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How much do you work on your bike?

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Old 22-06.-2005, 07:32 AM   #1
messenga12
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Question How much do you work on your bike?

Maintenance is a headache! Any time spent working on my bike, means time not riding! And for commuters, it could mean being late for work.

I'm researching into how much we maintain our bikes and what needs the most attention.

How often do you have to fix a tire?
Or adjust a derailleur?
Or clean the chain?
Or change a brake pad?
Or true your wheels?
What's the most common thing to break?

Thanks!
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Old 22-06.-2005, 11:20 PM   #2
Batesy
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Default Re: How much do you work on your bike?

I give my biek a quick check over every time I use it. Just to check tyres, brakes, security of nuts/bolts. Change things as and when they need changing. If the gears aren't running right I adjust them, if braking goes soft I tighten it...

As long as you check things regularly things get noticed beforethey become a problem. As a general rule of thuumb, I clean my bike every time it gets really dirty and I lube moving parts, degrease and lube my chain at least once a month (more if needed).
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Old 23-06.-2005, 12:33 AM   #3
Don Shipp
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Default Re: How much do you work on your bike?

Quote:
Originally Posted by messenga12
Maintenance is a headache! Any time spent working on my bike, means time not riding! And for commuters, it could mean being late for work.

I'm researching into how much we maintain our bikes and what needs the most attention.

How often do you have to fix a tire?
Or adjust a derailleur?
Or clean the chain?
Or change a brake pad?
Or true your wheels?
What's the most common thing to break?

Thanks!
messenga12
I just replace the bits that fall off.
Buy good components and that will not be too often.

Last edited by Don Shipp : 23-06.-2005 at 12:53 AM.
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Old 24-06.-2005, 11:50 AM   #4
deejbah
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Default Re: How much do you work on your bike?

My bike gets quite dirty when I commute in the rain, so cleaning is a fairly regular activity in the Winter. Replacing brake pads is the next most regular activity.
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Old 08-07.-2005, 10:12 PM   #5
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Default Re: How much do you work on your bike?

Quote:
Originally Posted by deejbah
My bike gets quite dirty when I commute in the rain, so cleaning is a fairly regular activity in the Winter. Replacing brake pads is the next most regular activity.

I have no idea how to maintain my bike beyond keeping the tires inflated; so I simply get it serviced every 1000 kms or "when it seems to need it". As with the car; if it's regularly checked over by someone that knows what they're doing then they hardly ever go wrong.
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Old 08-07.-2005, 10:27 PM   #6
rule62
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Default Re: How much do you work on your bike?

There is little in this world that I like better than a Friday evening out in the garage with the ballgame on the radio and my bike up in the rack for a going over or sprucing up. I look at the time spent maintaining my bike as I do the time spent lying on my back in the grass picking shapes out of the clouds with my son. Stolen days.
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Old 13-09.-2005, 07:56 AM   #7
riptide
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Default Re: How much do you work on your bike?

I do all my own maintenance, even build my own wheels. Compared to automobiles or computers or so many other modern devices, bicycles are a v
ery manageable technology, apart from a few specialized tools such as a cotter
pin press (yes I have one) and a wheel truing stand and dishing tool most bike repair can be carried out with regular general purpose tools such as screwdrivers, adjustable wrenches. Building one's own wheels is like building one's own furniture (I do that as well)-you know exactly what materials were used, you know exactly how it was put together, you can tailor it to your needs and desires. I find that bicycle maintenance repair is a good Rainy Day-Cold Winter Night activity, I built a pair of wheels this past summer on a miserable hot humid night when even sitting on the Front Step drinking ice water was a
miserable experience. I recommend you start with simple things, such as removing/mounting a tube and a tire, replacing a flat, etc. And your first purchase should be books, for wheel building I recommend The Bicycle Wheel by
Jobst Brandt, for other work I recommend the Bicycling Magazine manual, Glenn's', Sloane's is ok, there may be others
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