the 'there's no such thing as a stupid question' bike maintenance thread

Richard Hillman

Type 17 wrote: »

Yes, you have a wide (no pun intended) range of choices, but there are limitations - if you fit a tyre that is too wide for the rim, the bike may handle poorly as the tyre tends to roll around from side to side on corners, and the tyre may suffer from wear where the rim meets it (just beside the bead). Tyres that are narrower than the rim can leave the rim open to accidental damage if the wheel is rubbed off a kerb.

Here's a guide: https://www.lightbicycle.com/newsletter/tire-size-chart-for-bicycle-rim.html

Excellent thank you. My tyres are quite wide for the rims and I do notice a specific corner that I regularly take where it feels like the rear is slipping. And then wear i have noticed is actually at the sides.

That makes a lot of sense now, thank you

tomasrojo

I ordered that Shimano dynamo hub tool, by the way. I got paid for some teaching on Sunday, and I thought I might as well make things really straightforward, and I'd thought I might have a stronger chance of having the current internal assembly as a slightly wonky but otherwise undamaged back-up in the event that it's screwed in insanely tight, for while I'm so dependent on the cargo bike.

Thanks for all the advice and Cram's offer of dremel and socket help.

Don't judge me harshly!

padyjoe

I'm looking for wheelsets at the moment. How can I make sure that the Shimano hub is 9 speed compatible on the rear? The infos sometimes are contradicting themselved.

adrian522

cletus wrote: »

If you look at where the cable is clamped into the derailler (it will be past the adjuster on at the derailler end of the housing, can't see it in the picture), you should be able to tell if the cable is snapped by pulling on it. If its broken, there'll be plenty of slack, it will pull through the housing. Also, pressing the shifter lever should take much less pressure, it should click freely if there's a break, and the derailleur itself should'nt move at all

Thanks for your help, it didn't need a replacement cable, just an issue with the tension on the cable. Took the place I bought the bike in around 3 mins to fix. Doesn't say much for the guy in local bike shop.

Pdoghue

Hello,

I need advice about a fork.

I have a BH QUARTZ DISC ULTEGRA 2017 road bike. I bought it in Spain in 2018. There is a problem with the fork and so I need a replacement. Not covered under warranty - I checked.

Upshot is, it's proving difficult to source a replacement fork from BH.
Question: do I have to get a specific BH fork, or could I get another make/model? I've been told I need a 9 mm disc brake fork.

Type 17

You don't have to get a BH fork, but you will need one that has the correct dimensions. Given the amount of stuff to get right (see below), I'd give your fork to a shop and let them work out which one(s) they can get which will fit.

You'll want a carbon fibre one, to match your frame and keep the quality-level similar to the rest of the bike
Wheel diameter 700c - needs to match, but almost every road bike uses this wheel size
Dropouts - pics online seem to show a thru-axle on the front - could be 12mm diameter skewer (Road) or perhaps 15mm (more likely MTB), but check to be sure - needs to match.
Disc brakes - a 2017 bike with Ultegra almost certainly uses 160mm disc on the front but measure yours to confirm.
The brake calliper mounting type is called direct-mount - needs to match.
The steerer-tube (the tube that goes inside the frame) diameter is probably 1⅛", but check your existing one. It might also be tapered (wider at the bottom) - needs to match.
There may also be different chamfer-angles where the lower headset bearing sits (crown seat), so this needs to be checked too.
Steerer tube length - this varies by frame size, but a spare-part fork will have a long one to cover all sizes, but will need to be cut (cut properly square, using a mitre). Cutting carbon needs a special hacksaw blade to prevent splintering, and the dust is really bad for your lungs, so probably get a shop to do it for you. Some carbon forks have aluminium steerers, which are easier to cut, but then you also need to set the star-clip for the top-cap bolt after cutting - shops have a tool for this.

Paul Kiernan

Pdoghue wrote: »

Hello,

I need advice about a fork.

I have a BH QUARTZ DISC ULTEGRA 2017 road bike. I bought it in Spain in 2018. There is a problem with the fork and so I need a replacement. Not covered under warranty - I checked.

Upshot is, it's proving difficult to source a replacement fork from BH.
Question: do I have to get a specific BH fork, or could I get another make/model? I've been told I need a 9 mm disc brake fork.

A compatible fork will need to have the same bearings, flat mount discs and wheel mount (i.e thru-axle or Quick Release). If you loosen up the stem and remove the fork you can get the bearing numbers for the top and bottom of the head tube. I'm surprised BH can't help as it's probably a still current fork! If it's QR and current are thru-axle you could switch to thru-axle and get new wheels! Many wheels can be set up as QR or thru-axle.

Pdoghue

Type 17 wrote: »

You don't have to get a BH fork, but you will need one that has the correct dimensions. Given the amount of stuff to get right (see below), I'd give your fork to a shop and let them work out which one(s) they can get which will fit.

You'll want a carbon fibre one, to match your frame and keep the quality-level similar to the rest of the bike
Wheel diameter 700c - needs to match, but almost every road bike uses this wheel size
Dropouts - pics online seem to show a thru-axle on the front - could be 12mm diameter skewer (Road) or perhaps 15mm (more likely MTB), but check to be sure - needs to match.
Disc brakes - a 2017 bike with Ultegra almost certainly uses 160mm disc on the front but measure yours to confirm.
The brake calliper mounting type is called direct-mount - needs to match.
The steerer-tube (the tube that goes inside the frame) diameter is probably 1⅛", but check your existing one. It might also be tapered (wider at the bottom) - needs to match.
There may also be different chamfer-angles where the lower headset bearing sits (crown seat), so this needs to be checked too.
Steerer tube length - this varies by frame size, but a spare-part fork will have a long one to cover all sizes, but will need to be cut (cut properly square, using a mitre). Cutting carbon needs a special hacksaw blade to prevent splintering, and the dust is really bad for your lungs, so probably get a shop to do it for you. Some carbon forks have aluminium steerers, which are easier to cut, but then you also need to set the star-clip for the top-cap bolt after cutting - shops have a tool for this.

Thank you very much for the help.

Pdoghue

Paul Kiernan wrote: »

A compatible fork will need to have the same bearings, flat mount discs and wheel mount (i.e thru-axle or Quick Release). If you loosen up the stem and remove the fork you can get the bearing numbers for the top and bottom of the head tube. I'm surprised BH can't help as it's probably a still current fork! If it's QR and current are thru-axle you could switch to thru-axle and get new wheels! Many wheels can be set up as QR or thru-axle.

Thanks very much - it's a real struggle trying to source a replacement from BH. I will have to go down the compatible fork route soon if I don't get success from BH themselves.

Paul Kiernan

Pdoghue wrote: »

Thanks very much - it's a real struggle trying to source a replacement from BH. I will have to go down the compatible fork route soon if I don't get success from BH themselves.

Some of the earlier BH Quartz had QR before they switched to thru-axle. Which is yours? AFAIK they always used 1.125 to 1.5 tapered steerers. This type of carbon fork with thru-axles is the de-facto standard now and on almost every new mid to high level disc brake bike. It should be fairly easy to find, even from BH!

Breezer

My rear derailleur is catching and moving forwards when freewheeling. Video here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jfk1yhm2op8402b/IMG_5613.mov?dl=0. This started after I cleaned the chain and lubed it up again. I definitely used too much lube.

I've searched online and read that a dirty freehub body is the most likely cause, which would make sense. However, I have a separate problem in that I can't get my cassette off! It won't budge and I managed to bend my chainwhip before giving up because I didn't want to damage the cassette (if I haven't already...)

So I've cleaned the drivetrain as best I can without removing the cassette. Put it all back together and the video is the result.

I guess I'm asking if anyone can confirm a dirty freehub body is the likely cause, before I start all over again. And also, any ideas for a stuck cassette?

gaffmaster

I had this problem the winter before last on a Mavic Aksium rear wheel. "Wheel Suck" I think is what people call it, and essentially, the free hub internals need a clean and regrease. Had that done and it worked perfectly again after.

Some wheel freehubs can be accessed without removing the cassette - someone with better knowledge can provide more info perhaps?

Type 17

Yes, definitely a dirty freehub.

For the tight cassette, straighten out your chainwhip(!), and use a lever on the cassette lockring tool that is at least as long as the chainwhip.

Have a look at the below pic, and stand with the wheel/tools in this position.

If a good push down on your right arm isn't doing it, you need to jerk it free (rather than just pushing harder), so lift the wheel up about 6 inches/15cm and slam it down on the ground hard (ensure tyre is pumped up!), following through with your body-weight on your right arm only. You may need to do this a few times to get it to budge. Most cassettes have toothed facing surfaces on the lockring & outer sprocket, so it's easy to over-tighten them and to need to open it this way, but they are built to take your entire effort, so you won't snap anything, once a tool doesn't slip.

Breezer

Thanks guys. I live a 5 minute walk from my LBS so I brought it there, they got the cassette off in 5 seconds and I bought a new chain whip to say thank you! I've cleaned the freehub body and it's working fine now.

I didn't actually take the freehub body off (it's a Shimano Deore hub, which I think is sealed?) Do I need to regrease it?

ironictoaster

Does this sound normal? Concerned as it's only back from service from my local bike shop. I can't see anything rubbing!

https://streamable.com/88mqpz

magicbastarder

is the guide jockey wheel lining up with the smallest sprocket on the cassette? and does it only occur when the chain is on the smallest sprocket?

Type 17

Breezer wrote: »

Thanks guys. I live a 5 minute walk from my LBS so I brought it there, they got the cassette off in 5 seconds and I bought a new chain whip to say thank you! I've cleaned the freehub body and it's working fine now.

I didn't actually take the freehub body off (it's a Shimano Deore hub, which I think is sealed?) Do I need to regrease it?

If it's a sealed Shimano one, then it's not practical to open and you won't be able to get actual grease into it, but reasonably thick oil (dribble-oil from a bottle, rather than thin aerosol stuff) will be fine.
If it's still on the wheel, then you need to take out the axle and put oil between the bearing cup and the outer body and spin it around - add more and spin it again a few times. Listen out for gritty grinding noises (dirt in bearings). If you have taken the freehub off the wheel (remove axle and use a 10/12mm Allen wrench in the drive side), you can also oil the inner (spoke-side) bearings - lift the rubber seal on that side carefully with a toothpick or similar and dribble oil in.

If things are really gritty, and the freehub still sticks, the industrial method/last resort is to remove it from the wheel, spray in loads of degreaser to wash everything out, blow through the gaps with a compressed air nozzle, (degrease and blow through again, if required), and then rinse with fresh water and blow through to dry it out before oiling (washing with water is required, as degreaser will break down the oil causing future damage from no real lubrication).

Type 17

ironictoaster wrote: »

Does this sound normal? Concerned as it's only back from service from my local bike shop. I can't see anything rubbing!

https://streamable.com/88mqpz

Is it a steady rubbing noise, or is it a random gritty noise (it's hard to hear, even with headphones)?
If you (or the LBS) sprays lube into the freehub/freewheel, it's possible to wash dirt into the bearings and for it to make a gritty noise whilst pedalling - even though the freehub bearings aren't rotating during pedalling, they do squirm about as the load rotates about the freehub's axis, causing any grit present to get crushed noisily.

Edit: listened again, and it does sound like gritty bearings (as mentioned to Breezer above). It'll be worst on the smallest sprocket as the load on the outermost end of the freehub causes more squirming/movement, but will be audible in most gears.

ironictoaster

magicbastarder wrote: »

is the guide jockey wheel lining up with the smallest sprocket on the cassette? and does it only occur when the chain is on the smallest sprocket?

Looks in line to me



It seems to get quieter as you go up the gears.

https://streamable.com/nme71j

Breezer

Type 17 wrote: »

If it's a sealed Shimano one, then it's not practical to open and you won't be able to get actual grease into it, but reasonably thick oil (dribble-oil from a bottle, rather than thin aerosol stuff) will be fine.
If it's still on the wheel, then you need to take out the axle and put oil between the bearing cup and the outer body and spin it around - add more and spin it again a few times. Listen out for gritty grinding noises (dirt in bearings). If you have taken the freehub off the wheel (remove axle and use a 10/12mm Allen wrench in the drive side), you can also oil the inner (spoke-side) bearings - lift the rubber seal on that side carefully with a toothpick or similar and dribble oil in.

If things are really gritty, and the freehub still sticks, the industrial method/last resort is to remove it from the wheel, spray in loads of degreaser to wash everything out, blow through the gaps with a compressed air nozzle, (degrease and blow through again, if required), and then rinse with fresh water and blow through to dry it out before oiling (washing with water is required, as degreaser will break down the oil causing future damage from no real lubrication).

Thanks. I ended up only having to scrub the outside of the freehub body and it's fine now, just been out on it and all good.

Of course, I managed to overtighten the lock ring when putting the cassette back on, and now can't get it off again. Job for another day. I'm special today

CramCycle

ironictoaster wrote: »

Looks in line to me
It seems to get quieter as you go up the gears.
https://streamable.com/nme71j

Cross chaining or an alignment issue.?

ironictoaster

CramCycle wrote: »

Cross chaining or an alignment issue.?

I have no idea to be honest. I am usually in the 4th hardest gear in the big chain ring 90% of the time.

I rarely use my hardest or easiest gear in both chain rings so I can't see myself cross chaining.

Mundo7976

Maybe try turning the barrel adjuster slightly, quarter turns at a time?

CramCycle

ironictoaster wrote: »

I have no idea to be honest. I am usually in the 4th hardest gear in the big chain ring 90% of the time.

I rarely use my hardest or easiest gear in both chain rings so I can't see myself cross chaining.

Sorry, badly explained, I mean its an alignment issue and its is relieved/exacerbated by cross chaining in your video, if that makes sense. Just an idea but it sounds like my 9 speed when it wasn't aligned.

ironictoaster

CramCycle wrote: »

Sorry, badly explained, I mean its an alignment issue and its is relieved/exacerbated by cross chaining in your video, if that makes sense. Just an idea but it sounds like my 9 speed when it wasn't aligned.

Sorry Cram. I'm still new to cycling. First bike since I was a child. What do you think needs to be alligned exactly?

I am completely out of my depth with bike maintenance outside cleaning and lubing the chain!

magicbastarder

the reason i asked why it was only in the smallest cog when you heard the noise was that there are limit screws on the derailleur - no matter how the derailleur is adjusted with cable tension, etc., the limit screws prevent the derailleur from moving outside its high and low limits. i.e. to prevent the chain going past the largest or smallest cogs. so you can play with the limit screw which won't adjust the indexing in other gears, but it could prevent it from aligning with the smallest cog, and sounding 'chatty'.

Mundo7976

ironictoaster wrote: »

Sorry Cram. I'm still new to cycling. First bike since I was a child. What do you think needs to be alligned exactly?

I am completely out of my depth with bike maintenance outside cleaning and lubing the chain!

Cal Jones might be able to help you out, thorough video helped me out.
https://youtu.be/UkZxPIZ1ngY

MangleBadger

Confirmed rear derailleur cable snapped at the hoods. So off to find a replacement cable. Might as well replace the front as well.

Should I replace the outers as well? If I don't have to I can possible route the cable through without having to rip off my bar tape?

magicbastarder

the outers were not a factor in the break i assume? when were they last changed?

MangleBadger

magicbastarder wrote: »

the outers were not a factor in the break i assume? when were they last changed?

Never been changed. Bike is 18 months old. Cable snapped where it joins the hood it appears