I've just finished university in nice flat Leicestershire and moved back to the North Wales coast. I've only been on 2 proper rides so far - one was off road in muddy water over the wheel hubs in a couple of places and quite rocky in others. The second was a 40 mile spin along the coast in the rain at the weekend (it wasn't raining when I set off!).
Today I noticed that my back wheel is making a worrying grating noise when it spins and I suspect that either the bearings have lost all their grease, a bearing has got lost somewhere or the hub is full of sand (from riding along various promenades). The trouble is, I can't get to the bearings because I can't get the rear cassette of gears off as they seem to have seized. I'm used to them being really well stuck on but a blast of GT85 and standing on the spanner usually gets them off. This time I've even had the tool and wheel in a bench vice but it still won't budge. Anyone got any other suggestions as to how I can remove it? I'm also wondering if it might be more economical to replace the whole wheel and cassette as I'm struggling to find out why my chain jumps all the time when it's on the smallest rear cog (an 11 tooth one) and I think it may be starting to wear down - the cogs and chain are really clean and lubricated which has solved the problem in the past.
I also noticed today that one of my front spokes was completely loose. I thought maybe it was broken but it wasn't - it just seemed to be very very loose. I tightened up the nipple with my fingers but I noticed that all the spokes on non-disc brake side were much looser than the other side. Is that normal and does anyone know why a single spoke could have come so loose so quickly?
I've just finished university in nice flat Leicestershire
Ugh - just recalled my happy^H^H^H my years at Leicester Poly, aka De Montfort University when it went posh! Lived in South Wigston then Blaby, so quite an interesting commute in every day!
Nothing to do with dying wheels though - sorry :-)
I've just finished university in nice flat Leicestershire and moved back to the North Wales coast. I've only been on 2 proper rides so far - one was off road in muddy water over the wheel hubs in a couple of places and quite rocky in others. The second was a 40 mile spin along the coast in the rain at the weekend (it wasn't raining when I set off!).
Today I noticed that my back wheel is making a worrying grating noise when it spins and I suspect that either the bearings have lost all their grease, a bearing has got lost somewhere or the hub is full of sand (from riding along various promenades). The trouble is, I can't get to the bearings because I can't get the rear cassette of gears off as they seem to have seized. I'm used to them being really well stuck on but a blast of GT85 and standing on the spanner usually gets them off. This time I've even had the tool and wheel in a bench vice but it still won't budge. Anyone got any other suggestions as to how I can remove it? I'm also wondering if it might be more economical to replace the whole wheel and cassette as I'm struggling to find out why my chain jumps all the time when it's on the smallest rear cog (an 11 tooth one) and I think it may be starting to wear down - the cogs and chain are really clean and lubricated which has solved the problem in the past.
i guess it depends on the age and value of the wheels, i have put new wheels on my old mountain bike as the wheels after many years over the hills rather worn out the rims to nothing, and it was more cost effecive to get new ones.
so it depends on how handy you are as well.
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I also noticed today that one of my front spokes was completely loose. I thought maybe it was broken but it wasn't - it just seemed to be very very loose. I tightened up the nipple with my fingers but I noticed that all the spokes on non-disc brake side were much looser than the other side. Is that normal and does anyone know why a single spoke could have come so loose so quickly?
i guess it depends on the age and value of the wheels, i have put new wheels on my old mountain bike as the wheels after many years over the hills rather worn out the rims to nothing, and it was more cost effecive to get new ones.
so it depends on how handy you are as well.
I have enough time and knowledge to replace the back wheel but seems a shame as it's only about 9 months old and the cassette is only about 4 months old. I've just given an old rear wheel to a bike recyling group as well as it had been sitting in the cellar for about a year! I've trued the front wheel before and managed to do a really good job of it (it stopped wobbling anyway!) I'm just concerned that maybe there is something wrong with it I should be looking for - I've never had a spoke come undone and usually if it's that loose then it's because it has snapped.
i guess it depends on the age and value of the wheels, i have put new wheels on my old mountain bike as the wheels after many years over the hills rather worn out the rims to nothing, and it was more cost effecive to get new ones.
so it depends on how handy you are as well.
I have enough time and knowledge to replace the back wheel but seems a shame as it's only about 9 months old and the cassette is only about 4 months old. I've just given an old rear wheel to a bike recyling group as well as it had been sitting in the cellar for about a year! I've trued the front wheel before and managed to do a really good job of it (it stopped wobbling anyway!) I'm just concerned that maybe there is something wrong with it I should be looking for - I've never had a spoke come undone and usually if it's that loose then it's because it has snapped.
pete
if there that new and you haven't been useing them for downhilling, or as a stunt bike etc, warranty or not thats not fit for purpose. ie take the wheel back. -- www.rogermerriman.com
if there that new and you haven't been useing them for downhilling, or as a stunt bike etc, warranty or not thats not fit for purpose. ie take the wheel back.
Well, not quite downhilling (have managed 40 on it going down surfaced roads) and might have done a couple of flights of steps on it.... but the problem only seems to have occurred in the last couple of weeks.
I've had some success tonight - pinched a bigger and better adjustable spanner off my dad which gave just enough extra leverage to get the cassette off. There was virtually no grease in the bearings which was either the deep water from the mountain ride, being a bit trigger happy with the GT85 when spraying the chain to scrub the muck off or a combination of the two. One of the washer things which sits around the cone is a bit bent on one side and causing some noise but it'll last until I can buy a new pair.
I think I'll drop the bike into a shop sometime soon and give them the wheels to tighten up and true properly now that I know the wheel still has some life in it.
if there that new and you haven't been useing them for downhilling, or as a stunt bike etc, warranty or not thats not fit for purpose. ie take the wheel back.
Well, not quite downhilling (have managed 40 on it going down surfaced roads) and might have done a couple of flights of steps on it.... but the problem only seems to have occurred in the last couple of weeks.
I've had some success tonight - pinched a bigger and better adjustable spanner off my dad which gave just enough extra leverage to get the cassette off. There was virtually no grease in the bearings which was either the deep water from the mountain ride, being a bit trigger happy with the GT85 when spraying the chain to scrub the muck off or a combination of the two. One of the washer things which sits around the cone is a bit bent on one side and causing some noise but it'll last until I can buy a new pair.
i had a pair of stx on my old bike which survied running very deep though mud and bog, ie nr height of the wheels.. in the end the rims wore out. so water shouldn't nessarlly mess them up.
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I think I'll drop the bike into a shop sometime soon and give them the wheels to tighten up and true properly now that I know the wheel still has some life in it.
