General Bicycle Information

Five Preventative Maintenance Checks
You should always make sure your bicycle is in good condition before starting on a ride. This way, it is less likely that something will go wrong on the trip. Preventative maintenance will go a long way to making sure your bicycling experiences are enjoyable and without incident. At a minimum, perform these checks before riding.
1. Brakes: This is a critical check. A faulty braking system can lead to injury and if you find a defect, do not attempt to ride the bike until it is repaired. First check the pads to see if they are too worn. The brake pads need to be replaced when the pads are worn more than 1/8 inch. If so, replace them. Note that if you don’t install brake pads securely, there is a danger that they come loose and fall into the spokes, and this may cause you to fall off the bike. If you position them too high, they will rub through the tire and may cause a blowout. If you position them too low, they will soon lose their grip. Next check the mechanism. The pads should be fully down on the tire when the brake lever is halfway closed. If not, adjust the cable. Finally, check the cables to see if they are in good condition.
2. Steering: Check to see if the handlebars are tightened and correctly aligned.
3. Next check the chain system. Is the chain clean? Are any links damaged? Are the cogs worn so that the chain slips when pedaling? More is written about the chain below.
4. Gear Cables: Improper adjustment of the gear mechanisms is the main cause of unreliability on most bikes. Check to see that there is a quick reliable change between the gears. If the chain jumps off, adjust the derailleur.
5. Seat: Make sure the seat clamp bolt and the seat post binder bolt are tightened. They do not have to be real tight, but just tight enough to prevent the seat from slipping.

Problem: The brakes lose power quickly.
Solution: The cable anchor bolt could be too tight. The brake pads could be loose. The cable housing could be missing endcaps.

Problem: The brakes do not release properly.
Solution: The pivot bolts could be too tight. The cable could be corroded or in need of lubrication. The brake pads position could be incorrect. The spring tension on the brake could be incorrect.

Problem: The brakes are noisy/squeal.
Solution: The brake pads could be old and hard and need replacing. The brake pads need to be “toed in.” The rim might need to be cleaned.

Problem: The brakes chatter/grab.
Solution: The brake pads need “toeing in.” The rim is bent or dented. The brake pivots are too loose. The headset bearings are loose.

Problem: The brakes are stiff to apply.
Solution: The cable could be corroded or not properly lubricated. The cable routing could be too short or too long. The spring tension of the cantilever brakes could be set incorrectly.

Problem: The brake levers creak in use.
Solution: Try spraying the mountings and the pivots with a thin lubricant.

Problem: You have poor braking in the rain.
Solution: You may need to install better brake pads. If the problem persists, you may need to install alloy rims.

It is important to use the right lubrication and the right amount. You should try to use the least amount of lube that adequately lubes the chain and derailleurs. Any excess will lead to increased wear due to dirt and grime buildup. When you lube the chain, let the oil soak in and then wipe off any excess. When you ride, make sure you carry a rag of some sort to wipe off the chain periodically. This will prolong the life of the chain.

Check Chain For Wear
In addition to cleaning and lubricating, the chain should also be checked for stretching. To measure the chain a foot-long ruler should be used. Place one end of the ruler at the center of any rivet on the chain and lay the ruler along the chain. The other end of the ruler should end up in the center of another rivet. The chain needs to be replaced when the ruler is 1/8 inch or more from the closest rivet or the chain can be lifted off of the chainring ¼ inch.

Replace Cogs With the Chain
The cassette cogs wear out at the same speed as the chain and will need to be replaced along with the chain. Failure to replace the cassette cogs will cause the bike to work improperly.

Chain Replacement Instructions
In some repair or replacement situations it will be necessary to remove the chain and this requires separating it. The first step is to use the derailleurs to put the chain on the smallest chainring in front and the smallest cog in the rear. This will minimize tension, making removal easier. Unwind the chain tool far enough to fit the chain. Align the punch of the tool with a chain pin and screw the punch forward against the pin until it appears the link can be separated. This will be approximately 6 turns. Try to keep the pin attached to the chain in case the chain needs to be reattached. Now that the chain is removed, repeat the steps backwards to attach a new chain or a newly cleaned chain. When reattaching a chain make sure the derailleurs are set for the smallest chainring in front and the smallest cog in the rear as done before.

Trouble Shooting Tips For the Chain
Problem: The chain gets dirty and grimy.
Solution: Clean it and use less oil or use a lighter grade of oil. Always wipe off any excess oil as it will attract dirt.

Problem: Your chain breaks while riding and you do not have a tool to fix it.
Solution: Try to find a piece of wire or even you a shoelace if you have to, and tie the chain together. Then pedal very gently until you get home.

Problem: The chain squeaks even after you have oiled it.
Solution: Try an oil with better penetrating qualities.

Problem: When you pedal hard the chain skips.
Solution: If it only skips one cog it is probably a worn out cog. So replace it. If it skips most or all of the cogs, it is probably a tight link in the chain. Find it by pedaling backwards and watching for it to bind as it passes through the derailleur pulleys. Then flex the chain sideways to free the link. If the link is rusted tight, replace it. You may need to replace the chain if there are several stiff links in different locations on the chain.

It is very important to protect the derailleur. It is very fragile and any damage to it can cause the shifting to malfunction. Don’t let your bike fall on the derailleur, which may bend it. When bent the derailleur can cause shifting into the spokes. This can cause serious wheel damage. Signs that indicate a bent derailleur are sudden hesitation shifting in higher gears and a clicking sound when you are on your top cog. If you hear this sound shift out of this, gear immediately because the derailleur is hitting the spokes and may go into the wheel.

Trouble Shooting Tips For the Derailleur
Problem: The chain falls off while you are shifting to the small chainring.
Solution: You can usually keep riding, but pedal very gently and shift the derailleur. Hopefully, the chain will shift back to the chainring.

Problem: When you stand to climb, the chain rubs the derailleur.
Solution: Try adjusting the low-gear adjusting screw so that there is more clearance between the cage and the chain when in low gear.

Problem: When you stand to sprint, the chain rubs the derailleur.
Solution: The chainring may be slightly bent. Check it and have it trued if it is bent. Or you can try adjusting the high-gear adjusting screw to provide more clearance between the cage and the chain when in high gear.

Problem: The derailleur will not shift to the smaller chainring.
Solution: Make sure the cable is moving smoothly. Make sure the angle of the cage is parallel to the chainrings, that the low-gear adjusting screw allows the derailleur to move far enough to the inside, and that the nose of the derailleur is slightly bent toward the chain.

Problem: The derailleur will not shift to the larger chainring.
Solution: Check to see if the angle of the cage is parallel to the chainrings, that the high-gear adjusting screw allows the derailleur to move far enough to the outside, and that the cage’s nose is slightly bent toward the chain.

Tire Repair
The tire will need to be replaced if worn, cracked, or the core is visible. The tire might need to be replaced if cut or punctured to a degree beyond repair.

The wheel first needs to be removed. Next, locate the cut and mark it with chalk or a marker. Completely deflate the tube. Squeeze the tire to loosen it from the shoulder and get it in the center trough. Pry a tire lever under the tire bead, lift it over the rim and attach the lever to a spoke. Move over a few spokes and use another lever to lift the tire over the rim. Do the same with the third lever and lift as much of the tire over the rim as possible and remove the levers. Repeat the lever process until an entire side of the tire is removed. It is suggested that the tube be removed only from the area in which the tire needs to be repaired for convenience. Depending on the depth of repair, the entire tire may need to be removed. A small cut can be filled with super blue or repaired from the inside of the tire with a patch. A larger cut needs to be repaired with a patch kit. Once the repair is done and has had time to dry, the tube needs to put back under the tire and inflated just enough to give it some form. To reattach the tire simply use your hands to place the tire back on the inside of the rim. Make sure the tube does not get stuck under the tire bead. Inflate the tire to at least the minimum pressure, attach the wheel to the bike and you are set to ride again.

Tire Replacement
The procedure for replacing a tire follows the nearly the same steps as repairing a tire. Completely remove the tire from the rim and replace it with a new one. Remember this time though, the tube does not need to be removed at all. Leave it intact.
      Front Wheel Removal
Untension the brakes to allow the wheel to pass through. The brakes will usually have a brake quick-release or you will need to simply lift out the cables. Next detach the bike fork from the wheel hub either by quick-release or by unscrewing the axle nuts with a fork wrench and pull the wheel out of the fork. Note: when you put the wheel back on you need to be aware of the safety systems on some bikes. These systems usually consist of an oval washer that fits in between the wheel nut and the fork. The tab on the washer has to be fit into a slot on the fork end, before you fit the wheel nut. Once the washer is in place and the wheel nut is tightened, the wheel can not fall out.
      Rear Wheel Removal
Use the derailleurs to set the chain on the smallest rear cog and the smallest front chainring. Untension the brakes to allow the wheel to pass through. The brakes will usually have a brake quick-release or you will need to simply lift out the cable. Next detach the bike fork from the wheel hub either by quick-release or by unscrewing the axle nuts with a fork wrench. Hold back the derailleur and chain while pulling the wheel out of the fork.

If you see bubbles during the water test then you will need to fix the tube by putting a patch over the hole. To do this start by scuffing the area around the hole and including the hole. Do this with a piece of sandpaper or the metal scrapper that comes with the patch kit. You should scuff an area that is a little larger than the patch. Just scuff it, don’t damage the tube! After you scuff it, brush away the scuffed off rubber. You can buy a patch that is self sticking that you simply peel off the back and stick it to the tube. Make sure the patch is securely stuck around the hole and test by reinflating it once more. If the leak is fixed, deflate the tire and reinsert it in the tire. Remember that the self stick patch is just a temporary fix to get you home. For a permanent fix, you must use a patch that is glued on. Everything else is the same in the instructions. The glue in the patch kits come sealed. Once you open the tube, make sure the glue inside is thin and runny. If it is too thick and gummy, it will not hold. Also, make sure you apply enough glue and place the glue over a larger area than the patch. Once the shine and wet surface of the glue turns dull it s ready to apply the patch. It will take about 5 minutes for this to happen. Do not apply the patch until the glue is dry or it will not stick. Note that most patches come with a cellophane top layer and a bottom layer of foil. Hold onto the cellophane and slowly pull the foil off. When you discard the foil, be careful not to touch the sticky surface or you will contaminate the glue. Place the patch on the tube and press firmly. Leave the cellophane in place as this will help make the sure the tube does not adhere to the tire when you replace the tube. Once the tube is patched, you can reinsert the tube into the tire. However, before doing this be sure to check the tire inside and out for any bits of foreign objects, like glass, wire, thorns, etc. which could damage the tube once again.

Tube Replacement
To place the tube within the tire, first inflate the tube just enough to round it out and remove any wrinkles. This slight inflation is the key to avoiding getting the tube caught under the tire bead, which can cause problem in the insertion. Next, put the valve stem in the valve hole on the rim and then work the rest of the tube into the tire. After it is inside the tire, go around again working the tube up and onto the rim. When this is done, the free tire bead should be flat against the rim and the tube should be completely tucked up inside the tire and onto the rim. To reinstall the tire, begin by remounting the bead on the opposite side from the valve hole so the last difficult section will occur at the valve. This will insure the maximum slack in the tire bead. Hold the tire in you lap and work your hands away from each other around the wheel, popping the tire bead onto the rim by pushing down with your thumbs or the heels of your hands (with your fingers resting on the back side of the rim). When you get the last section near the valve, it will get difficult, but don’t give up. For this last tough section, sit down and put the section on top of your right knee if you are right-handed and on your left knee if you are left-handed. Hold the tire bead on the rim on one side with your weak hand so it can’t come undone as you work on the other end of this section. Using your stronger hand, work about an inch of the section onto the rim. Pop it on by pushing down and forward with the heel of your hand (you will be pushing against your knee and you will have a lot of leverage). When you get an inch on, push another inch on, and so on. When you get to the valve, push it up inside the tire so the valve’s base, which is thicker, can’t interfere with the beads as you are installing the tire. That will help you pop on the last piece to complete the installation. Next, go around the tire and push the tire away from the rim, one side at a time. Look down into the rim to make sure the tube is not visible. If it is it means the tube is caught under the tire bead and tire is not seated on the rim correctly. It will not inflate evenly and may blow out later. If the tube is caught, wiggle the tire back and forth gently until the tube is freed, or use a tire lever to gently poke the tube inside the tire. Once everything is okay, it is time to inflate the tire. To prevent too much pressure on the valve while pumping, support the valve stem with your fingers. After you pump some air into the tire, stop and rotate the wheel to see that the tire is sitting uniformly. Bulges at low pressure can be explosive at high pressure. If the tire looks straight, go ahead and inflate it to the proper pressure. If not, lubricate the beads with some soapy water and reinflate, or dismount everything and try again.

Trouble Shooting Tips For Tire and Tube Repair
Problem: Every time you fix a flat, the tire goes flat again.
Solution: Check the tube carefully. See if the holes always occur on the bottom of the tube. If so, then the rim strip that protects the tube from being punctured by the end of the spokes may be missing or out of place. If the holes are on the top, then there may be some sharp object stuck in the tire.

Problem: The tire goes flat slowly.
Solution: Cover the end of the valve stem with some spit and watch for bubbles. If bubbles occur then try to tighten the valve, or remove it and place a drop of oil on the rubber seal and reinstall. If it isn’t the valve, then take out the tube, inflate and hold it under water to find the leak.

Problem: You continually get pinch flats.
Solution: Put more air in your tires.

Problem: The patch won’t stick to the tube.
Solution: You need to put on enough glue and let it set until completely dry, which should be in about 5 minutes. Also, never touch the sticky side of the patch with your fingers as you will leave body oils. Finally, do not blow on the glue to “help” it dry as you may blow moisture on the glue.

Trouble Shooting Tips For Wheel Truing
Problem: Your spokes keep breaking.
Solution: This is probably because of poor quality spokes. Replace them with ones of better quality.

Problem: The wheels will not stay true.
Solution: When you true the wheels, make sure the spoke tension is sufficient and uniform for every spoke. If the spokes continue to loosen try to make them a little tighter.

Problem: You have radial spoked wheels (the spokes travel directly from the hub to the rim without crossing other spokes) and they continually loosen.
Solution: Add more tension. If they loosen again, it is probably because of the spoke pattern. Radial spokes take shock from the road directly and are more apt to loosen. To keep them tight, loosen all the nipples, apply a light thread adhesive to the nipple, and re-tension the wheel.

Trouble Shooting Tips For Cassettes
Problem: When installing a cassette, it doesn’t fit on the cassette hub.
Solution: You need to be sure to match the cassette spline to the hub spline as it will only fit one way.

Problem: Shifting is not as accurate as it once was.
Solution: Check to see if the cassette lockring is tight.

Problem: When pedaling, there is a feeling that the gears are skipping and there is an associated sound.
Solution: This usually occurs when a cog is worn. Try to figure out which cog it is and replace it. Skipping can also be caused by debris getting jammed in between cogs.

Problem: There is a creaking sound coming from the rear wheel.
Solution: Remove the cogs and grease the splines that the cogs sit on, then reinstall the cogs and tighten the lockring.

Problem: Pedaling feels rough.
Solution: The chain is dirty or dirt has gotten in the cassette bearings. You need to flush it out with something like WD-40, and then apply a medium-weight oil. Repeat this process until it runs smooth.

Problem: The shifting isn’t as precise as before you disassembled and cleaned the cassette.
Solution: Make sure the spacers are installed correctly and that all the spacers are reinstalled. Also, there should be the same size gaps between each pair of cogs. If not, the shifting will not work correctly.

Problem: The derailleur will not shift onto one of the larger cogs.
Solution: You may have installed a cog backwards, and the ramps on the teeth cannot pick up the chain when you shift. Try flipping the cog.

References
1. Langley, Jim. Bicycling Magazine’s Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair or Road and Mountain Bikes. Emmaus: Pennsylvania. 1999.
2. Milson, Fred. The Bike Book: Complete Step-By-Step Guide to Choosing, Maintaining, and Repairing Your Bicycle. Des Moines: Iowa. 1995.

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