Bike Maintenance

  just get right size, runn on them and they seem to work, but they do blow evey now and again

Thanks James. Any ideas on some not too expensive inner tubes?

some thing like make shore they are the right size

continental raod tyres 26" and yes i use them in the rain although they are not winter tyres. They are not made of carbon

what type of wheels are you useing? as carbon wheels have cork breakpads, and are you planning on useing the bike in the rain?    

Too much.  I have a Camelbak so tend to throw more in it than I need to: mini pump, tyre levers, self-adhesive patches, multi-tool, hex key set, drink, food, spare tubes (at least 2 if I'm off road), possibly a spare jacket if the weather's lookin...

A service is the best thing for it. The tension of your gear cables determines how far the rear mech moves the chain across the cassette (ie which ring of the cassette you're on). If the mech goes too far because the...

give the chain a good clean. i use an old rag and give the chain a vigerous rum sometimes needs a soak and degreese.. when lubing a chain do not use standard oil like WD40 as this will not lubricate the chain it just...

Your chain is stretched and your cassette is worn. This happens when you neglect to service your bike and get the chain checked. You need to change your chain every 5000 km or so otherwise you cassette and even your...

This happened to me recently, I had the bike serviced and a new chain and cassette was required, but no more issues. I would therefore suggest you replace both and all should be well.

I'm certainly no expert but it be that your chain has stretched.  This will eventually cause damage to the rest of your drive chain, so it's worth checking. You can buy a very cheap chain tool to see if your chain ha...

No, it's most likely that you just need a good tune up. Skipping gears usually means stretched cables or improper adjustment. Take it to a good local bike shop and they can adjust it for you.

probaly need a new cable, it may be started to shred inside the covering which is why it keeps going slack.

You have to squeeze the brake pads together before tightening the nut.

My back brake cable is really slack. I have tried to pull the cable through the adjuster on the back brake and tighten the nut. Then when go out on bike it seems to go slack again. Any ideas ?

I have done it probably over 500 times (worked in a bike shop for ~3 years) and I have a good idea about how to do it but it is really stuck - really! That's why I have asked for help. So far, I have tried alterning...

Thanks everyone 

Remove the chain from bike , using a Rivet remover tool . place the chain into a tray and pour White Spirit over it , Then 'slosh' the chain and white spirit around and then wipe the chain with a clean rag ~ Re-fit t...

I cycle all year round - all weather, both commuting and training. I have 3 bikes one of which I use for commuting and sees the brunt of the weather and grime of cycling in London and outscirts.  Winter for me means cleaning bearings out and renew...

If its a cassette - make sure youve removed the lock ring  before trying to get the cassette off.  If you havent removed it then you will need a lock ring removal tool for shimano or campag to get it off.  Then pleas...

Spray with WD40 or similar release compund and leave for an hour or so.  Using the correct chain whip for your cassette speed (e.g. 6sp, 7 spd, 8 9 10 or 11), get a mate to hold the wheel or put in an engineering vic...

Have you trapped any skin in it?

Its a real pain having fixed the puncture to get a second one because of nipping the tube. But consider that you may also have left the cause of the puncture in or on the tyre

When you put your tyres on - always place them the same way - eg brand...

Richard has a good point, good advice from Paul H.  A good wheel builder (Harry Rowland, Pete Mathews) will put a value for money set together - eg with sealed cartridge Ambrosio hubs and rims and plain gauge spokes.  The difference will be that t...

I cycle all year round - all weather, both commuting and training. I have 3 bikes one of which I use for commuting and sees the brunt of the weather and grime of cycling in London and outscirts.  Winter for me means cleaning bearings out and renew...

Thank you  - It sounds good! I am going to try next week-end to pour boiling and icy water repetitively over the joint. I'll let you know how it went! Thanks again for the suggestion :)