The brake and derailler bolts on mrs sideshows bikes keep coming loose. I’m guessing I should apply threadlock? Is all threadlock the same or is it made in different mixtures for different applications? If it’s different which stuff do I get? Cheers.

I use Loctite 243 for bike stuff

same here…there are different strengths…its all to do with shear forces…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread-locking_fluid

Doesn’t shear strength also depend on how much of the thread you cover with the stuff?

Get the blue chapstick for bike stuff, about £7 from halfords and none of that faff with the fluid.

As above 243 or medium strength, don’t use high strength.

248 is the med strength chapstick and is what you want.

The loctite pritt stick is really handy I find and goes a long long way.

Got some of the 248 pritt stick stuff recently and is a lot less messy and not as nasty as the higher strength stuff.

That said I find the top layer in the tube quickly sets hard and you have to break it off to use the next bit.

Also, it takes 24hrs to get to full strength, but generally not an issue.

Use the Pritt stick stuff also, it’s just to stop bolts vibrating loose like a nylock nut rather than glue in place. have used marmite as a temporary fix in the past to great effect.

Cheers. Do I need to use a weaker one for really small stuff e.g. disc rotor bolts?

nah, that one is fine for those.

All rotor bolts I’ve seen come with it pre installed.

Just use less. I once covered my rotor bolts before going to the alps, one wasn’t moving after, used so much force to undo it just snapped the head off and the threads where stuck in there forever and ever.