AVOID MAINTENANCE FAILS
FOLLOW OUR ESSENTIAL ADVICE TO ENSURE YOUR REPAIRS AND RIDES RUN SMOOTHLY
Working in bike shops you get to see and work on some really beautiful bikes, but then there are the horror bikes. With a can of WD-40, a Phillips head screwdriver and a set of Allen keys in hand, we take a look at six of the most common areas where things can go wrong, to help you avoid the maintenance mistakes we all make when first starting out.
1 Winding in derailleur limit screws
Those screws in your derailleurs aren’t loose, but are actually there to set the limits within which the derailleur can move. If a bicycle mechanic has built your bike, chances are you don’t need to touch those screws again. If your shifting has suddenly gone out of whack, it’s likely to do with cable tension (or dirty cables) or a bent derailleur hanger. Never reach for the screwdriver first.
2 Using the wrong lube
This one comes up in most beginner-focused maintenance features. WD-40 is great for some things, like removing glue residue from stickers or other cleaning jobs, but it’s not up to the task of lubing a bicycle chain.
That said, it’s a little confusing now that WD-40 actually produces a cycling-specific chain lube, but you’ll only find this WD-40branded chain lube in cycle stores.
When it comes to lubricating the chain, any lube left on the outside of the rollers and links will collect dirt and grit. Over time, this will lead to increased wear and quite the mess. After you lube your chain, let the lube settle in and then wipe off the excess with a rag. Lubing on top of dirty lube is a surefire way to make your bike angry at you. It’s good practice to wipe down your chain with a clean rag after every ride, regardless of whether you add more lube. While you’re doing this, you may as well give the rear derailleur pulley wheels a quick wipe too.
3 Lubing brakes to fix a squeal
If your brakes are squealing, don’t think that grease or oil is the answer. Lube and brakes don’t mix!
If you’re using rim brakes, it’s likely to do with how the brake pads are set up. Look into how to set up brake pads with toe-in to avoid the dreaded squeal. If your pads are old and have dried out, seek advice on new, quieter brake pads.
For disc users, some brakes just squeal – there’s unfortunately no way out of that. Most of the time it’s a sign of contamination. Cleaning the rotors and replacing the pads should provide some respite to nearby pedestrians.
4 Over tightening the headset
Modern threadless headset systems work by preloading the bearings with the cap on top, and then torquing the stem in place with its pinch bolts.
Commonly, it’s thought the top preload bolt needs to be really tight,
IF YOUR SHIFTING HAS SUDDENLY GONE OUT OF WHACK, IT’S LIKELY TO DO WITH CABLE TENSION
often resulting in a stripped star nut or jammed headset bearing. You only need this top bolt tight enough to remove any headset bearing play. If it’s causing resistance in your steering it’s likely too tight.
The exception is with older quill stems (distinguishable by a single bolt on top, with no pinch bolts at the stem’s side – still common on some department store bikes).
This design uses a bolt attached to a sliding wedge that, when tightened, locks the stem within the steerer tube. For this type of stem, torque is your friend. And once you think you’ve got it tight enough, put the front wheel between your knees and see if you can twist the handlebar.
5 Not properly closing quick-releases
Quick-release skewers are common in cycling, but are rarely seen elsewhere, so it’s common to see them used incorrectly.
Perhaps the most obvious example of this is Trek’s recall of over a million bikes in 2015 due to the potential danger if the quickrelease skewer was used incorrectly.
Put simply, quick-releases have an open and closed position. Before riding the bike, you need the quick-release in the closed position. After tightening the opposing nut, the quick-release lever should be locked into position with enough tension that it leaves a slight imprint in the palm of your hand. Ensure that it’s tight enough that you can’t flick it open with your fingertips alone.
6 Poorly inflated tyres
Riding with under or overly inflated tyres is another common error. Here, a good quality floor pump makes a real difference in simply adding air to your tyres before you leave home.
For minimum and maximum pressures, consult the sidewall of your tyre. Another common mistake arises in the use of Presta valves. These can be quite delicate and it’s important not to put too much twisting force on them. Before fitting the pump head, ensure the nut is unwound to the top of its threaded shaft, then slightly depress the valve until you hear air escape.
Connect the pump as square to the valve as possible and once pumped, remove the pump head in an equally straight line. When you re-tighten the little nut, fingertight to the point that it can’t be depressed is all that’s needed. Anything more and you may damage its seal.