Bike maintenance

loukir
loukir Posts: 65
edited July 2011 in Road beginners
Could someone please advise me on the maintenance that I should be carrying out on my bike on a regular basis. At the moment besides cleaning I am unsure of what actually needs to be done..... and how to do things!! :oops:
Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Comments

  • jonni3
    jonni3 Posts: 57
    Hi loukir, here are couple of links that should be of some help to you .....

    what needs to be done Bicycle maintenance & how to do things.
    Fuji team 1.0
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    have a read and Bookmark Parktools site See below and Sheldons pages are worth a read.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • ollyridesfirst
    ollyridesfirst Posts: 486
    http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... highlight=

    3rd post down :wink:
  • loukir
    loukir Posts: 65
    That's brilliant thanks for your help guys.....
    How would I know whether I can take the chain off for a soak?
    I know it's been mentioned before, but what dry lube should i use, or are they all very similar?
  • godders1
    godders1 Posts: 750
    Any chain will come off; if your chain has a link that looks different from all the other links then it has a master link that can be removed without tools. (e.g. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... odelID=871). If not you’ll need a chain tool but once you’ve got the chain off you can install a master link for easy removal next time.

    Finish line dry lube works for me (I use their wet in winter too).
  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    I bought a Park Tools chain cleaner and to be honest - havent really found the need to remove the chain for a full soak in a fair while.

    I do all my own maintenance and generally get the bike up on a workstand and give it the quick once over every 2 or 3 hundred miles. Only takes 5 or 10 minutes. Spin the wheels to check for trueness and centred brakes. Run through the all gears and check cables for fraying. With the bike on the ground - apply front brake and rock to check the headset. Check all bolts for tightness, lube pivot points of derailleurs etc. I also regularly re-torque all bolts

    The more you do these basic checks the quicker you get. You'll soon notice any changes from doing such regular checks as you gain a "feel" for it.
  • Thebigbee
    Thebigbee Posts: 570
    Godders1 wrote:
    Any chain will come off; if your chain has a link that looks different from all the other links then it has a master link that can be removed without tools. (e.g. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... odelID=871). If not you’ll need a chain tool but once you’ve got the chain off you can install a master link for easy removal next time.

    Finish line dry lube works for me (I use their wet in winter too).

    Do those master links work with Shimano chains?

    Cheers
  • godders1
    godders1 Posts: 750
    Thebigbee wrote:
    Do those master links work with Shimano chains?

    Cheers
    Yes.
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Shimano 9 & 10 spd chains require a new pin to replace the old one that you pushed out when splitting the chain, so you may as well buy the easy-split link and be done with it. I found this out the hard way.

    If you use your bike in the wet, give the wheels & brakes a wash down with warm soapy water to remove the rim-grinding residue that builds up. You'll get full braking performance back too.
  • jefflad
    jefflad Posts: 315
    So you clean your chain with your choice of cleaner, before re-oiling do you clean the chain with say water or something and dry off or just rub the chain with an old cloth and oil away?

    Always wondered the correct way for this, I do the latter.

    Jeff
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    A wipe down with an oily rag soaked in GT85 is enough to get it to a state of cleanliness, followed by a generous application of light oil with the surplus caught & wiped off with another part of the same oily rag. I use the Cycle Oil for a £1 a pot that you'll find in most hardware shops. It does what it says on the tin, apparently.

    For a thorough clean I remove the chain, leave it to soak it in a Chinese Takeaway pot of dilute Muc-Off or similar whilst I remove the cassette and give that the once over to make it look new and clean the front rings thoroughly, then get back to the chain. Scrub each link with a toothbrush on both sides, give it another swish in the takeaway pot then rinse it thoroughly in clean water before drying. I leave mine in the sun whilst I have a cup of tea etc. Put in another takeaway pot sitting in clean oil for a while, then wipe, refit it, apply / wipe final dose of oil as before and it's as good as new. The oil in the clean pot can go back in the oil pot as it's only been round a clean chain.

    I also swap chains (buy a new one when you buy a bike) every 1500 miles or so. It seems to work for me and I enjoy doing it.

    Edit - before anyone shouts this down as a bit OCD it's 20 minutes or so on a spare morning / evening, and as any fule know clean bikes are quicker. :)
  • jefflad
    jefflad Posts: 315
    WOW... I've been neglecting my chain! :P

    Seriously though I'm going to do the same but for the oil would 3 in 1 be Ok?
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    3 in 1 is fine.

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