What do they actually do on a bike service? My bike is long overdue it's first one (bought it online so no freebie 6 weeker), but I'd quite like to know what a normal first service consists of. And if there are any good websites to tell me how to learn about servicing the bike myself...
Bike Servicing
- Thread starter sazzaa
- Start date
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philinmerthyr
Über Member
The first service only really checks that nuts and bolts are done up correctly and the gears and brakes are adjusted correctly.
There are plenty of videos on YouTube to help you adjust these yourself.
I think my brakes are a bit shoot, but I had to set them up myself (with youtube help) and still think they're rubbish, it might just be my paranoia though... Will a basic first service sort all that?
Probably not, if they've been crap from new (unless they were badly set up). What kind of brakes/bike is it? Some are just not very good. Others can be improved by replacing the brake blocks/pads with something better quality. e.g. My Tricross has cantilever brakes which have a reputation for being pretty much ineffective at stopping in a hurry. Replaced the standard pads with Koolstop ones, and it transformed the braking power.
I wouldn't give any bike shop the money for a "service". There is nothing complicated about any normal bike. Buy the Haynes bike book to get you started, and there is plenty of help available all over the interweb.
Leodis
Veteran
- Location
- Moortown, Leeds
Yeah I don't use EBC. There are a couple of highly recommended guys out of town so will use one of them.
Disc brakes then. They should be pretty much maintenance free. Maybe the discs/pads have become contaminated with oil somehow? That would make them pretty useless. I would try taking out the pads (they are only held in by an easily removable pin - don't pull brake lever while the pads are out!) and cleaning them with some sort of degreaser, or even pure fairy liquid. Same with the discs. Then try them again. It can be hard, if not impossible to remove any contaminant from the pads, so maybe change them (assuming that IS the problem).
See that sounds quite easy. I'll maybe go have a try...
Sign the disclaimer first
. Baby wipes for the discs; hot water and fairy liquid for the pads.
Reading reviews on BB5s, it seems they need regular adjusting to keep them sweet. Never had mechanical disc brakes, so no idea how to do that.
I found this video which seemed the most straightforward one for adjusting BB7's so I'm guessing the same applies for BB5's?
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MteJPn4jBs
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MteJPn4jBs
