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Date: 15 Jul 2007 16:20:15
From: Nate Nagel
Subject: maintenance advice for new (to me) bike?
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Hi all,
here come the complete noob questions. I haven't ridden seriously since
I was in college; I'm not sure that this NG even existed back then. I
certainly did not get any advice on anything bike-related online.
Anyway I have recently moved to an area where biking is somewhat
practical and I have also come into posession of a used MTB from a
friend moving to california. I'm not sure if he did me any favors; it's
heavy and might be considered a "poser bike" (full suspension, but
heavier than I'd consider riding for serious off roading) but it should
suffice for what I want a bike for (riding around town, short trips to
the store/library/etc. where driving would feel wasteful, etc.) I'd like
to take care of it, because who knows if I'm actually going to be
serious enough to step up to a better bike. is there a site anywhere
with current recommendations on the best products to use to lube various
components etc.? I'm certainly way too cheap to take the bike to a bike
shop for a "tuneup" even if it were worth it.
thanks,
nate
--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel
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Date: 16 Jul 2007 17:43:11
From: Luigi de Guzman
Subject: Re: maintenance advice for new (to me) bike?
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On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:06:40 +0000, Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
>> You don't need to look much further than here:
>>
>> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
>
> Or this=
>
> http://www.allbookstores.com/book/9781931382595/Lennard_Zinn/Zinn_and_The_Art_Of_Mountain_Bike_Maintenance.html
Helpfully available at many public libraries, as well!
--
Luigi de Guzman
http://ouij.livejournal.com
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Date: 16 Jul 2007 12:09:38
From: datakoll
Subject: Re: maintenance advice for new (to me) bike?
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is there an open bottom bracket? pour valvo synth trans oil into it-
doesn't stink. definitely needs new bearings. there are plastic
aftermarket shields available to seal the bearings. i dunno what the
open bearings are lubed with? ask the LBS
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Date: 16 Jul 2007 12:06:40
From: Qui si parla Campagnolo
Subject: Re: maintenance advice for new (to me) bike?
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On Jul 15, 3:11 pm, Tim McNamara <tim...@bitstream.net > wrote:
> In article <f7dvhv0...@news2.newsguy.com>,
> Nate Nagel <njna...@roosters.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Hi all,
>
> > here come the complete noob questions. I haven't ridden seriously
> > since I was in college; I'm not sure that this NG even existed back
> > then. I certainly did not get any advice on anything bike-related
> > online. Anyway I have recently moved to an area where biking is
> > somewhat practical and I have also come into posession of a used MTB
> > from a friend moving to california. I'm not sure if he did me any
> > favors; it's heavy and might be considered a "poser bike" (full
> > suspension, but heavier than I'd consider riding for serious off
> > roading) but it should suffice for what I want a bike for (riding
> > around town, short trips to the store/library/etc. where driving
> > would feel wasteful, etc.) I'd like to take care of it, because who
> > knows if I'm actually going to be serious enough to step up to a
> > better bike. is there a site anywhere with current recommendations
> > on the best products to use to lube various components etc.? I'm
> > certainly way too cheap to take the bike to a bike shop for a
> > "tuneup" even if it were worth it.
>
> You don't need to look much further than here:
>
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
Or this=
http://www.allbookstores.com/book/9781931382595/Lennard_Zinn/Zinn_and_The_Art_Of_Mountain_Bike_Maintenance.html
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Date: 15 Jul 2007 19:48:28
From: Nate Knutson
Subject: Re: maintenance advice for new (to me) bike?
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On Jul 15, 1:20 pm, Nate Nagel <njna...@roosters.net > wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> here come the complete noob questions. I haven't ridden seriously since
> I was in college; I'm not sure that this NG even existed back then. I
> certainly did not get any advice on anything bike-related online.
> Anyway I have recently moved to an area where biking is somewhat
> practical and I have also come into posession of a used MTB from a
> friend moving to california. I'm not sure if he did me any favors; it's
> heavy and might be considered a "poser bike" (full suspension, but
> heavier than I'd consider riding for serious off roading) but it should
> suffice for what I want a bike for (riding around town, short trips to
> the store/library/etc. where driving would feel wasteful, etc.) I'd like
> to take care of it, because who knows if I'm actually going to be
> serious enough to step up to a better bike. is there a site anywhere
> with current recommendations on the best products to use to lube various
> components etc.? I'm certainly way too cheap to take the bike to a bike
> shop for a "tuneup" even if it were worth it.
>
> thanks,
>
> nate
>From your description, odds are you've got a department-store full-
suspension bike. (Next? Vertical? Mongoose?). If so, it's important to
understand that these are more or less the worst thing ever to happen
to bikes. Most parts of the bike were probably set up completely wrong
to begin with, if it's been ridden then most/all of the bearing
systems have received damage, there's always safety stuff going on
somewhere, etc. These bikes do very little but deliver negative
experiences that make people not enjoy riding and not even be able to
conceive of it being efficient, functional, or fun. And trying to make
the bike work properly is a black hole - understand that dept store
bikes weren't set up right and so to make them as right as possible,
almost everything usually has to be redone. If this is what you have,
just get a different free/cheap bike.
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Date: 15 Jul 2007 23:52:56
From: datakoll
Subject: Re: maintenance advice for new (to me) bike?
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Well, over time the bike should come apart and go back together.
Bicycletoolsect (hard to find) sells everything. Universalcycles sells
parts.
Finish Line teflon wax (ball bearing as shaker) on all no grease
joints and on cables after removing cables, inspecting, cleaning and
lubing. Buy the cables first.
repack and new balls for the hubs maybe castrol marine at Wal.
try rubber belt dressing on the rim brake surfaces.
then try the headset if there's bearings in there.
replace pedals by getting a spare set into stock.
and a snaplink from sram soas the chain can get off and get cleaned in
recyclable thinner.
need tires? try tire treads suited to your useage. the suprahornigator
from hutchinson is tops this week.
what happens when you get this together is the old used POS goes 50%
faster from less friction and off course a postive mental attitude
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Date: 15 Jul 2007 23:36:46
From: landotter
Subject: Re: maintenance advice for new (to me) bike?
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On Jul 15, 3:20 pm, Nate Nagel <njna...@roosters.net > wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> here come the complete noob questions. I haven't ridden seriously since
> I was in college; I'm not sure that this NG even existed back then. I
> certainly did not get any advice on anything bike-related online.
> Anyway I have recently moved to an area where biking is somewhat
> practical and I have also come into posession of a used MTB from a
> friend moving to california. I'm not sure if he did me any favors; it's
> heavy and might be considered a "poser bike" (full suspension, but
> heavier than I'd consider riding for serious off roading) but it should
> suffice for what I want a bike for (riding around town, short trips to
> the store/library/etc. where driving would feel wasteful, etc.) I'd like
> to take care of it, because who knows if I'm actually going to be
> serious enough to step up to a better bike. is there a site anywhere
> with current recommendations on the best products to use to lube various
> components etc.? I'm certainly way too cheap to take the bike to a bike
> shop for a "tuneup" even if it were worth it.
A bottle of motor oil and a tub of automotive wheel bearing grease
will get you far. The automotive lubrication industry has spent
millions to make their products good...and cheap.
Just remove the post monthly, grease it, and top off your bike with
2-3oz of the oil. ;-)
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Date: 15 Jul 2007 16:11:59
From: Tim McNamara
Subject: Re: maintenance advice for new (to me) bike?
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In article <f7dvhv0id3@news2.newsguy.com >,
Nate Nagel <njnagel@roosters.net > wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> here come the complete noob questions. I haven't ridden seriously
> since I was in college; I'm not sure that this NG even existed back
> then. I certainly did not get any advice on anything bike-related
> online. Anyway I have recently moved to an area where biking is
> somewhat practical and I have also come into posession of a used MTB
> from a friend moving to california. I'm not sure if he did me any
> favors; it's heavy and might be considered a "poser bike" (full
> suspension, but heavier than I'd consider riding for serious off
> roading) but it should suffice for what I want a bike for (riding
> around town, short trips to the store/library/etc. where driving
> would feel wasteful, etc.) I'd like to take care of it, because who
> knows if I'm actually going to be serious enough to step up to a
> better bike. is there a site anywhere with current recommendations
> on the best products to use to lube various components etc.? I'm
> certainly way too cheap to take the bike to a bike shop for a
> "tuneup" even if it were worth it.
You don't need to look much further than here:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
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Date: 15 Jul 2007 19:41:02
From: Barry
Subject: Re: maintenance advice for new (to me) bike?
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> You don't need to look much further than here:
>
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/
Another good site is:
http://www.parktool.com/repair
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