So I recently acquired a bike from a friend for free. It's a lynx mountain bike that had been sitting in his basement for an undetermined amount of time. I've been doing a lot of work on the bike lately to make it more comfortable and safer. I changed out the grips and seat for comfort, updated to touring tires (with brand new tubes), and got a new front v brake assembly because the front brake was missing one of the pads. I'm very new to bike mechanics, so I have some specific questions, as well as being open to any advice someone might have for a newbie.
- Front wheel out of alignment
When I first got the bike, the wheel was actually loose and kept rubbing against the left fork. Applying my brakes or physically moving it back to center would fix this temporarily on my first ride, and when I got it home I tightened the bolt and it stopped the issue where it was rubbing against the fork. When I tried to fix the brakes, I noticed an issue with the wheel being more to the left than it should be. I figured it was the rim that was off, and since it was a hand-me-down bike, I decided it would just be safest to change out the front rim. However with the new rim, I am still seeing the same problem. Can I fix this, or is this something I will need to take it to a shop for? And if it is something I can do myself, how do I go about it?
- Not sure which way the bike treads should be facing
I got these new touring tires, however they don't seem to have any indication of which way the treads should be facing. I've found other places online that say they should be going opposite directions, so that's how I have them right now. Is this correct?
- Front brake seems to be further away from one side of wheel than other
The design of the brake cables that came on the bike is that one cable comes down the fork, and there is a bracket of sorts over which a single cable runs and connects to both brake pads. I'm not exactly sure how to adjust it so that only one side moves closer to the rim, although that problem might be caused by the wheel/fork issue I mentioned earlier.
- Left pedal crank keeps coming loose
My left pedal crank keeps coming loose after riding about five to ten miles or so. It first came loose a few miles after I was in a small accident, so I mostly blame that. However I've tried tightening the bolt and it seems to still come loose. Is it just that I'm not applying enough torque to get it to stay, or could it be a larger problem somewhere. The right crank seems just fine.
Thanks for any help anyone may offer, and as I said, I'd also be glad to hear any general tips on bike maintenance that anyone might have to offer a real newbie.