|
They haven't been bled since I got the bike ~a year ago. I swapped the front pads out a couple of months ago, except for that there's been no change. Could be the spacers behind the rotor on my road wheels are pushing the rotor too far out to one side causing the pistons on the other side to push out and get stuck maybe. I put them on the wheels to fix some rubbing issues I had before I swapped the pads
|
#
?
Mar 14, 2024 21:47
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 30, 2024 02:34 |
|
|
I managed to fix it eventually pushing the pistons out a bit extra and cleaning all around them with cotton buds soaked in disc brake cleaner. I found that different sized combination wrenches were good for getting even pressure on the pistons to push them back in. Still some rub on the front but think that's from uneven pad wear caused by one side being stuck until now.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2024 22:50
|
|
|
sharing what kind of brakes you have can be helpful some variants of sram brakes have issues where the master cylinder pistons/seals swell and stick. This makes the brakes feel stiff, and worst case scenario the mcs don't return and cause the brakes to drag. I had a fun time once with my guide brakes on a big backcountry ride on a hot day where I had to try to avoid using the front brake and occasionally needed to stop, remove wheel, and pry pads back apart with a multi tool. That's kind of an older problem though and shouldn't be an issue with most newer brakes. "piston massaging" where you advance the pistons, push them back, and repeat a few times can help (and clean them when they're sticking out). I've seen trimmed down bleed blocks used to advance 1 piston at a time, and also 2 brake rotors is apparently thick enough to not actually pop a piston out of a caliper... assuming it's centered. Rubbing brake fluid anywhere outside the sealed brake system does not help and you should not do that. Also if you have sram brakes with contact adjust, adjusting it all the way in so the brakes grab the closest to the bars can help with pushing the pistons back in. jamal fucked around with this message at 05:16 on Mar 16, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2024 04:28
|
|
|
Something I've done now and again when I think I have issues with pistons moving freely is to remove the wheel and pads, put a block in (as narrow as I think I can get away with, I have one I know is safe for my saints), a few elastic bands on the lever to the bars to hold the pistons in an extended position against the block, then using a shoelace with rubbing alcohol on it to polish/clean the outside surfaces of the pistons.jamal posted:Rubbing brake fluid anywhere outside the sealed brake system does not help and you should not do that. I believe this is something that came from shimano people removing the bleed nipple entirely from the caliper, letting the mineral oil just bleed out all over the caliper with the intent of lubricating the seals. You then clean it up as best you can with degreaser and a rag and the idea is that this keeps things supple and doesn't really have a huge downside. I think it's broadly unnecessary and probably introduces more points where errors could occur.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2024 05:00
|
|
|
I know that the manual just says to clean the pistons before pushing them back in, but using anything other than brake fluid for the final cleaning in heresy.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2024 05:18
|
|
|
jamal posted:sharing what kind of brakes you have can be helpful They're sram rival axs calipers, so no contact adjust. I essentially did the massaging step and cleaned the seals as I pushed them out each time. Rubbing dot fluid seemed like a bad idea yeah. Thanks for the tips anyway everyone, think i have a handle on the easiest way to do it next time
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2024 07:41
|
|
|
I am usually pretty good at searching the interwebs for bike stuff, but for the life of me I can't find the manual for installing the brake cable lines for my USA market 2019 Giant Propel Advanced SL. The existing cables have been chewed up pretty bad where they go through the stem into the frame, and I want to replace them before they fail. If anyone has a link to the manual, I would be eternally grateful.
|
|
#
?
Mar 20, 2024 21:13
|
|
|
Contact Giant? I'm often surprised how helpful the tech/warranty/help side of big companies can be.
|
|
#
?
Mar 21, 2024 04:02
|
|
|
Why didn't I buy a bead jack ten years ago? I cannot recommend this thing enough
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 10:08
|
|
|
Does anyone have a good guide for DIY pre-season maintenance? Second full season on a bike and would like to try doing some maintenance and checks on my own but there the information and options online are overwhelming. Any suggestions?
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2024 04:04
|
|
|
If you're looking for witten guides about bicycle wrenching, I would suggest https://www.sheldonbrown.com/ Don't be fooled by the dated look of the site, it's Good Stuff.
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2024 04:51
|
|
|
Invalido posted:If you're looking for witten guides about bicycle wrenching, I would suggest https://www.sheldonbrown.com/ Don't be fooled by the dated look of the site, it's Good Stuff. Awesome - thank you!
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2024 05:05
|
|
|
Honestly bikes are great because they normally tell you what maintenance is needed. Anytime you remove/reinstall anything use a touch of grease (if applicable of course). Wax your chain every 2-300 miles. Check brake pad wear/debris in the pads. Tire wear (front to back, new on front). Spoke tension/cracks at nipples. If everything is running quiet and doing what it's supposed to do you're likely in good shape.
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2024 13:29
|
|
|
I picked up some Bontrager fenders fit for my tire size yesterday, but didn't expect the mounting screws/bolts/whatever would be too small for my 2011 Specialized Sirrus Sport, at least at the front fork bridge. They're M5, so I guess I need to get hold of an M6 and see if that fits? Neither Bontrager nor the bike manual specify... there's a bit of room in the Bontrager attachment point, but I've no idea if enough for the larger screw. The Bontrager instructions do have an "or" with an alternate backer that might make the M5s work, but that doesn't come with the set or appear to exist online. Am I likely to be able to pick some up at my local hardware store or bike shop? Or am I stuck buying online? I saw McMaster recommended upthread, but I'd ideally avoid buying in bulk. Or am I better off returning them?
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2024 16:45
|
|
|
In most cases the hole through the fork crown isn't threaded. I've had several sets of fenders with very similar mounting hardware and always just put a washer on the bolt on either side of the fork
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2024 17:01
|
|
|
Clark Nova posted:In most cases the hole through the fork crown isn't threaded. I've had several sets of fenders with very similar mounting hardware and always just put a washer on the bolt on either side of the fork Same. Nylon locknut and washer
|
|
#
?
Mar 31, 2024 18:05
|
|
|
amenenema posted:Honestly bikes are great because they normally tell you what maintenance is needed. And the unexplained creak under power on my bike that has stayed unchanged through a couple of weeks of my own diagnosis and 3 separate trips to 2 different bike service places is telling me what exactly? Everything has been removed, checked, regressed and replaced. Cugel the Clever posted:Or am I better off returning them? Just take it to a shop and get them to give you a couple of spare screws or bolts. They probably are threaded if they’re on a disc brake bike, or at least that’s been my experience - for sure if the hold doesn’t go all the way through.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2024 19:06
|
|
|
wooger posted:And the unexplained creak under power on my bike that has stayed unchanged through a couple of weeks of my own diagnosis and 3 separate trips to 2 different bike service places is telling me what exactly? Skill issue
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2024 20:49
|
|
|
wooger posted:And the unexplained creak under power on my bike that has stayed unchanged through a couple of weeks of my own diagnosis and 3 separate trips to 2 different bike service places is telling me what exactly? Hey, I did say "normally"... My sincere condolences - I chased a creak in my road bike for 6 months. Disassemble everything, clean/grease/tighten to spec, even tried new wheel hub bearings. Ended up removing and reinstalling the BB (didn't really even clean it as I'd had it out only a few months prior to try and fix the creak) and lo and behold, gone. Could yours be a cracked frame/unfaced BB shell? Literally Lewis Hamilton posted:Skill issue Lol if this was the case then why do we hear the howl of a hundred disc brakes whenever the pro peloton is mic-ed going into a corner? amenenema fucked around with this message at 02:04 on Apr 2, 2024 |
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2024 02:01
|
|
|
I'm not convinced that silent disc brakes are a thing that exists Maybe if someone made a floating disc or something?
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2024 03:44
|
|
|
Slavvy posted:I'm not convinced that silent disc brakes are a thing that exists I think the two-piece rotors do stay in alignment better.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2024 03:48
|
|
|
Slavvy posted:I'm not convinced that silent disc brakes are a thing that exists FWIW two data points - buddy and wife, one on 105 and one on GRX. Neither brakeset has ever made a sound.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2024 04:18
|
|
|
Their yells as they rode over the cliff edge, on the other hand...
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2024 05:06
|
|
|
amenenema posted:FWIW two data points - buddy and wife, one on 105 and one on GRX. Neither brakeset has ever made a sound. Have they ever ridden outside in wet weather, or even through a puddle? I don’t think ever the most ardent disc brake megafan PR guy at Shimano would try to claim they’re silent. amenenema posted:Hey, I did say "normally"... It’s a bike I’ve owned for a coupon of years, no issue with BB shell or anything frame wise. Having already removed cleaned re-greased and re-torqued everything, including a new BB and swapping pedals, and getting my crankset inspected (Ultegra recall) on the middle, pretty sure now it’s the rear wheel, spokes or something. But even that has already had the spoke tensions checked.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2024 06:34
|
|
|
wooger posted:Have they ever ridden outside in wet weather, or even through a puddle?
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2024 06:53
|
|
|
amenenema posted:
This was described as a creak under power, not the sound of metallic brake pads
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2024 10:16
|
|
|
amenenema posted:Lol if this was the case then why do we hear the howl of a hundred disc brakes whenever the pro peloton is mic-ed going into a corner? Race cars often have loud brakes as a side effect of really aggressive pad compounds/high heat tolerance. When it comes to bicycles I just tell myself that "oh yeah they squeal because they're so good and powerful."
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2024 14:33
|
|
|
What do I need to look for in terms of compatibility when replacing a 700C wheelset? I have an old steel Bianchi Brava that's been my daily commuter, and noticed one of the rear spokes was loose, because the nipple is caved in to the rim (wheels are aluminium, so Google tells me they're beyond repair) - can't dodge all the potholes all of the time, I guess. Currently running 23mm tyres. On a budget, so will be looking secondhand. It has V brakes. I can borrow a chain whip and that locking tool to swap over the sprocket from the library. It's also been having some shifting issues and I am loathe to try and reindex them myself (have done it once before with success in the past, then the second time I tried, without looking back at the tutorial, I completely screwed it up), so was thinking I'd swap on new wheel and sprocket, then take it to my LBS and have them sort the shifting out.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2024 16:29
|
|
|
Ethics_Gradient posted:What do I need to look for in terms of compatibility when replacing a 700C wheelset? I have an old steel Bianchi Brava that's been my daily commuter, and noticed one of the rear spokes was loose, because the nipple is caved in to the rim (wheels are aluminium, so Google tells me they're beyond repair) - can't dodge all the potholes all of the time, I guess. Currently running 23mm tyres. On a budget, so will be looking secondhand. It has V brakes. The wheel swap labour at the lbs shouldn't be very expensive honestly. You just need to make sure the hub has the same spacing (OLD or Over luck nut dimensions) and takes the same type of freewheel or cassette you currently have. And if you can fit a wider tire, your wheels will last longer - more cushion.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2024 17:25
|
|
|
I watched some ~bicycle maintenance content~ on youtube because I wanted to learn to take care of my ebike after the warranty expires this fall and now I feel alienated. My bike is an EU ebike (250W/25 kph assistance limit). It is a strictly utilitarian machine for commuting, getting groceries and generally hauling junk around. Mid motor, hydraulic disc brake in the front, 5 speed internal hub gearbox in the rear. Permanently attached cargo basket in front of the handlebars, sturdy pannier rack in the back, step-through frame, upright seating position etc etc. I have a flatbed trailer for transporting particularly bulky junk. Basically all the content I've seen assumes I'm a completely different type of cyclist, one who has very little in common with me. Like, I was watching something about how to tell if your chain is worn out and they start talking about how it depends on how many gears you have in the rear cassette, and I'm like, I don't have a cassette you nerdlords??? Lubricating the chain depends on what conditions you ride in... well, I ride in snow and on ice and through road salt and on sunny summer days because I use this bike to commute to work and I don't really sit around and change the type of chain lube depending on the weather forecast. It's a good year if I lube the chain more than twice. Apparently this is going to ruin my cassettes, but, well, I don't have any so probably I never need to lube the chain then??? Apparently 30mm-ish tires are the gold standard now, up from the 20-ish that was in vogue not that long ago. Well, my tires are 50mm wide and I'm not sure 30mm will even fill up the width of my rims. It just goes on like this. Whining aside, what should I read/watch to get better at basic maintenance of my basic bitch commuter bike where I give zero fucks about weight and all the fucks about comfort and convenience? TheFluff fucked around with this message at 14:06 on Apr 10, 2024 |
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2024 02:48
|
|
|
https://www.parktool.com/en-us/blog/repair-help Maybe https://www.sheldonbrown.com/ too, but I can't tell if you would love that content or hate it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2024 03:13
|
|
|
Just ignore the stuff that references the equipment on normal bikes that yours doesn't have and listen to the parts that are relevant. There's more in common than not.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2024 03:41
|
|
|
TheFluff posted:Whining aside, what should I read/watch to get better at basic maintenance of my basic bitch commuter bike where I give zero fucks about weight and all the fucks about comfort and convenience? Sheldon Brown's website, and a local bike co-op. You have a lower-maintenance bike but the maintenance is a bit more complex and annoying when it comes around.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2024 03:47
|
|
|
TheFluff posted:Whining aside, what should I read/watch to get better at basic maintenance of my basic bitch commuter bike where I give zero fucks about weight and all the fucks about comfort and convenience? Stuff focused on mountain biking will feel more at home, they don't have nearly as vocal a portion of high end snobs. There will be some things you can ignore like jumps and dropper seat posts, but even topics like tips about riding in gravel, pathing, and mild rocky terrain can all apply to city riding especially if you ride on people-less sidewalks
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2024 05:10
|
|
|
TheFluff posted:Whining aside, what should I read/watch to get better at basic maintenance of my basic bitch commuter bike where I give zero fucks about weight and all the fucks about comfort and convenience? Since you have a stadsfiets you should watch videos from the country that has the most of them: https://youtu.be/Q-1Yu-hk6qg?si=ZJ0JjlDERkjXBoqT
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2024 06:58
|
|
|
TheFluff posted:Whining aside, what should I read/watch to get better at basic maintenance of my basic bitch commuter bike where I give zero fucks about weight and all the fucks about comfort and convenience? Yeah most people do nothing to their bikes ever, except for enthusiast road/mtb cyclists, so articles will be tailored to them. The hub gears and the motor make a the large bulk of serviceable bits on the bike unserviceable/not worth it by a home mechanic - and it’s also gonna be heavy enough that to get it onto a home bike stand is a pain. Even changing a rear flat on an ebike makes many bike shops sigh and nope out, though that’s perhaps to due to dodgy Chinese e-bikes, not yours. I’d bank on taking it to a reputable approved (by your motor manufacturer) service centre shop once a year at least if you rely on it, for a full service. Stopping the motor & battery dying prematurely & keeping warranty coverage is by far the best thing you can do. Outside that you can do many proactive maintenance tasks like: Keep it clean. Clean and oil your chain more often than you do: wiping it with a dry lint free cloth after rides, especially wet ones. Once every 200km adding some good bike oil sparingly to the chain as you backpedal, thoroughly wiping off again after a while, before the next ride. Listen to any odd sounds or feelings it gives you; Creak and vibrations will tell you something is wrong. Learn to check basic things like whether your headset is loose (rattle from front end), and learn how to fix it. It’s worth checking the many bolts attaching your rack, basket and mudguards are tight every so often too, and for sure if you get a rattle. Same for squeaks from the motor, brakes, hubs etc. Most of the time a bike will warn you before a problem becomes catastrophic, and fixing things early will save disaster, accidents or very expensive motor repairs. Keep an eye on the wheels too, if you spot any wobble or uneven rotation it’s possible they need truing (spoke tension adjusting). You can learn how to do that too, or take it to any bike shop. Maintain your brakes: Looks like you have one disc brake, maybe hydraulic , not sure about the rear. Clean the rotors with a very clean lint free cloth and isopropyl alcohol or acetone every so often. Learn how to remove and check your brake pads for wear, and obviously how best to replace them (giving the pistons a clean with alcohol too prior to any other step). If they are hydraulic, you can learn how to bleed them if you fancy it, though a once a year service is plenty often enough unless you notice a problem. Change things like the handlebar grips & saddle if you like, and if you haven’t already tweaked the position & angle of the handlebars & saddle to your ideal preferences, give it a go. Same for pedals, they’re easy to swap, there are many types of flats available in cool and stylish designs and colours, including larger ones with grippy pins that stop your foot slipping which I’d look at for your usage - very comfortable, more secure on wet weather. Make sure you know how to check tyres for wear, change them both, including knowing how to get that rear wheel off - it’s many times more of a faff than with non hub / e-bikes and you might need a chain breaker. Practice changing tyres at home in good weather rather than for the first time in ice and dark. Check your tyre pressures regularly too - every couple of weeks is sane. Do you carry a small multitool, spare tubes, tyre levers, pump? Do that, preferably on the bike. Even if you don’t use them, you can be helpful if you find another stricken cyclist. Make sure the multitool is capable of breaking your chain & removing your rear wheel. Sorry no links, but Google these specific tasks and they *will* apply to your bike, as much of the tech is shared between all bikes, and unchanged in a very long time.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2024 08:19
|
|
|
Ethics_Gradient posted:noticed one of the rear spokes was loose, because the nipple is caved in to the rim (wheels are aluminium, so Google tells me they're beyond repair) - can't dodge all the potholes all of the time, I guess. Alloy rim brake wheels with a QR should almost all work fine. Mainly aesthetics and taste (matching your other wheels / bike) that matter, and also concerns like number of spokes: more. = durability and weight, and hub quality: weather sealing, easily available parts, weight, noisy freehub. The external and internal width of the rim does vary between wheels, but if you’re on 23c tyres it’s for sure not a concern. How many speeds is your bike? The freehub body needs to be compatible with the cassette you have, and be capable of the same or greater number of gears (space for more cogs). You can make cassettes from 8 to10 speed work on an 11 speed freehub with spacers. The only other thing to consider is OD as stated, measure your bike at the front as rear dropouts, normally 100mm/135mm unless your bike is very old. Maybe aim for Shimano wheels if you can find some, good maintainable quality and many available for cheap used. Ask around in local cycling clubs and the library or anywhere that cyclists hang out; people tend to have spare wheelsets sitting around gathering dust, from old bikes or upgrades; I gave away 2 sets of lower end Shimano rim brake wheels to clubmates last year as I had accumulated a bunch when buying used bikes. As with all rim brake wheels, make sure the braking surface is in decent shape. Might be nice to check your brake pads and swap at the same time, just in case they’re full of grit and metal shards that’ll instantly scrape up the new wheels. Well worth learning to index gears from scratch, it’s a constant need and you can impress your friends and make new ones just by turning an adjuster a 1/4 turn and magically fixing their bike. Once it clicks how simple it all is, it’s embarrassing to take it to a shop. Anyone at the place you’re borrowing tools from who can help?
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2024 08:43
|
|
|
wooger posted:And the unexplained creak under power on my bike that has stayed unchanged through a couple of weeks of my own diagnosis and 3 separate trips to 2 different bike service places is telling me what exactly? The creak is solved! Still there after swapping both wheels. I’d already done everything else. Spent an hour looking at my frame with a bright light, no cracks. Tried to reproduce while one the bike, clipped in, stationary, leaning against a wall. And managed it. Frame flex under load + a bottle cage adapter I used to move my rear cage down to fit a frame bag. Zero noise for over 2000 miles prior to this. It’s an Ali-express copy of the Wolftooth one here https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/products/b-rad-bottle-relocation-and-accessory-device Cable tie and bit of rubber to blame. Removed for now, I’ll try some cages that don’t need such a stupidly long adapter - specialized side entry cages have their holes 30mm ish lower than Deda ones
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2024 09:06
|
|
|
Thanks for the advice and encouragement, all of you!  I changed from winter to summer tires this weekend myself and it wasn't really any harder than I remember it being back when I was a teenager on the shittiest old bike imaginable, or at least not once I figured things out. I've never had a bike with a quick release front axle before but that wasn't too hard to figure out, just took some fiddling to experiment with how tight it should be. The rear wheel took some research to get off though, because I was staring at the hub and just could not figure out how the shifter cable was supposed to come loose. I've had hub gears before but for this e-bike hub Shimano has a new way to connect the shifter cable that I wasn't familiar with. As it turns out though all I had to do was to find the dealer manual for the hub, which tells you that it's super easy; you just push on the shifter arm thingy and it lifts right out:  After that the wheel came off easily enough. I pinched the tube by getting impatient about getting the tyre off but the local bike shop hooked me up with a replacement so no biggie. Heliosicle posted:Since you have a stadsfiets you should watch videos from the country that has the most of them: I know but I'll have to learn their alien tongue first  This is good advice, thanks. Imagine having a bike maintenance stand though??? I just flip it upside down and stand it on the pannier rack and handlebars when I need to wrench on it (I live in an apartment building so I'm wrenching in our bike/garden storage room):  I have a dealership for the bike brand nearby and surprisingly their service pricing does not involve skinning me alive, so I'm happy to let them do a yearly service. As I mentioned above the rear wheel is easy enough to get off without any special tools, you just need to know how the shifter cable is supposed to unhook from the pulley. I have a coaster brake in the rear though, which is apparently a concept totally alien to all of bike enthusiasm on the internet. That also means I can't back pedal and there's also a chain guard which makes cleaning the chain kind of an involved process that requires some disassembly. I've found some cleaning tools that apparently work even with my setup but it's still a fairly involved process that also seems to involve degreasing chemicals that I'm not sure how to dispose of. Once every 200 km for me is about once every week since my work commute is 10 km one way, so doing some kind of greasy chain lubrication job that often doesn't sound very appealing. I guess I'll try to do it more often though. The motor system is Shimano Steps E6100 btw, and I'm pretty sure the drive sprocket is replaceable without replacing the motor itself. TheFluff fucked around with this message at 11:32 on Apr 10, 2024 |
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2024 11:24
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 30, 2024 02:34 |
|
|
TheFluff posted:there's also a chain guard which makes cleaning the chain kind of an involved process that requires some disassembly. Probably don’t bother about cleaning your chain if you’ve a chain guard, unless you detect a problem. Hard to clean because it’s hard to get dirty.
|
|
#
?
Apr 10, 2024 11:55
|
|