Cycling UK Forum

Hi,

Yesterday I unscrewed the v-brake calipers from my bike.

This evening while trying to put them back on again, I seem to have snapped off the securing pin that fits into the forks that the spring is tensioned against - you can see it here:



I have tried to push the pin back in but it comes out again when under tension.

I've had a good look and it looks like the pin just pushed into the hole it came out of, rather than was part of something bigger that has e.g. left a piece rattling around somewhere else.

Have I basically written off the caliper, or has anyone else done something like this and fixed the caliper?

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks

Hi,

I wondered if I could ask for advice from others about what they use to lubricate their chains?

I often use Weldtite Pure Bike Oil, which is okay, and while it stops my chain from rusting, eventually it acts like a dirt and crud magnet and means the chain, chainset teeth and jockey wheels on the rear mech get caked in crud.

I then clean the chain down with a chain cleaning tool and muc-off, and have used GT-90 spray on lubricant. That seems too lightweight and the chain starts squeaking soon after applying the lubricant.

What do other people use, or do people spend a lot of time cleaning their chains / drive train down to keep things running smoothly?

Thanks

Jim

Hi,

I've seen this very nice looking bike on eBay close to where I live:

KINESIS RACELIGHT T2 57cm full 105 Mavic wheels
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KINESIS-RACELIGHT-T2-57cm-full-105-Mavic-wheels-/172613664458?hash=item2830937eca:g:lLwAAOSw~CFY5AeJ

It's starting at £250... I wondered if people with more knowledge than me think it looks like it is worth the money or not? I think it looks lovely, but would appreciate other opinions if possible please?

Sorry - I am 100% not related to the sale on eBay - I'm not here trying to drum up business or interest for the item. I see it might look like I am - but I currently ride an old Raleigh Pioneer bike and am tempted to get a road bike after a long gap of not having one (having started commuting 9 miles each way to work in fairly rural Cheshire), and have been weighing up whether to buy something like a B'Twin or something of that type - but I saw this bike this evening and thought it looked very nice. But I wondered what others thought?

I'm not trying to do a scam or anything - just genuinely interested to hear views.

Thanks

Jim

I took it to the LBS today, got a new bolt and SFN, and another spacer was added to aid it all tightening up properly. It cost £18.

Thanks for all of your helpful replies.

Thanks for your replies. No, I didn't loosen the other 2 bolts. I should have read up about what to do first, as this is the only bike I've had with a threadless stem.

So could I have written off a 2nd pair of forks and headset?

I realise that won't probably be possible to answer, and that I'll have to go back to the bike shop.

Thanks again

Hi,

Last year I bought a Specialized Hardrock bike 2nd hand.

After a while I noticed that some play was developing on the h/bars - e.g. I could put the front brake on and when I rocked the bike to and fro, instead of it being nice and solid, there was a bit of play.

I tightened the top bolt on the bars - e.g. this one:


But instead of tightening, it kept on spinning, so the thread appeared to have stripped.

I took it to a LBS, and they said the thread had gone, and something to do with the forks was bust as well, I can't remember what it was, but they had to replace the forks and the headset - you can see the new forks and h/set here:



The trouble is that now the same thing has happened (play in bars, thread stripped when I tightened it) - unfortunately as you can see in the 2nd photo on this post, the allen bolt hole has also stripped.

I wondered what I should do - could there be some kind of design flaw with this model of bike -it seems funny that the same thing has happened twice.

I am 100% sure I did not apply a ridiculous amount of force when tightening the top bolt, I have done a fair bit with bikes over the years and know not to over-tighten bolts. The thread went on the 2 different occasions without me over-tightening.

I am unsure whether to take this to the bike shop again, and risk sending good money after bad.

The alternative is to write it off as bad luck (it only cost £95 second hand), strip it for parts and leave it at that.

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks

Thanks for your reply - I'll measure the down tube diameter this evening and let you know.
Much appreciated

Hi,

I have a bike frame onto whose down tube has no braze ons for cable stops which can be used with e.g. thumb shifters mounted on the handlebars - it's completely smooth and devoid of any bits or pieces.

I wondered if anyone knows the correct name or possible suppliers of a bolt on clamp that can be used to replicate the kind of setup shown in the image attachment on this post - e.g. cable stops? Ignore the brake lever hanging down - I just mean the cable stops welded to the frame.

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks

Hi,

I am searching for some forks to replace these:

http://i.imgur.com/YX9ZdEq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hTvkM8q.jpg

The steering tube is about 17.8 cm and the threaded bit is 5.8 cm long, and the top of the steering tube is 2.5 cm diameter. The head tube on the frame, excluding headset, is 14 cm long.

I've looked in lots of places for a replacement, but am not having a lot of luck so far.

I've just seen these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/27-RETRO-RARE ... 1179514496

However, they have a 240mm steerer, rather than 178 mm. I wondered if it would be possible for me to cut the steerer down to the correct size, using a properly mounted vice on a workbench and a hacksaw?

Don't threaded forks need a notch at the back for some of the headset rings to slot into? Presumably if I did cut it down, I'd need to put one of those back in as well?

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks

Thanks for the replies. Assuming the frame is a bit bent do I need to worry about it or isn't it all that important assuming that it is just a minor bit out of line? Could it have any lasting impact on me physically to ride a bike that is a bit out?

Thanks

Hi,

I recently bought a 2nd hand frame which is pretty old (fits 27 inch wheels). When I bought it I thought that the forks looked a tiny bit out of line, but it was just a vague feeling rather than anything obvious.

Now I have built the bike up, I find I can't ride it with my hands off the bars (not a practical way to get around, but a good check that all is lined up properly).

Also, when I look down at the bars when I'm riding I feel like it's not quite right, or quite lined up right, but when e.g. I try to look down at the bars from above, with the front wheel completely straight, and the bars straight, it all looks fine, but I feel like something is wrong but can't find an accurate way to measure things to see if things really are bent somewhere.

I wondered if anyone might be able to advise how I could go about checking this out please?

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks

Jim

There were none in the old fashioned sense - there were no ball bearings - I think it was all sealed, like this:
http://www.3peakscycles.com/images/prod ... s.6522.jpg

But I greased the recesses into which the sealed units sit, and it was a lot smoother after that.

Thanks for your advice.

Jim

I placed some wood across the top of the fork and hit with a big hammer, and it came out.

Thanks!

Thanks for the reply. Do you mean I should be able to ease out that black plastic ring - maybe with a flat screwdriver?

Hi,

I recently bought a 2nd hand Specialized Hardrock Comp bike.

I noticed when I bought it that the steering felt a bit tight so thought I'd have a go at removing the forks today.

This is what the general area looked like before I undid anything:



I have removed the bars and stem:



This is what the bottom part looks like:



Am I right that once I have removed all of the parts as shown in the 2nd photo above, that the forks should just drop out without any hammering or cajoling?

I didn't want to break anything so wanted to check here first.

They appear to be seized in the frame, but I didn't know if I have to remove the parts shown above the frame in the 2nd photo above?

Also, even assuming the forks did drop out, is there no way for me to address the tight steering - is the headset a sealed unit, meaning I just need to get a new one fitted by an LBS, rather than grease things up myself?

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks