Maintenance

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wobbler

wobbler

Active Member
Location
Wolverhampton
Does anyone know if there is a place like this near Wolverhampton? cyclewales
Thanks
 
gbb

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
Having read Summerdays reply, i'll concede you're right in general.
I commute in all weathers and have damaged rims by not keeping the pads clear of debris. Wet roads contain a lot of muck and debris. In summer, its not an issue at all. Perhaps checking the blocks every two weeks was a bit of an exageration. I do check them moderately regularly, but only when i'm deeper cleaning and maintaining the bike...which for me is quite regular. I think a fairer suggestion Lily is if you hear scraping when braking, then check the pads.

Chain maintenance is a funny one as well. You can get too carried away. I assume your bike is a 7/21 speed Lily. 7 speed chain is fairly indestructible if oiled regularly (by virtue of it being a heavier, wider chain, more surface area, less wear). I dont even degrease my ten speed chain. Wipe well and oil regularly. That said, degreasing doubtless does have benefits, if you can really be bothered. Horses for courses and all that.
 
Arch

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
It might be worth treating yourself to a basic maintenance book - it can be easier to have that by your side in the shed than a laptop with a tutorial video! Haynes do one, for example, with lots of picture. Have a browse in a good bookshop, and see which one you find the easiest to follow. Also (like cookery books) bear in mind that you want a book that stays open properly when you're referring to it!

I'm terribly slovenly at maintenance - I have a summer daily use bike and a winter daily use bike, and each tends to get the most attention once a year, just before I swap them over.... However if you are better than me, and want to check your bike over regularly, a handy way to make sure you check it all is to work over it in an M shape from rear wheel, to saddle/seatpost, down to cranks and pedals, up to the handlebars and stem, and down to the front hub. As you follow this shape, look for damage and dirt buildups, check bolts aren't loose, and nothing moves except in the dimensions it should - so pedals go round and round, but don't wiggle side to side, and so on. It's a good way to make sure you don't overlook something.
 
barongreenback

barongreenback

Über Member
Location
Warwickshire
The Haynes one has served me well. Last week I used their instructions to replace a bottom bracket, install a new chainset and refit my front derailleur. Seemingly idiot proof although maybe give me a week to find out whether my bike falls apart on the way to work ;)
 
OP
OP
L

Lilylass

New Member
Location
Scotland
swee said:
never[/i] degreased my chain and cogs.

AFAIC, it's simple: as others have said, keep your tyres hard (harder than you probably think - ask at your LBS when you go back for that service, and see about getting a track pump), keep your chain lubricated, and be alert in case any crap gets jammed in a brake block. (Having said which, that's only happened to me once or twice in that 7-8 years - I personally would certainly not dream of removing my blocks every couple of weeks or so. As a rule I remove them only once: when I replace them.)

Mostly, enjoy your riding! If you hear a squeak, oil it. And keep your tyres hard. In truth, that's about it.
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Thanks, I was getting a bit worried!:ohmy:

gbb said:
I assume your bike is a 7/21 speed Lily. 7 speed chain is fairly indestructible if oiled regularly (by virtue of it being a heavier, wider chain, more surface area, less wear).
Click to expand...

Yup! Quite pleased about that now!:smile:

Arch said:
It might be worth treating yourself to a basic maintenance book - it can be easier to have that by your side in the shed than a laptop with a tutorial video! Haynes do one, for example, with lots of picture. Have a browse in a good bookshop, and see which one you find the easiest to follow. Also (like cookery books) bear in mind that you want a book that stays open properly when you're referring to it!
Click to expand...

Brilliant! I've had loads of Haynes books over the years for the various cars I've had but it never occurred to me they did one for bikes!:reading:


Thanks to everyone, going to start with making sure the tyres are always rock hard, chain etc well oiled/lubricated and no gunk stuck anywhere. Will give a good wash down/protect when it gets really dirty (which probably won't be long as all the roads/paths round here are really muddy just now. :thumbsup:
 
J

Jo25

Senior Member
Location
Hilly Gloucestershire
I am only a beginner at cycle maintenance myself, but was recently told that I put too much oil on my chain which attracts the build up of 'gunk'. So while you should keep it well oiled don't put too much on either (or wipe excess off afterwards). Unless I've been told wrong........
 
Ming the Merciless

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
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Gunk

Gunk

Guru
Location
Oxford
Buy some basic tools and a work stand, Park tools do some really good videos on YouTube, a local cycle charity may do evening classes. It’s a good skill to have and very rewarding and enjoyable working on your own bikes.

IMG_1104.jpeg
 
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A

Alex321

Veteran
Location
South Wales
Lilylass said:
Thanks to everyone, going to start with making sure the tyres are always rock hard,
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This is not actually very good advice. It is very much old school thinking.

Get a track pump with a pressure gauge, and modern thinking is generally no more than 75-80psi, not the 100+ that was thought good a few years ago.

You need them hard enough to prevent snakebite punctures (Caused by the tyre flattening against the rim when you hit a bump such as a small pothole).

Unless you are running tubeless, in which case go another 10-15 psi lower again because you can't get snakebite punctures with tubeless.
 
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