Bicycle Mechanics - bike tune up/restore...

hey people,

i need a guide how to tune up a bike. i got some bikes from my parents (they got new ones) and they werent taken the best care of. just need a good article on how to take it all apart, clean everything up real good, put back together. and how to adjust the cables for brakes/levers/deraileurs. and i'm a newbie.

so, anyone know of anything like that? i've been googleing for a while but cant seem to find anything like that.

thanks!

later

Check this thread out you can download the barnett repair manual

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15444&highlight=barnett

Also check out http://www.sheldonbrown.com

Other good site is parktools web site.
http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQindex.shtml

The sites that Kev listed are the best that I have found on the web. I would go out to the local library and get a few books on basic bike maintenance if you don't want to spend money for a book. The difinitive guide, in my opinion, is the Barnett book-set. More explanations and pictures than you could ever need - but it gives you the ability to do anything if you have basic mechanical skills. You won't find a site that lists exactly what should be done in a tune-up, but if the bike has been in storage for a while, I would replace the cables (can require some der. adjustment), replace the brake pads (they are probably all hard and useless), make sure the wheels are trued and the tires aren't cracking or dried out, overhaul the hubs (easy job), and clean and lube the chain. If you want to get into the headset or bottom bracket, you may be better off bringing it to a bike shop. Is the headset smooth when the bars are turned and it is tightented? If it is, you probably don't have to worry about it unless these are going to get a ton of miles. If the bikes are now going to be used a lot, you might want the LBS to overhaul the headset and bottom bracket to make sure you won't cause more damage to the bearings/races in case they are contaminated. Taking out the derrailleur pulleys and cleaning/relubing them is a 10 minute job that is easy to do and should be explained in most any repair book. These could be the source of squeaking, etc that you can't eliminate by just cleaning and relubing the chain. I think that's everything.

-Moab

EDIT: I would replace the cables instead of just adjusting them. These bikes have probably been used and then allowed to sit around. I would assume the ends are probably frayed, and they might even be frayed in the housings. You should always replace housings with the cables at the same time. You can save the housings in order to measure the correct length for the new ones, or you can measure the right length by following the repair manual. I think the general rule of thumb is that you should insert one end of the housing(with a ferrule) into the shifter/brake lever and then turn the handlebars all of the way to the side (not over 180 degrees) while pulling the housing as tight as possible. Mark on the housing where it meets the housing stop on the top tube, and then cut it there. After filing off the rough edges and poking out the bent inner liner, you should have a housing that is the right length for the front of the bike.

thanks for the help guys.


You won't find a site that lists exactly what should be done in a tune-up,

ok, thanks. thats what i was looking for. i'll just download the manuals and read them all first. i'm pretty mechanically adept, so i do believe i can do all this myself.

thanks again for the help.

later