Bike Love - the Joy of an Afternoon Off

Roastie
Roastie Posts: 1,968
edited July 2009 in Commuting chat
I had originally planned to whip over to The Park this afternoon for a few laps, but with the weather and treating myself to an easy, "rest week", I decided to stay home and give my bikes, and esp the poor Genesis, a bit of much needed love.

The rear hub, battered by 3 years of commuting including being ridden underwater 3 times, was in need of attention - there being a little play on the bearings. I am impressed with my Shimano WH-R500 wheels. Factory built they may be, but they are so easily serviceable, with good seals and quality hardware. Despite having been so badly neglected, they were so easy to service. And as they use no particularly special parts (apart from the 20H front rim), they are easy to maintain and repair.

I was less impressed with my puncture repair abilities; and so I have finally got around to replacing the rear tube on the Ribble that had a persistent slow puncture. I also wiped all the oily bits clean, how love the gleam of shiny metal.

Oh, sad I am. Yes, very sad indeed.
David
Engineered Bicycles

Comments

  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    I really must clean the maxima. Oh the guilt. In fact, I'm off to buy some Mr Sheen...
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • Jamey
    Jamey Posts: 2,152
    I serviced my spare hub the other day. Discovered a fatigue crack. Back to the supplier it goes as it's less than a year old.

    This was a couple of days after my right crank arm sheared through just after Hammersmith roundabout.

    Now, where did I put that "Things that go wrong with my bike" thread?
    My photography // My helmet cam videos // My bike
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Jamey wrote:

    This was a couple of days after my right crank arm sheared through just after Hammersmith roundabout.

    Small mercies!
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    I really must clean the maxima. Oh the guilt. In fact, I'm off to buy some Mr Sheen...

    You want to watch out. I have been granted the power (by RSPIC) to remove mistreated Italian carbon from unloving/neglectful owners. After your little off road stunt the other day you are already on thin ice...

    *Royal Society for the Protection of Italian Carbon
  • tardington
    tardington Posts: 1,379
    Is this a bad time to admit I've moved the telly so I can play xbox in bed?
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Il Principe wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    I really must clean the maxima. Oh the guilt. In fact, I'm off to buy some Mr Sheen...

    You want to watch out. I have been granted the power (by RSPIC) to remove mistreated Italian carbon from unloving/neglectful owners. After your little off road stunt the other day you are already on thin ice...

    *Royal Society for the Protection of Italian Carbon

    :lol::lol:

    It's not unloved... neglected, perhaps, but not unloved.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    I serviced an old boiler once.
  • Roastie
    Roastie Posts: 1,968
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Il Principe wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    I really must clean the maxima. Oh the guilt. In fact, I'm off to buy some Mr Sheen...

    You want to watch out. I have been granted the power (by RSPIC) to remove mistreated Italian carbon from unloving/neglectful owners. After your little off road stunt the other day you are already on thin ice...

    *Royal Society for the Protection of Italian Carbon

    :lol::lol:

    It's not unloved... neglected, perhaps, but not unloved.
    To the RSPIC that is pretty much the same thing. :shock:

    Hand it over, young lady!
    David
    Engineered Bicycles
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Roastie wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Il Principe wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    I really must clean the maxima. Oh the guilt. In fact, I'm off to buy some Mr Sheen...

    You want to watch out. I have been granted the power (by RSPIC) to remove mistreated Italian carbon from unloving/neglectful owners. After your little off road stunt the other day you are already on thin ice...

    *Royal Society for the Protection of Italian Carbon

    :lol::lol:

    It's not unloved... neglected, perhaps, but not unloved.
    To the RSPIC that is pretty much the same thing. :shock:

    Hand it over, young lady!


    I'm going, I'm going! :D
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    Well - Saturday was spent stripping down and cleaning my bike like never before... the insane thing was this was because it was going in for a service and I didn't want to the guy to think I neglected the bike!

    I was sat on the drive, the rear wheel across my legs and me with a cloth running it through each of the nine cogs to get them gleaming clean... must've been a comical sight :wink:

    Polished every spoke, cleaned out every nook and cranny and left the bike spotless.


    Mind you, it was all worth when I dropped the bike off yesterday and the guy looked it over and said "What do you actually want us to do?" :lol:
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Kieran_Burns wrote:
    Well - Saturday was spent stripping down and cleaning my bike like never before... the insane thing was this was because it was going in for a service and I didn't want to the guy to think I neglected the bike!

    I was sat on the drive, the rear wheel across my legs and me with a cloth running it through each of the nine cogs to get them gleaming clean... must've been a comical sight :wink:

    Polished every spoke, cleaned out every nook and cranny and left the bike spotless.


    Mind you, it was all worth when I dropped the bike off yesterday and the guy looked it over and said "What do you actually want us to do?" :lol:

    Quicker to take the cassette off!

    Clean bike for service = mechanic treats it with more respect. IMHO.
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    Except I don't know how to :oops:
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    Kieran_Burns wrote:
    Except I don't know how to :oops:

    Leave it out in the rain nature will take it's course one way or another.
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • Greg T
    Greg T Posts: 3,266
    tardington wrote:
    Is this a bad time to admit I've moved the telly so I can play xbox in bed?

    This is not a good sign.

    Do you think "Crisps" are one of the main food groups and are you Not in Education, Employment or Training?
    Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.

    What would Thora Hurd do?
  • _Brun_
    _Brun_ Posts: 1,740
    Kieran_Burns wrote:
    ...Mind you, it was all worth when I dropped the bike off yesterday and the guy looked it over and said "What do you actually want us to do?" :lol:
    Reading between the lines suggests that their idea of a servicing a bike goes no further than making sure it's clean.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    _Brun_ wrote:
    Kieran_Burns wrote:
    ...Mind you, it was all worth when I dropped the bike off yesterday and the guy looked it over and said "What do you actually want us to do?" :lol:
    Reading between the lines suggests that their idea of a servicing a bike goes no further than making sure it's clean.

    +1!
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    Well, it looks all clean and pretty again now, although I feel appearances can be deceiving...

    Anyone fancy giving me a complete 'how to clean your bike' course while we're in Wales?

    I think I may have put the rear wheel back on wrong somehow... :oops:
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,477
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Anyone fancy cleaning my bike while we're in Wales?

    Say what you really mean :lol:
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • Fireblade96
    Fireblade96 Posts: 1,123
    lost_in_thought wrote:

    I think I may have put the rear wheel back on wrong somehow... :oops:

    Cassette on the same side as derailleur and chain = wheel in the right way round :wink:
    Misguided Idealist
  • prj45
    prj45 Posts: 2,208
    biondino wrote:
    Jamey wrote:

    This was a couple of days after my right crank arm sheared through just after Hammersmith roundabout.

    Small mercies!

    I had one pedal arm snap off while going round Aldwych at speed if that helps. Don't quite know how I stayed on.
    Photos - Blog - Bike
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    It's that kind of sudden, catastrophic structural failure that scares me about bikes. The worst accident I have had so far came when my cassette failed without warning, pitching me hard into the road when standing up and accelerating.
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    biondino wrote:
    It's that kind of sudden, catastrophic structural failure that scares me about bikes. The worst accident I have had so far came when my cassette failed without warning, pitching me hard into the road when standing up and accelerating.

    WTF? Ouch.

    This is why it is so important to keep your bikes in good nick. If you clean and maintain your bike then you are much more likely to catch issues before they catch you. I'd imagine that it's very very rare for decent kit to fail without displaying any type of warning - loose bolt, a visible crack, odd feeling/noise etc. I make a point of checking bolt tightness as well as regularly removing the cassette for cleaning & tooth wear inspection etc. A clean bike is a happy bike!
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Yes, I was certainly guilty of not maintaining that bike (which was secondhand anyway), so perhaps I would have realised things weren't right before it came to the (literal) crunch.
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)

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