wanted to replace my jockey wheels which I picked up earlier. One LBS didn't have any. The other only had a BBB generic set. Fitted the bottom one fine. Then I found out that the top one won't allow the existing screw to catch as the wheel is obviously too wide so I had to put the old one back in place.

Went out for a club spin last night and the bike was fine (58km @ 31.2km/h). At one point, there was a clicking noise and I thought "ah feck, no" but it turned out to be a small bit of gravel stuck to the front tyre clicking off the retaining clip for the front mudguard - phew!

Thanks all for your help & advice.

ARX · 11-08-2021 08:44AM

I broke a spoke on a new rear wheel yesterday coming out of Enniskerry. It's a Shimano RS100 - it broke on the drive side with quite a bang. The maximum rider weight is 120 kg and I'm 86 kg. I've only put about 300 km on it and haven't been riding it off curbs or into potholes.

I'm going to have the spoke replaced and the wheel trued. Any idea why a spoke would break on a new wheel? Is it just to be expected from cheap wheels?

I have another rear wheel (with more spokes) made in Stagg Cycles that has done me for 10 years and never broken a spoke.

EDIT: it's a 24-spoke wheel.

Nigzcurran · 11-08-2021 09:15AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117735996#Comment_117735996

Sorry yep the cassette! I’m away for a few days so will try pick up a wheel when I return, I’ll pop back on here and get exact names and sizes for what I need if that’s ok. Thanks

Brian? · 11-08-2021 09:16AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117736428#Comment_117736428

Spokes bedded in and the tension wasn't even on the wheel. I would always check a new wheelset for lose spokes regularly. I am surprised it broke though. Where did it break? Could be a manufacturing fault.

ARX · 11-08-2021 09:53AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117736603#Comment_117736603

I checked the spoke tension before installing it but never thought of checking again after riding it. I've been using the front wheel from the same wheelset for about 3000 km and it's still perfectly true and the spoke tension seems ok.

It broke at the flange, the end with the bend shot off leaving the straight part behind. I'll be leaving it in to Joe Daly so I'll ask them if they think there is a manufacturing fault (I expect they'll say no, I'm just a torque monster). Thanks for your help.

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

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