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

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    #4022
    nicksnikita
    Registered Users Posts: 940 ✭✭✭nicksnikita


    CantGetNoSleep wrote: »
    Thanks - so I am ok to grease an alu seatpost in an alu frame?

    Yeah, I always have done anyway. A light coating will be fine.


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    #4023
    nicksnikita
    Registered Users Posts: 940 ✭✭✭nicksnikita


    CantGetNoSleep wrote: »
    Shimano MTB & the reason I had a thought it could be them is the metal on metal

    Unlikely, as long as pedals and cleats are mounted correctly. A spray of wd40 or GT85 on pedal/cleat never does any harm


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    #4024
    gmacww
    Registered Users Posts: 434 ✭✭gmacww


    Brian? wrote: »
    It's not just ok, it's highly recommended

    As above. If you think of areas on your bike where metal meets metal the seatpost seattube would be one of the more stressful areas as it’s taking the majority of your body weight. That stress can easily bond the metals together if they are not protected. A light coating of grease is essential in this area to keep that from happening.

    In fact once a year I remove the saddle post and all give it a full clean and apply a layer of grease. This help avoid the dreaded stuck seatpost.


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    #4025
    Type 17
    Registered Users Posts: 2,730 ✭✭✭Type 17


    Another source of noise can be the plastic cleats creaking against the sole of the shoe, if the bolts are not really tight.


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    #4026
    CantGetNoSleep
    Registered Users Posts: 7,246 ✭✭✭CantGetNoSleep


    Thank you all for the replies. Seatpost is greased and torqued exactly to spec. I will take it out tomorrow and see if that fixes it - if not cleats and pedals will be the next place to look


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    #4027
    ednwireland
    Registered Users Posts: 14,369 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland


    got new wheels, but lockrings are internally threaded as opposed to externally, so as ive broken a spoke on the old wheels they are a no go, so having pile of lockrings from cassetttes (well a pile of old cassettes actually i thought, wil these work ! they definitely do, although ill put the correct ones on as soon as i get the new rotors as they dont cover the serrations completely so i would guess they might need checking more frequently !

    (waits for people to say what an idiot i am for even thinking like this !)

    My weather

    https://www.ecowitt.net/home/share?authorize=96CT1F



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    #4028
    Maidhci
    Registered Users Posts: 865 ✭✭✭Maidhci


    What is the correct / best size inner gear cable for hybrid bike? There are two sizes available 1.2mm and 1.6mm, both of which are listed as being suitable for road and mountain bikes. Any particular brand? Thanks.


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    #4029
    Brian?
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,189 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    Maidhci wrote: »
    What is the correct / best size inner gear cable for hybrid bike? There are two sizes available 1.2mm and 1.6mm, both of which are listed as being suitable for road and mountain bikes. Any particular brand? Thanks.

    In 30 odd years of cycling, I can’t say this something that I’ve ever thought about.

    There are gear cables and brake cables. Do they even have brands? I just buy whatever is in my closest bike shop.

    I have to commend you on bamboozling me completely.

    Edit: did some googling. The 1.6mm are brake cables, the 1.2mm are gear cables. They’re not interchangeable, well I’ve seen them interchanged when they shouldn’t be.

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




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    #4030
    DaveyDave
    Registered Users Posts: 6,242 ✭✭✭DaveyDave


    Brian? wrote: »
    In 30 odd years of cycling, I can’t say this something that I’ve ever thought about.

    There are gear cables and brake cables. Do they even have brands? I just buy whatever is in my closest bike shop.

    I have to commend you on bamboozling me completely.

    Edit: did some googling. The 1.6mm are brake cables, the 1.2mm are gear cables. They’re not interchangeable, well I’ve seen them interchanged when they shouldn’t be.

    I spent an hour trying to replace a shifter cable on my first road bike. First time using SRAM and integrated cables, I thought I was just having a hard time until I found out the shop gave me the wrong sized cable...


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    #4031
    07Lapierre
    Registered Users Posts: 8,242 ✭✭✭07Lapierre


    Maidhci wrote: »
    What is the correct / best size inner gear cable for hybrid bike? There are two sizes available 1.2mm and 1.6mm, both of which are listed as being suitable for road and mountain bikes. Any particular brand? Thanks.

    Some MTB inner brake cables are different to road bike cable. The cable end is round, whereas a road cable has a pear shaped end. (Some brands have the pear shaped end on one end of the cable and the round end at teh other end! you just cut off the end that's not needed)

    As for brands.. Jagwire are pretty good. Shimano inner cables are not bad either.


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    #4032
    Rechuchote
    Registered Users Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭Rechuchote


    Not sure where to put this question - if there's an actual correct thread, could I ask the modgods to move it, please, and sorry to trouble you?

    We've recently bought a Dutch bike on Adverts, and the axle broke after a few weeks. We (I use the executive 'we' here) took the hub apart and found that the Sturmey-Archer hub gear was also broken - one of the pawls is broken.

    We ('we') sent off for a new Sturmey-Archer hub set, plus axle and pawl in case the first one is reparable, and applied to Professor YouTube for a degree course in how to fix the gears.

    It turns out, in the course of this, that WD40 is not good, and in fact most oils and greases aren't good; the best thing is a heavy oil, especially an American something called Phil's Tenacious Oil. Would anyone know where to get this - or its equivalent - in Ireland? Apparently Phil's Tenacious Oil is a few dollars in America but a fistful of dollars in Europe.


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    #4033
    Rechuchote
    Registered Users Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭Rechuchote


    @magicbastarder I'm an idiot - just saw this thread, which is obviously where I should have posted this instead of wasting time with a new thread - could you do me the favour of moving it, please?

    https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058190346


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    #4034
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,397 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    from a quick google, people seem to suggest a general car engine oil. you'd pay about €25 for 5l in a motor factors, but if you rocked up to a garage and asked them for half a litre, i'd say they might not charge you more than a few bob.


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    #4035
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,397 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    though a little more googling suggests sturmey archer recommends SAE30, which seems to be fairly bog standard oil used in lawnmower engines, e.g.

    https://mower.ie/product/briggs-stratton-engine-oil-sae30


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    #4036
    Brian?
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,189 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    07Lapierre wrote: »
    Some MTB inner brake cables are different to road bike cable. The cable end is round, whereas a road cable has a pear shaped end. (Some brands have the pear shaped end on one end of the cable and the round end at teh other end! you just cut off the end that's not needed)

    As for brands.. Jagwire are pretty good. Shimano inner cables are not bad either.

    Ah yeah, the wee bit at the end that sits in to the shifter can be different. Forgot about that.

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




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    #4037
    Rechuchote
    Registered Users Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭Rechuchote


    Thanks, MB. 'We' tells me that there are 2 kinds of Sturmey-Archer hub - one that you oil every week through a little hole; the other is a closed kind that's greased with a kind of viscous oil that's not as heavy as normal grease. This is the kind we have.


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    #4038
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,397 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    do you have the model of hub you ordered to hand?


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    #4039
    T-Maxx
    Registered Users Posts: 3,142 ✭✭✭T-Maxx


    The Americans in particular are keen to re-brand bog standard lube/oil/grease and market it as God's gift to anti-friction aficionados. Add a funky coloured dye, repack in small containers, slap some witty name on it, and sell for an exorbitant price...Boom!!!


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    #4040
    Rechuchote
    Registered Users Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭Rechuchote


    Ah. I was misinformed, or possibly didn't listen properly; it's the internal parts that are on their way to us. "It's an AB", I'm told. And it seems, possibly, that chainsaw oil is the best.
    Know what you mean about branding; Bag Balm was developed for cows' udders; farmers discovered they had lovely hands after using it and boom! it became a hit for keeping ladies' hands lovely too.


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    #4041
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Mod is being a massive dick and edited out all of my post and then thread banned me

    If you have a question about ebikes then this Facebook group is way more helpful and the mods aren't controling dicks.

    https://m.facebook.com/groups/144951402623545/?tsid=0.7738607102565743&source=result


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    #4042
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,397 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    Clear Air Turbulence - do not post in this thread again. if you've any questions, PM me.


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    #4043
    covey123
    Registered Users Posts: 400 ✭✭covey123


    Hi all, I'm replacing my cassette and chainring on my MTB, currently a 30T chainring and 11-42 Cassette (1x11)
    Am I likely to run into issues with the rear mech if I fit a 11-46 cassette?


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    #4044
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 49,397 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    what's the rear derailleur? usually there are stated limits for the derailleur - you may be in luck and find that it has the capability to deal with a 46 tooth cassette.


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    #4045
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    covey123 wrote: »
    Hi all, I'm replacing my cassette and chainring on my MTB, currently a 30T chainring and 11-42 Cassette (1x11)
    Am I likely to run into issues with the rear mech if I fit a 11-46 cassette?

    I don't see there being any problem with putting in a slightly bigger cassette, derailleurs on mountain bikes are quite flexible in what they will accept.


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    #4046
    Rechuchote
    Registered Users Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭Rechuchote


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    do you have the model of hub you ordered to hand?

    Sure, here you go, Magic.

    554730.jpg


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    #4047
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Rechuchote wrote: »
    Sure, here you go, Magic.

    554730.jpg

    Unfortunately the image doesn't give us that much information, do you know the name of the groupset and year the bike is from?


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    #4048
    Rechuchote
    Registered Users Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭Rechuchote


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Unfortunately the image doesn't give us that much information, do you know the name of the groupset and year the bike is from?

    Sturmey-Archer and a Gazelle sit-up bike is all I know, sorry.

    Had a look for a serial number but it just says "Sturmey-Archer 07 England", as far as I can see.

    554732.jpg


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    #4049
    Type 17
    Registered Users Posts: 2,730 ✭✭✭Type 17


    It looks like an AB (the B=brake). The there is also an AG (generator) hub, and the regular 3-speed AW hub (W=wide, there were also closer-ratio hubs).

    You can change the axle easily enough (there are different lengths for different frame applications, hopefully you got the same length, or one that will work with the Gazelle).

    No harm to have a spare set of internals, the newer Sturmey-Archer stuff isn't made of such good metal as the older ones. so stuff like chipped pawls are more common these days.

    You can use any medium to thick oil (not watery stuff like WD-40 or GT-85), but don't put too much in - this isn't one of the more modern gear hubs like Shimano Alfine, that is almost filled with oil, like a car gearbox, it just needs to have all the parts damp or wet with oil, not immersed in it. If you you try to fill it, the oil will flow out past the bearings and destroy the brake shoes.


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    #4050
    Rechuchote
    Registered Users Posts: 1,171 ✭✭✭Rechuchote


    Where do you get these oils and what are they called, please?


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    #4051
    Type 17
    Registered Users Posts: 2,730 ✭✭✭Type 17


    Any dribble-oil will do (an oil like Three-in-One that is supplied in a container with a dribbly spout). You can also use lighter automotive oils like lawnmower oil, but even regular engine oil would be fine.

    Once it's not thin enough to evaporate (so aerosol lubes are out), the grade of oil isn't critical because, unlike engines, or high-speed machinery like vehicle hubs, bike parts don't rotate fast enough or handle enough loads to get hot, so the concept of the wrong grade of oil breaking down and allowing damage to occur is not an issue (on bikes, damage occurs through lack of lubricant, or water ingress causing oil breakdown).


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