Basic bike maintenance

Hi Folks,

I've finally managed to get a hybrid bike for commuting and longer
weekend jaunts. Am delighted with the buy but was wondering what
general maintenace is expected for day to day use on a bike doing
between 200-300 k per week.

I have a bottle of chain lube and obviously that goes without saying.
Anything else though? or a book maybe that is very good on this thing?

Many thanks

Andrew

thedudeinthehat wrote:
Hi Folks,

I've finally managed to get a hybrid bike for commuting and longer
weekend jaunts. Am delighted with the buy but was wondering what
general maintenace is expected for day to day use on a bike doing
between 200-300 k per week.

I have a bottle of chain lube and obviously that goes without saying.
Anything else though? or a book maybe that is very good on this thing?

There area multitude of books on the subject, one that springs to mind
is "Zen & the Art of Bicycle Maintenance"

You could do worse than peruse the articles on Sheldon's website:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/

Another good website is the Park's Tools website, Parks are a major
player in the provision of bicycle specific tools. Look in the repair
help section: http://www.parktool.com/repair/

--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

Hackers make toys. Crackers break them. (Peter Seebach)

Don Whybrow wrote:
thedudeinthehat wrote:

Hi Folks,

I've finally managed to get a hybrid bike for commuting and longer
weekend jaunts. Am delighted with the buy but was wondering what
general maintenace is expected for day to day use on a bike doing
between 200-300 k per week.

I have a bottle of chain lube and obviously that goes without saying.
Anything else though? or a book maybe that is very good on this thing?


There area multitude of books on the subject, one that springs to mind
is "Zen & the Art of Bicycle Maintenance"

You could do worse than peruse the articles on Sheldon's website:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/

Another good website is the Park's Tools website, Parks are a major
player in the provision of bicycle specific tools. Look in the repair
help section: http://www.parktool.com/repair/

Oh, I should have added that it is not necessary to go out and buy a
full set of tools from scratch. Unless you can afford it, it is better
to build up gradually as you take on more of the maintenance yourself
and your confidence grows. As a starting point, you will need a puncture
repair kit and a decent set of tyre levers. Other than that you should
be able to manage with screwdrivers, spanners etc. you already have. The
first tool that I bought was a pedal spanner, followed by a small set of
tools. Most of the tools in the set are OK, but others have had to be
replaced as they were not up to the job or did not fit my bike. My next
purchase was a wheel stand so I could at least fix broken spokes and get
a true wheel. I have yet to build a wheel from scratch, but it is only a
matter of time. The last thing I got was a work stand for the bike. I
got mine second hand from a colleague who was upgrading to a more
expensive one.

Have I been doing this long, no. I got back into cycling about 4 years
ago, but until about a year ago I would have taken even a flat to my
local bike shop (LBS). Reading this group has given me the confidence
and information to now take on most of the work myself.

--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

"There is a wicked pretense that one has been informed. But no
such thing has truly occurred! A mere slogan, an empty litany.
No arguments are heard, no evidence is weighed. It isn't news at
all, only a source of amusement for idlers." (Gibson-Sterling,
The Difference Engine)

Don Whybrow wrote:
thedudeinthehat wrote:
Hi Folks,

I've finally managed to get a hybrid bike for commuting and longer
weekend jaunts. Am delighted with the buy but was wondering what
general maintenace is expected for day to day use on a bike doing
between 200-300 k per week.

I have a bottle of chain lube and obviously that goes without saying.
Anything else though? or a book maybe that is very good on this thing?

There area multitude of books on the subject, one that springs to mind
is "Zen & the Art of Bicycle Maintenance"

*Zinn*.

'Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance' is not very factual on Zen.
Or motorcycles. It's a good read though.

Two recommended books from me.

For the bike, the big blue bike maintenance book from Haynes

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...528258-3068702

For you, cyclecraft:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyclecraft-S...e=UTF8&s=books

Jc.

Following on from thedudeinthehat's message. . .
Hi Folks,

I've finally managed to get a hybrid bike for commuting and longer
weekend jaunts. Am delighted with the buy but was wondering what
general maintenace is expected for day to day use on a bike doing
between 200-300 k per week.

I have a bottle of chain lube and obviously that goes without saying.
Anything else though? or a book maybe that is very good on this thing?

If it's not broken don't fix it.

Proper chain lube is definitely worth it IMHO.

I would keep an eye on the brakes (do they work, are they /getting/
worn, could they do with a bit of adjustment.)

During the first 250-500 miles you're quite likely to need to check the
bike all over at least once for loose bolts etc. After that you can
extend your inspections perhaps taking special care if you've found a
little problem.

Things that go wrong with bikes fall into two categories
(a) Those you can spot getting worse or showing rust eg brakes & cables
(b) Those that just happen eg fractured seat bolt
A lot depends on the make and model.


--
PETER FOX Not the same since the cardboard box company folded

www.eminent.demon.co.uk - Lots for cyclists

Peter Fox wrote:


During the first 250-500 miles you're quite likely to need to check the
bike all over at least once for loose bolts etc. After that you can
extend your inspections perhaps taking special care if you've found a
little problem.


Apparently, bikes are supplied with pre-stretched brake and gear cables
nowadays so that they don't go out of adjustment.

They still stretch.

in message . com,
thedudeinthehat ') wrote:

Hi Folks,

I've finally managed to get a hybrid bike for commuting and longer
weekend jaunts. Am delighted with the buy but was wondering what
general maintenace is expected for day to day use on a bike doing
between 200-300 k per week.

I have a bottle of chain lube and obviously that goes without saying.
Anything else though? or a book maybe that is very good on this thing?

The important thing with chains is keeping them clean. A mixture of oil and
grit makes a good grinding paste. Techniques for cleaning and lubricating
chains are discussed here regularly, and there is some variation in
technique. I find running the chain through a wad of kitchen paper or a
dry rag on a frequent basis (after every ride) is a good thing - removes
dirt from the outside of the chain. A thorough clean and relube is
required before it squeaks - but ideally /just/ before it squeaks, because
every time you do it you're bound to get some grit into the rollers. In
between these thorough relubes adding a little lube, sparingly, to the
chain on a couple of occasions is debatably a good thing. Obviously a
mountain bike is going to need a thorough chain clean and relube after
virtually every ride, whereas a bike used on the road in dry weather may
go for months without much attention.

Remember that on a new bike cables will take a couple of weeks to bed in
and will then need some adjustment. Also, fasteners may come loose in the
first few weeks and should be checked.

After that, there should be nothing for a long time. Do not splash oil on
your bearings, it will wash the grease out. They will need to be regreased
occasionally, but that's probably a job for the annual service (unless you
are doing regular deep fording). The cage of the rear derailleur needs to
be stripped, cleaned and reassembled occasionally. Some suspension forks
require regular attention.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

my other car is #Subr-Car: #5d480
;; This joke is not funny in emacs.

Don Whybrow wrote:
Don Whybrow wrote:
thedudeinthehat wrote:

Hi Folks,

I've finally managed to get a hybrid bike for commuting and longer
weekend jaunts. Am delighted with the buy but was wondering what
general maintenace is expected for day to day use on a bike doing
between 200-300 k per week.

Oh, I should have added that it is not necessary to go out and buy a
full set of tools from scratch. Unless you can afford it, it is better
to build up gradually as you take on more of the maintenance yourself
and your confidence grows. As a starting point, you will need a puncture
repair kit and a decent set of tyre levers

And a pump, and a spare inner tube.


Other than that you should
be able to manage with screwdrivers, spanners etc. you already have.
(metric) Allen keys if you don't have them.


IMHO the main thing to keep an eye on is the brakes, check they are
working every day. If they are rim brakes clean the rims more regularly
than I do, otherwise expect them to not work so well when it rains.


Martin.

"Martin Dann" wrote in message

IMHO the main thing to keep an eye on is the brakes, check they are
working every day. If they are rim brakes clean the rims more regularly
than I do, otherwise expect them to not work so well when it rains.

With the shimano pads I had to clean the rims every day it rained. Since
changing to KoolStop salmon and black pads I have not *needed* to cleam them
in a couple of months.

Jc.