out comes the winter bike.

[mig]

from reading the thread about vices & stuck BBs and intending to service my winter bike this weekend if it is sunny (?) how often to people remove their BB to check, re-grease and re-install it? annually?

their seatpost?
quill stem? (if have one)
do you check your 'bars for corrosion?
cables?
pedals?
do you check rims for cracks?
brake blocks?

that type of thing.

as i like preventative maintenance i'm always interested in the way bikes are maintained by experienced cyclists.

(out in all weathers, commuter type bike really but anything on the road.)

cheers

[maximus meridius]

from reading the thread about vices & stuck BBs and intending to service my winter bike this weekend if it is sunny (?) how often to people remove their BB to check, re-grease and re-install it? annually?

their seatpost?
quill stem? (if have one)
do you check your 'bars for corrosion?
cables?
pedals?
do you check rims for cracks?
brake blocks?

that type of thing.

as i like preventative maintenance i'm always interested in the way bikes are maintained by experienced cyclists.

(out in all weathers, commuter type bike really but anything on the road.)

cheers

Annually, on my regular bike. And I don't even ride in the rain that much.

1. Remove all components leaving bare frame.

2. Usually, spray inside of frame with Dinitrol, using lance. This year will be the 3rd time (or maybe 4th) I've done this, once the Dinitrol can is empty I probably won't bother again.

3. Strip hubs, inspect, replace balls (grade 10) and grease (Silkolene RG2), adjust.

3a. (sometimes) remove free hub, remove rear seal and squirt SFG into it. Probably won't do that too often. These days I usually put some SFG into the RHS cup, spin the freehub, and hope it finds its way into the freehub.

4. Inspect headset. Not felt the need to replace or re-grease yet. It's loose balls (Grade 10) and Comma CV joint grease. Adjust.

5. Re-fit bottom bracket, with either thick grease or anti-seize.

6. Squirt a small amount of SFG into STI mechanism.

7. Dribble a small amount of Triflow into the ends of all cables. Then refit cables.

8. Inspect and replace brake pads if necessary.

9. Remove and refit seatpost. But I don't make too much of a fuss, as it's steel, so I'm a lot less concerned about galvanic corrosion (it's a steel frame).

Then I put everything back together, and adjust brakes and gears etc.

I'll go round the bike looking for bolt heads susceptible to rust, and blather a bit of grease on them, especially into the actual hex hole (then shove a hex key into it to squash the excess out). Triflow on derailleur joints, maybe. A bit of silicon grease on some of the plastics, maybe. Then go round with a kitchen towel wiping things down.

I haven't serviced the brakes callipers yet (BB7s).

I've only done the jockey/guide wheel bearings once. I probably won't bother again unless the bike has got very wet/dirty or I feel I need to. I've got a spare pair anyway.

Yes, for the relatively low mileage and good conditions this bike is used in, it is hugely over-mainatined. But I want it to last, and I don't have problems with it. Also I quite like getting out on the patio and fiddling.

[irc]

Keep the chain lubed and take it off every so often for a proper clean Twice a year? While it's off give the derailleur a clean and check for excess play.

Spray a bit of lube on exposed cables. Brake blocks sort of tell me when they need changed as I check when I need to adjust the cable.

Bottom brackets - external type. Every two or three thousand miles have hem off for a look and/or replace.

Pedals - Shimano SPDs. Just run them. Never seem to wear out at the mileage I do spread over a few bikes.

Tyres. Last tyres I've swapped were after punctures. Checked tread and looked well worn through not totally finished but if I have had my money's worth I'll put a new tyre on if the old one is getting puncture prone.

Handlebar corrosion. Never check. But I'm very much a sit down pedaller rather than stand and honk do hopefully don't stress them. I put new bars on my Surly Trucker this year. Partly because I wanted to try gravel style flared bars and partly because I reckoned 15 years was a good innings for a set of bars and a broken bar would not be nice.

I'm more a dry weather rider these days. If I end up in the rain it may prompt a wash of the bike which is a good time to give a general look over for amything needing done.

[rareposter]

Some of it is "as and when".
Brake pads, tyres, chain, topping up tubeless sealant etc.

Some of it is (more or less) annual depending on usage although it's rare I'll take the BB out completely. Everything of mine has either push fit bearings or is a sealed cartridge unit so there's no need to remove it until the bearings are gone. A load of anti-seize on it when it's installed, never once had an issue with getting them out again.

I'll try and sort a cable and bar tape change together as there's no point re-taping the bars without changing the cables at the same time.

Depending on the bike and the cable/hose routing, some jobs like headset, you need to factor in a brake bleed at the same time. Surprisingly, internal cable routing is actually not a major maintenance issue at all, if anything it requires a lot less thought because they last longer.

[jb]

If you have a job to do like changing blocks, look at a few other things at the same time. Have a store of parts that are likely to wear out so if you find something it can be fixed immediately, this saves a huge amount of time which can be in short supply if you have many bikes and many interests.

[bluespeeder]

The last time I tried to remove by BB it was stuck solid - has been since the mid nineties when I fitted it. It is still perfectly functional although does creak occasionally although this is the shells I think. Its done about 100k but still feels smooth, UN55 I think.
I recently shifted the seatpost which had been stuck for at least five years - fortunately not to badly corroded but I will not be using lithium grease again for this, it had set solid. Plusgas (into bottle cage screw), heatgun, hammer (applied gently) and then two screwdrivers clamped in to where the rails go so they were in opposite directions finally worked.
The headset (and hence quill) gets regular attention as this develops play every few months.

[cycle tramp]

..ah... 'no' is my answer... I don't carry out any end of year maintenance other than the usual visual checks, for damage and wear...

The bottom bracket, cranks and pedals were all put together with copper slip grease, so they'll always come apart. The seat tube was gressed very well when it went in...
The pedals themselves get a fresh injection of grease every month or so, through some grease ports..
The wheels have drum brakes and use cartridge bearings.. and the chain gets cleaned every third month.

A set of long mudguards keeps the road and track mud from most of the moving parts

[mig]

..ah... 'no' is my answer... I don't carry out any end of year maintenance other than the usual visual checks, for damage and wear...

The bottom bracket, cranks and pedals were all put together with copper slip grease, so they'll always come apart. The seat tube was gressed very well when it went in...
The pedals themselves get a fresh injection of grease every month or so, through some grease ports..
The wheels have drum brakes and use cartridge bearings.. and the chain gets cleaned every third month.

A set of long mudguards keeps the road and track mud from most of the moving parts

do you copper grease the pedal threads every so often?

[cycle tramp]

..ah... 'no' is my answer... I don't carry out any end of year maintenance other than the usual visual checks, for damage and wear...

The bottom bracket, cranks and pedals were all put together with copper slip grease, so they'll always come apart. The seat tube was gressed very well when it went in...

do you copper grease the pedal threads every so often?

Er.. no. I think the grease has tiny teeny bits if copper in it, which stops the two metals fusing. Not had any issue yet, and I've been using it for about fifteen years. I do use pedal washers. And if I was re-greasing the threads every year - I would definitely use the washers to save marking the cranks.

[mig]

does anyone treat the outside of a frame? an old boy who used to take me racing as a kid used beeswax / furniture polish on his and i remember Brucey of this parish using waxoyl on his winter steed. anything else?

[cycle tramp]

I used to but then David Attenborough pointed out that anything wiped onto the frame eventually gets washed off and then gets into the sea which makes the ocean life poorly and sad*. So I stopped....

But might try beeswax if it's 100% biodegradable... thanks for the idea

(*as opposed to just being eaten by other ocean life)

[531colin]

When I was younger and doing more miles and more rough stuff I had an annual regime which was;
Back off a cone (the left one on the back wheel) and add some grease to left and right front wheel bearings, grease to the back left bearing, and SFG to the back right bearing to lube the freewheel as well as the bearing.
Pedals off ( shimano PDM 520) pull the axle out (using the plastic tool) and add some grease. The old mucky grease used to grease the pedal threads.
Unit square taper Bottom brackets ... No maintenance, and I never had one seize because I greased on assembly.
I had a couple of "units" which actually had separate caged ball races, where you can pick out the "inboard" seal to re grease. I think one TA unit and one Stronglight splined one. I wondered if the benefit of fresh grease outweighed the trauma of disassembly/reassembly.
Headset re grease every couple of years.
With rough stuff and rim brakes I got through more rims than tyres, re rimming was as required. I often replaced the cassette while re rimming, chain replaced often! Carbide rims were a revelation!
Vee brake pivots oiled often
I never wore out a UN55 bracket unit, but I did a Stronglight one.
Never wore out an XT hub, had one freewheel body skip...replaced it.
Never wore a PDM520, only ever adjusted the bearings once or twice.

[mattsccm]

When they are knackered or noisy.
Square taper BB aside nothing else lasts a year without needing looking at.

[Pinhead]

from reading the thread about vices & stuck BBs and intending to service my winter bike this weekend if it is sunny (?) how often to people remove their BB to check, re-grease and re-install it? annually?

their seatpost?
quill stem? (if have one)
do you check your 'bars for corrosion?
cables?
pedals?
do you check rims for cracks?
brake blocks?

that type of thing.

as i like preventative maintenance i'm always interested in the way bikes are maintained by experienced cyclists.

(out in all weathers, commuter type bike really but anything on the road.)

cheers

I have sealed bearings

Bikes serviced every year by Summit Cycles plus do a quick check before riding

[mig]

the winter steed - built around a pompino frame - is coming out for a fettle at weekend in preparation for the dark, wet commuter rides.

i tend to give it a mini fettle / check over as it goes away into the back of the shed around time so it's basically okay. however i do like to winterise it as much as i can to stave off the worst of the crud before the onslaught begins.

grease hubs
oil pivots and run some grease on the cables.
a bit of oil or ACF50 inside the frame
copper ease on the seatpost and pedal threads.
waxoyl the frame

what other little tips do people do please that i could add to the list (it already has a new chain.)

thanks.