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

coast to coast

Does anyone know of anyone in the country who fixes Vitus 979 frames? One of the glued joints of the frame has dried out — apparently a known issue — and the fix seems fairly/very complicated. (i.e. ThinkBike wouldn't do it)

magicbastarder

maybe give this chap a shout? he's a frame builder.

http://www.bicycledesigncentre.com/

coast to coast

magicbastarder wrote: »

maybe give this chap a shout? he's a frame builder.

http://www.bicycledesigncentre.com/

cheers

Thargor

My chain is skipping, a couple of gears unusable (will just hop to another gear), cant trust standing on the pedals anymore. Gave it a good clean and lubrication today, seemed to fix it for about 2 kilometers then started happening again. Google says I might need to tighten the derailleurs? Or could it be chain stretch after 3 years of moderate use if thats even a thing? Whats the best way to go about fixing this issue please?

EDIT: Its a Giant Defy roadbike.

ED E

Thargor wrote: »

My chain is skipping, a couple of gears unusable (will just hop to another gear), cant trust standing on the pedals anymore. Gave it a good clean and lubrication today, seemed to fix it for about 2 kilometers then started happening again. Google says I might need to tighten the derailleurs? Or could it be chain stretch after 3 years of moderate use if thats even a thing? Whats the best way to go about fixing this issue please?

EDIT: Its a Giant Defy roadbike.

Would they be your most common gears? (at a guess the 11/12/13's range) You may be into new cassette territory.

1. Get a wear tool https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J3AA1A2/
2. Get somebody familiar with it to review your cassette. If you know what you're looking at you can see the damage when its that severe. Clean it with strong degreaser/petrol first.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Thargor wrote: »

My chain is skipping, a couple of gears unusable (will just hop to another gear), cant trust standing on the pedals anymore. Gave it a good clean and lubrication today, seemed to fix it for about 2 kilometers then started happening again. Google says I might need to tighten the derailleurs? Or could it be chain stretch after 3 years of moderate use if thats even a thing? Whats the best way to go about fixing this issue please?

EDIT: Its a Giant Defy roadbike.

Gonna ask a stupid question but did you try indexing them? If not watch this https://youtu.be/Bbk5RcH0bbQ

Thargor

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Gonna ask a stupid question but did you try indexing them? If not watch this https://youtu.be/Bbk5RcH0bbQ

Do you ever notice with that Global Cycling Network channel that they always solve the problem immediately and make it look so easy, they never actually take the bike down and ride it on the road to see that the problem is still occurring which happens 99% of the time? I think every single problem Ive ever had on a bike that crowd have been the first result on Youtube and its always "oh just make a 1/4 turn on this limit screw and the problem is solved" but it never works like that in the real world, they're kind of timewasters tbh, nothing on a bike is ever as easy to do as they make out.

cletus

My first thought would be indexing too. The cable will most likely have stretched a little with use (although 3 years sounds like a long time for this), so you may need to tighten at the derailleur, then index.

It may also be wear at the chain or cassette, but it costs nothing to index, and that's the price point I like to start at

Type 17

Thargor wrote: »

Do you ever notice with that Global Cycling Network channel that they always solve the problem immediately and make it look so easy, they never actually take the bike down and ride it on the road to see that the problem is still occurring which happens 99% of the time? I think every single problem Ive ever had on a bike that crowd have been the first result on Youtube and its always "oh just make a 1/4 turn on this limit screw and the problem is solved" but it never works like that in the real world, they're kind of timewasters tbh, nothing on a bike is ever as easy to do as they make out.

I like most GCN videos (about fitness, riding styles, etc), but for technical stuff, I find the Park Tool channel to be better, and it's the one I recommend to interested customers.

The Adjust a Rear Derailleur one includes Possible Scenarios, for when the obvious solutions aren't the answer, and they also have in-video links to separate advanced troubleshooting videos for when basic setup and adjustment haven't corrected the issue(s).

magicbastarder

the one i went to when wrapping bar tape was certainly the park tools one. GCN is grand for an 'oh i'll watch this just in case i ever need to do it' sense, but if you're actually sitting down to do the job and need a cheat sheet, park tools are usually more in depth.

magicbastarder

on my carbon forks, there are two captive nuts in each tine for attaching muguards - they've come a bit loose though (while still remaining captive), and spin as you're screwing a bolt in to tighten the forks on.
i assume there'd be no issue with dropping a little bit of epoxy in to 'capture' them again? i assume it's not that dissimilar from the resin used in the carbon of the forks.

Weepsie

CramCycle wrote: »

Can you take out the BB? If so, do it, turn the bike upside down and pour in a bottle of Regular Coke.come back a day later and see what happens

Gone ahead and done this now. So leaving it a day or 2 and hoping for the best without expecting it to work at all.

The penetrant oil as done a good job of cleaning some of the gunk that was in the frame and I think made taking the bb out nice and easy.


Little dent in the BB now though from the screw that keeps the cable guide in place (square taper) and the dust shield bit is now loose.

CramCycle

magicbastarder wrote: »

on my carbon forks, there are two captive nuts in each tine for attaching muguards - they've come a bit loose though (while still remaining captive), and spin as you're screwing a bolt in to tighten the forks on.
i assume there'd be no issue with dropping a little bit of epoxy in to 'capture' them again? i assume it's not that dissimilar from the resin used in the carbon of the forks.

Are they small rivnuts? If so, use a nut slightly wider than your bolt, put the bolt through it and use a spanner to stop it spinning with the rivnut when it gets in far enough. It basically acts as a brace against the rivnut and holds it in place. Tighten the bolt, with a slight extra push once it is in as far as it will go and this will hopefully pull the rivnut tight again.

magicbastarder

yeah, it looks like a rivnut (had to google to confirm i knew what you were talking about) - didn't know they'd have been used in a carbon fork as they seat by expanding?

Type 17

Rivnuts do expand, but actually squeeze the walls of the tube or panel that they're mounted in, rather than trying to expand the hole in the tube/panel - a common use for them is water-bottle cage mounts.

CramCycle's method for re-tightening them is fine, assuming that they are rivnuts.

magicbastarder

cheers, may try that. i'm not short of epoxy (have been using it to fill cracks in wood) so, in the grand tradition of 'to a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail' i may try that first.

1800_Ladladlad

Can you cancel the bike 2 work scheme with your job when thee approved it?

magicbastarder

that's up to your employer. has the bike been ordered?

1800_Ladladlad

magicbastarder wrote: »

that's up to your employer. has the bike been ordered?

not with the bike shop no. i have to wait until they send a voucher out for the chosen amount so i can order the bike, they stated it would be 30 days

Weepsie

So the coke did nothing to budge that seatpost. I can try plusgas or some other penetrant in case the one I got is just rubbish, but short of cutting it off or using Caustic soda i'm short of ideas..

I do have some rust removing paste stuff that I could see if it seeps in where the clamp would normally be, but it's doubtful.

Peter T

Have you tried acetone ? If you cant get your hands on that maybe some nail varnish remover (Used to have acetone in it but has been taken out i think)

Weepsie

Peter T wrote: »

Have you tried acetone ? If you cant get your hands on that maybe some nail varnish remover (Used to have acetone in it but has been taken out i think)

I have not.

I'm giving thought to trying this freezing penetrant spray out.

https://www.handyhardware.ie/product/77334/Arctic-Hayes-Arctic-Crack-It-Shock-Freeze-Release-Spray-400ml-CI400

loyatemu

some of these may not be available here, but I though it was an interesting look at how they work (there's a part 1 on his channel as well):

Charman921

Recently the pedals on my bike started to 'slip'. I knew immediately it was something to do with the cassette on the rear wheel. I brought the bike to the bike shop (one I've used for 10 years) and they inform me that the 'body' of the cassette has worn out but to replace it, the entire wheel has to be replaced. That's because the body is part of the hub on the rear wheel.

I'm now a pensioner but I raced almost 50 years' ago. Those days if the cassette (the 'block' as we called it then) gave trouble, you had a tool with which you could unscrew the block off the hub and replace it with another. Indeed it was even possible to repair the block in maany circumstances.

Now, we are in the 'use-once-and-dispose' era. Which, as far as I'm concerned is a step back, not a step forward in cycling technology.

A decent modern cassette, if that's all that's needed, costs about €60. A new rear wheel costs from €100 to €250, for a decent 'sportive' wheel

ofthelord

Hi All - apologies if this has been asked here before but i'm getting really frustrated this evening with the gears on my bike.
for some reason they won't shift up into the easiest gear. never had this issue before so at a loss trying to fix it the last hour.
All other gears shifting ok. Limiting is ok, I can shift into easiest gear by pulling the cable by hand while turning the pedals, but the shifter on the handle bar won't gear up past 2nd easiest gear.
Any suggestions appreciated. was hoping top get out on club spin in the morning so looking to get this fixed this evening if i can.
thanks

Type 17

Probably the cable is too slack, and is a whole click/gear out - shift to the hardest gear/smallest cog and if you find the cable is even a little slack, then this is the issue.

If so, check/correct the H limiting screw, slacken the rear derailleur barrel adjuster, and then open the cable clamp and hold the cable's "tail" tightly while you re-tighten the clamp - if you do this correctly, the indexing will then be fine, and even if it's not perfect, it should be only a little out on the barrel adjuster.

Useful video

ED E

Small sprocket = released cable
Large sprocket = tense cable

If its not reaching the large sprocket then you've got slack in the cable, use the cable adjuster on the back of the rear derailleur to "lengthen" the outer cable.

ofthelord

Thanks so much to Type 17 and ED E for your replies.


Type 17 you were correct - on checking the cable it was slack when in the smallest cog. I unclamped the cable and tightened it and all good now.


That was a very frustrating hour I had spent trying to see the problem myself so thanks so much for your advice. So easy when you know how!

magicbastarder

Charman921 wrote: »

Recently the pedals on my bike started to 'slip'. I knew immediately it was something to do with the cassette on the rear wheel. I brought the bike to the bike shop (one I've used for 10 years) and they inform me that the 'body' of the cassette has worn out but to replace it, the entire wheel has to be replaced. That's because the body is part of the hub on the rear wheel.

I'm now a pensioner but I raced almost 50 years' ago. Those days if the cassette (the 'block' as we called it then) gave trouble, you had a tool with which you could unscrew the block off the hub and replace it with another. Indeed it was even possible to repair the block in maany circumstances.

Now, we are in the 'use-once-and-dispose' era. Which, as far as I'm concerned is a step back, not a step forward in cycling technology.

A decent modern cassette, if that's all that's needed, costs about €60. A new rear wheel costs from €100 to €250, for a decent 'sportive' wheel

do you have a photo of the cassette?

Type 17

Charman921 wrote: »

Recently the pedals on my bike started to 'slip'. I knew immediately it was something to do with the cassette on the rear wheel. I brought the bike to the bike shop (one I've used for 10 years) and they inform me that the 'body' of the cassette has worn out but to replace it, the entire wheel has to be replaced. That's because the body is part of the hub on the rear wheel.

I'm now a pensioner but I raced almost 50 years' ago. Those days if the cassette (the 'block' as we called it then) gave trouble, you had a tool with which you could unscrew the block off the hub and replace it with another. Indeed it was even possible to repair the block in maany circumstances.

Now, we are in the 'use-once-and-dispose' era. Which, as far as I'm concerned is a step back, not a step forward in cycling technology.

A decent modern cassette, if that's all that's needed, costs about €60. A new rear wheel costs from €100 to €250, for a decent 'sportive' wheel

As magicbastarder says, a photo would be good.

You're familiar with a block, which is a screw-on freewheel with multiple sprockets on it.
Your current rear wheel is likely to be a freehub with a cassette on it - the freehub is part of the wheel*and it contains the pawls and some bearings, and the sprockets on it are removable - they slide on to it on splines, and are held on with a threaded lockring..

*The freehub is part of the wheel, but can be removed and replaced. however, only relatively expensive wheels have freehubs that can actually be bought as replacements - the cheaper wheels' freehubs aren't easily obtained, and it's cheaper to buy a new wheel.