Winter bike prep

rumbataz

My old hybrid bike (GT Zum S2) has now become my Winter bike. It's four years old and completely stock apart from much better tyres. I've cleaned the chain and relubed it every now and then, and the gears shift very smoothly as I've learned how to adjust them.

However, it's still on the original brake pads, discs and mineral oil. I don't know if I'm comfortable servicing those items so was considering getting my LBS to do that for me.

What I'm after is a checklist on what bits would need checking or replacing on a 4-year old bike, assuming nothing has ever been replaced. For example, should the chain itself be replaced?

dj58

Depends on the mileage you have done over the four years and your maintenance regime. If your chain has worn past the 0.75 on a chain wear tool then you may also need a new cassette.
http://roadcyclinguk.com/how-to/maintenance/maintenance-chain-checking-and-replacement-part-one.html#kg2fWr652XImbwvZ.97

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/technical-tuesday-chain-wear-2010.html

As for you disc rotors and pads, as long as you have not let the pads wear down to the metal backing and the rotors are not scored then new pads should be sufficient. http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/how-to-service-hydraulic-disc-brake-calipers-video-43227/

As for the rest check the inner and outer derailleur control cables and replace if there are signs of wear, splitting/fraying. If you haven't already done so consider fitting mudguards.

In addition check the headset bearings clean/re-grease or replace if shot, same with wheel hub bearings, also check for loose or broken wheel spokes, wheels running true and tyres for cuts/damage. Clean and lube derailleur pivot points, jockey wheels and check the security of the chain ring bolts, BB for play if serviceable clean/re-grease bearings.

vorsprung

The wheels on my faster winter bike needed fixing so I build new ones

https://audaxing.wordpress.com/2015/10/28/going-tubeless-not-made-easy/

Really I think that the tyres and wheels are the most crucial thing to check. If you have old/worn tyres that have been on all summer consider changing them.

Here's my rule of thumb for my best bike if I am taking it on a long ride. I spin the back wheel and count the tiny nicks in the tread casing. Those very small gashes that were caused by a small flint or other sharp that the tyre repelled. Count them, if there are more than 4 get a new pair of tyres.

You might think that this is extreme and it may not apply the same to everyone but the general idea is: assess how worn your tyres are with careful examination and replace them if they are less than ideal.

I agree with DJ58's points too. Chains and brake pads/rotors are to be replaced on a schedule

You can ignore this advice if you like but you will remember it when the light fades in a layby, the temperature drops and your mobile phone calls are ignored

rumbataz

Thanks everyone. I'll check what I'm competent enough to check myself (which isn't a great deal at the moment although I'm learning slowly).

My LBS charges 90GBP + parts for a full bike strip and rebuild. Do you think it's worth doing this for peace of mind as I want the bike to last several Winters? The bike only cost me around 400GBP so I don't really want to spend a huge amount of money on it. Surprisingly it rides really well at the moment but there could be terminal issues hidden away that I don't want to be exposed to during a Winter ride.

I imagine the full rebuild would include most or all of the checks mentioned in this thread (I can check with the LBS on this point).

dj58

Do you have any bicycle specific tools? If not are you prepared to buy some and learn to do things yourself?

You have two bikes, the hybrid would be ideal to learn maintenance on. If the bike is running smoothly at the moment, I would personally spend the £90 on selected tools and study the online you tube guides, GCN are good, Bikeradar have some also, and tackle one job at a time.

You can ask for advice in the Workshop forum, there are plenty of knowledgeable people there.

rumbataz

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19731972#p19731972]DJ58[/url] wrote:

Do you have any bicycle specific tools? If not are you prepared to buy some and learn to do things yourself?

You have two bikes, the hybrid would be ideal to learn maintenance on. If the bike is running smoothly at the moment, I would personally spend the £90 on selected tools and study the online you tube guides, GCN are good, Bikeradar have some also, and tackle one job at a time.

You can ask for advice in the Worksop forum, there are plenty of knowledgeable people there.

Hi DJ58, yes I have a few cycle-specific tools. Here's what I have from memory:

- Tyre levers
- Workstand
- Floor pump
- A couple of multi-tools (BikeHut and Lezyne)
- Various lubes (GT85, WD40, Morgan Blue Syn, etc)
- Lots of car cleaning stuff, polishes, sealants, waxes + cloths/rags (I guess some could be used on cycles)
- CO2 cartridges + inflator
- Pedal spanners (8mm hex key and 15mm spanner)
- Chain cleaning tool + cleaning fluid
- Claw brush
- Torque wrench (2NM - 24NM)

So I've got the basics I think.

I'm definitely prepared to learn and use the hybrid to learn on. Just struggle with the confidence at the moment!

On the hybrid the thing at the forefront of my mind is the brake fluid (mineral oil) which hasn't been changed for 4 years. I'm also a little concerned about the chain as it's come off a few times and got wedged between the frame and the inside of the chain rings whilst I've been playing around learning to adjust the gears (which I've finally managed to work out!).

photonic69

="rumbataz" Here's what I have from memory:

- Tyre levers
- Workstand
- Floor pump
- A couple of multi-tools (BikeHut and Lezyne)
- Various lubes (GT85, WD40, Morgan Blue Syn, etc)
- Lots of car cleaning stuff, polishes, sealants, waxes + cloths/rags (I guess some could be used on cycles)
- CO2 cartridges + inflator
- Pedal spanners (8mm hex key and 15mm spanner)
- Chain cleaning tool + cleaning fluid
- Claw brush
- Torque wrench (2NM - 24NM)

So I've got the basics I think.

It's a good start for maintenance.

I'd suggest the following additions:

Set of Cone spanners for wheel bearings
Decent Set of Hex Keys
Chain Checker gauge
Chain Breaker Tool
Rear Cassette Tool
Chain Whip
Bottom Bracket tool
Grease Gun (makes life a little easier)
Decent sharp side cutters or proper cable cutter for brakes/gear cables etc.

The above can each be got for around £10+ on average for passable quality. Maybe a little more for the cutter. If you intend to be serious about doing jobs then spend at least 50% more on key items.

With that set up you can tackle 97% of bike jobs that are required on a yearly basis. Leave wheel truing and bearing presses to your LBS. Never tackled hydro brakes before so no idea.

HTH

Nic

dj58

@Rumbataz

Regarding your mineral brake fluid, are your brake levers spongy, have excessive travel, do you think that air has entered the system, or do you wish to change it because it is four years old? How worn are the brake pads? Here is the BR guide to bleeding Shimano brakes, not sure what your bike has, principle could be the same. http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/how-to-bleed-shimano-disc-brakes-video-43182/

If you want to have a go I suggest that you start a new post in the workshop forum stating what model of brakes you have. Might be worth fitting new pads first to see if that restores the braking performance.

Re. your chain, overshifting is due to the derailleur limit screws not being set correctly, as opposed to the chain being worn. Fitting a new chain is straight forward, buy a KMC or SRAM chain that have a quick link and a Park Tools mini chain brute CT-5 to cut the new chain to the correct length, use the old chain as a guide and join with the quick link. As I said before depending on how far the O.E. chain has worn, if the new chain skips on all or the most used gears, then you will need to change the cassette.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWchudX-Tqs

To change the cassette you will need a cassette lockring tool and a chain whip.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-performance-cassette-remover/
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-performance-7-11-speed-chain-whip/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05WxxDo4CvY

rumbataz

A quick update: bike is with the LBS now and they've phoned to say that the chain needs replacing as it has stretched and the rear cassette is worn but still usable, but will need to be replaced fairly soon anyway. They also adjusted the rear disc brakes as they were rubbing. The rest of the bike seems to be fine and the brakes system's mineral oil doesn't need to be replaced. I asked them to change the chain and cassette.

The overall cost is just under 65 quid - that's for a standard service, inspection, chain replacement and rear cassette replacement. Does that sound reasonable?

Personally I'm happy that the tough little bike has managed four years with not too much damage and wear and tear. The LBS did say that the chain should be checked/replaced at least every 6 months so I might invest in a tool to check for chain stretch.

I think all the other minor things I can do myself. I really would have struggled to change the chain and rear cassette by myself!

keef66

[quoteThe overall cost is just under 65 quid - that's for a standard service, inspection, chain replacement and rear cassette replacement. Does that sound reasonable?[/quote]

If your bike is 8 speed as I suspect, parts should have cost £20. £25 at the very maximum, so I suppose £65 all in isn't out of the question.

(I may be a little biased; my son's just had to pay an £800 ransom to get his car back from it's MOT test) :shock:

rumbataz

So I ended up doing a fairly comprehensive Winter bike prep in the end.

It started off with a bike service several weeks ago in which the cassette and chain were changed. The gears weren't changing smoothly so I managed to index them.

I replaced a few items on the bike with:

- Charge Spoon saddle
- Thomson seatpost and collar (I managed to get a replacement bolt for the collar after the original one 'exploded')
- Wellgo MG1 flat pedals
- Lezyne Deca Drive 1500XXL Front Light
- Ergon GP1 grips
- Uberbike Race Matrix disc brake pads
- Shimano RT66 disc brake rotors

Still on the To-Do list are new tyres and inner tubes.