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

GeneralC · 03-06-2018 9:40am

Excellent thread. So much great information

I purchased a new bike and I have a questions, if someone would kindly answer?

I typcially ride every day for 30km's and then on the weekends, I'd do a 75km spin.

1.How often would you lube the chain?

2. How often would you clean the bike?

3. What tools/part/accessories are must have?

4. I hear all this talk about Strava, Watts, Segments, cadence etc can you explain it?

5. Can you recommend a bike computer?

6. Any tips for newbies getting into road cycling?

Thanks

GeneralC · 03-06-2018 9:45am

Is there anyone on here who can bike maintenance lessons to a beginner?

I bought a lovely bike and I don't have the money to be brinfing to my local bike shop every time for basic maintenance work

magicbastarder · 03-06-2018 10:31am

1. i do it maybe once a week i'd say, depends on whether you've been cycling in wet or mucky conditions too. you can often hear it becoming 'chatty' if it starts to dry.
2. when it's dirty!
3. for out on the road - spare tubes, tyre levers, multitool, and a means of inflating. i have a mini-pump, some people prefer CO2 cartridges.
4. unless you're training for a race, don't worry about watts. download strava to your smartphone and use that for a while to track your cycles and figure out if you want a cycle computer. segments are a concept in strava where someone 'marks out' a section of road - could be any length - so when you cycle that segment, your time along it is recorded and can be compared against a public leaderboard. you can set up private ones as well if you just want to track your own progress.
cadence is simply how fast you pedal; especially starting out, you're probably better off picking an easier gear and pedalling faster for the same speed. it creates less strain on your knees, plus can help from tiring out too quickly.

GCN have quite a few videos with tips on getting the best out of your bike/cycle.
for example - one on washing your bike quickly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvzVRxlIUL0

GeneralC · 03-06-2018 3:15pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

1. i do it maybe once a week i'd say, depends on whether you've been cycling in wet or mucky conditions too. you can often hear it becoming 'chatty' if it starts to dry.
2. when it's dirty!
3. for out on the road - spare tubes, tyre levers, multitool, and a means of inflating. i have a mini-pump, some people prefer CO2 cartridges.
4. unless you're training for a race, don't worry about watts. download strava to your smartphone and use that for a while to track your cycles and figure out if you want a cycle computer. segments are a concept in strava where someone 'marks out' a section of road - could be any length - so when you cycle that segment, your time along it is recorded and can be compared against a public leaderboard. you can set up private ones as well if you just want to track your own progress.
cadence is simply how fast you pedal; especially starting out, you're probably better off picking an easier gear and pedalling faster for the same speed. it creates less strain on your knees, plus can help from tiring out too quickly.

GCN have quite a few videos with tips on getting the best out of your bike/cycle.
for example - one on washing your bike quickly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvzVRxlIUL0

Thank very much

Can I ask about gearing and when to change? So, I have two big rings and a 11 speed cassette. That’s 22 speed. When should I should I use the inner ring and when should I use the outer ring?

saccades · 03-06-2018 4:18pm

brianomc wrote: »

A friend of mine bought a secondhand mountain bike with UST wheels and tubeless tyres. He wants to go with tubes instead, the bike will never be used on trails or anything, just roads/cycleways.

Has anyone any experience with this? Is it as easy as just sticking a tube and a clincher tyre on and away he goes? It's a 26" Mavic xm819 rim.

819's are a lovely rim, they can be used with a tube as you describe.

As proper UST rims you can fit proper UST tyres and not have to worry about the gloop.

Only once have I fitted a tube with a 819 to get me home once.

saccades · 03-06-2018 4:23pm

GeneralC wrote: »

Thank very much

Can I ask about gearing and when to change? So, I have two big rings and a 11 speed cassette. That’s 22 speed. When should I should I use the inner ring and when should I use the outer ring?

It's less of an issue now with 2 rings at the front but try not to "cross chain" too much. The chain diagonal from front to back.

Apart from that, show some mechanical sympathy by changing gear way before you are about to stall, gear changes should be really quick. So keep an eye on the road ahead, make sure you cannot hear the chain rubbing with the combo you have picked.

mirrormatrix · 06-06-2018 10:30am

GeneralC wrote: »

Is there anyone on here who can bike maintenance lessons to a beginner?

I bought a lovely bike and I don't have the money to be brinfing to my local bike shop every time for basic maintenance work

Try Rothar. They used to do a course for 40 or 50 quid that covers all the basics.

magicbastarder · 06-06-2018 10:36am

occasionally the rediscovery centre in ballymun runs them too, but i think they're fairly basic.

magicbastarder · 07-06-2018 10:33pm

i changed my back wheel last week - i made the huge upgrade from an aksium disc wheel to an aksium disc wheel; and the new one is much quieter while freewheeling. was wondering how much of that would be the design changes in the approx. three years between the wheel ages, and whether fresher grease in the new wheel could be damping the noise more?

LollipopJimmy · 07-06-2018 10:56pm

The Mavic hubs tend to need a good bit of cleaning, I take the freehub apart every couple of months and clean it down and relube. Best thing for lube in the freehub is gearbox oil. The difference is always noticeable

Flaccus · 08-06-2018 4:21pm

Not a MTB but a brand new CaadX....wheels are 28 spoke and as 100KG+ I do expect spokes to loose a bit as they bed in. Bike shop agrees and says it ok and have noticed some spoke flex on each hub. But also noticed only after maybe 30km, slight kink on a spoke on the rear near the nipple and a worse one on the front. See attachment which shows front spoke. It's not loose or anything and wheel it true. Shop says they can straighten it or should I just get it replaced. Obviously a wheel with a higher spoke count is the long term answer.

CramCycle · 08-06-2018 5:39pm

Flaccus wrote: »

Not a MTB but

Not an answer to your question but this part, it took me awhile to realise that MB refers to magicbastarder rather than mountain bike (I hope or else, your right, as I always thought from the very beginning).

In regards to the actual question, straighten it will work but it will already be weakened, which will actually get worse. Replace as soon as you can but overall a stronger rim will serve you better than a higher rim count IMO

Zen0 · 08-06-2018 10:41pm

I can't say I'm that impressed with the wheels Cannondale put on the CAADX. I managed to break several spokes in my back wheel about a year after purchase. I'm not that heavy (65Kg), although I do commute with it with a pannier on the back and tend to be quite hard on it. Still, a well made wheel shouldn't be breaking spokes that easily. I eventually found replacement spokes of the right length and replaced the broken ones. I also tightened up a number of loose spokes, which doesn't speak well of the original construction. Has been holding up this past year. The spokes were a slightly narrower gauge, but it doesn't seem to have made a differenced (I'm no expert in wheel building, so I'm open to correction on the wisdom of mixing spoke gauges).

I'm not sure I buy the heavier rim thing. A wheel is an engineered whole; what makes the wheel strong is the quality of the build with reasonable components. Sure, you could put a huge heavy rim on it and it might be a bit stronger, but not if it's not built right and it would feel like riding a farm gate. Measure the spokes and try replacing the broken one, and tighten up the rest taking care not to untrue the wheel. If that fails, Mavic Aksium discs are not bad replacements.

Flaccus · 09-06-2018 12:00am

Zen0 wrote: »

I can't say I'm that impressed with the wheels Cannondale put on the CAADX.

Thanks for the info. The shop guy speaking from experience reckoned the spokes getting a little loose around the hub is them settling in and is ideal for a heavier rider (100KG plus) as a spoke perfectly tightened would tend to snap. You can actually move them slightly near the hub though solid at the nipple. He reckoned this was a good thing. While a spoke that adapts to your weight and a is a bit flexible sounds fine but I would be concerned about wheel going of true. He maintained the down force from my significant weight would prevent that and just check the wheel every now and again. He had some documentation to back this up as well incidentally.

Anyway I'm back in 2 weeks for a tuneup and the mechanic will either straighten the 2 spokes or replace them. The solution might be 2 new wheels with perhaps a 36 spoke count, that can take a 37mm tire and support disc brakes, with new hubs. Rear one needs to support a 34t cassette. What's the story with CRC's shimano custom wheel builder ? Anyone tried it ?

Weepsie · 09-06-2018 9:47am

Anyone know if it's possible to buy an m15and m26 self extracting bolt in a normal hardware store? 15 quid for 2 bolts is not what I want to pay.

Mikenesson · 09-06-2018 11:13am

Can you adjust the limit screws on a tiagra RD so the derailleur moves between cogs 2-7 on an 8 speed?

I'm changing to 1 chainring on the front,it's an old bike,thanks

Type 17 · 09-06-2018 9:05pm

Mikenesson wrote: »

Can you adjust the limit screws on a tiagra RD so the derailleur moves between cogs 2-7 on an 8 speed?

I'm changing to 1 chainring on the front,it's an old bike,thanks

I'd be surprised if you couldn't lose just one cog at each end. More than that is doubtful though.

magicbastarder · 09-06-2018 9:11pm

Mikenesson wrote: »

Can you adjust the limit screws on a tiagra RD so the derailleur moves between cogs 2-7 on an 8 speed?

I'm changing to 1 chainring on the front,it's an old bike,thanks

you know about the role of the front derailleur in helping keep the chain on? are you also changing the spider (or whatever it's called) on the front, i.e. placing the new chainring in the centre of where the two old ones would have been?

Mikenesson · 09-06-2018 9:25pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

you know about the role of the front derailleur in helping keep the chain on? are you also changing the spider (or whatever it's called) on the front, i.e. placing the new chainring in the centre of where the two old ones would have been?

Hi
I adjusted the limits to stop at 2 and 7 on the back as i don't use them anyway

I still have the FD on at the moment and have fitted a shinamo triple chainring I got cheap on CRC,i also adjusted the FD to stop shifting to the large ring which i don't use either.

I've got new jockey wheels on the way ,so I'll see how it works out.

Type 17 · 09-06-2018 9:32pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

you know about the role of the front derailleur in helping keep the chain on? are you also changing the spider (or whatever it's called) on the front, i.e. placing the new chainring in the centre of where the two old ones would have been?

This is a good point - my city hack (single front & 7-speed rear) has a front derailleur with no cable, held in the correct position by the lower limit screw, because the chain would fall off the front ring whenever the bike hit a bump whilst I was changing gear (happened every few days, on average).

I also changed the BB axle length and moved the (44t, originally inner) chainring to the outside of the spider, to place the front ring in between my favourite two sprockets (4 & 5 of the 7).

Mikenesson · 09-06-2018 9:35pm

Type 17 wrote: »

This is a good point - my city hack (single front & 7-speed rear) has a front derailleur with no cable, held in the correct position by the lower limit screw, because the chain would fall off the front ring whenever the bike hit a bump whilst I was changing gear (happened every few days, on average).

I also changed the BB axle length and moved the (44t, originally inner) chainring to the outside of the spider, to place the front ring in between my favourite two sprockets (4 & 5 of the 7).

Does the chain not rub off the fixed FD in the highest and lowest gears?

I have to adjust mine slightly when going from high to low

magicbastarder · 09-06-2018 9:38pm

sorry, i might not have been clear - what i was referring to was cross-chaining. as in, if you have decided to 'lock' the bike into the small chainring, there's nothing to gain by removing access to the largest cog on the cassette.
the concern is that if - for example - you shift to the large chainring, and the largest cog on the cassette, you're causing extra wear in asking the chain to cross from the extreme right at the front to the extreme left on the back, it'll wear your chain out more quickly.
if you're removed the ability to shift to the large chainring, there's nothing to be gained by removing access to the largest ring on the cassette. not sure if i'm explaining this well...

Type 17 · 09-06-2018 9:40pm

It would do, but I re-shaped the cage with a pliers at the appropriate point. I rarely use the last (highest) sprocket anyway, but the rubbing was a bit annoying for the occasional times I was drafting busses descending steep hills.

Mikenesson · 09-06-2018 9:45pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

sorry, i might not have been clear - what i was referring to was cross-chaining. as in, if you have decided to 'lock' the bike into the small chainring, there's nothing to gain by removing access to the largest cog on the cassette.
the concern is that if - for example - you shift to the large chainring, and the largest cog on the cassette, you're causing extra wear in asking the chain to cross from the extreme right at the front to the extreme left on the back, it'll wear your chain out more quickly.
if you're removed the ability to shift to the large chainring, there's nothing to be gained by removing access to the largest ring on the cassette. not sure if i'm explaining this well...

I don't quite understand

I closed off 1 and 8 as i don't use them and to prevent chain falling off and angling.

Front chainring is roughly centred on rear cassette

I'm only guessing myself atm.
I'm not sure what to do with the FD .I presume I'll have to leave on in some form to prevent the chain flying off?

Mikenesson · 09-06-2018 9:47pm

Type 17 wrote: »

It would do, but I re-shaped the cage with a pliers at the appropriate point. I rarely use the last (highest) sprocket anyway, but the rubbing was a bit annoying for the occasional times I was drafting busses descending steep hills.

So you have the FD fixed and bent to allow chain move freely across all the gears.

Is it sufficient then to stop the chain jumping off the front chainring?

I'm thinking I will copy what you've done if that's the case?

Type 17 · 09-06-2018 9:55pm

Yes, works perfectly.
I set it to *just* not rub on the inside of the cage when in the lowest/biggest sprocket, and then shifted to the smallest sprocket, and levered the outer part of the cage about 1-2 mm to cure the rubbing. I had to be careful not to go too far, or the crank arm would have hit the bent cage (old-school road bike cranks with narrow Q-factor). You can decide to raise or lower the FD on the tube to get the best guidance with the minimum rubbing/bending requirement - the usual rule about FD cage-height doesn't apply if it's not doing any shifting.

magicbastarder · 09-06-2018 10:05pm

CramCycle wrote: »

Not an answer to your question but this part, it took me awhile to realise that MB refers to magicbastarder rather than mountain bike (I hope or else, your right, as I always thought from the very beginning).

actually, it's short for 'megabytes of no such thing as a stupid question'. aspirational, i know, but achievable.

magicbastarder · 10-06-2018 12:41pm

i need to figure out a way of getting my rear disc brake assembly to sit higher on the bike - the pads are connecting with the disc probably a couple of mm closer to the axle than they should be. i guess it's just a case of adding a couple of washers to sit it higher? i can't see any dedicated height adjustment mechanism.

iwillhtfu · 10-06-2018 12:45pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i need to figure out a way of getting my rear disc brake assembly to sit higher on the bike - the pads are connecting with the disc probably a couple of mm closer to the axle than they should be. i guess it's just a case of adding a couple of washers to sit it higher? i can't see any dedicated height adjustment mechanism.

Take off the washer from under the bolt head and place it underneath between the caliper and the frame. There's usually a couple in there to adjust the height.

Weepsie · 10-06-2018 7:16pm

Oooh TRP hy rd. On the look out for a pair of them! How's maintenance of them?

magicbastarder · 10-06-2018 8:26pm

they're fine - the only issues i've had with them really are the normal things you'd expect with disc brakes. had an issue with contamination, but that was unrelated to the brakes themselves. one thing to watch out for is the adjustment barrel - it's for initial setup only, but if you start using it to adjust for pad wear, it can throw of the automatic adjustment mechanism; the brakes supposedly accoutn for pad wear themselves.

magicbastarder · 10-06-2018 8:29pm

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Take off the washer from under the bolt head and place it underneath between the caliper and the frame. There's usually a couple in there to adjust the height.

as it turns out, the washer on the bolt would not come off. found a few spare ones in the tool box anyway.

GeneralC · 11-06-2018 9:32pm

How/when do you know to change gears?

Type 17 · 11-06-2018 9:45pm

When your cadence (pedalling rate) gets too slow/hard, shift down.
When it’s too fast/easy, shift up.
Ideal cadence is 75-90rpm (IMO - others may have differing opinions).

seamus · 12-06-2018 12:32pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

as it turns out, the washer on the bolt would not come off. found a few spare ones in the tool box anyway.

You should always have a washer between the bolt head and the unit anyway. Means you're less likely to damage stuff and less likely to have seized/fused bolts.

CramCycle · 12-06-2018 2:25pm

Type 17 wrote: »

When your cadence (pedalling rate) gets too slow/hard, shift down.
When it’s too fast/easy, shift up.
Ideal cadence is 75-90rpm (IMO - others may have differing opinions).

I would say the cadence depends as well on whether you want to push hard or not, lower cadences are fine if your not interested in speed and your not putting alot of force on your knees. Everyone can disagree with the following:

60 -75rpm - little force on the knees, happily tipping along at a casual pace - low gearing

70 - 90rpm - touring or commuting - a bit of force but not enough to make you blow up, tipping along nicely at 20 to 25kmph - middle gear range

90 - 110rpm - racing or fast commuting cadence - middle to high gearing depending on whether you are uphill or downhill.

I nearly stay around the 100rpm all the time and adjust the gears to keep me moving

magicbastarder · 12-06-2018 2:40pm

CramCycle wrote: »

60 -75rpm - little force on the knees, happily tipping along at a casual pace - low gearing

probably just worth clarifying that you can do this low cadence when there is little force on your knees, when you're just moseying along. choosing this cadence while trying to go fast by selecting a tough gear will actually put more force through your knees.

@GeneralC - you may see references to spinning and grinding. for a given speed, spinning would be choosing an easier gear and pedalling faster; grinding is when you choose a tough gear and pedal more slowly. the latter will tend to tire you out faster (within a reasonable range of cadences - you don't want to go to an extreme at either end of the range)

CramCycle · 12-06-2018 3:44pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

probably just worth clarifying that you can do this low cadence when there is little force on your knees, when you're just moseying along. choosing this cadence while trying to go fast by selecting a tough gear will actually put more force through your knees.

@GeneralC - you may see references to spinning and grinding. for a given speed, spinning would be choosing an easier gear and pedalling faster; grinding is when you choose a tough gear and pedal more slowly. the latter will tend to tire you out faster (within a reasonable range of cadences - you don't want to go to an extreme at either end of the range)

Pretty much what I meant, bar racing, if it is a tough slog or alot of effort through your body, drop gears until you can sit down and not wobble all over the place like you are climbing a mountain in a grand tour.

Speed should be the secondary consideration in cycling, as speed will come as the fitness, cadence and comfort increase.

dahat · 12-06-2018 3:54pm

CramCycle wrote: »

I would say the cadence depends as well on whether you want to push hard or not, lower cadences are fine if your not interested in speed and your not putting alot of force on your knees. Everyone can disagree with the following:

60 -75rpm - little force on the knees, happily tipping along at a casual pace - low gearing

70 - 90rpm - touring or commuting - a bit of force but not enough to make you blow up, tipping along nicely at 20 to 25kmph - middle gear range

90 - 110rpm - racing or fast commuting cadence - middle to high gearing depending on whether you are uphill or downhill.

I nearly stay around the 100rpm all the time and adjust the gears to keep me moving

100rpm, that's impressive.

I switched to 11/25 and as a consequencey cadence has dropped but each time I try the 11 28 again I suffer from cramps, during & after a spin.

Weepsie · 13-06-2018 9:12am

dahat wrote: »

100rpm, that's impressive.

I switched to 11/25 and as a consequencey cadence has dropped but each time I try the 11 28 again I suffer from cramps, during & after a spin.

Shorter cranks maybe?

CramCycle · 13-06-2018 1:30pm

dahat wrote: »

100rpm, that's impressive.

I switched to 11/25 and as a consequencey cadence has dropped but each time I try the 11 28 again I suffer from cramps, during & after a spin.

Same here, and I used to be a grinder for many years but have found since talking to people more knowledgeable than me that you have to spin it to win it, if your cadence is dropping then the gearing is to high. In sprints etc. that is fine, or making a break but you will burn off alot of the immediately available energy and are more likely to blow up IMO. Get used to a higher cadence at a lower gear (same overall speed) and I would be pretty sure you will see improvements. I say this knowing you are a faster and stronger racer than me.

Weepsie wrote: »

Shorter cranks maybe?

I went to 165mm and seen an instant reduction in issues. The jury is very out on it but my opinion would be down to a certain length (162.5 or 165mm), almost everyone should be fine but everyone has a max. Everyone kept saying I should be 175mm but I use 165mm and find spins in the same gearing on a bike with 175mm to be energy sapping.

Weepsie · 13-06-2018 1:35pm

I'm fairly sure Chris Boardman was going on about shorter cranks becoming standard a few years ago. I've 172.5 on most, but 175 on one, but I've bot cycled it in a long time and 175 to go onto a touring bike so I'll never really be in a top gear.

Macy0161 · 19-06-2018 8:34am

Anyone know what the lowest standard shimano crankset that would have crank compatibility with ultegra/ 105 cranks? Tiagra 4700 does, but does the most recent Sora?

Not planning on doing it generally on the commute, but now I have a crank based power meter, I'd like the option of putting it on as that is the bike that comes on holiday. It's currently 9 speed, so a new BB/ crankset looks like the cheapest option. Struggling to justify a full Tiagra groupset, and it's an old enough frame (even though I really like it!). It'd be mainly for commuting, possible used to try cross in the Autumn and a few gravel/ fireroad spins.

Mikenesson · 19-06-2018 1:07pm

I can't quite tell if my pads are 52 or 55mm from the outside

Is it the length of the rubber insert from end to end?
Thanks

CramCycle · 19-06-2018 1:44pm

Mikenesson wrote: »

I can't quite tell if my pads are 52 or 55mm from the outside

Is it the length of the rubber insert from end to end?
Thanks

Yep, rubber insert length but remember, if your still not sure, you can trim down a 55 to 52, not the other way around

Mikenesson · 19-06-2018 2:31pm

CramCycle wrote: »

Yep, rubber insert length but remember, if your still not sure, you can trim down a 55 to 52, not the other way around

Are the shinano pads all the same design?

The ones I'm looking at seem to be the right ones, a slight taper on the width and a screw holding it

CramCycle · 19-06-2018 2:41pm

Mikenesson wrote: »

Are the shinano pads all the same design?

The ones I'm looking at seem to be the right ones, a slight taper on the width and a screw holding it

If they are road brakes, then yes AFAIK but maybe wait until someone else confirms

Guffy · 19-06-2018 2:44pm

Can anyone advise on the best way to clean a rusted chain and gears?

saccades · 19-06-2018 10:23pm

Guffy wrote: »

Can anyone advise on the best way to clean a rusted chain and gears?

Clean? Replace.

A weak phosphoric acid solution will remove the rust and passivate the surface against further oxidation. Loads of DIY places sell it near the hammerite, rust gone or the like.

magicbastarder · 19-06-2018 11:04pm

how badly rusted? and what will the bike be used for?

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

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