Hi all, forgive me if this was discussed elsewhere but I could not find a similar thread. I see many great post on maintenance, what to do, what to use & how to do it and such. What I'm wondering as a new rider are the things I should avoid doing, products I should avoid using, wrong methods & techniques etc etc? Basically what are some common maintenance & repair mistakes a noob such as myself should avoid?

TIA

Don't use an adjustable wrench. Use a box-end or open-end wrench in the correct size instead.

Don't use oil when you should be using grease.

Don't use tyre levers to install the tyre. (Some may disagree with me on this.)

Don't overtighten.

Don't expect low-quality parts to outperform high-quality parts.

Never, ever cross-thread.

I'll a throw a few at random:

1. Using a wrench to engage a crank extactor. (or a pedal in a crank, or any tapered part for that matter)
2. Washing bike with a pressure hose.
3. Lube with WD-40, or motor oil.
4. Mount a tire from the valve and moving away towards the opposite side of the rim.
5. Using levers to mount tires. (maybe with the exception of mtb's)
6. Fixing a flat without searching for the cause of the flat.
7. Mounting bar tape from the top and moving towards the bar ends.
8. Let sand and dirt build up on brake pads.
9. Using inappropriate tools, especially for very specific jobs (go to ParkTool, self-explanatory).
10. Squeezing an aluminium frame in a repair stand clamp. (this hurts just to type it )
11. Mounting Shimano pedals on a full Campy bike (just kidding ).

ok, who's turn?

Don't:

Pump up a tire to full pressure without checking to see if it is seated on the rim.

Try to grab said tire as the tube bulges out from under the bead.

Try to deflate said tire while the tube is bulging out from under the bead.

Neglect to go to the audiologist...WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY? SPEAK UP! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

Following up on what has been said above
1)It will be a rare tire that will require tire levers to reinstall.The trick is to use a lot of something slippery.I use very,very dilute simple green.I spray it all over the tire-tube-rim so everything will slip into place,and not catch-pinch-and puncture.
2)To prevent cross threading-that terrible feeling you will get when you are screwing something on and it is getting harder and harder to screw despite not being any where near seated.Make sure you clean both threaded parts before reinstalling so you can see if there are some dinged up threads.Sometimes you can clean these threads up with a triangular edged file or even an old knife-fingernail file etc.If you feel the cross threading-stop immediately and back out.Hunt up a tap or die to clean it up.
Luck,Charlie

Don't let anyone else work on your bike unless you know that they know what the hell they are doing. And even then....

Goes double if you are closely related to the mechanic...sometimes sharing the same skin

Don't be concerned about making informed* decisions about doing one or more of the don'ts, for example:
-a squirt of WD-40 or a dab of motor oil (say at a gas station) on a drivechain can be a quick fix for an annoying squeak until you are home and can clean and do the job properly. Or even do this just before leaving home before a short ride, say if you went to long between chain cleanings a wipe of WD can disolve the crud and temporaily make for a smoother chainline. Just do a good proper cleaning later.
-A 6" adjustable wrench can be useful on the road vs. carrying all sizes. Just use care to adjust it properly and don't push limits which could cause slipping and stripping.

Another non maint don't that is OK in very short doses is using cog/chainring x-chain extremes. Sure it will cause more wear and less effciency, but if you do it for a short hill cause you forgot to plan ahead nothing will be lost.

*informed means undertanding they whys of a don't and then doing the don't in way that addresses the concern.

Al

CycCommute: "Pump up a tire to full pressure without checking to see if it is seated on the rim.".... I did this last night, and nearly did #2, #3 before I thought against it, and just let it blow

Buying/using very long arm Allen keys(The long arm provides additional leverage...)

Great things to think about guys, thanks a bunch.

My problem is I keep doing it over and over again. It's the one thing I seem to never learn...that and going to my wife for sympathy. She thinks all of my boo boos are funny as hell. If I was standing there spurting blood from a severed limb, she'd be rolling on the floor

Dont put dissimilar metals together without antisieze (seatposts, pedals, stems).

Don't
Removing pedals or a crank without putting the chain on the big ring or lay a towel over it or both. One slip and it cost me 4 stitches. OUCH.


"If it weren't for rules we be sitting in a tree flinging our crap at each other."
Red Foreman (That 70's Show)

Don't force parts that don't want to fit. That 27.2 seatpost really shouldn't be forced into the 26.8 seat tube.

Have you ever tried installing a Continental tire onto a Campag. Omega rim? I need tire levers for BOTH beads! In contrast, I do not need any tools to change a flat on my mountain bike (Ritchey rims, Bontrager tires).

[QUOTE=5 more]Don't
Removing pedals or a crank without putting the chain on the big ring or lay a towel over it or both. One slip and it cost me 4 stitches. OUCH.


That hurts just reading it!

Excellent advice is available here and on other forums, but don't blindly follow everything that you read. Stop to think about it yourself, and don't assume that what you read is correct. Sometimes people misunderstand a plea for help. Sometimes people make typo's. Sometimes people are just plain wrong.

Ignore the advice listed above if you're reading anything that Sydney posted. Damn, I miss that guy.

Don't assume that the squeak, click, groan, etc. is coming from the component that it sounds like it's coming from. The tubing used in a bicycle frame can transmit sounds, sending you on a fool's errand, in which you tear apart the bottom bracket to eventually discover that it was your pedal squeaking.

Don't haphazardly approach a problem. Always troubleshoot in a systematic manner.

Don't ignore a problem. If you ignore a small problem then it will eventually turn into a big problem, which cannot be ignored. Fix it while it is still small. It's cheaper that way.

Don't spin the crank or wheel of a fixed gear bicycle to move the chain while you clean it with a rag. It takes more time to individually clean 8-12" sections of stationary chain, but it won't amputate any of your fingers.

Don't cut cables with anything but a proper cable cutter (i.e., one with sharp, notched, bypassing blades). Mechanic's or electrician's wire cutters are made to cut wire -not cables.

Don't find the piece of glass that caused your flat by sweeping your finger around the inside of the tire casing. If you ignore this advice then you will only find the piece of glass after it has sliced your finger open.

Don't ride with loose spokes.

Don't use a cheap, improperly-sized spoke wrench.

Don't use a presta valve in a shraeder rim without also using an adapter washer to fill the space that remains around a presta valve in the larger shraeder hole.

Don't forget to carry a shraeder pump adapter if you run presta tubes, so that a good samaritan (or a gas station) can inflate your tube when you flat out and your pump breaks.

Don't use clear packing tape in place of rim tape. Clear packing tape breaks into little tiny pieces when you try to remove it. You will spend hours individaully removing each little tiny piece.

Don't expect your bike to remain forever shiny and free of scratches. You may actually find it liberating to start using your bike, instead of worrying about cosmetically damaging it.

So whats the problem with this??? I've been mounting tires this way for years without trouble. I suppose you put the tire on then insert the tube after. Geez Thats more of a pain if you ask me. Two steps instead of one... But im no pro either. Just my 2 cents.

I forgot a couple of important ones, but they're not really related to wrenching.

Don't assume that your LBS correctly recorded the serial number of your new bike on the paperwork. Always confirm that the paperwork matches the serial number that's stamped on your new bike. This may be your saving grace if you need to make a warranty claim.

Don't buy a used bike without getting a receipt, bearing the serial number. Again, verify that the numbers match. This may be your saving grace if the bike turns out to be stolen property.

Don't lose the paperwork for your bikes, or the above advice is useless.

Don't be a Merton

Here's a few:
1) When using a crank arm puller, don't engage the puller until the threaded part is fully engaged on the crank arm threads
2) Don't spray lube directly on your cassette or freewheel, its better to leave it clean and dry.
3) Don't tension your spokes with the tire and tube mounted.
4) Don't overtighten quick release skewers.
5) Don't overtighten crank bolts and don't grease the tapers.
6) Don't raise your stem or seatpost above the maximum line.
7) Don't panic when mounting a tight clincher bead, often it slides right on after a few trial runs.
8) Don't trim new cables too short, often you'll need the extra length for your 4th hand tool, Do use cable end caps.
9) Don't fail to grease your (old school) alloy seatpost or quill stem.
10) Don't take every bit of play out of your hubs when repacking bearings. They should be left with a slight amount of play so that when secured to the frame with the quick release skewer, the tension will snug up the bearings that last little bit.

Use a quick release skewer to hold the freewheel removal tool in place.
Remember to loosen the quick release skewer after the freewheel nut breaks free.

My best advice on what NOT to do.... NEGLECT BASIC MAINTENANCE.

Don't think that because you've only had the bike for one season, that all of the cables will be in good shape. My rear brake cable had an awful lot of drag. For about $3 per cable, I think I'll start replacing them once a year. Actually I've already started this winter.

No, the tube is in the tire / wheel, it's just that you might need to work the tire on from the end opposite the valve stem.

If the tire is a tight fit, you need to slip the beads (180 degrees from the last section of tire left off the rim) down into the deep part of the rim in order to slip the last bit of tire over the rim. If you install the tire beginning at the valve, the valve will prevent the beads from going down tho the deep part.

I don't know if I explained that very well. But, if you ever have trouble getting the last little bit of tire over the rim, this technique should allow you to do it without using tools.

sam83-johnboy-I use the johnboy method also-start at the valve.The trick is to not insert the valve all the way initially,so you can get the bead as deep as possible-well under the valve.Works for me;once you start to pump it up the bead will lift into the groove-hook,and the stem can be full seated.
I initially pump up to 20 lbs-then bounce the rim around a bit to make sure it is seated,and to check the stem angle(90 degrees of course).I then deflate almost completely and pump it up slowly to 40-bounce-50 bounce etc.Luck,Charlie