Bike repair & maintenance

307 Pages·2014·41.649 MB·English

by  Wiggins, Christopher

BBiikkee RReeppaaiirr
MMaaiinntteennaannccee
&&
Expert advice for
keeping your bike in
prime condition
Illustrated maintenance
lessons detail each step
Simple solutions for
emergency fi xes and
on-the-road repairs
Christopher Wiggins
No one likes a know-it-all. Most of us realize there’s no such thing—
how could there be? The world is far too complicated for someone
to understand everything there is to know. So when you come across
a know-it-all, you smile to yourself as they ramble on because you
know better.
You understand that the quest for knowledge is a never-ending one,
and you’re okay with that. You have no desire to know everything, just
the next thing. You know what you don’t know, you’re confident enough
to admit it, and you’re motivated to do something about it.
At Idiot’s Guides, we, too, know what we don’t know, and we make
it our business to find out. We find really smart people who are
experts in their fields and then we roll up our sleeves and get to work,
asking lots of questions and thinking long and hard about how best
to pass along their knowledge to you in the easiest, most-accessible
way possible.
After all, that’s our promise—to make whatever you want to learn “As
Easy as It Gets.” That means giving you a well-organized design that
seamlessly and effortlessly guides you from page to page, topic to topic.
It means controlling the pace you’re asked to absorb new information—
not too much at once but just what you need to know right now. It
means giving you a clear progression from easy to more difficult. It
means giving you more instructional steps wherever necessary to really
explain the details. And it means giving you fewer words and more
illustrations wherever it’s better to show rather than tell.
So here you are, at the start of something new. The next chapter in
your quest. It can be an intimidating place to be, but you’ve been here
before and so have we. Clear your mind and turn the page. By the end
of this book, you won’t be a know-it-all, but your world will be a little
less complicated than it was before. And we’ll be sure your journey is
as easy as it gets.
Mike Sanders
Publisher, Idiot’s Guides
Bike Repair
& Maintenance
by Christopher Wiggins
A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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Contents
1 Bike Basics 1
Bike Types .......................................................................2 Setting Up Your Home Workshop ...........................6
Bike Anatomy .................................................................4 The Tools You Need .....................................................8
2 Wheels and Tires 13
Wheel and Tire Anatomy .........................................14 Removing a Tire and Punctured Tube ................22
Axle Types .....................................................................15 Patching a Tube ..........................................................24
Valve Types and Rim Strips ....................................16 Replacing a Tube and Reinstalling a Tire ...........26
Using Quick-Release Skewers ...............................18 Working with a Spoke Wrench ..............................28
Removing Your Wheels ...........................................20 The Importance of Proper Inflation .....................30
3 Brakes 33
Types of Brakes ...........................................................34 Setting Up Disc Brakes ............................................46
Setting Up Caliper Brakes .......................................36 Cable Lube and Maintenance .................................50
Setting Up Cantilever Brakes .................................38 Troubleshooting .........................................................52
Setting Up Linear Pull Brakes ...............................42
4 Shifters and Derailleurs 55
How Shifters and Derailleurs Work .....................56 Shift Cable Maintenance ........................................64
Types of Shifters .........................................................58 Replacing Shift Cables ..............................................66
STI Lever Maintenance ..........................................60 Adjusting Rear Derailleurs ......................................70
Cable Housing Differences ......................................62 Adjusting Front Derailleurs ....................................72
5 Freewheels and Cassettes 75
Freewheels Versus Cassettes .................................76 Minimizing Wear and Tear .....................................86
Lubricating Freewheels and Cassettes ...............78 The Differences in Chain Wrap .............................88
Removing and Installing Freewheels .................80
Removing and Installing Cassettes ......................82
Recognizing Worn Cassette Bodies .....................84
6 Chains 91
Understanding Chain Differences ........................92 Replacing a Chain .......................................................98
Cleaning a Chain ........................................................94 Correcting Chain Problems .................................104
Lubricating a Chain ...................................................96 When a Chain Falls Off ..........................................106
7 Hubs 109
The Anatomy of a Hub ............................................110 Internally Geared Hubs ..........................................118
Sealed-Bearing Versus Loose-Ball Hubs ..........112 Wheels with Internally Geared Hubs ...............120
Adjusting Loose-Ball Hubs ...................................114 Checking for Play or Bent Axles .........................126
Measuring Rear Hub Spacing ..............................116
8 Saddles and Seatposts 129
Types of Saddles ......................................................130 Seatpost Collars .......................................................140
Adjusting Your Saddle ...........................................132 Suspension Seatposts ............................................142
Changing Saddles ....................................................134 Determining Your Saddle Height .......................144
Seatpost Sizes and Types .......................................138 The Benefits of Bike Shorts ..................................146
9 Pedals 149
Getting to Know Pedals .........................................150 Using a Pedal Wrench ............................................160
The Simplicity of Flat Pedals ...............................152 Adjusting Pedal Tension .......................................162
A Look at Clipless Pedals ......................................154 Installing and Adjusting Cleats ..........................164
Types of Clipless Pedals .........................................156 Recognizing Cleat Wear ........................................168
Cycling-Specific Shoes ...........................................158
10 Steering Systems 171
Quill Versus Threadless Stems ............................172 Removing and Rewrapping
Handlebar Types and Sizes ...................................174 Handlebar Tape ........................................................188
Headset Types ...........................................................176 Removing and Installing Mountain
Bike Grips ...................................................................192
Adjusting Threaded Headsets ..............................178
Steering System Safety ..........................................194
Adjusting Threadless Headsets ..........................180
The Benefits of Gloves ............................................196
Installing Aero Bars ................................................182
Raising Your Handlebars ......................................184
iv Idiot’s Guides: Bike Repair and Maintenance
11 Frames 199
Types of Frames .......................................................200 Cleaning Your Frame .............................................208
A Look at Derailleur Hangers ..............................202 Inspecting Your Frame for Cracks .....................212
Accessory Mounts and Braze-Ons ....................204 Dealing with Dents and Dings .............................214
Seat Tube Maintenance ........................................206
12 Suspension 217
Cleaning and Lubricating the Suspension ......218 Adjusting Sag ............................................................220
13 Cranks and Bottom Brackets 223
Crank Arm Fixing Bolts .........................................224 Removing and Installing Bottom Brackets .....236
Removing Crank Arms ..........................................226 Chainring Fixing Bolts ...........................................240
A Look at Bottom Brackets ...................................230 Cranksets ...................................................................242
Measuring the Bottom Bracket Recognizing Wear ...................................................244
Spindle Width ...........................................................234
14 Accessorizing Your Bike 247
Adding Water Bottle Cages...................................248 Installing Lights .......................................................260
Installing Frame Pumps ........................................250 Attaching Baskets ....................................................262
Adding Racks ............................................................252 Mounting Computers .............................................264
Fastening on Fenders .............................................256 Attaching Bags ..........................................................268
15 Emergency Road Repairs 273
Fixing a Cut Tire ......................................................274 Fixing a Twisted Chain ..........................................276
Fixing a Broken Spoke ...........................................275 Fixing a Bent Derailleur Hanger .........................277
Appendix A Glossary 278
Appendix B Maintenance Schedules 282
Index 286
Contents v
Introduction
If you think about some of your first glimpses of freedom, they likely came thanks to a bicycle. Mine
allowed me to break the confines of my block. My editor’s enabled her to pedal the cornfield-lined
country roads around her home with her dog in tow. You probably had similar experiences.
Bikes make our world just a little larger and give us the freedom to saddle up and hit the road,
whether that road leads around the neighborhood, to work and back, up and down trails, or
somewhere yet to be determined. Wherever you’re planning on riding, you need to know some
essential maintenance and repair to keep your bike in good working order.
I’ve worked with some great bike mechanics over the years, and none of them went to bike repair
school to learn what they knew. They all learned by doing, apprenticed to an older co-worker or bike
shop owner. Years of practice and a passion for what they did honed the skills they have. You probably
know someone like this. It’s probably the person you turn to when you have problems with your bike.
This book is in no way meant to replace those valuable assets.
Idiot’s Guides: Bike Repair and Maintenance is meant to give you a greater understanding of the
workings of your bicycle and to take some of the mystery out of how things work and why they do
what they do. Armed with this knowledge, you should feel more in tune with your machine, better
equipped to recognize problems, and confident in determining which repairs you can handle and
when you might need some help. This understanding is something everyone who is passionate about
cycling should have.
My hope is that the things you learn in the book will add years to the life of your bike, and the
enjoyment you get from riding.
Now let’s get our hands dirty.
Acknowledgments
I had a host of great people to learn from when I started in the bike business. I owe a debt of thanks to
all those great mechanics. I learned something from every one of them.
I couldn’t have done this without Kevin Duitsman. He is a great mechanic in his own right, and a
better man.
To everyone in my family who has supported me through this career in the bike business, and the
process of this book, this is as much for you as it is for me.