Two questions



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Eric Ferguson

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First, I left my bike under a patio shelter all winter. Part of the roof blew off during the heavy
storms and it got wet. I don't see any heavy rust on it. (It's an older bike, all I can afford at
the moment, so replacing it is out.) I can't find my bike maintenance book anywhere. So what's the
best way to get the rust off and how the heck do I lubricate the whole bike, chains, sprockets,
whatever else needs it? I also have to refill the tires.

Second question that has been asked here before, but I lost my printouts. I have several stainless
steel water bottles. They have some black growth on the bottom and sides. When I wash them out with
soap and water, they come back. Several people had suggestions on how to clean them permanently with
either baking soda, bleach, etc. And I have a thermos (stainless) that's had coffee in it since last
election day (it was moved without telling me.) Right now it's soaking with water on the grass. It's
to need a LOT of cleaning after the initial soak to get the crud loosened.

Any and all answers heartily welcomed. THANKS. Eric (getting back into cycling)
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> First, I left my bike under a patio shelter all winter. Part of the roof blew off during the heavy
> storms and it got wet. I don't see any heavy rust on it. (It's an older bike, all I can afford at
> the moment, so replacing it is out.) I can't find my bike maintenance book anywhere. So what's the
> best way to get the rust off and how the heck do I lubricate the whole bike, chains, sprockets,
> whatever else needs it? I also have to refill the tires.

Just take it all apart down to the last bearing, use the appropriate lube on every moving part, then
put it back together. I do this every 2 to 5 years, depending on usage.

> Second question that has been asked here before, but I lost my printouts. I have several stainless
> steel water bottles. They have some black growth on the bottom and sides. When I wash them out
> with soap and water, they come back. Several people had suggestions on how to clean them
> permanently with either baking soda, bleach, etc. And I have a thermos (stainless) that's had

In my experience, high concentrations of plain clorine bleach work the best for removing mold
growth, if that's what the black stuff is. It's not as effective on algae, though.

> coffee in it since last election day (it was moved without telling me.) Right now it's soaking
> with water on the grass. It's to need a LOT of cleaning after the initial soak to get the crud
> loosened.

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.
 
On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 19:18:35 -0400, David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:

>Just take it all apart down to the last bearing, use the appropriate lube on every moving part,
>then put it back together. I do this every 2 to 5 years, depending on usage.

Yes, what David said - also regarding the water bottles. Baby bottle sterilising fluid is quite
good, too.

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. http://www.chapmancentral.com Advance
notice: ADSL service in process of transfer to a new ISP. Obviously there will be a week of downtime
between the engineer removing the BT service and the same engineer connecting the same equipment on
the same line in the same exchange and billing it to the new ISP.
 
On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 19:18:35 -0400, David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:

>Just take it all apart down to the last bearing, use the appropriate lube on every moving part,
>then put it back together. I do this every 2 to 5 years, depending on usage.

If that sounds intimidating, you should really have your local bike shop look at it.

Jasper
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> On Wed, 18 Jun 2003 19:18:35 -0400, David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:
>
> >Just take it all apart down to the last bearing, use the appropriate lube on every moving part,
> >then put it back together. I do this every 2 to 5 years, depending on usage.
>
> If that sounds intimidating, you should really have your local bike shop look at it.

AS he implies, it's not that difficult if you have a modicum of mechanical ability and some
patience. I first did this in about 8th grade, to the bike I had before my current one, so how hard
could it be?

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.
 
On Thu, 19 Jun 2003 20:22:55 -0400, David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:

>AS he implies, it's not that difficult if you have a modicum of mechanical ability and some
>patience. I first did this in about 8th grade, to the bike I had before my current one, so how hard
>could it be?

Not particularly hard, if you know what you're doing (and that includes having a book along or, say,
Sheldon's website), but you're gonna need some relatively expensive special purpose tools to get to
the bottom bracket (crank puller plus the various tools for the BB itself), and for cup/cone
bearings in general getting them adjusted without play but still moving freely requires a bit of
experimentation and experience. Not everyone has or wants to spend the time necessary.

To the OP: rust on moving parts is bad, but will wear off quickly in use, contaminating the new
grease immediately. You might think about replacing the chain, it's not a particularly expensive
part. If it's fairly worn, though, a new chain can lead to skipping unless you replace cogs, which
does get relatively expensive. Also, if a bike has been standing on empty tires for that long, check
very carefully if the tires haven't cracked or worn down. Oh, and, while you're taking things apart,
always insert new balls into the bearings. And check carefully on the races for cracks and other
abnormal wear. If a cone is damaged, riding with it can damage a cup, and if a cup is damaged,
you'll kill new cones in weeks, and you will have to replace the wheel.

Jasper
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> On Thu, 19 Jun 2003 20:22:55 -0400, David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:
>
> >AS he implies, it's not that difficult if you have a modicum of mechanical ability and some
> >patience. I first did this in about 8th grade, to the bike I had before my current one, so how
> >hard could it be?
>
> Not particularly hard, if you know what you're doing (and that includes having a book along or,
> say, Sheldon's website), but you're gonna need some relatively expensive special purpose tools to
> get to the bottom bracket (crank puller plus the various tools for the BB itself), and for
> cup/cone bearings in general getting them adjusted without play but still moving freely requires a
> bit of experimentation and experience. Not everyone has or wants to spend the time necessary.

All good points. The first bike I learned on had a 1-piece crank and caged bearings, so it was
easy to do without special tools except for a freewheel wrench. I learned to set the bearing
pre-load simply by experimentation; that's where the patience comes in ;-). By the time I had a
bike which needed more specialized tools, I had the money to get them, though it was still only
about $30, IIRC. I already had a good collection of regular shop tools, so I didn't have to spend
any more on them.

....

--
David Kerber An optimist says "Good morning, Lord." While a pessimist says "Good Lord,
it's morning".

Remove the ns_ from the address before e-mailing.
 
First off, THANKS to Dave, Guy and Jasper. I'm "trying" to get back into biking, tried last year,
things happened, and now I've got to get my bike back into shape then me. I admit, you've already
lost me on crank pullers, cranks, "cup and cones(?)".....oh boy do I have a lot to learn. I'm one of
these guys who can take things apart (with difficulty), and upon putting it back together finds
"extra" parts. I'm a complete mechanical dummy. Not that I can't learn. Had a book on bike
maintenance that I still haven't found (it was going to be a "winter" project. BUT, all the pictures
look intimidating and there are SO many parts. Give me time, I'll try to catch on.

In the mean time, again THANKS for this semi-newbie.......Eric
 
Oh yeah, forgot two things.....First, what is "Sheldon's website", is it good for someone like me?

Secondly, for Frood "Just zis Guy, you know?".......42, and, I KNOW where my towel is!
 
Thanks Kevan, just looked at the Sheldon Brown website. Now I've got to bookmark it for later.
You're right, it IS for everyone. I may even learn a thing or two (Grin). THANKS!!! Eric
 
On Sat, 21 Jun 2003 05:51:54 GMT, "Eric Ferguson" <[email protected]> from SBC
http://yahoo.sbc.com wrote:

>Thanks Kevan, just looked at the Sheldon Brown website. Now I've got to bookmark it for later.
>You're right, it IS for everyone. I may even learn a thing or two (Grin). THANKS!!! Eric

My pleasure. You get good karma from pointing people to Sheldon's pages.

--
http://home.sport.rr.com/cuthulu/ human rights = peace a slippery pigeon sometimes damages in a
filthy explosion...
1:45:31 AM 21 June 2003
 
On Sat, 21 Jun 2003 01:46:07 -0500, Kevan Smith <[email protected]/\/\> wrote:
>On Sat, 21 Jun 2003 05:51:54 GMT, "Eric Ferguson" <[email protected]> from SBC
>http://yahoo.sbc.com wrote:
>
>>Thanks Kevan, just looked at the Sheldon Brown website. Now I've got to bookmark it for later.
>>You're right, it IS for everyone. I may even learn a thing or two (Grin). THANKS!!! Eric
>
>My pleasure. You get good karma from pointing people to Sheldon's pages.

I want frequent flyer miles for it -- 1000 references equals a crankset :)

Jasper
 
Do you also get good karma by going to Sheldon's website? Must be, as I found a book I had forgotten
I even had. In doing some spring cleaning, found a copy of "Bicycles for Dummies". Now, is this a
good book for someone mechanically inept? (Yes I will read it, and learn.) Looks like lots of info,
but on the easy side.... Eric
 
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