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

Deano12345 · 16-06-2020 9:43pm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I've two noises coming from the bike now.
The first is when I change from the small wheel to the large one, I get a squeak. I assume it's the cable and just needs to be replaced.
The other noise is, I think, from the BB. It's a kind of clicking as I'm moving and the cadence is under a bit of pressure. It's the original so has about 10k kms on It. Would that be normal wear?
I was thinking leaving it into the LBS but that would be 10 days away and I'd be without my road bike for 2 or 3 days (panic!).
Is the BB a diy job on a Shimano 105 setup?

The squeak could just be the pivot mechanism/arm on the front mech needs a little oil, I’d try that before swapping cables.

Not too sure on wear since I don’t run threaded BB’s on my road bike, but I would imagine 10k is a reasonable amount of miles to put on a BB.

It needs a tool to remove and reinstall, but it’s an easy job! Basically you need to take the preload bolt out of the non drive crank, loosen the two bolts and take the non drive crank off, then take the drive side off and use the tool to remove the BB. It’s a different tool depending if it’s square taper/octolink (on older cranks) or Hollowtech. Most local bike shops carry the tool and it’ll run you around 20-25 quid and about the same in cost for a new BB as well. First time I removed one it took around 20 mins!

Tony04 · 16-06-2020 9:52pm

Is there lateral play between your cranks? then your bb needs to be replaced. If you need to replace order it and the relevant tool online, is it a threaded bb?

crosstownk · 16-06-2020 9:56pm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I've two noises coming from the bike now.
The first is when I change from the small wheel to the large one, I get a squeak. I assume it's the cable and just needs to be replaced.
The other noise is, I think, from the BB. It's a kind of clicking as I'm moving and the cadence is under a bit of pressure. It's the original so has about 10k kms on It. Would that be normal wear?
I was thinking leaving it into the LBS but that would be 10 days away and I'd be without my road bike for 2 or 3 days (panic!).
Is the BB a diy job on a Shimano 105 setup?

FWIW, I got 25,000km out of my 105 5800 BB.

Check everything else - make sure the chain isn't rubbing the front mech, put some grease on the drop outs if you've QR. Check that the seat post isn't causing the click if it's alu/alu. Make sure the bottle cages are tight.

So many things cause clicks that can result in the BB getting falsely accused.

I'd start with the front mech - check for chain rub that may be so slight that it sounds like a click. Especially as you have that squeak as you change. If the two noises presented at the same time then it's quite possible that they are related.

From what you describe, I'd start by adding a bit of tension to the front shift cable.

triggermortis · 16-06-2020 10:01pm

Pretty much any job is doable yourself just depends if you have the tools, knowledge and patience. Half the job is knowing what type of BB you need as this will lead you to the right tools and YouTube guidance. GCN and park tools both have great channels with loads of info.
As mentioned already, try some oil on the front mech. A squeak is a sign of friction so a quick squirt of oil should probably sort that

dahat · 16-06-2020 10:39pm

Seth Brundle wrote: »

I've two noises coming from the bike now.
The first is when I change from the small wheel to the large one, I get a squeak. I assume it's the cable and just needs to be replaced.
The other noise is, I think, from the BB. It's a kind of clicking as I'm moving and the cadence is under a bit of pressure. It's the original so has about 10k kms on It. Would that be normal wear?
I was thinking leaving it into the LBS but that would be 10 days away and I'd be without my road bike for 2 or 3 days (panic!).
Is the BB a diy job on a Shimano 105 setup?

Be sure before you throw money at bike noises!

Sometimes it's the simplest thing like some lube on a pedal contact point thats the issue.

Hairy Japanese BASTARDS! · 17-06-2020 5:21pm

How can you determine whether your tyres are still safe to ride on?

Is there a minimum thread depth recommend like there is for cars?

I can't seem to find the recommended psi on the rim, does anyone have a ballpark what the psi should be for a hybrid? I don't want to overinflate and it bursts when I'm cycling.
My tyres are 700x28C

Type 17 · 17-06-2020 5:29pm

Hairy Japanese BASTARDS! wrote: »

How can you determine whether your tyres are still safe to ride on?

Is there a minimum thread depth recommend like there is for cars?

I can't seem to find the recommended psi on the rim, does anyone have a ballpark area it should be in? In don't want to overinflate and it bursts when I'm cycling.

Thinner bike tyres aren't necessarily more unsafe (until they're paper-thin), but they are more prone to punctures (smaller, so therefore more, bits of crud can go all the way through a thinner tyre and puncture the tube).

Car tyres have a legal tread depth because they're wide enough for aquaplaning to be an issue in the wet - not an issue for bike tyres at bike-speeds.

Max PSI is on the tyre, not the rim (except for some carbon-fibre rims, where the lower of the rim/tyre is the max). Also, max PSI is not the best PSI for you - best pressure is a combo of bike/rider/cargo combined weight and tyre-type width.

cletus · 17-06-2020 5:33pm

Here's an infograph giving an idea of the sliding scale that Type17 was talking about. It's by no means gospel, but gives you a point to start at

184222-largest_Hed-cycling-recommended-road-tire-pressure-640px.jpg

184222-largest_Hed-cycling-recommended-road-tire-pressure-640px.jpg

woody33 · 18-06-2020 11:19am

Spokes again...
My MTB rear drive side broken spoke is threaded in from hub centre, do you think I could lace it in without removing the freewheel? There is a chain catcher plastic disk between spokes and chain. I don't have the 4-prong Park Tool FR-3 freewheel socket and they are pricey enough with shipping. And then there is the chain whip I'd need. Thank you kindly...

seamus · 18-06-2020 12:11pm

You'll never replace a spoke without removing the freewheel, you'll end up badly bending it out of shape.

Chain whips are ten a penny, bit the four-pronged yoke seems to be a bit niche.

My experience is that once a spoke has broken on the drive side, they'll all go eventually, the wear is pretty uniform. That's assuming it broke at the elbow and not in the middle. You need to replace all of the spokes on the drive side or you'll be replacing them every couple of weeks.

So I'd be inclined to get a shop to do this work, or if the wheel is pretty cheap you could be better off in the long run getting a new wheel with a freehub.

You can always collect the tools and then you have them forever more;
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/park-tool-freewheel-remover-fr-3
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/bbb-turntable-chain-whip-btl11

But the freewheel remover is so niche that unless you plan on riding fixies, it'll gather dust in your shed for the next 20 years. On the other hand, you should be able to source and entire new wheel + cassette for about €80.

woody33 · 18-06-2020 4:08pm

Ok, thanks for the reply. I bought the bike used off a buddy only a couple of months ago, and this is the second broken spoke. The first one cost €20 to fix at my local shop, I don't want to keep shelling out. Some say I'm being over-enthusiastic on speed bumps, which is possible, but it's supposed to be a mountain bike for feck's sake! And yes, I do get out of the saddle for bumps. You might be right about the new wheel. Anyway, thx again.

padyjoe · 19-06-2020 8:57pm

Sora 9 3500 indexing, if the high gears are ok, the lows not so and the other way around. New cable, big chainring, cassette. Jockey wheels are old but regularly cleaned and greased, hanger straight AFAIS. Sometimes I think the derailleur doesn't have the strength to come back down to 11T. Drivetrain has 25000 kms mileage.

Type 17 · 19-06-2020 9:02pm

Full cable changed? (not just inner wire?)

Jockeys probably worn - 25k can be a lot, if conditions were dirty/wet a lot of the time. Cleaning & lubing is good, but only slows down the wear, they might still be worn.

The top one counts when shifting is poor - it should move a few mm left/right along its spindle, but shouldn't have more than about 5 degrees of wobble. Over about 20 degrees, the shifting will be impacted.

PS: I presume the chain was changed at the same time as the cassette?

padyjoe · 20-06-2020 12:22am

No, the outer guide is the same, never been changed.
Chain is new, it's time to check the wheel angle. 7 year old Defy 3, much of a shifter wire exposed.
Thank you!

Type 17 · 20-06-2020 7:09am

padyjoe wrote: »

No, the outer guide is the same, never been changed.
Chain is new, it's time to check the wheel angle. 7 year old Defy 3, much of a shifter wire exposed.
Thank you!

If you can set the indexing so the chain shifts perfectly from the small sprocket to the biggest one, but it then won't shift properly in the other direction, then the cable housing is too dirty and needs changing. (This is because your thumb is always strong enough to overcome the friction of the dirty housing in that direction, but the spring inside the rear derailleur is not, when shifting the other way).

Even if that is the case, and you change it, it's possible that the jockey wheels could be causing issues too, but the cable is more likely, and is easier to change first.

woody33 · 21-06-2020 1:22pm

seamus wrote: »

You'll never replace a spoke without removing the freewheel, you'll end up badly bending it out of shape.

Chain whips are ten a penny, bit the four-pronged yoke seems to be a bit niche.

My experience is that once a spoke has broken on the drive side, they'll all go eventually, the wear is pretty uniform. That's assuming it broke at the elbow and not in the middle. You need to replace all of the spokes on the drive side or you'll be replacing them every couple of weeks.

So I'd be inclined to get a shop to do this work, or if the wheel is pretty cheap you could be better off in the long run getting a new wheel with a freehub.

You can always collect the tools and then you have them forever more;
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/park-tool-freewheel-remover-fr-3
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/bbb-turntable-chain-whip-btl11

But the freewheel remover is so niche that unless you plan on riding fixies, it'll gather dust in your shed for the next 20 years. On the other hand, you should be able to source and entire new wheel + cassette for about €80.

Right so, I've ordered a freewheel tool from Sprockets UK, €5.79 + postage, and got a chain from a bike in a skip around the corner for a diy chain whip. Recycling, eh? A few spokes and a spoke wrench, and I'm all set...wish me luck.

seamus · 22-06-2020 9:36am

woody33 wrote: »

Ok, thanks for the reply. I bought the bike used off a buddy only a couple of months ago, and this is the second broken spoke. The first one cost €20 to fix at my local shop, I don't want to keep shelling out. Some say I'm being over-enthusiastic on speed bumps, which is possible, but it's supposed to be a mountain bike for feck's sake! And yes, I do get out of the saddle for bumps. You might be right about the new wheel. Anyway, thx again.

Doesn't necessarily need to be anything about going up and down bumps tbh. If you've been doing a lot of urban riding in high gears that can be enough to weaken the spokes on the drive side.

If you enjoy tinkering and fixing, then half-arsed fixes on a cheaper bike is definitely the way to go about it

You can't make it much worse anyway.

secman · 22-06-2020 9:50am

Saw a disturbing picture on strava yesterday, a lad in Gorey on a 14 month old bike, with aporox 2000km on it, 105 group set, the drive side crank failed and clean broke off leaving about a 1/3 on the drivechain .The lad was blessed no traffic beside him, helmet cracked, lots of bruises and road rash. Only realised from Google that its not just confined to 105 , its been recorded too for Ultegra and DuraAce .
Scary ****

SheroP · 22-06-2020 9:52am

Hi there
Looking for some advice please on recommended pedals, preferably metal for teenadult hybrid bicycle, looking for something bulletproof without costing the earth
Thanks

Bill74 · 22-06-2020 11:13am

Hi,
Bike shops nuts busy, so decided to give a go myself. Bought a new rear wheel with sram xdr hub. I've bought a sram XG-1190 cassette but I've no idea how to lock. I assumed the cassette would come in one piece with locktube as part of it. It didn't. All one piece except for 11 ring. And no locktube to screw down. Where did I go wrong? What cassette is compatible?

Type 17 · 22-06-2020 1:43pm

SheroP wrote: »

Hi there
Looking for some advice please on recommended pedals, preferably metal for teenadult hybrid bicycle, looking for something bulletproof without costing the earth
Thanks

Many Irish bike shops stock BBB, and they have a range of decent, metal-bodied pedals for €20 or €30. If you don't see BBB, at least get ones with a metal body (not just a metal cage around the edge).

https://bbbcycling.com/en_en/bpd-45-steadyrest

https://bbbcycling.com/en_en/bpd-17-classicride

https://bbbcycling.com/en_en/bpd-16-bigfeet

Type 17 · 22-06-2020 1:57pm

Bill74 wrote: »

Hi,
Bike shops nuts busy, so decided to give a go myself. Bought a new rear wheel with sram xdr hub. I've bought a sram XG-1190 cassette but I've no idea how to lock. I assumed the cassette would come in one piece with locktube as part of it. It didn't. All one piece except for 11 ring. And no locktube to screw down. Where did I go wrong? What cassette is compatible?

From looking at the SRAM website, it looks like you need an XD or XDR series cassette to fit an XDR hub.
The tools to fit and remove XDR stuff are the same as Shimano and other SRAM stuff, but the cassette & hub interfaces themselves are different.

tomasrojo · 22-06-2020 2:13pm

Type 17 wrote: »

Many Irish bike shops stock BBB, and they have a range of decent, metal-bodied pedals for €20 or €30. If you don't see BBB, at least get ones with a metal body (not just a metal cage around the edge).

I have a set of BBB ones that have carried on for years, though I've mostly used them to temporarily swap in when other pedals need maintenance.

Wellgo do cheap BMX-style pedals with pins, all in metal, that I've found good for everyday use.

This person liked them too:
https://theeverydaycyclist.wordpress.com/2010/09/09/review-wellgo-lu987-flat-pedals/

SheroP · 22-06-2020 2:25pm

Thanks very much everyone
Took a stroll up to local bike shop
Offered union all metal pedals, gonna bring up bike later, fitted for €17.50
Support local too ,thanks again

brownian · 22-06-2020 7:07pm

Here's a question.
I have a threaded bottom bracket. It's aftemarket, but installed by a pro mech in a shop.

Should both ends of the BB be flush with the frame, or is it ok that one side of the BB is about 2 or 3 mm proud of the frame? It is the right BB for the frame/crank combo...but tis not impossible that the BB was installed imperfectly...I don;t have whatever oddball tool it takes to grip those little mini-dimples that run around the outside eddge of the BB...or I probably would have it a twist to see...

The bike runs grand, but it just looks a little odd to me....

Cheers!

Type 17 · 22-06-2020 7:13pm

If it's a square-taper BB and the non-drive side cup is a few mm proud of the frame, and it's not loose, then that's fine.

brownian · 22-06-2020 7:25pm

Type 17 wrote: »

If it's a square-taper BB and the non-drive side cup is a few mm proud of the frame, and it's not loose, then that's fine.

Thank you.

grogi · 22-06-2020 9:09pm

brownian wrote: »

Here's a question.
I have a threaded bottom bracket. It's aftemarket, but installed by a pro mech in a shop.

Should both ends of the BB be flush with the frame, or is it ok that one side of the BB is about 2 or 3 mm proud of the frame? It is the right BB for the frame/crank combo...but tis not impossible that the BB was installed imperfectly...I don;t have whatever oddball tool it takes to grip those little mini-dimples that run around the outside eddge of the BB...or I probably would have it a twist to see...

The bike runs grand, but it just looks a little odd to me....

Cheers!

Take a picture.

brownian · 22-06-2020 9:19pm

Hope that's fairly clear?

Bill74 · 22-06-2020 9:45pm

I can't see a road XD cassette anywhere. Info is very vague on this subject. Looks like I need a locktube which wasn't with the cassette. But no idea where to get that.

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

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