Protecting a new bike

Si1988

Hi all, done a quick search and cant find what I'm looking for, expecting a new bike to arrive on my doorstep in the next few days and was searching for a "protecting your new bike for dummies" sorta thread. Apologies if this should be in the workshop forum, couldnt really decide on the most suitable place.

I've picked up a 2m Length of heli tape and a chainstay protector, the latter speaks for itself but where do I want to be slapping on the plastic?

I realise these are probably very obious answers but I dont want to do all of the key points that are easy to find and then three months down the line have a chunk of paint missing somewhere.

Other things such as greased threads, would I be best to unscrew everything I can, grease them and put it back together, just to avoid dreaded stuck maxles and the like. Would this be unnecessary fuss? If not, what sort of grease and I best using?

I'm an advocate of the 5 minutes now saves 10 minutes later approach, so any tips or things I'm likely to miss, please do fire away.

Many thanks

Simon

paulbox

Stick it on the frame where the brake hoses & gear cables are going to hit. Normally on the side of the head tube as a minimum.

bennett_346

No need to grease a maxle, just don't overtighten it.

Raymondavalon

bennett_346 wrote:

No need to grease a maxle, just don't overtighten it.

I disagree, after spending £40 on a new Maxle on Saturday.
After every ride, remove the Maxle axle, wipe it clean and give it a light coating of grease, otherwise the moisture and muck will cause it to seize up and get stuck in the hub.
I got lazy and paid the price...

I had to destroy my Maxle with a hammer and socket extension (used as a flat edge punch) trying to dislodge it. The impact from punching it out ruined the threads on the axle. Oh, and I am not the only person who's had this happen

thel33ter

Raymondavalon wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

No need to grease a maxle, just don't overtighten it.

I disagree, after spending £40 on a new Maxle on Saturday.
After every ride, remove the Maxle axle, wipe it clean and give it a light coating of grease, otherwise the moisture and muck will cause it to seize up and get stuck in the hub.
I got lazy and paid the price...

I had to destroy my Maxle with a hammer and socket extension (used as a flat edge punch) trying to dislodge it. The impact from punching it out ruined the threads on the axle. Oh, and I am not the only person who's had this happen

Same thing happened on my forks, but it jammed into the fork leg (I assume) Managed to get it out without damaging it too much, and now coat it in wet lube or grease whenever the front wheel comes out, or every month or so.

bennett_346

Take out an clean, yes, wholeheartedly agree because mine almost did the same. But grease? Not necessary as whenever i've done it all it did was attract more dirt which did the jamming.

Periodically loosening it is very reccomended by me as i've found it tightens itself when riding much like pedals.

nwmlarge

i agree on greasing a maxle
i had to hammer mine out of the wheel, it came away from the forks no worries but got stuck in my sas wheel.

heli tape anywhere a cable touches the frame, turn the handle bars about to see all the places.
i'd also be inclined to put some on the crank arms if you can.

Si1988

I think greasing the maxle sounds like something worth doing, at least on the threads cos although I absolutely adore hammers, I dont intend to have to use one on my bike! What's the best grease to be doing this with or will any do? All I have in the garage at the moment is a tin of "chain lube" and silicone grease.

I've got 2m of helitape so can probably be quite liberal, not enough to coat my tubes in the stuff, but plenty for contact areas. How does it stick on slightly matte finish surfaces? I think my crank arms have a slight satin finish as do the fork crowns and I've heard it isnt recommended for matte finish paint, but assumed this may be purely cosmetic.

As far as loosening off pedals once in a while goes. And sorry if this has been done before, but I've not seen/heard of anyone doing it, and this may be because it is an awful and lazy idea... not sure yet.... but here goes... But would putting the pedals on not completely tightened, but with locktite on the threads, mean that they are both secure but not further bound to the cranks by pedalling? if you get my drift... probably a stupid solution to a problem that is otherwise easily solved. It's my day off and my mind does wander off course sometimes.

Either which way cheers for the words, Should be getting bike delivered to work on friday, hope it doesnt come early or I'll be twitching to get home with it!

cooldad

Si1988 wrote:

IAs far as loosening off pedals once in a while goes. And sorry if this has been done before, but I've not seen/heard of anyone doing it, and this may be because it is an awful and lazy idea... not sure yet.... but here goes... But would putting the pedals on not completely tightened, but with locktite on the threads, mean that they are both secure but not further bound to the cranks by pedalling? if you get my drift... probably a stupid solution to a problem that is otherwise easily solved. It's my day off and my mind does wander off course sometimes.

No, just no.

nwmlarge

if you left the pedals not tightened there would be the danger of an introduction of grit to the thread which would then tighten and perhaps lead to them getting stuck.

i would use chain lube in the absence of anything else on the maxle.

joshtp

always grease threads on pedals and stuff... and always grease a maxle... heli tape on all vulnerable area's... so downtube, headtube, cable rub spots, chainstays... wherever you feel it necessary.

Si1988

there would be the danger of an introduction of grit to the thread

Didnt think about that. Upon waking up completely I've decided that yeah, that was a bad plan. Overthinking the simple, not really a morning person.

Thanks for helping me avert disaster, grit is not friendly.

donkykong

great ideas chaps

Anonymous

Pedals and cranks are usually threaded in directions that will mean they are unlikely to come off whilst peddling. If anything they'll tighten with use. Note that the threads are different each side.

If you want to grease threads, use copper anti-seize grease. Otherwise it's regular bike grease for bearings etc.

Locktite is usually used on small lower torque items that need it (pivot & suspension bolts for example), but check the manuals and specs for the frame and components. They usually say where you should use locktite. Fairly useless on high torque items and you want anti-seize on them to help getting them off next time.

Download manuals from the various web sites of the component manufacturer (if they didn't come with the bike, or the stuff with the bike aren't the right ones as often can be the case).

Personally I'd get a torque wrench if you're not confident on the right torque by hand. At least the higher torque one. This way you are less likely to over tighten as manufacturers and gorilla handed LBS mechanics often are. I find all my kit comes off much easier now I've got them at the correct torque rather than as it came (which required heavy duty stuff to get some parts off!).

MattJWL

heli tape on all vulnerable area's... so downtube, headtube, cable rub spots, chainstays

+1.
Also side of seat stays, under BB, rear of seat-tube, fork lowers, and crank arms. don't bother with anything else, IMHO, having done this a few times I reckon doing ony more is not worth the effort. You'll always get scratches / knocks / dents on a mountainbike, but if you've covered these areas then you've done 'due diligence'.

If you get carried away, you can always start 'heli taping yourself too..

cheers
m

MountainMonster

Jesus christ people it's a mountain bike, not some priceless painting.

So much heli-tape, every spot with heli tape. Over the top man!

Put it where cables will rub. My frame still looks good as new after a few offs in rock sections and I only heli taped where the cables go by the headtube and by seatstays.

cooldad

MountainMonster wrote:

Jesus christ people it's a mountain bike, not some priceless painting.

So much heli-tape, every spot with heli tape. Over the top man!

Put it where cables will rub. My frame still looks good as new after a few offs in rock sections and I only heli taped where the cables go by the headtube and by seatstays.

This.

Anonymous

All that tape would be enough to give a weight weenie a fit!

Si1988

MattJWL wrote:

If you get carried away, you can always start 'heli taping yourself too..

The bike isnt here yet, I had to find some way of vouching for its stickiness... saves temptation later too!

Either way just been in the garage and spotted the brother's bike, and his 2 month old 'dale has had the crap rubbed out of it, his loss is my gain, anywhere there is paint missing on his, there shall be heli tape on mine!

MountainMonster

Si1988 wrote:

MattJWL wrote:

If you get carried away, you can always start 'heli taping yourself too..

The bike isnt here yet, I had to find some way of vouching for its stickiness... saves temptation later too!

Either way just been in the garage and spotted the brother's bike, and his 2 month old 'dale has had the crap rubbed out of it, his loss is my gain, anywhere there is paint missing on his, there shall be heli tape on mine!

A little bit of heli tape is not bad, all i'm saying is don't treat it like some crazy americans treat their kid. Making it leave the house 100% protected so no harm can ever be done. We're not talking about priceless things here, it's a mountain bike, it's meant to get dirty, get scratched and have problems. If you want a completely clean bike, go buy a roadie!

Epoch_02

I've found the Shimano anti sieze paste to be pretty effective so far. With that and a torque wrench post ride stripdown and clean have been a pleasure. I don't have a Maxle but am pretty sure the anti seize would be a good idea.

lobsterhotpot

The helitape on my stumpy looks a bit scratched.............should I helitape my helitape?

oodboo

MountainMonster wrote:

If you want a completely clean bike, go buy a roadie!

Road dirt is worse. I think mud is cleaner if that makes any sense.

Anyway, a mountain bike is designed to take a few knocks and it will. If you want to keep it pristine then polish it up and hang it on your wall. Accept that it's going to get marks and scratches or don't ride it.

And yes, grease your maxle. The bearings in my hope hub corroded and stuck to the maxle. LBS sorted it without breaking anything but I spent a couple of weeks trying to get the bloody thing out before I took it there.