What to do to 'maintain' my Bicycle?

Quoted message said:

Can someone point me to a website that has directions (and pictures)
on how to "tune up" a bicycle?

I am not a serious rider like most of you.
I have a 12 speed Panasonic that I bought like 16 years ago.
I use it to ride around the neighborhood, I never oiled it, or done
any type of maintenance.
Never had a problem with it, I actually don't even shift the gears, I
just ride it by the water to enjoy the weather, nothing serious.

But I have not ridden the bicycle for 2 years.

I want to start again, but since I haven't ridden it for 2 years, do I
need to do some type of tune up?
I called a bicycle place asked them, they said a tune up is $70, but
they wouldn't tell me what is involved.
My brakes are fine (Im riding slowly by the water anyway, heck, I can
stop by putting my foot down!)
The only thing I think I need to do is oil it (since I never done it
before) and also change the wrap around the handle bar. Right now its
a sponge-like material and it hurts the palm of my hand when I lean on
it.

Is there a website that can show me step by step where to oil, etc.

Thanks

Dear T,

Click on a bike part at this Park Tool site, and you'll get some idea
of what can be done:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/bikemap.asp

It's easy to pump the tires up.

Replacing a rusted chain or control cable is a little harder.

Replacing axle, bottom bracket, or headset bearings is harder.

If padded tape on a handlebar isn't enough, try a pair of gloves with
palm pads.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

Quoted message said:

Can someone point me to a website that has directions (and pictures)
on how to "tune up" a bicycle?

I am not a serious rider like most of you.
I have a 12 speed Panasonic that I bought like 16 years ago.
I use it to ride around the neighborhood, I never oiled it, or done
any type of maintenance.
Never had a problem with it, I actually don't even shift the gears, I
just ride it by the water to enjoy the weather, nothing serious.

But I have not ridden the bicycle for 2 years.

I want to start again, but since I haven't ridden it for 2 years, do I
need to do some type of tune up?

Just pump up the tyres and oil the chain.

If you're feeling adventurous, pick it up and spin the wheels round by
hand. Check they spin freely and don't make a grinding noise or
anything. If they do you might want to clean them out and replace the
grease, but you need special spanners for that.

Quoted message said:

I called a bicycle place asked them, they said a tune up is $70, but
they wouldn't tell me what is involved.

They might be thinking of regreasing all the bearings. Otherwise they
probably just check it over and adjust the gears. Maybe they true the
wheels if they need them.

Quoted message said:

My brakes are fine (Im riding slowly by the water anyway, heck, I can
stop by putting my foot down!)
The only thing I think I need to do is oil it (since I never done it
before) and also change the wrap around the handle bar. Right now its
a sponge-like material and it hurts the palm of my hand when I lean on
it.

Is there a website that can show me step by step where to oil, etc.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com. Accept no substitutes.

You just put the oil on the chain. More details:
http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html.

Nothing else usually needs oiling, although put a bit here and there if
things like derailleurs and brake calipers are actually stuck and look
like they need it.

Quoted message said:

Click on a bike part at this Park Tool site, and you'll get some idea
of what can be done:
 http://www.parktool.com/repair/bikemap.asp

Thanks for the link.
I took a look at cleaning the chain, looks complicated!
I thought I would just put a few drops of WD-40 on the chain and thats
it.

Quoted message said:

It's easy to pump the tires up.

I just took a look at the bike, and even though I have not touched it
in 2 years, the tires are not cracked.
They are totally worn/bare, but thats fine with me, since Im not doing
any serious riding.

Quoted message said:

Replacing a rusted chain or control cable is a little harder.

The chain does not look rusted.

Quoted message said:

Replacing axle, bottom bracket, or headset bearings is harder.

Would I need to do that?

Quoted message said:

If padded tape on a handlebar isn't enough, try a pair of gloves with
palm pads.

I dont have tape, I have a sponge like material on the handle bars.
Im thinking of replacing that with the padded tape.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I want to start again, but since I haven't ridden it for 2 years, do I
need to do some type of tune up?

Just pump up the tyres and oil the chain.

Cool.

Quoted message said:

If you're feeling adventurous, pick it up and spin the wheels round by
hand. Check they spin freely and don't make a grinding noise or
anything. If they do you might want to clean them out and replace the
grease, but you need special spanners for that.

I probably wont do that.
Even if they make a grinding noise, all that would do is slow the
bicycle down, make me work a little more to pedal (I assume)...I have
no problems with that.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I called a bicycle place asked them, they said a tune up is $70, but
they wouldn't tell me what is involved.

They might be thinking of regreasing all the bearings. Otherwise they
probably just check it over and adjust the gears. Maybe they true the
wheels if they need them.

What bearings? You mean the tires? (like what you just described
above)
Adjust the gears? I dont need that, I shift the gears like once over
a ride (when I go up the hill on the way home)

Quoted message said:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com. Accept no substitutes.

Nice site.

Quoted message said:

You just put the oil on the chain. More details:http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html.

Can't I just:
1. Have someone lift the bike by the seat (so the rear wheel is off
the ground)
2. Turn the pedal and hold a napkin against the chain (to get rid of
the oil thats there)
3. Then turn the pedal again, and put a few drops of WD-40 on the
chain

Wouldnt that work?

Although the part on the rear wheel that the chain connects to (the
place where the chain 'shifts'😉 looks a bit grimy (but then again, it
has ALWAYS looked grimy).
Is that the derailer?
I probably need to clean that also somehow.
or maybe not.

Quoted message said:

Nothing else usually needs oiling, although put a bit here and there if
things like derailleurs and brake calipers are actually stuck and look
like they need it.

Cool.
Thanks

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Click on a bike part at this Park Tool site, and you'll get some idea
of what can be done:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/bikemap.asp

Thanks for the link.
I took a look at cleaning the chain, looks complicated!
I thought I would just put a few drops of WD-40 on the chain and thats
it.

I'm sure that if there's any regular readers of the automotive groups
that I frequent here, they'll recognize that I'm trying to restrain
myself from ranting here... WD-40 is NOT a lubricant! I can't stress
that enough! It's a mixture of (a little) very light oil and (a lot of)
solvent. It's great for its intended purpose, which is displacing water
from parts that aren't supposed to be wet but are. It's also a halfway
decent solvent when you really ought to disassemble something for proper
cleaning but can't for whatever reason. It's a lousy lube. It seems
like it works well at first, but any lubricating properties that it has
will be gone in a week or so.

In short, WD-40 is a quality product that has a place on any handyman or
mechanic's shelf, but it has been overhyped by its manufacturer and
recommended for many uses for which it's not suited. It's perfect for
drying out the distributor cap on your old Triumph - that's what it's
made for. As a solvent, it's great, especially if you're trying to
clean a painted surface where more aggressive solvents could cause
damage. As a penetrating oil, it sucks - use PB Blaster, Kroil, Wuerth
Rost Off instead. As a lubricant, it also sucks - use a simple oil can
or spray grease. Use the right tool for the job!

IMHO if your chain is really crapped up, *cleaning* it with WD-40 might
not be a bad place to start, but if mine really needed cleaning that bad
I might be tempted to remove it and clean it in something like a can of
carb dip instead. Then let dry, and lube it with something intended for
the purpose; either simple motor oil or by boiling it in grease.

Or you could just do what many people do and simply lube it with an oil
can loaded with plain old motor oil or ATF and simply keep on riding.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's easy to pump the tires up.

I just took a look at the bike, and even though I have not touched it
in 2 years, the tires are not cracked.
They are totally worn/bare, but thats fine with me, since Im not doing
any serious riding.

No tread is OK, in fact is perfectly fine as long as you're not going
off-road. If the tires are actually showing cords, however, it's time
for replacement.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Replacing a rusted chain or control cable is a little harder.

The chain does not look rusted.

Quoted message said:

Replacing axle, bottom bracket, or headset bearings is harder.

Would I need to do that?

Not unless you have problems.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If padded tape on a handlebar isn't enough, try a pair of gloves with
palm pads.

I dont have tape, I have a sponge like material on the handle bars.
Im thinking of replacing that with the padded tape.

So I'm guessing has flat bars, not "drop" bars? (that is, mountain bike
or cruiser style bars, not "10 speed" bars?) You may be able to
purchase new grips at your LBS if you prefer those. Your choice.

good luck

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

On 2008-04-10, [email hidden] <[email hidden]> wrote:
[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If you're feeling adventurous, pick it up and spin the wheels round by
hand. Check they spin freely and don't make a grinding noise or
anything. If they do you might want to clean them out and replace the
grease, but you need special spanners for that.

I probably wont do that.
Even if they make a grinding noise, all that would do is slow the
bicycle down, make me work a little more to pedal (I assume)...

Pretty much.

Quoted message said:

I have no problems with that.

No worries then.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I called a bicycle place asked them, they said a tune up is $70, but
they wouldn't tell me what is involved.

They might be thinking of regreasing all the bearings. Otherwise they
probably just check it over and adjust the gears. Maybe they true the
wheels if they need them.

What bearings?

You've got bearings in the hubs (so the wheels can turn), the bottom
bracket (so the cranks can turn) and the headset (so you can steer).

Their life can in some cases be prolonged by cleaning them out and
replacing the grease occasionally, but nothing that disastrous happens
if you don't.

It's not like the bearings in your helicopter rotor. You probably want
to keep a closer eye on those ones.

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You just put the oil on the chain. More details:http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html.

Can't I just:
1. Have someone lift the bike by the seat (so the rear wheel is off
the ground)
2. Turn the pedal and hold a napkin against the chain (to get rid of
the oil thats there)
3. Then turn the pedal again, and put a few drops of WD-40 on the
chain

Wouldnt that work?

That would work just fine.

Quoted message said:

Although the part on the rear wheel that the chain connects to (the
place where the chain 'shifts'😉 looks a bit grimy (but then again, it
has ALWAYS looked grimy).
Is that the derailer?

What I think you mean is called the "cassette" or the "sprockets", or,
if you want to annoy Brandt, the "cogs". They are often real grimy, it
doesn't matter.

Quoted message said:

I probably need to clean that also somehow. or maybe not.

The grime just gets pushed down between the cogs where it doesn't hurt
anyone. If you want to go to town a better investment of time is
probably to clean the chain properly.

Quoted message said:

Can someone point me to a website that has directions (and pictures)
on how to "tune up" a bicycle?

go to the library, and check out a copy of "richard's bicycle
book" which has all the info you will need. and as others have
said, WD-40 is NOT a good lubricant. here in Rain Country(tm) we
use tri-flo, which has teflon particles in it to help get the
grit out of your chain. it works great for lubing cables, too.
get the small bottle with the little tube for getting into tight
spots.

if you want to clean the chain, an old toothbrush and a little
stoddard solvent works fine, then just wipe with an old rag. you
want to get as much grit out as possible, since that's what wears
down the chain.

you really DO want to grease your pedals, too. while they may
grind at first, some day that grinding will stop and the pedal
will freeze up at the most inconvenient time.

Nate Nagel said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Click on a bike part at this Park Tool site, and you'll get some idea
of what can be done:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/bikemap.asp

Thanks for the link.
I took a look at cleaning the chain, looks complicated!
I thought I would just put a few drops of WD-40 on the chain and thats
it.

I'm sure that if there's any regular readers of the automotive groups
that I frequent here, they'll recognize that I'm trying to restrain
myself from ranting here... WD-40 is NOT a lubricant! I can't stress
that enough! It's a mixture of (a little) very light oil and (a lot of)
solvent. It's great for its intended purpose, which is displacing water
from parts that aren't supposed to be wet but are. It's also a halfway
decent solvent when you really ought to disassemble something for proper
cleaning but can't for whatever reason. It's a lousy lube. It seems
like it works well at first, but any lubricating properties that it has
will be gone in a week or so.

WD-40 is no more liked by the RBT regulars. I find WD-40 useful for
cleaning asphalt off of test equipment.

Quoted message said:

In short, WD-40 is a quality product that has a place on any handyman or
mechanic's shelf, but it has been overhyped by its manufacturer and
recommended for many uses for which it's not suited. It's perfect for
drying out the distributor cap on your old Triumph - that's what it's
made for. As a solvent, it's great, especially if you're trying to
clean a painted surface where more aggressive solvents could cause
damage. As a penetrating oil, it sucks - use PB Blaster, Kroil, Wuerth
Rost Off instead. As a lubricant, it also sucks - use a simple oil can
or spray grease. Use the right tool for the job!

IMHO if your chain is really crapped up, *cleaning* it with WD-40 might
not be a bad place to start, but if mine really needed cleaning that bad
I might be tempted to remove it and clean it in something like a can of
carb dip instead. Then let dry, and lube it with something intended for
the purpose; either simple motor oil or by boiling it in grease.

Or you could just do what many people do and simply lube it with an oil
can loaded with plain old motor oil or ATF and simply keep on riding.[...]

Easy - Getting ALL the Jews, Christians and Muslims to agree on the true
teachings of God.

Hard - Getting cyclists to agree on proper chain cleaning and maintenance.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

Ben C? said:

[...]
What I think you mean is called the "cassette" or the "sprockets", or,
if you want to annoy Brandt, the "cogs".[...]

I think Kentucky Bourbon Man and Dear Carl have that assignment covered
pretty well.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

Quoted message said:

Can someone point me to a website that has directions (and pictures)
on how to "tune up" a bicycle?

Quoted message said:

Is there a website that can show me step by step where to oil, etc.

Try bicycletutor.com
Pretty useful info, easily understood, in little videos that play
right there on the website that show you how to do stuff.
And if you don't quite catch it the first time, just play it again.
You could start with "How to Clean and Lubricate a Chain".
Just use the stuff you want, and save the rest for another time.
Cheers,
ABS

Nate Nagel said:

I'm sure that if there's any regular readers of the automotive groups
that I frequent here, they'll recognize that I'm trying to restrain
myself from ranting here... WD-40 is NOT a lubricant!  I can't stress
that enough!  It's a mixture of (a little) very light oil and (a lot of)
solvent.  It's great for its intended purpose, which is displacing water
from parts that aren't supposed to be wet but are.  It's also a halfway
decent solvent when you really ought to disassemble something for proper
cleaning but can't for whatever reason.  It's a lousy lube.  It seems
like it works well at first, but any lubricating properties that it has
will be gone in a week or so.

But there SOME oil there.
Wouldn't putting WD-40 be better than not doing anything?
Like I said in the initial post, I rode the bike regularly for the
first 5 years, then once in awhile for the next 5, and I never oiled
anything, and there were no problems.
Im not even sure it needs oil now, I just assume I should since its
been sitting in the basement for the past 2 years, the oil probably
dried up.

Quoted message said:

IMHO if your chain is really crapped up, *cleaning* it with WD-40 might

I dont think the chain is too bad, the last time I rode it (2 years
ago) it was fine.
I guess I will go to a bike shop and buy some oil.
I'll use a rag and run the chain through it, then apply some oil.

Quoted message said:

So I'm guessing has flat bars, not "drop" bars?  (that is, mountain bike

I have 12 speed handle bars.
But I hold...where the brakes are.
My palms are sort of facing each other (wrapped around the brake).
Sort of like this:
http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/riders/pics/Armstrong_L5.jpg
So all my weight is on the pads of my palm (which is touching the
handle bar), and it hurts after awhile.
I figure I'll replace the sponge grip with padded grip.

Quoted message said:

Nate Nagel said:

I'm sure that if there's any regular readers of the automotive groups
that I frequent here, they'll recognize that I'm trying to restrain
myself from ranting here... WD-40 is NOT a lubricant!  I can't stress
that enough!  It's a mixture of (a little) very light oil and (a lot of)
solvent.  It's great for its intended purpose, which is displacing water
from parts that aren't supposed to be wet but are.  It's also a halfway
decent solvent when you really ought to disassemble something for proper
cleaning but can't for whatever reason.  It's a lousy lube.  It seems
like it works well at first, but any lubricating properties that it has
will be gone in a week or so.

But there SOME oil there.
Wouldn't putting WD-40 be better than not doing anything?

Yes, if it needs oil at all. If WD-40 is all you have in the house then
you can use it fine.

It's not that I am disputing what these more knowledgeable people say
about WD-40. I am sure there are better products for this application. I
don't use WD-40 on my chain myself. But to get things in perspective,
WD-40 doesn't really do any quantifiable harm. I used to use it on the
chain for years before the internet was invented and my chains lasted
just as long. YMMV etc. If the chain is sticking or rusting then WD-40
will be better than nothing.

At that time there was a rumour going around that WD-40 caused the pins
to come loose and pop out of the chain! I never really believed that.

Quoted message said:

Like I said in the initial post, I rode the bike regularly for the
first 5 years, then once in awhile for the next 5, and I never oiled
anything, and there were no problems.
Im not even sure it needs oil now, I just assume I should since its
been sitting in the basement for the past 2 years, the oil probably
dried up.

If it looks oily then it's probably OK. If it's rusting, put something
oily on it.

Quoted message said:

Nate Nagel said:

[...]
So I'm guessing has flat bars, not "drop" bars? (that is, mountain bike

I have 12 speed handle bars.
But I hold...where the brakes are.
My palms are sort of facing each other (wrapped around the brake).
Sort of like this:
http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/riders/pics/Armstrong_L5.jpg

That is called "riding on the hoods", the "hoods" being the rubber
pieces that cover the mechanical bits in the brake levers.

Quoted message said:

So all my weight is on the pads of my palm (which is touching the
handle bar), and it hurts after awhile.
I figure I'll replace the sponge grip with padded grip.

Try raising the handlebars enough that you can ride on the "drops" (the
lower curved part of the bars) also. Riding an upright bicycle for
longer distances WITHOUT varying the hand position is almost a guarantee
of hand discomfort, even with padding on the handlebars and/or in the
pads of the gloves.

See this article by the late Sheldon Brown:
<http://sheldonbrown.com/handsup.html>.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful

Quoted message said:

Nate Nagel said:

I'm sure that if there's any regular readers of the automotive groups
that I frequent here, they'll recognize that I'm trying to restrain
myself from ranting here... WD-40 is NOT a lubricant!  I can't stress
that enough!  It's a mixture of (a little) very light oil and (a lot of)
solvent.  It's great for its intended purpose, which is displacing water
from parts that aren't supposed to be wet but are.  It's also a halfway
decent solvent when you really ought to disassemble something for proper
cleaning but can't for whatever reason.  It's a lousy lube.  It seems
like it works well at first, but any lubricating properties that it has
will be gone in a week or so.

But there SOME oil there.
Wouldn't putting WD-40 be better than not doing anything?
Like I said in the initial post, I rode the bike regularly for the
first 5 years, then once in awhile for the next 5, and I never oiled
anything, and there were no problems.
Im not even sure it needs oil now, I just assume I should since its
been sitting in the basement for the past 2 years, the oil probably
dried up.

sure, it'd be better than doing nothing, but don't you have a spare
quart of 10W30 taking up space in your garage already? That'd be even
better IMHO.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

IMHO if your chain is really crapped up, *cleaning* it with WD-40 might

I dont think the chain is too bad, the last time I rode it (2 years
ago) it was fine.
I guess I will go to a bike shop and buy some oil.
I'll use a rag and run the chain through it, then apply some oil.

Quoted message said:

So I'm guessing has flat bars, not "drop" bars?  (that is, mountain bike

I have 12 speed handle bars.
But I hold...where the brakes are.
My palms are sort of facing each other (wrapped around the brake).
Sort of like this:http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/riders/pics/Armstrong_L5.jpg
So all my weight is on the pads of my palm (which is touching the
handle bar), and it hurts after awhile.
I figure I'll replace the sponge grip with padded grip.

I second the recommend for gloves in your case.

nate

Tom Sherman said:

WD-40 is no more liked by the RBT regulars. I find WD-40 useful for
cleaning asphalt off of test equipment.

And removing stickers from metallic surfaces..

Quoted message said:

Can someone point me to a website that has directions (and pictures)
on how to "tune up" a bicycle?

I am not a serious rider like most of you.
I have a 12 speed Panasonic that I bought like 16 years ago.
I use it to ride around the neighborhood, I never oiled it, or done
any type of maintenance.
Never had a problem with it, I actually don't even shift the gears, I
just ride it by the water to enjoy the weather, nothing serious.

But I have not ridden the bicycle for 2 years.

I want to start again, but since I haven't ridden it for 2 years, do I
need to do some type of tune up?
I called a bicycle place asked them, they said a tune up is $70, but
they wouldn't tell me what is involved.
My brakes are fine (Im riding slowly by the water anyway, heck, I can
stop by putting my foot down!)
The only thing I think I need to do is oil it (since I never done it
before) and also change the wrap around the handle bar.  Right now its
a sponge-like material and it hurts the palm of my hand when I lean on
it.

Is there a website that can show me step by step where to oil, etc.

Thanks

a bike that has not been maintained is best left alone- in my
experience- if you start undoing things and so on you will wind up
with a bike that falls apart on you on the road. keep riding it until
you are tired of it and decide to get a new bike- it's a lot easier,
you don't need to buy all kinds of tools and replacement parts that
are difficult to fit onto the older frame. a bike is surprisingly
efficient machine, evemn a poorly maintained one has a very high
efficiency index

WD 40 IS DEODORIZED KEROSENE

after 16 years, take it apart and reassemble from cables to tires and
hubs-headset-intra warp egneator -you name it. grease dries up and
after 16 years - Who knows ?
new bearings...

Went to the bike store this week to buy some lube/oil.
The guy kept taking out bottles that were way too big.
I told him "I had my bike for over 15 years without oiling, I doubt I
will need to oil it more than twice"

Finally he found a tiny tube:
Tri-Flow, superior lubricant - 1/4 of an ounce.

So heres my plan, how does it sound.
1. have someone lift up the bike by the seat
2. I will turn the pedal while holding a napkin on the chain (to wipe
off the old oil)
3. Then turn the pedal while putting some of this lube thing on the
chain
Thats it.

Do I need to lube every link of the chain?
Or can I do half and then due to the chain turning, the oil/lube will
get on the gear while will then in turn get it onto the rest of the
chain?

Now whats the best way to oil:
1. Turn the pedal and as the chain is turn, put the bottle mouth on
the chain and squeeze
OR
2. dab the mouth of the bottle on every link, then when Im done, then
turn the pedal to turn the chain?

Quoted message said:

Went to the bike store this week to buy some lube/oil.
The guy kept taking out bottles that were way too big.
I told him "I had my bike for over 15 years without oiling, I doubt I
will need to oil it more than twice"

Finally he found a tiny tube:
Tri-Flow, superior lubricant - 1/4 of an ounce.

So heres my plan, how does it sound.
1. have someone lift up the bike by the seat
2. I will turn the pedal while holding a napkin on the chain (to wipe
off the old oil)
3. Then turn the pedal while putting some of this lube thing on the
chain
Thats it.

Do I need to lube every link of the chain?
Or can I do half and then due to the chain turning, the oil/lube will
get on the gear while will then in turn get it onto the rest of the
chain?

Now whats the best way to oil:
1. Turn the pedal and as the chain is turn, put the bottle mouth on
the chain and squeeze
OR
2. dab the mouth of the bottle on every link, then when Im done, then
turn the pedal to turn the chain?

You didn't oil your chain for 15 years and now you make such a big deal
of it? Slap some oil on it, let it penetrate for a couple of hours, wipe
off the excess oil on the outside of the chain and done with it. It is
no rocket science you know.

Lou