Bike maintenance 101
By Pip Read
As the weather improves (be it ever so slowly) I thought it would be timely
to write an article on bicycle maintenance. I am not talking about anything
fancy, just giving your trusty stead a good clean.
This is how I go about keeping my bikes in good working order.
Firstly, bikes do talk! No I haven't finally lost all my marbles, bikes
really do talk. You just need to learn how to understand what they are
saying. It's not rocket science! Grinding, scrunching or a squealing noise
when the brakes are applied means 'my brake blocks/rims need a clean' or a
rhythmic squeak when pedalling means 'my pedals need to be cleaned and
oiled or cleats need to be replaced' or every time you change gears it
sounds like you have a budgie in your back pocket usually means 'my jockey
wheels need a drop of oil' (they are the little toothed wheels hanging just
below the rear derailer - more on these later). A squeak from the handle
bar head steam area, when you are out of the saddle, means 'my mounting
bolts need a bit of a tighten please'.
Items required for bike cleaning:-
- I use a bike stand. It is one of the best inventions ever, holding the bike stable so you can adjust the bike to a comfortable height. Different styles and prices of bike stands are available and I believe one is a good investment.
- For bike cleaning you will need some sort of cleaning agent. I use RP7/WD40 and methylated spirits. There are some environmentally safe cleaning products also available on the market.
- A chain cleaning thingy, one of those plastic gizmos that attach to the chain and you spin the pedals backwards. (It is actually called 'a chain cleaner' and is available from most good bike shops - Ed)
- Disposable gloves, rags, and if you are like me spectacles (so you can see the fiddley bits)
- Good chain oil.
- A set of allen keys
Now for the good part…
You will notice this is the bit that I like. As you go through the act of cleaning your bike, you get to know and understand it, maybe notice some impending problem (and fix it) and you finish with a clean, sparkling best friend.
I never use water as a cleaning agent. That practice of blasting away at the bike with a high pressure cleaning weapon may be fine for 'Le Tour' mechanics but I do not get my race bike replaced after each season.
Hang your bike on the stand or whatever you are using and start by cleaning the chain using the chain cleaning thingy. I use RP7 sprayed into a rage onto the chain and then use compressed air (it's a long story but it's one of my prized possessions) to clean the jockey wheels by spinning the pedals backward while holding a rag against the side of the teeth. I then clean the front chain rings, no point having a shining clean chain and then have it run over the dirty bits.
Remove both wheels (remember to put the chain on middle to lower gear) and clean the gear cluster. I have found the best way to do this is to hold the wheel between your tummy and something solid, hold a fold of rag between both hands and roll it between each set of cogs until it is clean. If you haven't done this for some time a small amount of RP7 works well.
Clean front and back brake blocks. Once a month or so I use a rag dipped in methylated spirits (depending on how often you ride in the rain) on the brake blocks, otherwise a wipe with a clean rag will suffice.
A light spray of RP7 on to a rag is a good way to clean the frame and it gives it a lovely shine when finished, a bit fiddley but well worth it. While the wheels are off, hold the bike upside down and you may be surprised at the amount of water that is inside the frame tubes. A squirt of RP7 in the holes that the water came from is a good idea. Also clean the rear and front derailers and brake callipers.
As for fit wheels don't worry about getting them centred in the frame, after fitting just sit the bike back on the floor and holding the bike vertical and with the front wheel straight ahead loosen the quick release. The wheels will centre themselves, then tighten the quick release and make sure the brakes blocks are set so the gap between the rim and the pads is even.
To clean the braking surface on the wheels use a clean rag or maybe a rag dipped in methylated spirits. Then give a quick wipe on the spokes and the hub. I really hate to see rusty bottom bracket/wheel axles so I use an oily rag on the exposed wheel axle on the left side on the rear and both sides of the front to clean any surface rust.
Finally wipe the chain and lightly oil the chain. A little drop on each jockey wheel, and a little drop on moving parts of derailers. You will notice the use of 'lightly' and 'little'. A lightly oiled bike will not collect as much dust and grit as a bike with oil splashed everywhere, and the moving parts will last much longer.
Using the allen keys give all bolts a quick tighten including the head stem, handle bars, saddle mounting points, brake levers (if you look at the outside of the brake levers you will see a little indentation slide an allen key in between the lever and the rubber) brakes etc.
Now stand back and admire your work…
Don't be surprised when you get asked ' Hey, when did you get the new bike?'
Now I'm off to finish cleaning my time trial (TT) bike and with luck get in some much-needed TT training before the next race.
Cya!
Pip