Tools, parts, techniques, and procedures to keep your bike in working order. MAINTENANCE is not the same as REPAIR, a separate tag. Maintenance is what one does on a regular basis. Repair is what one does only when something is broken.
9
votes
3answers
242 views
What should I expect from a bicycle service?
I'm thinking about getting my bicycle serviced for the first time to make sure it's entirely roadworthy.
My question is what should I expect from a bike service from a professional?
i.e. what ...
8
votes
4answers
3k views
What makes grease appropriate for bikes?
I'd like to grease my seatpost, and in front of me I've got a tube of "CMD Extreme Pressure Lube #3" that claims to be good for "ball bearings, roller bearings, deep drawing, rivet spinning" and a ...
8
votes
7answers
8k views
How to remove a crank arm with stripped threads?
A friend called me up yesterday after a mis-adventure during his attempt at a bottom bracket overhaul. He stripped out the threads on the (left) crank arm while using a Park crank puller. In a pinch, ...
8
votes
3answers
889 views
Should I tune up or replace bike?
This question is about the economics of owning and maintaining a bike.
I bought a brand new mountain bike for $250 some months ago. I ride about 30 miles a week on paved trails for occasional ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
How often should I clean my bike?
How often should I clean my bike?
I've used it several times over the summer, but only once in muddy conditions, should I clean it after every ride or once per quarter?
8
votes
7answers
1k views
Can replacing my handlebar tape help reduce finger numbness?
Despite changing hand positions often and switching to more "cushiony" gel gloves, I'm still experiencing intermittent numbness when I ride (sometimes I get tingling and sometimes not).
Are certain ...
8
votes
3answers
360 views
What cleaner and oil should I use on my bike chain
Hope everyone is well. I need to clean and oil my chain as its getting a little clunky when I’m changing gears. I have no idea what I should be cleaning it with and then what I should oil with. Any ...
8
votes
5answers
3k views
How to measure the correct belt drive tension?
I own a 2010 Trek District with a belt drive. I'm fairly happy with the setup, since after months of standing outside I just picked up the bike again and started riding without the usual chain ...
8
votes
2answers
710 views
When to change disk brake pads
I was wondering how to tell when your disk brake pads need replacing. My front seems to be not stopping as quickly as it used to, or as I would like. I know this could be road grime build up, but I ...
8
votes
2answers
1k views
Problem with chain `skipping` (but not trying to shift)
I have two bicycles that suffer this problem, both pretty heavy frames (one a ladies, Hollander bike, and the other a man's commuter) - both have correctly adjusted Derailleurs which don't produce any ...
8
votes
2answers
4k views
Hydraulic Disc Brakes Maintenance
I have Hayes Nine hydraulic disc brakes on my mountain bike. I have recently replaced the brake pads and after that it seems that the pads are almost touching the rotor.
How can I adjust it?
I have ...
8
votes
1answer
424 views
Setting chain length
My chain broke and in a moment of silliness (I was cold wet and slightly annoyed) I threw the broken one away before thinking about measuring the new one.
Is there a guide to getting the chain ...
8
votes
1answer
724 views
How often should I strip my bike down?
How often should I give my bike a full service? Strip the bottom bracket, clean and grease it. Strip the groupset and freewheel.
And what products (or type of) should be used for each process?
It's ...
8
votes
1answer
413 views
How do I wrap a road bike handlebar?
What is the best way to wrap a handlebar?
Specifically:
Should I start near the stem or at the bar ends?
wrap clockwise or counter-clockwise?
How to wrap (e.g. how many times) around where the ...
7
votes
3answers
735 views
Flat tire. Do I need to replace the tube?
My back tire got flat. If I pump it up now, it can hold the air for about 30 minutes to an hour before it's totally flat.
I took out the inner-tube yesterday, pump in a bit air and put it into water, ...
7
votes
2answers
392 views
Should a link opened/closed by a chain-breaker be stiff afterwards?
I disassembled my bike's drivetrain to degrease and regrease all the components. I used a chain-breaker for the first time (previous bikes had a master link) to open a chain link and remove the chain. ...
7
votes
5answers
1k views
Is there such a thing as frame failure?
Several general questions have been asked regarding how long a bike or bike frame will "last", and the gist of answers seems to be that a bike can last quite a while of the replaceable components are ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
What parts of a bike could potentially be harmed by degreaser?
I'v been using citrus degreaser to clean my bikes for years. I usually get a gallon jug of it from the auto parts store, and it lasts a long time. I use it for cleaning the drivtrain, either using a ...
7
votes
3answers
559 views
When is a good time to change tyres due to age?
When should I consider changing tyres due to age? The tyres in question are five/six years old Continentals.
7
votes
7answers
1k views
Where can I get some rags?
As I'm getting into the habit of cleaning and maintaining my bike more often, I am burning through my stockpile of rags. Up until now I have been using worn-out clothes as rags. I am going to run out ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
My brake lever is coming loose from my handle bars; how can I tighten it?
I have a road bike with drop bars, and the left brake lever is slightly loose - it can rotate a few degrees around the handle bar from side to side. How can I tighten it? Is it possible to do so ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
Fixing noisy V brakes
My V brakes make a lot of noise when I brake!! I am annoyed by such noise not to mention the pedestrians. My Mechanic said that it will not make those noise after using for couple of days, but it is ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
Attaching a stem to a carbon steerer: how much torque?
So I decided to travel with my bike this week and to my surprise discovered that the steerer is carbon fiber. I had removed the stem from the steerer for packing but naively assumed it was aluminum ...
7
votes
2answers
9k views
What is the “preload” setting on the front fork suspension?
I've made a photo of the actual "thing" as I find it very difficult to explain otherwise:
I'm wondering what this "thing" sets and how it actually works. So, what is "preload" and what happens when ...
7
votes
3answers
1k views
How do I stop my EBB (Eccentric Bottom Bracket) from creaking?
I have a '09 Felt Niner 29" SS with an EBB. After a thorough clean and reassembly of the BB the creaking will subside for a ride or so and then come back. Any suggestions?
EDIT: the problem appears ...
7
votes
1answer
431 views
How do I change my disc brake pads?
How do I change my disc-brake pads? How do I avoid letting the fluid out?
7
votes
2answers
3k views
Cannondale Lefty DLR Ti Fork Rebuild/Maintenance
I have a mountain bike with a 2003 Cannondale Lefty DLR Ti fork. As I've been riding the bike this season, I've noticed that the fork is behaving strangely. It doesn't seem to lockout fully and it is ...
7
votes
1answer
356 views
Older Carbon Bike Safety
I have an older Trek 2100 that has carbon fiber tubes with aluminum stays (The frame is used early 90's 2100/2150/2200/2300 road bikes)
After a recent accident with a car (going down hill, guy pulls ...
7
votes
3answers
4k views
Annoying clicking sound from the bottom bracket
I just purchased a Fuji ACR 2.0 road bike from a guy who bought it three months back but didn't ride it at all. I brought it home and found that it is making a clicking sound when I pedal. The sound ...
6
votes
5answers
536 views
Do brake cables become more elastic with time?
I bought a used bike a few months ago, and I've noticed a drastic reduction in brake power.
At first, I was easily able to lock-up the rear wheel while squeezing the brake lever only half-way to the ...
6
votes
6answers
310 views
Are there brands that sell weather-resistant chains?
I have to bike in bad weather and especially at work i have no way to store my bike in a dry place, this means that my bike chain picks up rust like nothing else, forcing me to clean it a lot. Now i'm ...
6
votes
5answers
1k views
Will using dry lube and wet lube together give you better protection/performance than from using just one of them?
I think the only way to use them together is to put on dry lube first and then wet lube.
Will the wet lube hold? Will applying both give you the best that each has to offer?
Update
Just found this ...
6
votes
5answers
219 views
I live in a place where it frequently floods. How can I keep my chain from rusting?
My poor bike's chain lasted all of three months before it gave in to the winter floods where I live. Storing it indoors is not an option, and despite my maintenance efforts, the knee-deep floods that ...
6
votes
3answers
936 views
What's the easiest way to insert a star nut into a steerer tube?
I need to install one of those star-fangled nuts, but I don't do this often enough to warrant buying a special tool for it. I usually manage to hammer the thing in eventually but in the past it has ...
6
votes
4answers
755 views
Friction in the free hub?
I have noticed there's some friction in my free hub on the TCR - when I pedal backwards slowly, I can get the rear wheel to roll backwards (while on the stand). This strikes me as a bad thing - means ...
6
votes
3answers
385 views
What's the point of removing the excess oil after lubing the chain?
There is a very strong point in bike-mechanics culture, which I've seen in very competent answers here, too, to apply one drop of lube in every single roller of a clean chain, and then (!very ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
When should a wheel be replaced?
I an not talking about upgrading. How do you know when to buy new wheels because the other ones have worn out? How do you tell a wheel is worn out? I can always true a wheel back to true. And nothing ...
6
votes
2answers
196 views
Tightening a nut too much
Often guidance will be given to tighten a nut to "20 lbs of pressure" or something along those lines.
What's the best way to ensure you tighten things up, but not to over-tighten?
Is there any way ...
6
votes
3answers
654 views
Will a bicycle trailer damage my (steel) bicycle?
I have a rhode gear trailer with a 100 lb capacity, similar to the burley and other brands, that attaches to the left chainstay (see image of hitch below). I currently have it attached to my ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
What kind of maintenance does a shimano dynamo hub need?
I have a shimano dynamo hub on the front of my bike.
Does it need any special maintenance, or maybe it needs just a little synthetic grease once a year, like a normal front hub?
6
votes
2answers
329 views
How often should I change brake cables and housing?
Seems like every year towards the end of cyclocross racing my brake cables start to get 'sticky'. The STI shifter is fine for changing gears, but when pulling on brakes it feels like I'm breaking ...
6
votes
1answer
6k views
When to change derailleur pulleys?
A friend said me that if you have one part in a very bad condition like a cassette and then you put a new stuff like a new chain it will destroy the new stuff very quickly. A LBS said that I should ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
How do I remove rust from my seat tube?
I just pulled my seat out as the first step of breaking my bike down for winter storage, and found that rust has formed between my seat tube and my seat post. The rust starts maybe 3" down the tube ...
6
votes
3answers
473 views
mountain biking - post ride tasks
After completing a long mountain biking trail (complete with lots mud and water etc) - what post ride checks / tasks should I be doing?
I ask this because I don't want to be taking my bike into a ...
6
votes
7answers
1k views
How to prevent my chain from breaking?
After my chain has broken what should I know about buying and maintaining a new chain (apart from lubing it and replacing when it 'stretches')? Do you keep a spare chain, or a spare link?
I have a ...
6
votes
2answers
586 views
What is the difference between DOT brake fluids?
I know that the two main categories are the mineral oil (Shimano, Magura) and the DOT type (Avid, Hayes).
But what is the difference between the DOT 3, DOT4, DOT 5.1?
Which one should I choose for ...
6
votes
3answers
382 views
Should a chain be replaced even if it's not stretched?
This question suggests using a tool or ruler to assess chain stretch to determine when to replace a chain. I have one such tool (Park Tool CC-3), and it tells me that my chain is not stretched even to ...
6
votes
2answers
3k views
What maintenance does a front suspension fork need?
I've just bought a used bike on eBay, its a 2002 Marin Bobcat Trail. It has 'In-Sync 266' suspension forks. This is my first suspension bike so I need some guidance in the use and maintenance of these ...
6
votes
1answer
216 views
Beyond the chain, what other parts of the bike do I need to lubricate, and how?
Beyond the chain, what other parts of the bike do I need to lubricate, and how? Can anyone provide some guidance of how to get to the hubs, derailleurs, brake parts etc, that need occasionally ...
6
votes
2answers
555 views
How to maintain chains during touring?
I think requirements are reusable, simple, small-size and things-to-easily-to-carry. There are exotic answers with chain clearers and other things that do not qualify to me simple. Perhaps, the ...
