bike maintenance

"Jane" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

OK so it is obvious that I know little about bike maintenance from my
rusty chain post, in my defence it was dp's bike that I am having cause
its too big for her! (halfords size advice!!) she is getting a new one.
So I need a book or manual so I can learn how to do basic maintenance
(this thing needs some tlc) and I know the puncture fairy has done her
stuff.
Any recommendations for LBS in Machynlleth or nr would be good.
Then I can get the family out and about as dd 7 is nagging to do more.
ttfn
Jane

A good online resource for all sorts of bicycle guidance is Sheldon Brown

http://sheldonbrown.com/repair/index.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/glossary.html

Cheers, helen s

wafflycat said:

"Jane" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

OK so it is obvious that I know little about bike maintenance from my
rusty chain post, in my defence it was dp's bike that I am having cause
its too big for her! (halfords size advice!!) she is getting a new one.
So I need a book or manual so I can learn how to do basic maintenance
(this thing needs some tlc) and I know the puncture fairy has done her
stuff.
Any recommendations for LBS in Machynlleth or nr would be good.
Then I can get the family out and about as dd 7 is nagging to do more.
ttfn
Jane

A good online resource for all sorts of bicycle guidance is Sheldon Brown

http://sheldonbrown.com/repair/index.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/glossary.html

Cheers, helen s

Also www.parktool.com has tips on how to do just about everything.

It has to bve said most bit of bike maintenance can be donw very easily. Just remember to check the brake block regulalrly and leep the chain clean. :-)

Bryan

Quoted message said:

Also www.parktool.com has tips on how to do just about everything.

s/tips/step-by-step ullustrated instructions.

I still get hopelessly confused thobut.

Jane said:

OK so it is obvious that I know little about bike maintenance from my
rusty chain post, in my defence it was dp's bike that I am having cause
its too big for her! (halfords size advice!!) she is getting a new one.
So I need a book or manual so I can learn how to do basic maintenance
(this thing needs some tlc) and I know the puncture fairy has done her
stuff.

Bikes aren't complicated. Take it slowly and work it out. Punctures
can be fixed in minutes with practice. Chain maintenance is a slop of
your favourite oil when it starts to look a bit 'tired'. To many
punctures, probably a new tyre is in order.

Nearly everything is replaceable, so if the cables are fraying, just
change them. The brake blocks worn, new ones. Funny click from BB, new
one.

Ok, so you may need some spanners and stuff. Get a cheap tool box and
start putting *only* bike things in it. Start with a spanner set, allen
key set, tyre levers and, well, that's about it. Problem on the bike,
grab the box.

This has worked for me for years and I've built bikes from scratch and
got it wrong, built wheels badly, tinker till I've broken it, but now,
mostly, the LBS is just a souce of parts, not expertise.

<embarrassed> Ok, tyre sizes are *still* a bit of a mystery.

Tosspot said:

Jane said:

OK so it is obvious that I know little about bike maintenance from my
rusty chain post, in my defence it was dp's bike that I am having cause
its too big for her! (halfords size advice!!) she is getting a new one.
So I need a book or manual so I can learn how to do basic maintenance
(this thing needs some tlc) and I know the puncture fairy has done her
stuff.

Bikes aren't complicated. Take it slowly and work it out.

Some bits aren't complicated less so than others. I can do tyres and
chains, and my one attempt at tuning my gears worked reasonably well (i've
left the L screw in a position where i can't get into bottom, but my
bottom is absurdly low anyway, so it actually leaves me slightly faster
away from the lights - i'll get round to fixing it at the weekend,
prolly), but brakes are still a black art. I understand the general idea,
but getting everything tensioned so that it all behaves right *under load*
is beyond me - i follow the instructions and get everything sorted, then
after a few minutes of riding, the blocks are dragging, or i've not got
enough grip, or something.

tom

--
Why did one straw break the camel's back? Here's the secret: the million
other straws underneath it - it's all mathematics. -- Mos Def

Tosspot said:

Ok, so you may need some spanners and stuff. Get a cheap tool box and
start putting *only* bike things in it.

You mean there are tools for other things, as well?

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Subscribe to PlusNet <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/referral/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

In article <[email hidden]>

Tosspot said:

Jane said:

OK so it is obvious that I know little about bike maintenance from my
rusty chain post, in my defence it was dp's bike that I am having cause
its too big for her! (halfords size advice!!) she is getting a new one.
So I need a book or manual so I can learn how to do basic maintenance
(this thing needs some tlc) and I know the puncture fairy has done her
stuff.

Bikes aren't complicated. Take it slowly and work it out. Punctures
can be fixed in minutes with practice. Chain maintenance is a slop of
your favourite oil when it starts to look a bit 'tired'.

If you don't clean it you're just oiling the grit.

Quoted message said:

To many punctures, probably a new tyre is in order.

Unless there's a bit of glass stuck in the tread, or a spoke sticking
through the rim tape, or they're snakebite punctures ...

Quoted message said:

Nearly everything is replaceable, so if the cables are fraying, just
change them. The brake blocks worn, new ones. Funny click from BB, new
one.

Ok, so you may need some spanners and stuff. Get a cheap tool box and
start putting *only* bike things in it. Start with a spanner set, allen
key set, tyre levers and, well, that's about it.

Apart from the chain tool, crank tool, freehub tool, spoke key, cone
spanners, puncture kit, screwdrivers for gear/brake adjustment ...

Quoted message said:

Problem on the bike, grab the box.

This has worked for me for years and I've built bikes from scratch and
got it wrong, built wheels badly, tinker till I've broken it, but now,
mostly, the LBS is just a souce of parts, not expertise.

<embarrassed> Ok, tyre sizes are *still* a bit of a mystery.

Why?

Tosspot said:

<embarrassed> Ok, tyre sizes are *still* a bit of a mystery.

Ignore any number with an inch ("😉 after it, look for a 3 digit number on
the tyre in the range 349 (small wheels) to 635 (old Raleighs with rod
brakes, etc). This is the /actual/ diameter of the rim in millimeters.
On the tyre is it probably preceded by a 2 digit number and a hyphen, this
smaller number is the tyre's width also in mm. On the rim you might find
a sticker which has the same number for diameter but a smaller number for
width, this is normal.

In widths, narrower is lighter and needs a higher pressure, so giving a
harder ride. Anything below 25mm is in racing territory, 28 to about 40
is road/touring, above 40 is specialist MTB or beach-cruiser type.

Some examples from my bikes:
37-349 touring tyres on an old Moulton, size also used by Bromptons
the size is known ar 16".

32-369 fast touring tyres on a "modern" Moulton, known as 17".

37-406 touring on the front of a recumbent, size known as 20"

40-559 touring tyre on the back of a recumbent, the very common size
known as 26".

As always there's lots about this on Sheldon Brown's site,
http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html and Schwalbe do an informative
technical document at http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/pdf/techinfo.pdf

Mike

Hey Jane!

There are 2 bike shops in Machynlleth. Greenstiles (next to Ian Snow) and Holey Trail (across the other side of the road near the CAT cafe). Actually, only one of those could properly be considered a bike shop, and that's Holey Trail - an excellent little shop with workshop facilities at the rear. I think the guy who runs it is called John - top fella.

I believe they'll have a few books in there too, if you don't want to drag the laptop into the garage to do maintenance!

Have you tried the trails out of the back of Mach? What about Coed-y-Brenin? Some excellent riding round there.

As for books, I'd recommend Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance by Lennard Zinn.

I'd also recommend Grime Time: "Mountain Biking UK's" Complete Bike Maintenance Guide by Paul Smith. This one was compiled from a series of articles in the magazine and is excellent but it's a bit old now. Still, well worth it if you can pick it up 2nd hand from Amazon.

Whilst I think about it check the local bookshop in Mach - just along from Holey Trail.

Hwyl fawr!

Wheelist

p.s. if you're in Holey Trail ask for one of his "Un car yn llai" (One less car) stickers! 😄

Tom Anderson said:

Tosspot said:

Jane said:

OK so it is obvious that I know little about bike maintenance from
my rusty chain post, in my defence it was dp's bike that I am
having cause its too big for her! (halfords size advice!!) she is
getting a new one. So I need a book or manual so I can learn how to
do basic maintenance (this thing needs some tlc) and I know the
puncture fairy has done her stuff.

Bikes aren't complicated. Take it slowly and work it out.

Some bits aren't complicated less so than others. I can do tyres and
chains, and my one attempt at tuning my gears worked reasonably well
(i've left the L screw in a position where i can't get into bottom,
but my bottom is absurdly low anyway, so it actually leaves me
slightly faster away from the lights - i'll get round to fixing it at
the weekend, prolly), but brakes are still a black art. I understand
the general idea, but getting everything tensioned so that it all
behaves right *under load* is beyond me - i follow the instructions
and get everything sorted, then after a few minutes of riding, the
blocks are dragging, or i've not got enough grip, or something.

The rule of thumb for V-brakes, anyway, is that the more expensive it is,
the easier it is to adjust.

A

In article <[email hidden]>
Ambrose Nankivell <[email hidden]> wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

The rule of thumb for V-brakes, anyway, is that the more expensive it is,
the easier it is to adjust.

Cheap ones are easy to adjust - all you need is Mole grips and a hammer
:-)

Rob Morley said:

In article <[email hidden]>

Tosspot said:

Jane said:

OK so it is obvious that I know little about bike maintenance from my
rusty chain post, in my defence it was dp's bike that I am having cause
its too big for her! (halfords size advice!!) she is getting a new one.
So I need a book or manual so I can learn how to do basic maintenance
(this thing needs some tlc) and I know the puncture fairy has done her
stuff.

Bikes aren't complicated. Take it slowly and work it out. Punctures
can be fixed in minutes with practice. Chain maintenance is a slop of
your favourite oil when it starts to look a bit 'tired'.

If you don't clean it you're just oiling the grit.

For a shopping bike I live with it.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

To many punctures, probably a new tyre is in order.

Unless there's a bit of glass stuck in the tread, or a spoke sticking
through the rim tape, or they're snakebite punctures ...

Ok, fair point, but usually these are obvious. Especially if it happens
a day later in the same place 🙁

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Nearly everything is replaceable, so if the cables are fraying, just
change them. The brake blocks worn, new ones. Funny click from BB, new
one.

Ok, so you may need some spanners and stuff. Get a cheap tool box and
start putting *only* bike things in it. Start with a spanner set, allen
key set, tyre levers and, well, that's about it.

Apart from the chain tool, crank tool, freehub tool, spoke key, cone
spanners, puncture kit, screwdrivers for gear/brake adjustment ...

We're talking basic maintenance not setting up a bike shop. I didn't
even know what a cone spanner was for years. The things that go mostly
are easy to fix.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Problem on the bike, grab the box.

This has worked for me for years and I've built bikes from scratch and
got it wrong, built wheels badly, tinker till I've broken it, but now,
mostly, the LBS is just a souce of parts, not expertise.

<embarrassed> Ok, tyre sizes are *still* a bit of a mystery.

Why?

Flat tyre on the Trike. I pick up a 20" tyre (existing one shagged) to
be asked if it's the right size. 20" innit, gotta be. Not so, this
particular 20" is different from my 20"[1]. <sigh> 406 is what I wanted
apparently.

Sheldon explains it well but I still need to read it twice.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tyre-sizing.html

[1] Girls, you can draw your own conclusions.

Danny Colyer said:

Tosspot said:

Ok, so you may need some spanners and stuff. Get a cheap tool box and
start putting *only* bike things in it.

You mean there are tools for other things, as well?

Certainly. French knives, frying pans, bread pans, casaroles, etc,
though some purists may call them utensil.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada
(He who shovels the balcony with a wok)

John Kane said:

Certainly. French knives...

There are knives specially for use on the French? Isn't that a bit
mediaeval?

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Subscribe to PlusNet <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/referral/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

On Wed, 28 Jun 2006 21:19:49 +0200, Tosspot <[email hidden]>
wrote:

<tyre sizing>

Quoted message said:

Flat tyre on the Trike. I pick up a 20" tyre (existing one shagged) to
be asked if it's the right size. 20" innit, gotta be. Not so, this
particular 20" is different from my 20"[1]. <sigh> 406 is what I wanted
apparently.

ETRTO is your friend.

It's excusable the humble cyclist not knowing such stuff, but friends
of mine were nearly sold the wrong 20" tyre in Brockenhurst when they
went there on a mercy mission to rescue Mrs. Hall and me from
somewhere up the Ornamental Drive. It was only my insistance before
they set off that they wanted 20" x 1.xx rather thann 20" x 1 and a
fraction that saved them.

Quoted message said:

Tim

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 28 Jun 2006 21:19:49 +0200, Tosspot <[email hidden]>
wrote:

<tyre sizing>

Quoted message said:

Flat tyre on the Trike. I pick up a 20" tyre (existing one shagged) to
be asked if it's the right size. 20" innit, gotta be. Not so, this
particular 20" is different from my 20"[1]. <sigh> 406 is what I wanted
apparently.

ETRTO is your friend.

It's excusable the humble cyclist not knowing such stuff, but friends
of mine were nearly sold the wrong 20" tyre in Brockenhurst when they
went there on a mercy mission to rescue Mrs. Hall and me from
somewhere up the Ornamental Drive. It was only my insistance before
they set off that they wanted 20" x 1.xx rather thann 20" x 1 and a
fraction that saved them.

And to add to the confusion, Certain Manufacturers insist on labelling
their 406 tyres are 20 x 1 and a fraction. Yes, Continental, it's YOU
I'm talking about.

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger
Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger

Dave Larrington said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

On Wed, 28 Jun 2006 21:19:49 +0200, Tosspot <[email hidden]>
wrote:

<tyre sizing>

Quoted message said:

Flat tyre on the Trike. I pick up a 20" tyre (existing one shagged) to
be asked if it's the right size. 20" innit, gotta be. Not so, this
particular 20" is different from my 20"[1]. <sigh> 406 is what I wanted
apparently.

ETRTO is your friend.

It's excusable the humble cyclist not knowing such stuff, but friends
of mine were nearly sold the wrong 20" tyre in Brockenhurst when they
went there on a mercy mission to rescue Mrs. Hall and me from
somewhere up the Ornamental Drive. It was only my insistance before
they set off that they wanted 20" x 1.xx rather thann 20" x 1 and a
fraction that saved them.

And to add to the confusion, Certain Manufacturers insist on labelling
their 406 tyres are 20 x 1 and a fraction. Yes, Continental, it's YOU
I'm talking about.

<quiet sobbing from the corner> It's another thing I'm going to sort
out once and for all when I become World Leader.