Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

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PanBiker
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Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by PanBiker »

Getting ready for more routes and rides by way of fixing the flat rear tyre. Front and back of my bike run at 2 - 4 bar I pump them to 2 which is plenty solid enough and hard enough to achieve with the small HP hand pump I carry on the bike for running repairs, I use a foot pump for maintenance at home. A bit strange that the tyre was completely flat, it's usual for the tubes to lose a bit a go soft but this one was proper flat so I elected to take the tube out and have a look. Quick release on my wheels so no great shakes after tipping the bike up indexing the gears into the centre of the cassette and releasing the back break.

I took the tube out and pumped it up, fully expecting to find a puncture or something wrong with it but it was not so. I shoved quite bit of pressure in and ran it through the sink but there was nothing! I always have a spare so I decided to swap the tube anyway and keep the one taken out as a "get me home". I carry a repair kit as well as a tube so there is no panic to replace instantly, I will pick one up in due course. Bike is ready now for when the spirit moves me. Jack's kitchen to finish and exams looming so not much chance in the short term but it's ready if I want to nip out in the evenings.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by Stanley »

Almost certainly the valve Ian. Putting more pressure in for the test probably cured it.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by PanBiker »

That would be more likely if it was a Presta valve which seals on pressure. ATB and Hybrid bikes have Schrader which have a mechanical spring valve, it's quite uncommon to have one completely flat without something amiss with the tube. You can get grit in but that risk is minimised with the dust caps which are always present. You also get pressure drop through leaching through the rubber itself but as a comparison the front tyre had only lost 20% over winter, Sally's bike is the same both down by about 20%
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by Tizer »

If the Manchester graphene inventor, Andre Geim, gets his way you may soon have tyres that last 3 times as long for your car and bicycle. He's shown that graphene is an excellent heat conductor and a few percent added to tyre rubber speeds up heat loss, cools the tyre and extends the tyre's life.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

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Had to get the bike maintenance stand out yesterday. I noticed last ride out that the indexing had gone awry on some combinations of front and back cassettes. Usually when shifting down which is when it needs to be smooth if you are shifting to climb a hill. I think it was a bit of stretch in the rear dérailleur cable. Anyway I did the whole lot on the rear Shimano set, lower limit, cable tension, indexing across the range and high limit. Front cassette dérailleur didn't need any adjustment.

I have also noticed a problem that I have with my right ankle. I know from the physiotherapist that I have a slight weakness and that ankle tends to turn slightly outwards when walking any distance, it also happens when cycling. The effect on the bike though is that my heel tends to turn inwards on the pedal. As it's my right foot I find that it can foul with the crank and lower cassette. I'm going to try swapping my pedals out for the ones I used on the coast to coast with the toe clips and see if this encourages my foot to stay at 90 degrees to the pedal. They are not captive clips and are actually designed to hold your foot on the pedal on the upstroke which aids pedalling on climbs. Final resort would be cleated pedals and cycling shoes but I don't particularly want to go there.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

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In my day I used cycling shoes with aluminium cleats in the instep and strap in toe clips.....
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by PanBiker »

What was the purpose of the cleats in the instep? Cleats are normally on the ball of the foot to hold it in the correct place for maximum efficiency. Toe clips as well, one or the other surely or have I missed something?

Going out for a short ride just to check the new indexing setup, not swapped my pedals out yet.

Later: Went out for a quick circular down Geenberfield and the canal bank. Gears seem to be shifting OK, certainly a lot better than they were. :smile:

Oh, have moved the last few posts into this new thread as they are not route related.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by Stanley »

They engaged with the back serrated bar on the pedal and locked your foot into place. Quick release straps on the clips, one pull and the foot was free. Standard issue on cycling shoes then. Thinking back they could have been on the front side of the instep because they clicked on the floor when you walked normally.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by PanBiker »

No ride out yet but I did get all the tyres pumped up to correct pressure on both our bikes, they could do with a wash down as well. 2 bar - more or less 30psi front and back. Easy enough with the foot pump and a good exercise for my right leg. :smile: We'll start on the cut bank for our first rides to see how I go. Weekends no good for that as the tow path is normally rammed with folk, dogs and prams. Mid week will be a lot quieter. We can put the Lock Stop or the Anchor at Salterforth in the way, or both if it takes our fancy. :extrawink: :biggrin2:
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by Stanley »

Sounds like a plan..... Good luck with it Ian.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

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One of my relatives turned up the other day to ask if I had a big hacksaw. His daughter had got a new bike from Halfords but the seat was too high and wouldn't adjust low enough. Halfords refused to shorten the stem and said they'd have to pay £30 for a different saddle or stem. As a good OGer of course I had a suitable hacksaw and the job was soon done. The daughter is very active and will make good use of the bike. This weekend she passed her Duke of Edinburgh certificate up on the Quantocks and returned home `tired and hungry'. :smile:
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by PanBiker »

Is the frame size right for her? If set at the lowest and its still to high, this would seem the case.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by plaques »

Nothing wrong with the frame its her legs that are too short. Can you remember when they used to fit wooden blocks on the peddles to get over this vertical challenge problem.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by PanBiker »

The frame is the starting point for correct size for any individual. If she has short legs she needs a smaller frame. Building up the pedals is no way to go. You always start with inside leg and frame size when choosing a bike. This will also determine the correct height to the crank to enable a correct peddling action and the distance to the handlebars for a comfortable position that will be appropriate for the rider.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

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Getting the right one was a reason for going to Halfords because they advise on frame sizes; but also her mother and father are keen cyclists and have plenty of experience. They used to run a sports centre too.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by PanBiker »

Curious then, if the frame size is right there should be no problem in reaching the peddles the seat should go low enough without having to alter the stem. If it was a gents bike with a crossbar you should be able to put both feet on the ground straddling the crossbar. Not the same issue with a ladies frame of course and seat height becomes all really. Larger people can always manage with a smaller frame unless someone is extra tall, can't be said the other way round though.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by Stanley »

Young legs soon grow!
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by PanBiker »

Seat stem might not be long enough then. :extrawink:
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by Tizer »

We recently saw a very fat man riding a bicycle. His knees were up in the air, the saddle disappeared under his buttocks and he was wobbling from side to side on each stroke of the pedal! :surprised:
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by plaques »

Always difficult to assess the leg length on really fat people. Some are taller sat down than they are stood up. My bikes were 24 inch frames, Hard to come by when I was young. Wrong shape to be a cyclist, like a barn door stood up catching all the wind. The alternative was to crouch down in a doubled up position not very comfortable when touring. No wonder I developed a bad back.
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Re: Bike Maintenance and General Discussion

Post by PanBiker »

I'm around 5ft8" 30" inside leg, 18" frame on my Dawes, bob on for me.
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