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

Type 17 · 13-01-2019 7:08pm

homer911 wrote: »

Sorry for the dumb question. I've just changed my gear cable as the gears were slipping and I noticed the cable was fraying at the derailleur. I've watched a few videos online of H/L setting and indexing. My problem is that I cant get the gears to shift lower than 4th gear. Adjusting the L setting makes no difference. Is the tension in my gear cable wrong or am I missing something stupid. I understand the barrel adjustment is only for indexing.

Many thanks

Don't touch the H/L screws to set the indexing, and if you have, you need to set them up again before riding.

Both the limit settings (H/L) and the indexing (cable tension) are covered here

John Hutton · 13-01-2019 7:27pm

Desperately need help folks.

Spent the day servicing my bike.

Fixed up my cantilever brakes with nice new pads, cleaned and greased everything. Spent a million years getting them set up *just right*

Was screwing the rear cantilever back on and it was just about tight enough and the head of the screw snapped off.

So now I have most of a screw stuck in the cantilever boss.

It's not sticking out or even flush but slightly recessed.

What on earth do I do? (Aside from cursing and feeling sorry for myself, I'm doing loads of that).

Massive internet high five for anyone who can help me out with any ideas.

So so so pisssed off.

Eamonnator · 13-01-2019 7:31pm

homer911 wrote: »

Sorry for the dumb question. I've just changed my gear cable as the gears were slipping and I noticed the cable was fraying at the derailleur. I've watched a few videos online of H/L setting and indexing. My problem is that I cant get the gears to shift lower than 4th gear. Adjusting the L setting makes no difference. Is the tension in my gear cable wrong or am I missing something stupid. I understand the barrel adjustment is only for indexing.

Many thanks

Your gears may have been slipping because of a worn chain and/or cassette.

Eamonnator · 13-01-2019 7:34pm

John Hutton wrote: »

Desperately need help folks.

Spent the day servicing my bike.

Fixed up my cantilever brakes with nice new pads, cleaned and greased everything. Spent a million years getting them set up *just right*

Was screwing the rear cantilever back on and it was just about tight enough and the head of the screw snapped off.

So now I have most of a screw stuck in the cantilever boss.

It's not sticking out or even flush but slightly recessed.

What on earth do I do? (Aside from cursing and feeling sorry for myself, I'm doing loads of that).

Massive internet high five for anyone who can help me out with any ideas.

So so so pisssed off.

photograph please.

Type 17 · 13-01-2019 7:35pm

Most canti bosses are actually screwed into a recess on the frame - check if there are two flats at its base, ready to take a 7 or 8mm open-end spanner - if you can get a spare one off a scrap frame (I have a few spare ones if you're in Dublin), you can then afford to attempt to unscrew the old one (they're usually tight as hell, and you may round off the flats, so be prepared to get the Vice-grips out).

John Hutton · 13-01-2019 7:57pm

Type 17 wrote: »

Most canti bosses are actually screwed into a recess on the frame - check if there are two flats at its base, ready to take a 7 or 8mm open-end spanner - if you can get a spare one off a scrap frame (I have a few spare ones if you're in Dublin), you can then afford to attempt to unscrew the old one (they're usually tight as hell, and you may round off the flats, so be prepared to get the Vice-grips out).

It's an old steel frame and appears to all one bit stuck on? I'll have another look tomorrow

John Hutton · 13-01-2019 7:58pm

Eamonnator wrote: »

photograph please.

I'll get one tomorrow (don't trust myself to go near the bike again)

If a bit were still sticking out I'd Dremel a groove in it an screw it out, but it's about 3/4mm recessed into the boss

Type 17 · 13-01-2019 8:09pm

John Hutton wrote: »

It's an old steel frame and appears to all one bit stuck on? I'll have another look tomorrow

Here's a good pic of one, so you can see which bit unscrews and what is welded to the rest of the frame. note that the join may be painted over.

https://www.amazon.com/Surly-Cantilever-Stud-1mm-Threaded/dp/B001GSONNA

triggermortis · 13-01-2019 8:11pm

If the head came off, and you can now remove the brake, is there nothing left protruding to grip onto?
If not, you'd need to drill into the damaged screw and use an ez-out to remove it

site_owner · 13-01-2019 8:28pm

if you're near baldoyle i have a set of screw extractors you can try.

John Hutton · 13-01-2019 9:40pm

triggermortis wrote: »

If the head came off, and you can now remove the brake, is there nothing left protruding to grip onto?
If not, you'd need to drill into the damaged screw and use an ez-out to remove it

This is exactly what has happened. Looks like I'll need screw remover, or do you think a left handed drill bit?

It's well greased and the bolt was going in and comes out fairly easily

John Hutton · 13-01-2019 9:42pm

site_owner wrote: »

if you're near baldoyle i have a set of screw extractors you can try.

I actually live in Baldoyle, I may take you up on that, thanks so much. I have a pile of stuff in the shed that whoever lived in my house before left behind so I'll have a look there first to see if I have one

John Hutton · 14-01-2019 1:59pm

Mission successful!

You can see below a picture of the broken screw. I managed to get it out with a bolt extractor, I drilled, with a narrow bit, into the stuck screw, and then put the bolt extractor into the hold I'd made and, grabbing the end with a wrench, slowly turned it out. You can see a pic of the removed bolt and an original.

I'm very relieved. My top tip, if working on a vintage bike, replace all the bolts even of they look fine!!!

Type 17 · 14-01-2019 2:04pm

Good job

You were also lucky that you had just had the bolt out, so the threads weren't seized and/or rusty - I was involved in the removal of several snapped exhaust manifold studs from a 50-year old aluminium cylinder head, and it was no fun at all...

LollipopJimmy · 14-01-2019 2:09pm

Type 17 wrote: »

Good job

You were also lucky that you had just had the bolt out, so the threads weren't seized and/or rusty - I was involved in the removal of several snapped exhaust manifold studs from a 50-year old aluminium cylinder head, and it was no fun at all...

I find working on heads strangely therapeutic. There's nothing like lapping in a valve by hand

Well done John, having the correct tools makes the world of difference

Type 17 · 14-01-2019 2:17pm

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

I find working on heads strangely therapeutic. There's nothing like lapping in a valve by hand

I agree, working on engines (or any other part of older bicycles or cars) is lovely - except when trying to remove snapped-off, rotted, seized, corroded or rounded-off parts

North of 32 · 19-01-2019 11:42am

My disc brakes are making an almighty racket. My bike sounds like a 1920s steam engine train when I slowly come to a stop.

I've brushed down the actual discs with an aluminum scrubber to shift the small rust spots but no improvement. I'm guessing I have to clean the pads?

Type 17 · 19-01-2019 12:04pm

Oil contamination on the pads - remove them and sandpaper them with the sheet of sandpaper on a flat surface. Clean the discs with a degreaser/solvent (not white spirit). If it still squeals, the pads are soaked through and need replacement.

Future tip: never lube the bike with an aerosol spray, use a dribble nozzle bottle of lube.

magicbastarder · 19-01-2019 12:19pm

One thing I do (without much knowledge of how much effect it actually has) is to use a heat gun on the pads.

saccades · 19-01-2019 7:34pm

John Hutton wrote: »

Desperately need help folks.

Spent the day servicing my bike.

Fixed up my cantilever brakes with nice new pads, cleaned and greased everything. Spent a million years getting them set up *just right*

Was screwing the rear cantilever back on and it was just about tight enough and the head of the screw snapped off.

So now I have most of a screw stuck in the cantilever boss.

It's not sticking out or even flush but slightly recessed.

What on earth do I do? (Aside from cursing and feeling sorry for myself, I'm doing loads of that).

Massive internet high five for anyone who can help me out with any ideas.

So so so pisssed off.

Bolt/thread extractor. It goes lefty tighty to dig into exposed bolt and do a lefty loosey on the original so you can extract it.

Type 17 · 19-01-2019 9:18pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

One thing I do (without much knowledge of how much effect it actually has) is to use a heat gun on the pads.

I'd say that a heat gun would work well (I use a blow-torch, and it's great) but either method only works well if the contamination is mild or moderate (like accidental overspray from chain lubing, etc) - I've found that if the pads are soaked in oil*, or brake fluid (especially for a long period, from a leak), there is no solution other than pad-replacement.

*Some people have come into the shop, saying that their disc brakes were squealing, and that they oiled them, but that it didn't help :eek:

North of 32 · 19-01-2019 10:22pm

Type 17 wrote: »

I'd say that a heat gun would work well (I use a blow-torch, and it's great) but either method only works well if the contamination is mild or moderate (like accidental overspray from chain lubing, etc) - I've found that if the pads are soaked in oil*, or brake fluid (especially for a long period, from a leak), there is no solution other than pad-replacement.

*Some people have come into the shop, saying that their disc brakes were squealing, and that they oiled them, but that it didn't help :eek:

The thing is, I cannot think of a time when I exposed the pads to a contaminant.

The noise started after a very wet ride and leaving the bike in the shed for 2 weeks untouched.

I guess I could have picked up the contaminant during the wet ride?

Type 17 · 19-01-2019 11:03pm

Possibly, if the ride was in an urban area, some of the water splashed up can be contaminated with diesel particulates or oil leakage (rainbow puddles).

Ray Bloody Purchase · 31-01-2019 1:46pm

Can anyone recommend a good set of puncture resistant tyres for my hybrid commuter?

I'd a puncture this morning in the wettest, sh1ttest conditions. Little shards of glass in my tyres from cycling around Dublin CC. :mad:

John Hutton · 31-01-2019 2:26pm

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a good set of puncture resistant tyres for my hybrid commuter?

I'd a puncture this morning in the wettest, sh1ttest conditions. Little shards of glass in my tyres from cycling around Dublin CC. :mad:

Scwalbe marathon plus or regular marathon

tnegun · 01-02-2019 10:33pm

Any tips for removing stuck pedals? Tried heat and a proper pedal spanner but just rung it

other side it stuck hard too but didn't try too hard as I didn't want to ring it too.

CrowdedHouse · 01-02-2019 10:42pm

Only experienced it once but I squirted WD40 on the join and left for 2 or 3 days.

01-02-2019 11:41pm

WD40 for me too recently, put it down to not regreasing properly when I put them on. Felt like I'd not get them off intact but sure enough 2 days later off them came.

Mickiemcfist · 01-02-2019 11:59pm

What type of grease should you put on them? I just put mine on when I bought the bike & off I went...

CrowdedHouse · 02-02-2019 12:05am

Something like this

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-maintenance/bike-lube/bikehut-teflon-grease-125ml

I have Park Tool stuff but it's much of a muchness

tnegun · 02-02-2019 12:17am

Will soak it in WD for the weekend and try again Sunday night

68 lost souls · 02-02-2019 2:28pm

The adjuster where the brake cable is bent so won’t screw in further than it is. Will any of these adjusters fit from another series or does anyone know where I can get the correct repayment part?

They are from a 2013 trek madone 2.1. They are a Shimano off series not sure what model. The rest of the bike was 105 but crankset, cassette and brake callipers were not.

I want to sell the brakes as I have replaced them with 105 but feel I need to fix this first

Miklos · 02-02-2019 3:16pm

Anyone have any experience running a 30t with a short cage ultegra rear mech? Going to Gran Canaria next month and don't want to die on the climbs.

magicbastarder · 02-02-2019 3:23pm

6800? i've not tried it with 30t but when i was buying the groupset i was told 30t should be possible.
shimano says no, but i've read (anecdotal evidence warning) that's because if you try to go big-big with your gearing, you'd need too long a chain to be able to handle small-small.

Weepsie · 02-02-2019 3:28pm

If it's any help. My Tiagra 4600 RD is 30t max sprocket, but there was no issue running a 32t on there. It now has a 34T no problem, albeit with a sub compact instead of the previous compact.

Miklos · 02-02-2019 3:47pm

Cheers lads. Yeah it's a 6800. I'll probably only be using it for the week with a 36 inner ring, should get me over most climbs handily enough (I hope).

cletus · 04-02-2019 11:11am

Much smaller issue here. Just noticed I've lost one of my bar end plugs. They were the push in friction fit type. Just wondering if it's worth getting the screw fit type, or just get another set of push ins

loyatemu · 04-02-2019 11:20am

cletus wrote: »

Much smaller issue here. Just noticed I've lost one of my bar end plugs. They were the push in friction fit type. Just wondering if it's worth getting the screw fit type, or just get another set of push ins

screw in metal bar-ends cost next to nothing:
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/bbb-screwon-bar-plugs-bht96/rp-prod69258

cletus · 04-02-2019 11:25am

loyatemu wrote: »

screw in metal bar-ends cost next to nothing:
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/bbb-screwon-bar-plugs-bht96/rp-prod69258

Cheers. For some reason I thought they were more expensive than that. I assume the are much more secure?

Mickiemcfist · 06-02-2019 1:52pm

Quick Chain query - I have a bike which has (bought new in Oct) covered c.2k kms commuting daily through Dublin. It came with what I can only assume is a bog standard chain which is now fairly rusty looking - I put oil on it once a week & give it a clean & oil maybe once every 5 or 6 weeks. Is rust just something to expect or should I replace with this: https://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bike-parts/gears-cables-drivetrain/clarks-anti-rust-7-8-bike-chain

Just seems too early by most accounts to change a chain but the rust has me worried it may wear other parts out faster.

Miklos · 06-02-2019 2:51pm

If you're giving it a bit of attention, it's probably only surface rust and should scrub off with a stiff brush and some good degreaser. There is a lot of salt on the roads at the moment which could be a contributing factor.

68 lost souls · 06-02-2019 3:07pm

68 lost souls wrote: »

The adjuster where the brake cable is bent so won’t screw in further than it is. Will any of these adjusters fit from another series or does anyone know where I can get the correct repayment part?

They are from a 2013 trek madone 2.1. They are a Shimano off series not sure what model. The rest of the bike was 105 but crankset, cassette and brake callipers were not.

I guess thats a negative on anyone knowing where I might get a replacement to fit or whether a different series one would fit?

I might try and get to the LBS and see if they have anything that would work.

site_owner · 06-02-2019 3:25pm

some proper stupid questions

i have a bar end mirror to install, but the grip on my handlebar is rubber covering the hole.
is it ok to cut the grip or do i need a different one?

one of my pedals is sliding left and right a few mm, theres a plug on one that isnt on the other, is there anyhting to stop the lateral movement? (mountain bike type pedals)

my rear brake disc seems to be 6-bolt but it is held on with a center lock (based on what i have figured out) i want to replace the disc, but is there a way to check if my wheel has been adapted before i buy the wrong thing.

the front wheel is 6 bolt, when fitting 6 bolt discs, will tightening in a criss-cross type pattern keep the disc aligned or is there more to it?

thanks!

padyjoe · 06-02-2019 3:26pm

My rear Durano is nearing it's end of life. I have few spots on the thread where I can see the carcass.
Am I right I have no puncture protection in those spots anymore?
Would you get more out of this tyre or change it? I don't feel anything funny happening on the rear yet. I don't want to take risks, especially on a descent.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 06-02-2019 3:29pm

padyjoe wrote: »

My rear Durano is nearing it's end of life. I have few spots on the thread where I can see the carcass.
Am I right I have no puncture protection in those spots anymore?
Would you get more out of this tyre or change it? I don't feel anything funny happening on the rear yet. I don't want to take risks, especially on a descent.

If you can see the carcass then the tyres is dead and should be replaced.

magicbastarder · 06-02-2019 3:35pm

site_owner wrote: »

i have a bar end mirror to install, but the grip on my handlebar is rubber covering the hole.
is it ok to cut the grip or do i need a different one?

one of my pedals is sliding left and right a few mm, theres a plug on one that isnt on the other, is there anyhting to stop the lateral movement? (mountain bike type pedals)

i'd cut it.

the missing cap may be incidental, but it could be that the pedals are knackered - if it were me, i'd try stripping the faulty one and attempt to tighten it, with a view to having a replacement on hand quickly enough if it's shagged.

loyatemu · 06-02-2019 4:07pm

padyjoe wrote: »

My rear Durano is nearing it's end of life. I have few spots on the thread where I can see the carcass.
Am I right I have no puncture protection in those spots anymore?
Would you get more out of this tyre or change it? I don't feel anything funny happening on the rear yet. I don't want to take risks, especially on a descent.

when you say "see the carcass", you mean you can see the lining under the rubber? Then yeah, that tyre is done.

smacl · 06-02-2019 4:08pm

Looking to replace an old 3x9 Deore crankset with square taper BB on my ageing hack but all I'm seeing are ones with hollowtech BBs like this. Am I right in assuming this would work ok? Current BB shell width is 68mm and the BB52 Hollowtech is listed as 68-73mm, both are BSA threaded.

padyjoe · 06-02-2019 4:54pm

loyatemu wrote: »

when you say "see the carcass", you mean you can see the lining under the rubber? Then yeah, that tyre is done.

I see this:

Thanks, lads! I change it for the next spin.

triggermortis · 06-02-2019 5:25pm

padyjoe wrote: »

I see this:

Thanks, lads! I change it for the next spin.

Definitely beyond its life! Change ASAP.

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

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