Road bike maintenance thread

Is there one?
If so then feel free to merge. I would just like to say
Front derailleur? WTF!
I could take apart my track bike and put it back together - 5 times, before I am able to get my front derailleur changing rings in a predictable and safe manner.
Is it voodoo? Is it magic. Or do I need to admit defeat and take it to a shop like a loser?
Fuck!

my view on mike maintenance? two words: little and often.

What about **bike **maintenance though? What's your view on that :)

I agree and I do try and follow that, but not always easy with young children. But this front derailleur fitting is just impossible to get right. I have a new cable, all the tools and still it just does what it wants which is usually falling off or refusing to shift in traffic. I now just stay in the big ring, too scared to change down. Which kind of defeats the purpose of having two rings

Have you read the manual? Watched some setup videos on YouTube?

What groupset? I have found sram front mechs particularly hard to set up compared to campag and shimano..

Take a pic of the setup when you get a chance.

without cable connected, optimise the position of the fd, adjust top and bottom limits, turn the cranks, push in the fd - until sweet

now you know the fd is changing ok

screw in all adjusters, then connect the cable, make sure selector is in big small ring position. nip up the cable, start turning the cranks, then select smaller larger ring. if the transition isn't correct then start tensioning by screwing the adjusters out and retesting

^^ Cheers this is the kind of quick outline I was after. I tried various videos but no joy
It's 105 groupset

Why would you leave the big ring in London?

Mike

You can do a one day maintenance course.

Possibly a spam post but CTUK offer such training.

without cable connected, optimise the position of the fd, adjust top and bottom limits, turn the cranks, push in the fd - until sweet

now you know the fd is changing ok

screw in all adjusters, then connect the cable, make sure selector is in big ring position. nip up the cable, start turning the cranks, then select smaller ring. if the transition isn't correct then start tensioning by screwing the adjusters out and retesting

Nah, start from the inner ring. That way you can ensure the cable tension is sufficient when in the inner ring and therefore meaning an easier upshift.

doh! Of course you're right pifko, fd needs to be in spring return ie small front ring

Mike

You can do a one day maintenance course.

Possibly a spam post but CTUK offer such training.

This would be useful.
I can do the brakes, rear gears, bottom bracket myself to a satisfactory level but the front derailluer derailed me so much I was led to post this :)

Quick question.

Do you put a ferule on the end of the cable where in goes in/out of the shifter?

do you mean a crimped end cap? If so, absolutely not.

The part of the cable that already has a ferrule on it should be at the shifter end and the cable is fed through the system starting from the shifter.

don't think I was very clear, I have a length of cable and a bag of ferules.

where the cable outer goes in to the shifter body should i put a ferule on it (like the middle one) or not (like the bottom one)

If the outer will still fit properly into the shifter body with the ferrule on it, use it. The more of a solid end you can give to the outer the better, otherwise some of the effort you are puting in when pulling the lever (shifter) is wasted through crushing the soft plastic of the outer cable

Why would you leave the big ring in London?

Swains?

Swains?

You had mudguards and not enough layers. I already knew that. And now you tell me that on top of that you were in the small ring?

Great advice guys!

I've a tendency towards obsessional cleaning.
What's the best post-ride clean down of your bike, by general consensus.
Mine usually goes:
Degrease (I've found kitchen degreaser cheap and effective).
Then cloth to take excess off.
Then wheels off, hub clean, under the brakes- just dish soap.
Wipe down with wet sponge.
Dry everything, put back together.
Oil chain.

I can't work out how best to clean my BB30 though, without taking the cranks off.
Large pipe cleaner? Spray lubricant?