NEW! RetroBike Tip of the Month!!!

[dbmtb]

When your rear tyre starts to ware change it with the front as the front wares far slower. Then you get even tyre ware and you don't have spend ££ on replacing the rear to soon

But you have to remember to buy a new front tyre of course. Never try to save money by putting a slightly worn rear tyre on the front!

 

[dbmtb]

Put cassettes in the dishwasher - brings them up a treat on a short cycle (hah - pun intended)

Would probably work for mechs, brakes etc. too.

Make sure you rinse thoroughly afterwards and re-grease though!

And do not do when your wife is home or it'll end in tears.....

 

[mojo]

I usually bake my chain and chainrings in the oven after degreasing them, perhaps a little extreme but it gets them dry properly. I find that a few mins in a preheated oven does the job, probably only heats them to 80C or so. Seems to evaporate all the degreaser too.

I would imagine that 45 mins on gas mark 8 wouldn't do the metal much good though... :shock:

 

[mrkawasaki]

Gripping Stuff

Sick of scratched or dinted top tubes as the bars swing round when you move your bikes around the shed/cellar?

Next time you change your bar grips, slice the old ones length ways - they'll then clip nicely over that delicate top tube next time she gybes unexpectedly...

Mr K

 

[orange71]

presumably the same for pedals and chainstays when your shed (or in my case cellar) is especially packed with bikes!!

 

[jez-4-bikes-max]

Alloy components top tip!!

If you have say a old xt rear mech that looks a little worn....
XT thumbies that look a little grey...
XT cantis in alloy finish and also cranks too....

Buy some brasso wool (or fluid) and polish the alloy to get a MIRROR finish!

Looks amazing afterwards I can guarantee...

 

[monsterfatuk]

wheel building

when building wheels,put some masking tape on the hub,find the centre of the hub using a compass etc and mark it all the way around.
Then when spoked up look from one side of the rim to the other through the wheel,keeping the mark in between.Keep doing this while tentioning and the rim will be dead centre to the centre of the hub

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

Joining chain.

Maybe everyone knows this but I found the original one I used to use from around 1988 onwards in the toolbox the other day.

To aid joining the chain, get an old spoke an snip off the hub end curve bit. Now bend both ends up by more than 90 degrees. Have about two centimetres sticking up at each end. Pull some slack on the chain and hook the ends of the spoke though convenient links. The bent spoke prevents the rear mech springing the ends of the chain apart.

Anyone know the maximum number of pics that can be in any one topic or am I clicking the wrong commands?

 

[orange71]

I like that last tip.

 

[jez-4-bikes-max]

To get old decals off.....or old scruffy stickers.....


Use a hairdrier to warm them off! The glue melts and they'll come off fine and dandy.