How much re-tuning is required after disassembly and reassembly?

[jmelinte]

I just bought my first road bike from a co-worker. It is obviously used, but was very well maintained, and my LBS said it needs no tuning or adjusting (we're roughly the same size). I am considering re-painting the frame at some point. I'm sure I can take it appart and reassemble it myself. However, I am wondering if I mark things like saddle height and angle, etc., how much adjusting/tuning will need to be done once it is reassembled. Will everything else pretty much line up the same way, or will it need to be taken in for a tune?

 

[alfeng]

Originally Posted by jmelinte
I just bought my first road bike from a co-worker. It is obviously used, but was very well maintained, and my LBS said it needs no tuning or adjusting (we're roughly the same size). I am considering re-painting the frame at some point. I'm sure I can take it appart and reassemble it myself. However, I am wondering if I mark things like saddle height and angle, etc., how much adjusting/tuning will need to be done once it is reassembled. Will everything else pretty much line up the same way, or will it need to be taken in for a tune?

If you do it in a methodical manner then you will probably only need to worry about tensioning the cables properly ...

• THAT presumes you re-install the headset & fork ...
• plus, the BB & crankset properly, BTW

BOTH www.parktool.com + YouTube are resources to consult on an as-needed basis.

 

[oldbobcat]

Originally Posted by alfeng

If you do it in a methodical manner then you will probably only need to worry about tensioning the cables properly ...

Just assembled a nicely packed Colnago C59 with Campy Record yesterday. (Thought you'd get a kick out if this, alf.) Necessary adjustments were limited to

• Centering the handlebar stem
• Centering the brake calipers slightly
• Tightening rear derailleur cable 1/2 turn

It all depends on who packed the bike and how well it was tuned beforehand.

 

[alfeng]

Originally Posted by oldbobcat
Just assembled a nicely packed Colnago C59 with Campy Record yesterday. (Thought you'd get a kick out if this, alf.) Necessary adjustments were limited to

• Centering the handlebar stem
• Centering the brake calipers slightly
• Tightening rear derailleur cable 1/2 turn

It all depends on who packed the bike and how well it was tuned beforehand.

Colnago ...

Campagnolo ...

What's not to love?!?

I think that YOUR next personal bike should be one-or-the-other OR both!

 

[CAMPYBOB]

Quote by OBC:
"Just assembled a nicely packed Colnago C59 with Campy Record yesterday."

Yes. I'm jealous!



OP, if you have the skill and the tools to strip and reassemble the bike, the few required adjustments are going to be easily performed.

Pretty much all of the adjustment tasks involved are detailed on YouTube.com and Park Tool's website. View some of the individual jobs that pertain to your bike and make an assessment from there.

 

[Bob Ross]

fwiw, I've had to do this (completely strip & rebuild a frame) far too many times in the past ~2 years than I would ever want to, or ever even wish on my worst enemy.

Other than cable-actuated stuff, everything always seems to go back together very easily. Once you've done it, it's almost a no-brainer, not even very time consuming.

But, for whatever reason, my shifting and (to a much lesser extent) braking is always for **** after I've rebuilt the bike, and I wind up in need of a good tune-up. No idea why; I'm guessing that the time spent off the bike causes the cables and housings to decorrelate physically, such that when you put them back on the frame it's impossible for their original relationship to be recreated without significant tweaking.

Da fuq do I know...

 

[alfeng]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross
fwiw, I've had to do this (completely strip & rebuild a frame) far too many times in the past ~2 years than I would ever want to, or ever even wish on my worst enemy.

Other than cable-actuated stuff, everything always seems to go back together very easily. Once you've done it, it's almost a no-brainer, not even very time consuming.

But, for whatever reason, my shifting and (to a much lesser extent) braking is always for **** after I've rebuilt the bike, and I wind up in need of a good tune-up. No idea why; I'm guessing that the time spent off the bike causes the cables and housings to decorrelate physically, such that when you put them back on the frame it's impossible for their original relationship to be recreated without significant tweaking.

Da fuq do I know...

You may want to consider REPLACING all the cables & housing the next time ...

• AND, the most important suggestion (which others have dismissed, so take-it-or-leave-it) is to NOT use the parallel stranded cable housing for your derailleur cables AND instead use brake cable housing for your derailleur cables.

 

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by alfeng

You may want to consider REPLACING all the cables & housing the next time ...

I was kind of hoping there just wouldn't be a "next time"...