Tuneup check list

Steve C. said:

I was wondering if there is a standard check list that people use when doing a tuneup on a bike. I
have a 2000 Gary Fisher Marlin with about 500 miles one it. I had it tuned by a bike shop before,
but I'm ready to start doing my own work.

You might consider buying a bike repair book and a few basic tools, like metric allen wrenches
(Bondhus makes a nice set!) and a spoke wrench, maybe a headset wrench and some cone wrenches, plus
some 30W oil and some grease (regular wheel bearing grease from the auto parts store is what you
want). These basic items will take you a long way; you can always buy more stuff as you need it. The
books tell you what's needed for the job at hand.

You may also want to read the FAQ for this NG: draco.acs.uci.eduindex.htmlOpen ↗

"Steve C." <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was wondering if there is a standard check list that people use when doing

a

Quoted message said:

tuneup on a bike. I have a 2000 Gary Fisher Marlin with about 500 miles one
it. I had it tuned by a bike shop before, but I'm ready to start doing my

own

Quoted message said:

work.

Bikes don't really need "tune ups". You should learn how to :

- Patch a flat
- Check your chain for wear
- Clean and re-lube your chain
- Adjust your shifters and brakes

That's about it. You should periodically check your frame and cranks for cracks, usually after you
wash it, and check your wheels for trueness, and/or "ring" the spokes with a screwdriver or
something to detect loose ones (low tone). If you're ambitious, you can easily learn to
true/tension/stress relieve a wheel, and repack (clean & regrease) a wheel bearing, or just let the
shop do that stuff.

As other's have said, check out the FAQ, and on-line resources like Sheldon Brown's site.

Standard tune up would be check hubs for bind or play (you can unscrew them to check the grease, if
it's been a while)

Check cranks and headset for same.

Check derailleurs and brakes and adjust if necessary.

Check all cables.

Check chain, clean and lube if neccesary.

Check all nuts, bolts and whatever else holds things together for tightness, retighten if necessary.

If your bike has a freewheel (as opposed to a freehub (cassette gears), check for binding and wash
out/relube if necessary.

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

Chris'Z Corner "The Website for the Common Bicyclist": geocities.comczcornerOpen ↗

On Tue, 15 Apr 2003 19:36:31 -0400, Chris Zacho "The Wheelman" wrote:

All this "check" stuff sounds like what they do for your car's 15,000 mile checkup. IMO most of that
is [censored], since you can check to see most of those things in a couple minutes. Why pay $95 for
someone to glance at your brake fluid?

Anyway, most of these should be changed to real actions, IMO. I presume you have done some riding on
the bike in the past year, say 3000 miles or so.

Quoted message said:

Standard tune up would be check hubs for bind or play (you can unscrew them to check the grease,
if it's been a while)

Re-grease the hubs, replacing all the bearings. Cheap insurance.

Quoted message said:

Check cranks and headset for same.

Here, yeah, presuming that the bottom bracket is a cartridge, then unless it is making bad clicking
noises, leave it be. If the headset has ball&cone bearings, then re-pack it, too. If cartridge,
treat like the bottom bracket. If the bb is making noises, it's time to replace it.

This sort of approach would also apply to hubs if they are cartridge bearings, except that some can
be serviced. Clean and re-grease if you can, and replace bearings if there is a problem like play or
roughness.

Quoted message said:

Check derailleurs and brakes and adjust if necessary.

Look at the brake blocks. If worn, replace. Clean the jockey wheels on the derailleur, and re-lube
the bearings.

Quoted message said:

Check all cables.

No. Replace all cables. You can't see inside the sheath, and that is often where damage hides.
Cables cost $1 to $3 per. Broken ones are a major problem.

Quoted message said:

Check chain, clean and lube if neccesary.

Replace the chain. Ride it a bit to see if the chain skips. If it does, you have to replace
the cassette.

Quoted message said:

Check all nuts, bolts and whatever else holds things together for tightness, retighten if
necessary.

If your bike has a freewheel (as opposed to a freehub (cassette gears), check for binding and wash
out/relube if necessary.

Don't hesitate. It is necessary to re-lube the freewheel if you have one. I soak in solvent (also
clean off the sprockets) to get as much crud out as possible, spin it to get rid of the solvent. Set
it in the hot sun if it exists, or leave it in the shop for a while, to dry out. Apply lots of oil.
Some have an oil hole under the sprockets, but older ones you just drizzle oil in between the
smallest cog and the cover plate. Use plenty of oil and let the excess drain.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Enron's slogan: Respect, Communication, Integrity, and _`\(,_ | Excellence. (_)/ (_) |

"Steve C." <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was wondering if there is a standard check list that people use when

doing a

Quoted message said:

tuneup on a bike. I have a 2000 Gary Fisher Marlin with about 500 miles

one

Quoted message said:

it. I had it tuned by a bike shop before, but I'm ready to start doing my

own

Quoted message said:

work.

yellowjersey.orgtune ups.htmlOpen ↗

--
Andrew Muzi yellowjersey.orgyellowjersey.orgOpen ↗ Open every day since 1 April 1971