Embarrassing Bike Questions

biondino

...which you don't want to ask on the Roadie board :oops:

How easy is it to remove a chain and fit a new chain? I need to upgrade my winter bike (2005 Trek 1200) and have some Fulcrum 5 wheels, a new Ultegra cassette and KMC chain (both 9-speed, to replace the Tiagra stuff on the bike). I don't have any chain specific tools but I do have a chain thing on my multi-tool (looks like the black bit of this whatsit).

In fact, with the cassette, is it clearly labelled/obvious how each sprocket fits on the hub, or will I need some esoteric knowledge to do it correctly? Will incorrect fitting means gear changing etc. is buggered?

Thanks guys, and feel free to ask your own embarrassing bike questions here too!

Coriander

:oops: :oops: :oops:

My brakes don't seem to be very stoppy - how do I make them more so?

biondino

How worn down are they? Are the pads far from the rims? One thing I've noticed people do (um, when I say people I mean myself, last weekend) is twist the doohickey which pulls the pads away from the rim - which I assume is to let you remove the wheel easily - and then forget to twist it back, so your pads have to reach that much further.

Assuming your pads are fine and properly centred (i.e. both the same distance from the rim), the rim itself could be the problem. Is the wheel true? It's worth giving the rims a good clean (with degreaser I think is best).

While you're dealing with the brakes, have a look at the pads themselves and remove any stone or metals fragments that might be stuck in the. I found three bits of metal in one pad the other day.

roger_merriman

push the pin out and the chain will come off in a jiffy some will have a easy to remove link so check first. As to cog playing not something I've done.

Brakes are normaly pads or cables if your lucky a quick twist of the cable ajuster and your done

Underscore

biondino wrote:

How easy is it to remove a chain and fit a new chain? I need to upgrade my winter bike (2005 Trek 1200) and have some Fulcrum 5 wheels, a new Ultegra cassette and KMC chain (both 9-speed, to replace the Tiagra stuff on the bike). I don't have any chain specific tools but I do have a chain thing on my multi-tool (looks like the black bit of this whatsit).

Should be easy. Use your little chain tool do-hickey to drive a pin out of your old chain so you can throw it aw... err... recycle it responsibly. Your KMC chain should come with a missing link, which is like a two piece link that you use to join your new chain. The only thing you need to do is shorten your new chain to be the right length. Assuming your new cassette has the same big sprocket as you old one, use your old chain as a guide and shorten your new chain to match by driving a pin out of you new chain at the appropriate point. Just remember, measure twice, cut once; make sure you're comfortable with how it goes on the bike before you commit to shortening it.

biondino wrote:

In fact, with the cassette, is it clearly labelled/obvious how each sprocket fits on the hub, or will I need some esoteric knowledge to do it correctly? Will incorrect fitting means gear changing etc. is buggered?

This'll be fine. The freewheel is keyed so they can only go on the with the correct alignment with respect to the other sprockets...

HTH,

_

Coriander

I didn't know you spoke Swahili, Biondino.

The pads? Good god, it hadn't even occured to me to look at the pads. Why do I need to look at the pads?? What doohickey thingiewhatsit should I be twisting???

roger_merriman

if the pads are worn that would do non stopping

Coriander

I have a friend coming over to fit a cat flap tomorrow. If I buy him an extra large breakfast at Maggie's maybe he'll do the brakes as well.

Thank god for men.

cjcp

biondino wrote:

...which you don't want to ask on the Roadie board :oops:

How easy is it to remove a chain and fit a new chain? I need to upgrade my winter bike (2005 Trek 1200) and have some Fulcrum 5 wheels, a new Ultegra cassette and KMC chain (both 9-speed, to replace the Tiagra stuff on the bike). I don't have any chain specific tools but I do have a chain thing on my multi-tool (looks like the black bit of this whatsit).

In fact, with the cassette, is it clearly labelled/obvious how each sprocket fits on the hub, or will I need some esoteric knowledge to do it correctly? Will incorrect fitting means gear changing etc. is buggered?

Thanks guys, and feel free to ask your own embarrassing bike questions here too!

Want me to look at them tomorrow and bring the necessary tools?

Greg T

Coriander wrote:

:oops: :oops: :oops:

My brakes don't seem to be very stoppy - how do I make them more so?

Two things to consider.

1. How close is the pad to the rim when the brake is not applied.

2. How much Pad is left

Now then.

You should try and have as little a gap between the pad and rim as to allow the rim to turn freely. The more gap there is the more travel your lever has to move to bring the two into contact.

There may be a little lever thing connecting your cable to your brake arm to allow for a big movement opening the arms to allow you to take the wheel out - find this and make sure it's closed.

Once you've done this have a look for the "barrel adjuster" this should be a turny twisty thing that sits where your brake cable meets the brake arm (very close to the jaw opener thing). Turning this will add tension to the cable closing or opening the arms and adjusting how much free play you have.

If you tighten it too much the padds will touch at the wobbly bits of your rim - just keep spinning your back wheel to make sure you have clearance.

2. If your brake blocks are worn down you should change them - they should have wear markers (grooves) on them. That's it really.

Coriander

cjcp wrote:

Want me to look at them tomorrow and bring the necessary tools?

Oooh, oooh, can I bring my bike as well??? We could do a CJ-led bike maintenance class in the middle of Richmond Park.

cjcp

Coriander wrote:

I have a friend coming over to fit a cat flap tomorrow. If I buy him an extra large breakfast at Maggie's maybe he'll do the brakes as well.

Thank god for men.

Buy some brake pads in advance/today. Which brakes do you have?

biondino

I read that as "to fit a flat cap".

You can tell if your brake blocks are worn because when they're new, they look like this:



If they're worn, the block will be much thinner and the grooves in the block will either be much shallower or non-existent. This is a useful wear indicator - when the grooves no longer exist it's time to replace the blocks!

Replacing blocks is very easy but it's not worth advising you how at this stage as I don't know what kind of blocks you have

Coriander

Black ones.

cjcp

Coriander wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Want me to look at them tomorrow and bring the necessary tools?

Oooh, oooh, can I bring my bike as well??? We could do a CJ-led bike maintenance class in the middle of Richmond Park.

Yep, no problem.

I warn you though, my knowledge very abruptly ends there. I don't tune wheels (cr*ap! got to phone Sigma about that!)

roger_merriman

heh! Last weekend I helped a friend move house, she sent a message to my partner "thanks for the loan of the he goat"

cjcp

Coriander wrote:

Black ones.

Can you take a picture with your phone and upload it?

cjcp

roger merriman wrote:

heh! Last weekend I helped a friend move house, she sent a message to my partner "thanks for the loan of the he goat"

biondino

cjcp wrote:

biondino wrote:

...which you don't want to ask on the Roadie board :oops:

How easy is it to remove a chain and fit a new chain? I need to upgrade my winter bike (2005 Trek 1200) and have some Fulcrum 5 wheels, a new Ultegra cassette and KMC chain (both 9-speed, to replace the Tiagra stuff on the bike). I don't have any chain specific tools but I do have a chain thing on my multi-tool (looks like the black bit of this whatsit).

In fact, with the cassette, is it clearly labelled/obvious how each sprocket fits on the hub, or will I need some esoteric knowledge to do it correctly? Will incorrect fitting means gear changing etc. is buggered?

Thanks guys, and feel free to ask your own embarrassing bike questions here too!

Want me to look at them tomorrow and bring the necessary tools?

That's very kind of you - actually it might be rather fun to have a bike maintenance workshop in the park! Though not at 7 in the morning... I have the tools (I think) I need to fit a cassette - chain whip, lock ring remover (probably not its right name), but who knows, I've never done it before.

cjcp

biondino wrote:

cjcp wrote:

biondino wrote:

...which you don't want to ask on the Roadie board :oops:

How easy is it to remove a chain and fit a new chain? I need to upgrade my winter bike (2005 Trek 1200) and have some Fulcrum 5 wheels, a new Ultegra cassette and KMC chain (both 9-speed, to replace the Tiagra stuff on the bike). I don't have any chain specific tools but I do have a chain thing on my multi-tool (looks like the black bit of this whatsit).

In fact, with the cassette, is it clearly labelled/obvious how each sprocket fits on the hub, or will I need some esoteric knowledge to do it correctly? Will incorrect fitting means gear changing etc. is buggered?

Thanks guys, and feel free to ask your own embarrassing bike questions here too!

Want me to look at them tomorrow and bring the necessary tools?

That's very kind of you - actually it might be rather fun to have a bike maintenance workshop in the park! Though not at 7 in the morning... I have the tools (I think) I need to fit a cassette - chain whip, long ring remover (probably not its right name), but who knows, I've never done it before.

If you have the lock ring, do you have the spanner to turn it the opposite way to the whip? If not, I'll bring that too.

How about 9am? I'll run this by Mission Control and let you know if I'm being deployed for other duties.

cjcp

cjcp wrote:

biondino wrote:

cjcp wrote:

biondino wrote:

...which you don't want to ask on the Roadie board :oops:

How easy is it to remove a chain and fit a new chain? I need to upgrade my winter bike (2005 Trek 1200) and have some Fulcrum 5 wheels, a new Ultegra cassette and KMC chain (both 9-speed, to replace the Tiagra stuff on the bike). I don't have any chain specific tools but I do have a chain thing on my multi-tool (looks like the black bit of this whatsit).

In fact, with the cassette, is it clearly labelled/obvious how each sprocket fits on the hub, or will I need some esoteric knowledge to do it correctly? Will incorrect fitting means gear changing etc. is buggered?

Thanks guys, and feel free to ask your own embarrassing bike questions here too!

Want me to look at them tomorrow and bring the necessary tools?

That's very kind of you - actually it might be rather fun to have a bike maintenance workshop in the park! Though not at 7 in the morning... I have the tools (I think) I need to fit a cassette - chain whip, long ring remover (probably not its right name), but who knows, I've never done it before.

If you have the lock ring, do you have the spanner to turn it the opposite way to the whip? If not, I'll bring that too.

How about 9am? I'll run this by Mission Control and let you know if I'm being deployed for other duties.

Ah, plums! Just remembered that I'm doing the Bushey Park 5k TT tomorrow morning. I can do later in the day if you want.

biondino

Edit! Later in the day would be perfect.

cjcp

biondino wrote:

Hmm, 9am was what I originally was considering ridiculously early! I am out tonight having it large and the gf is staying over so I wasn't ideally looking to get out of bed early and Do Stuff but if that's the only time you could do then I'll see what I can manage. Cori, 9am work for you?

See new post. I was being dim (lot of that recently, hence the avatar).

Coriander

cjcp wrote:

Coriander wrote:

Black ones.

Can you take a picture with your phone and upload it?

Now you're getting deeply technical. But I can show you this - it's a photo of a Specalized Tricross Sport - I've only had it since last December so assume it's still all as the photo.

Aaaghh, can't find a photo that's bigger than an inch across....

cjcp

Caliper brakes or cantilever?

cjcp

biondino wrote:

Edit! Later in the day would be perfect.

Cool. Will PM you my mobile number.

Coriander

cjcp wrote:

Caliper brakes or cantilever?

:?: :?: Not road bike type.

cjcp

Coriander wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Caliper brakes or cantilever?

:?: :?: Not road bike type.

If it's the Tricross, I think you have canti brakes, cyclo-cross stylee, in which case you will need to get cartridge pads, need to get the blocks Biondino posted.

http://www.parker-international.co.uk/P ... 559fad5f52


http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Aztec ... 110000633/

Just double check though. I'm going by the Spesh website.

Coriander

cjcp wrote:

Coriander wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Caliper brakes or cantilever?

:?: :?: Not road bike type.

If it's the Tricross, I think you have canti brakes, cyclo-cross stylee, in which case you will need to get cartridge pads, need to get the blocks Biondino posted.

http://www.parker-international.co.uk/P ... 559fad5f52


http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Aztec ... 110000633/

Just double check though. I'm going by the Spesh website.

You're a doll, thank you. (Why is there no blowing a kiss emoticon?) Will get some this evening and hold them looking all pathetic when my friend arrives tomorrow.

secretsam

biondino wrote:

...which you don't want to ask on the Roadie board :oops:

How easy is it to remove a chain and fit a new chain?

Get a decent chain tool and it's really a pain in the fundamental, regardless...takes an incredible amount of force to break the chain, and you always end up poking the damn pin out altogether :evil:

Source: recent chain horrors

secretsam

I've got a Q - no, 2!:

Q1: why am I so F4cking slow on my bike? I've even bought some new shoes but I still get overtaken by all of the following:

-Roadies (shaved, unshaved, yetis, lovverly ladies, etc)
-Tourers
-MTBs
-Bromptons
-Kids on 12" wheels
-People with 2 flat tyres
-The dead

I just can't go any quicker, it's pathetic.

AND:

Q2: how the hell do you find time to ride outside of commuting (married, 2x3 year old kids, 1.5 hour commute to work (each way))?!??!?!?!?

Hmmm...is the answer to Q1 the issue with Q2.... :?: