Bike maintenance for dummies.

1 lurker | 101 watchers
Aug 2015
6:55pm, 11 Aug 2015
18,465 posts
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Stepford Wife
No, he fitted the forks with two bottom races - bunged the new one onto the old. Then preloaded the fuck out of it.
Sep 2015
7:29pm, 9 Sep 2015
12,724 posts
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Yorkshire Pie
OK, hopefully a simple question.

Tonight I rode a bike I haven't ridden since January. There's usually something that needs fixing when I get it back out of the garage...

Anyway, this time the problem was with the brakes - they're *really* squeaky. I'm trying to decide whether it's just a bit of grit that's attached itself to the pads over summer or something more serious than that. I'm driving past Decathlon twice a day at the moment so if new pads are likely to be a good idea I can stop in and pick some up.
Sep 2015
7:36pm, 9 Sep 2015
19,956 posts
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eL Bee!
The rubber could have hardened or there is a slightly oily film on the surface (or shards of aluminium embedded in the pad).
Whip the pads off and give them a really good clean (scrape with a blade or sandpaper) and dig out any crap and try them again.
Or just replace them :)
Sep 2015
7:38pm, 9 Sep 2015
19,957 posts
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eL Bee!
I tidy up the brake pads on mine and V'rap's bikes ever couple of rides - they quickly build up a film of baked on oily crap and get bit of rim in them that need hoiking out.
Means that they work better for longer and cause less rim wear!
Sep 2015
7:49pm, 9 Sep 2015
12,726 posts
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Yorkshire Pie
Thankfully these brakes do seem to wear quite well because they're only used in the dry, but given some of the descents round here I do need to have confidence in them!
Sep 2015
9:04pm, 9 Sep 2015
18,498 posts
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Stepford Wife
What the Buzzy one said. Obvs friction is your friend fro braking so get them clean and slightly rough.
Sep 2015
2:25pm, 14 Sep 2015
9,173 posts
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richmac
Think my best bike need's this treatment. El bee's tip to me a while back of Sainsbo's wet wiping (other cleaning products are available) the rims has served me well, but best bikes brakes simply do little at the moment.

I need a day off to give it a good going over!
Sep 2015
3:38pm, 14 Sep 2015
12,732 posts
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Yorkshire Pie
We couldn't shift the screws holding the pads in. Sandpaper has improved matters but another trip to decathlon is on the cards for later. They still work, it's just a bit noisy which doesn't instill confidence! To ba fair they have been on there for a few years now, it gets ridden for a week or so at a time then put away for months so it's not that surprising that they've hardened up over time.
Sep 2015
4:30pm, 14 Sep 2015
4,423 posts
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WolfDancer
There is the option of setting up the pad so that it is "toe in", where the front of the pad touches the rim slightly before the rear. This is supposed to help with squealing brakes. It can be very difficult to achieve with some brake setups though
Sep 2015
6:50pm, 14 Sep 2015
18,509 posts
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Stepford Wife
YP - if they've been on there for years it's possible the compound has hardened enough to produce the squealing. New blocks sounds like a good idea.

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Maintained by DeeGee
A thread for your questions about fixing common bike problems.

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