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    Bicycling Essential Road Bike Maintenance Handbook
    Bicycling Essential Road Bike Maintenance Handbook
    Bicycling Essential Road Bike Maintenance Handbook
    Ebook333 pages2 hours

    Bicycling Essential Road Bike Maintenance Handbook

    By Todd Downs, Brian Fiske and Editors of Bicycling Magazine

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    About this ebook

    Cyclists will never fear the unknown landscape of bicycle repair on the road with this condensed edition of the perennial Rodale favorite, The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair by Todd Downs. This edition features a compact trim size that fits easily in a kit bag or pocket and is packed with information on maintaining and repairing bicycles that is suited for any traveling cyclist.

    This portable handbook distills the core fundamentals and serves as a guide to repairing and maintaining one's bike, focusing specifically on instructions with step-by-step photos, troubleshooting tips, links to videos, and helpful sidebar material. The book is clearly organized from front of bike to back with color-coded page tabs serving as a visual table of contents to key bike areas so that readers can find quickly and efficiently the information they need.

    Bicycling Essential Road Bike Maintenance Handbook is the perfect troubleshooting guide for every cyclist—beginner or intermediate—and will provide a welcome relief to any cyclist faced with unexpected issues on the road.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRodale Books
    Release dateFeb 18, 2014
    ISBN9781623361679
    Bicycling Essential Road Bike Maintenance Handbook

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      Book preview

      Bicycling Essential Road Bike Maintenance Handbook - Todd Downs

      PART 1 / FOUNDATION

      CHAPTER 1

      FRAME

      Caring for the heart and soul of your bike

      Your frame does more than spotlight the bike’s brand. Its material, geometry, and design help define the characteristics of the ride. Caring for a well-made frame isn’t difficult, but it’s good to know how the pieces work together—and what that means for you.

      WHAT’S IN THIS SECTION

      • FRAME BASICS

      • FRAME CARE BASICS

      • WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT FRAME GEOMETRY

      Frame Basics

      Anatomy of a Frame: Road Bikes

      Frame Care Basics

      Keep it clean. Salt and dirt can grind on frames and parts. Keep yours clean—but don’t wash it with direct pressure from a hose, which can force dirt into your bike’s bearings.

      Keep it dry. You can (and should) ride your bike in the wet, but you should wipe off the moisture after your rides to keep corrosion at bay. Own a steel frame? Consider treating the inside of the frame with J.P. Weigle’s Frame Saver spray (available online and at your local shop).

      Watch the bends. If your frame is bent or misaligned, take it to your shop. Steel frames can be realigned; aluminum might be able to be realigned, depending on the bend. Carbon frames? Misalignment might mean bigger problems.

      What to Know about Frame Geometry

      Head tube angle: Steeper angles (up to 74 degrees on some road bikes) create quick handling; relaxed head angles (68 degrees or lower on some mountain bikes) make for stable descending.

      Fork rake: This is determined by the amount that the front axle is offset from the centerline of the fork.

      Note: Head tube angle, fork rake, and tire diameter combine to create what’s called trail. To find trail, draw a straight line down the center of the head tube to the ground, then draw a line from the axle straight down to the ground. The difference is trail: Longer measurements mean more stability; shorter measurements mean quicker handling.

      Seat tube angle: Steeper angles are good for high-cadence pedaling; relaxed angles are more for muscling big gears.

      Chainstay length: Longer chainstays make for a stable ride; shorter chainstays make for more-responsive handling.

      Bottom bracket drop: Draw a horizontal line from the center of the front axle to the center of the rear. BB drop is how far the center of the BB is from that line. More drop means more stability (noticeable in corners) but can impact ground clearance while pedaling.

      CHAPTER 2

      HEADSETS

      Adjust and maintain this most-overlooked part

      A properly adjusted headset can go years without needing much (if any) servicing, which is why most riders don’t even think about their headsets—until something goes dramatically wrong. Here, we’re going to show you how to keep a thread-less headset running smoothly for a long, long time.

      WHAT’S IN THIS SECTION

      • HEADSET BASICS

      • HEADSET TIPS AND TRICKS

      • NOT SEALED? CHECK THE DIRECTION

      • ADJUST A THREADLESS HEADSET

      • TROUBLESHOOTING HEADSETS

      Headset Basics

      Anatomy of Threadless Headsets

      Integrated Headsets

      Instead of separate bearing cups that are pressed into the head tube, integrated headsets use cartridge bearings that fit directly into a specially designed head tube (see photo below). These systems often rely on proprietary parts. Ask your dealer about parts availability, and check on compatibility before installing or the results could be disastrous.

      Not Sealed? Check the Direction

      When working with ball bearing headsets, be sure to install them in the correct direction (see photo below). Each set of bearings has a top and a bottom and must be installed facing in the correct direction. If the retainer has a rim on the outside of the bearings, the rim should face away from the cup. Conversely, if the retainer’s rim is inside the circle of bearings, it should nestle inside the freshly greased cup.

      Headset Tips and Tricks

      When to adjust. If you hear a clunking sound from the front of your bike when you brake or go over rough ground; if the steering feels tight; or if the steering feels notched, like the steerer wants to pop into one position but not move out again—it’s time for an adjustment.

      Check the bearings. If the bearing adjustment is always loose or tight no matter what you do, and you have a headset with loose ball bearings in it, check to make sure that you have the correct number of bearings in the upper and lower races. You may have left some out.

      Check the retainer. If the headset feels tight no matter how you adjust it, and the bearings are in retainers, be sure that the retainer is properly oriented. If it’s upside down, it will cause the headset to bind.

      Buying new? A headset can be a good upgrade choice. The sealed cartridge bearing designs from Cane Creek, Chris King, Hope Technology, and others can last for the lifetime of your bike. We’ve even seen a few neglected King headsets that still perform flawlessly after nearly 20 years.

      Check for bends. If the headset binds and you recently crashed, take the bike to a shop to see if something’s bent. It could be that the headset or the fork’s steerer (or the entire fork) needs to be replaced.

      Keep track of parts. If you remove or are installing a new headset, don’t lose any of the parts! There are several of them, and if you’re missing one, there’s no way your headset will work the way it’s supposed to.

      Adjust a Threadless Headset

      1. Feel for headset play by pushing and pulling on the fork with one hand while holding the down tube of the frame with your other hand. You can also lift the front end of the bike, drop it, and listen for a rattle. Another method is to apply the front brake and push and pull the bike back and forth, checking for a knocking sensation that would indicate play in the headset.

      Step 1

      2. To check if the headset is too tight, pick up the front end of the bike and turn the wheel from side to side very slowly to see if you feel any binding in the bearing. It should turn smoothly; if it doesn’t, it may be too tight.

      3. To adjust the headset, loosen the stem bolt(s), tighten the adjusting bolt (see photo) on top of the stem (or loosen it if the headset is too tight), and retighten the stem bolts to lock the adjustment in place. Then recheck the headset and fine-tune it as needed. If you can’t get a good adjustment or the headset feels crunchy and full of dirt while you’re turning it, you will need to overhaul the headset or replace the cartridge bearings.

      Step 3

      Troubleshooting Headsets

      4 COMMON PROBLEMS, SOLVED!

      PROBLEM: When you disassemble the fork for overhaul, the fork crown race is loose on the base of the fork. (It should be tight enough that you cannot remove it by hand.)

      SOLUTION: Replace it with a tight-fitting crown race, or try securing the one you have by applying a bit of thread adhesive to the crown and reseating the race. Or ask a shop to enlarge the crown race seat on the fork.

      PROBLEM: You’ve removed the bolt on the top of your threadless headset, but you can’t get the top cap out.

      SOLUTION: You may not need to remove it. Try loosening and removing the stem—the cap should come off with it. Just keep track of the cap (it might fall off) and any cap parts that are inside the fork.

      PROBLEM: You want to install a fork, but the fork’s steerer tube is the wrong diameter for the headset and frame.

      SOLUTION: It maybe best to get the correct fork for the frame. If you absolutely insist on using a fork with a steerer too small for your frame, there are special headsets that can adapt a 1-inch fork to a 1¹⁄8-inch frame, or a 1¹⁄8-inch fork to a 1¼-inch frame. Because of the limited availability of 1½-inch forks, there are several companies that manufacture adapters to reduce a 1½-inch frame to a tapered or 1¹⁄8-inch size.

      PROBLEM: You’ve loosened the stem bolts, but the stem won’t budge.

      SOLUTION: The stem may be corroded in place. Try carefully and securely clamping the fork crown in a vise and twisting the bar to break the stem free and wiggle it off. That didn’t work? Apply some Liquid Wrench, wait overnight, and try again. Still stuck? Keep applying the penetrant and waiting, even if the process takes weeks.

      PART 2 / CONTACT POINTS

      CHAPTER 3

      PEDALS

      Give a hand to the part that connects to your feet

      Today’s pedals come in many shapes and sizes, but they all serve the same purpose—to give your feet something to push against to turn the crankarms and propel you forward. Here’s the basic info you need to service the most common pedal types.

      WHAT’S IN THIS SECTION

      • PEDAL BASICS

      • CLIPLESS PEDAL MAINTENANCE

      • CARTRIDGE-TYPE SPINDLE SERVICE

      • TROUBLESHOOTING PEDALS

      Pedal Basics

      Anatomy of a Clipless Pedal

      Removing Pedals

      The left pedal is reverse-threaded, so you must turn it clockwise to loosen it. Turn the right pedal counterclockwise to loosen. It can take a lot of force to remove pedals; protect your hands from things like the chainrings in case the wrench slips.

      WATCH THIS FIX:

      FIND A STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO OF PEDAL REMOVAL AT

      www.bicycling.com/video/pedals-and

      Adjust Your In and Out

      If clipping in or out of your clipless pedal is difficult, see if your pedal has a spring tension adjustment. Look for a single bolt on the front and back of the pedal (or just a rear one on single-sided pedals). Each screw will have an arrow showing which way to turn the screw to increase retention (usually described with a +) or to ease entry and release (-). If cleat tension isn’t the issue, check that the cleat engages the pedal completely and properly.

      Clipless Pedal Maintenance

      1. Know your maintenance points. The pivot points for the movable jaw parts should get a drop of chain lubricant every month or so—more often if they get wet.

      2. Lubricating the cleats isn’t always recommended, but pedals with steel cleats can get squeaky if they’re ridden completely dry. A very light coating of chain oil on each of the points where the cleat and jaws make contact should be all you need. Keep it light—too much oil will trap dirt and accelerate the wear of the cleat.

      When cleats wear, it becomes difficult to escape the pedals. At the first signs of unreliable release, replace the cleats. Before removing them, use a permanent marker to outline the cleats on the soles so you can quickly position the new ones.

      If the cleat bolts won’t budge, use a hammer and punch to drive the screws counterclockwise. Grease the bolts, align, and install the new cleats.

      3. To remove the pedals, shift onto the large chainring, place the right pedal in the 3-0’clock position, attach the pedal wrench so it’s nearly in line with the crankarm, and push down to loosen and remove the pedal (see photo). If it won’t turn, ask a strong friend to help, try penetrating oil such as Liquid Wrench, or use a cheater bar on the wrench for added leverage (remember that the left pedal turns clockwise to loosen). When both pedals are off, spin the spindles between your fingers. If they turn with resistance or feel dry, tight, loose, or rough, regrease the bearings. If you feel a smooth hydraulic resistance while turning the spindle, the grease is still fine.

      Step 4

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