Every few months it’s nice to refresh nice little tips and tricks to make riding, fixing, and generally touching (ooh er) a bike easier!
I came across this one this evening shortly after I’d thought the rear mech had trebuchet’d the quick-link halfway across the village…! I found it eventually (in a patio crack!) but though it would be good to remove the chain tension when joining/removing the quick-link…
Normally have some RC servo wire to hand, but couldn’t find any – then found the ‘spring’ from xt/elixir brakes works brilliantly, and I’ve got loads lying around!!
So, post away, ideally with pics, all your tips and tricks…
About 10 inches of m10 threaded bar, 6 penny washers and a couple of m10 nuts and hey presto, a headset press for about 3 quid. I’ve lost count of the amount of headsets I’ve successfully fitted with this ‘tool’.
I always carry a few hefty zip-ties and a small roll of plastic electrical tape in my camelback–pretty amazing what you can cobble together to get back to where you parked.
I just fit the quick link into the middle of the bottom run of the chain with smallest sprockets selected, therefore allowing easy fitting with one half of the quick link in each hand without needing any extra tools :p
why do people connect chains when its under tension? I tend to take the rear wheel out or drop the chain off the front chainring, the chain is then slack and makes it pretty straightforward
To hold a BB removal tool onto the splines I thread a rear wheel skewer through the BB and through some old cranks to take up the slack and then clamp together using the QR, so that I can get some leverage on the BB tool without worrying that its going to slip out the splines.
A bic Biro lid is perfect for precision placement of ball bearings back into cup and cone hubs. Just roll them down the little chute on the inside of the pocket clip.
This is now irrelevant for me as I only now have cartridge hubs
if you commute and leave your bike locked up, you can buy locking dust caps for cars from halfords etc ..to prevent pesky people letting your tyres down.
OR..
You can tighten normal caps really tight and then put a really light smearing of petroleum jelly over them. Not too much though or it may go on the rims.
If you have V brakes on your commuter you can secure the springs to the brake arm with a zip tie, to again protect from the peskies.
in my experience V brakes work twice as well with bmx brake levers ( for u brakes, as opposed to bmx race v brake levers.) than normal v levers. Plus these can be picked up for next to nothing., come in funky colours and are designed to be used with one finger.They also have a better lever shape more often than not. Loads of bite, better modulation and greater overall stopping power.In summary, more powerful and responsive.
However haven’t tried them with shifters but doubt this would cause issues.
if you have a saddle with some foam exposed from a slightly ripped cover then to prevent further ripping and get it as good as new ( from a funtional viewpoint ) drip some superglue into the wound. Superglue hardens the foam. vinyl bonds to foam. works a treat.
if you commute you can get really thin (but with a decent sized cable inside) cable locks. Put this through your saddle rails and then optionally put it through your helmet, securing both items. Can then be looped, through another lock or the frame etc..to secure it. Only risk is the helmet getting damaged in some way, and you may not even be aware this occured.
Remove your bar end plugs or lock on grips and wrap a few spare spokes and nipples in a decent length of quality duct tape such as gorillia tape and include a number of zipties taped up so the zip tie ends reach from side to side of the internal bore of the bar to ease removal.
When you want to remember which way to take the pedals off –
when the bike is upright and you put the pedal spanner on so it is vertical “Back Off” – turn the spanner towards the back of the bike and the pedal comes off 😀
to protect your stantions use pipe lagging.
to insulate a water reseviour ( to keep it cooler )apparently you can use a home made gaffer taped thin foam sleeve around it. Add some ice cubes into the water.
When you want to remember which way to take the pedals off –
when the bike is upright and you put the pedal spanner on so it is vertical (and pointing up) “Back Off” – turn the spanner towards the back of the bike and the pedal comes off
Drac – Moderator
INVITED by vegetarians for dinner? As you’d no doubt be made aware of their special dietary requirements, tell them about yours – ask for a nice steak
A piece of cardboard or a large puncture patch will bodge a slit in your tyre well enough to stop the inner tube poking through.
The QR tip for bottom bracket removal also works well for removing a cassette.
Car gearbox oil appears to be the same as Fox Float fluid and is a fraction of the price.
Snapped off the gear cable inside the shifter? It happens on road stis. Use a zip tie to tension the cable at the derailleur end (tie it onto the seatstay) so it will hold the chain on one of the middle cogs. You then have a serviceable 2 or 3 speed bike to get you home.
For directional tyres and to avoid putting them on the wrong way round, most rotors have a rotation arrow on them , well I know Hopes do anyway.. works for me.