The Zen of Bicycle Maintenance

[Bibs]

Any hints and tips on how to keep bikes in tip top condition, any bits which regularly need a good clean/fix/replace/upgrade and any tips on getting dérailleurs working perfectly, or just riding tips in general?

Road/off road, this can be our bike thread

[Wilf]

There are some good videos on youtube showing how to adjust the gears, get a decent bike maintenance stand to put it on when fiddling with bits as this makes life a lot easier. If you keep it clean most components will last a long time assuming they are good quality in the first place. My commuter bike has > 2000 miles on it in all weathers and I've only needed to replace brakes.

[Simon350S]

the dérailleurs are easy to setup if you look at how they work, its very difficult to put into words.

Youtube as suggested may be a good place for tips...

Keep your chain lubed,

If the bikes old a lube of all the cables may improve the feel...

Use valve covers as it stops them getting filled with dirt or damaged when you fall off..

Keep your tyres correctly inflated, you loose massive amounts of energy trying to ride a bike with underinflated tyres or incorrect tyres, i.e. if you've got a mountain bike and your only riding on road, get some roat tyres... All that whiring noise from the tyres is wasted energy....

If you've got quick release wheels and you use your bike off road, have the lever pointing backwards... Stops twigs n debris n stuff from flicking them open and thus reduced the chance of your wheel from falling off...!!!

Try not to fall off.....!!

My brother has had a number of very serious accidnets on his bies over the years and been hospitalised on a number of occasions...

MOST IMPORTANTLY, WEAR A HELMET, THEY DON'T LOOK COOL BUT THEY CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE....!!!!!!!!!

Edited July 11, 2010 by Simon350S

[rogerch]

I hit mine with some de-greaser and a high pressure washer, then re-oil the chain etc with an adhesive oil. 6 years old now still looks good, the only maintenance new brake blocks and puncture repairs. I find it much cheaper to run than the Esprit.

[USAndretti42]

Youtube as suggested may be a good place for tips...

Keep your chain lubed,

If the bikes old a lube of all the cables may improve the feel...

Try not to fall off.....!!

So the advice is to look for instructional videos, use lots of lube and try to not fall off. Sounds like sex advice to me.

[molemot]

Old style Derailleur gears have two adjustable stops...one for the lowest gear..the largest cog on the inside of the block/cassette, and one for the highest gear..the smallest cog on the outside. So far, so obvious...adjusting them is slightly fiddly, and a bit of an iterative process. The thing to remember is that, if you adjust the low gear stop too loosely, the gear and chain can come off the gears and wedge the chain down between the hub and the frame, ripping up spokes in the process...also tends to stop you quite fast!! If you make a similar error with top gear, the chain just comes right off and one's wedding tackle is liable to be somewhat modified by the top tube, if one is standing on the pedals!! So the trick is to adjust the gears so that you can consistently engage all the gears form high to low, and not have the chain come off at either end. Best done by turning the thing upside down and balancing it on the bars and saddle, then twirling the pedals whilst moving the gearlever and adjusting the stops.

Modern gears have some indexing function I know nothing about...but it can't be rocket science, it's a BICYCLE for Pete's sake...schoolboys used to absorb bicycle engineering by osmosis, back in the day....!

[Petrol feet driven]

Ok on a road bike the chain is normaly replaced once a year and if you change the chain you must also chage the cassette. Its best to use a chain checker to find out at what degree your chain is worn to, you are able to chage the chain on a cassette a couple of times if you get it at the 0.75 mark. The best chain to go for are the hollow pin's as a much better wear in tham. Do not use tons of oil as one its the wrong substance to put on a chain and two it collects lots of dirt that will wear out the chain quicker. Best use a chain lube and yet again don't use a lot as it's not needed, when applying just pedal backwards and allow the chain lube to cover one cycle of the chain at a normal pace not slow. On a MTB the same apply's but the chain can wear out quicker, just invest in a chain checker it will save you loads.

All moving parts wear out so lube them, headset bearings your able if sealed to remove the plastic cover and regrease. Race bearing headsets just check for pitting where the bearing starts to make dents in the race. If pitted or has a worn mark scored in to the race then replace the heaset. Change the bearing every time you clean the heaset, using a good water restant grease is best. Wheels fall in to the same as the headset but don't use a thick grease for them.

Gears are the most important of all, always check that the cables are not damaged as this can effect the changing. What john has said above is good and you can also check by lifting up and off the chain from the cassette/freewheel and moving the mech over to see where is high and low are set. Best to start off the the highest gear (8.9.10 depending on setup) so full move ment can be seen, even better take off the chain. There is also a 3rd screw that allows you to move the jocky wheel away from the cassette/freewheel only move if the chain is bouning in lowest gea.r (1)

I have been a cycle workshop manager for a long time and I have seen loads of people with no clue on how to adjust anything on there bikes. Some riding time bombs where parts are so f**ked they are going to snap at anytime. What brings me on to wheel rim's, now unless your riding with disc brakes this doesn't really count. But the rim has a waer mark indicator in the form of a inset line that runs all the way around or a small hole normaly the oppersite side to the valve. Once these are gone replace if you value your life, as the rim WILL split and its a mess, the bike will stop but you won't and let hope a lorry is behind you. If your not sure about it get them checked, please..

Handle bars are recomended to be changed every 2 to 3 years depending on usage. You have the down force (you) and the up force (bumps/road) this puts a lot of stress though the bars you don't see the damage until they snap on you. I have only ever seen this about 6 times in my many years, and dont do this even myself but its worth saying never the less.

There is tons I either haven't said or just didn't put down, but the thing is if you have a question its best to post images as well as it makes life so much easier. Also Bib's I use the Zen method to build all my wheels..

Here the tyre has had the brake pad rubbing on the tyre.

Split rim, looks like he was lucky as the tyre is still in one and the spokes haven't snapped. (well one of them but this guy it most prob was done ages ago..)

Smaller but even still never should of got this far.

Edited July 12, 2010 by Petrol feet driven

[Bibs]

Thanks all, excellent advice so far. Any clues on spoke straightening please?

Also, I've got some new clipless pedals I tried out this evening on a short ride. Weird feeling, the fact your feet are clamped in but move slightly feels like walking on ice! I've kinda got the hang of clipping in and out already but after a short ride and perhaps putting my feet down 20ish times the cleats look like they've been in a war zone! How long are they expected to last? They are 'Look' cleats which were supplied with the pedals on Shimano shoes.

[slewthy]

Just transported my collection of bikes to a storage whilst we move house.

Silly bu**er me forgot to pad/cushion between them and they have knocked together taking the paint off. Worst of all is my (relatively) new Claude Butler Cape Wrath. I am totally gutted.

So, what is the best way to touch up a Ally frame? The base colour is matt black - I'm thinking satin smooth hammerite but maybe there is a cleverer solution.

[rogerch]

Rim and spoke straightening ? Take it to a professional, before trying to fix it yourself. it's much cheaper.

[pdgessler]

Couldn't have said it better myself, Roger -- to true wheels the right way you need not only spoke wrenches but also a truing stand (and they aren't cheap, especially for a DIY user who won't use it much).

The bike shop I worked at charges around 10 USD labor for wheel truings (a bit more if they are a real disaster) -- If you try yourself and goof it up you'll be paying that labor charge plus any parts you messed up in the process.

If you truly want to learn I suggest finding a local shop that's willing to show you the ropes or a friend who has experience with it -- truing wheels the right way takes a lot of practice!

[Petrol feet driven]

Bibs bring the wheel to me and I will true it for you, I will take it in to work and sort it there.

[Moxie]

Bibs,

Found this on the street in Manhattan the other day. If you can patch up this Lotus (OK, the other Lotus) bicycle then I'd say you'll have earned your stripes.

Matt

[Advantage]

That saddle is the equivalent of comfort seats in a V8.

[Moxie]

That saddle is the equivalent of comfort seats in a V8.

 

I've only been in a 308 twice, but it felt like this saddle (oddly, photo taken on the same street as the one above...and disturbing that the boot says "TINGLEY GIANT"):

 

[Moxie]

Any hints and tips on how to keep bikes in tip top condition, 

 

Bibs,

 

I ride a Rivendell, which are old-school lugged steel-frame bikes. The founder, Grant Peterson, is a really interesting guy—kind of the anti-Lycra crusader—shellaced cork handlebar tape, bar-end shifters, etc.—and publishes a quirky but interesting and useful newsletter called the Rivendell Reader, some issues of which you can download for free: http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/rr.htmand http://www.rivbike.com/product-p/rrcd.htm 

 

They also carry a topically wide-range of books, including some great ones on bicycles that might be of interest: http://www.rivbike.com/Books-s/45.htm

 

They also have an interesting (at least I think it is) blog at http://rivbike.tumblr.com/

 

- Matt