exeo

Hi all,

I am new here and new to bikes. I just got a used bike and I need some guidance on basic tools and chemicals I would need to clean and maintain the bike, e.g. chain cleaner, lube, solvents, tools etc... Just some basic stuff that I would need. I also need recommendations on bike pump and helmet and lock. If it can save me money over the long run to learn the tools and skills, I will do so.

My bike is a 2011 Giant Seek 1, current problem i have is that the deraileur drop is bent from when I put it in the car to transport it home from the sellers place, it is currrently inside the spoke area, I removed the wheel when i transported it and it is still off the bike. Is there a way for me to bend it back just so I can roll the bike to the nearest co op not too far away? Thanks for the help.

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-au/....1/7272/44182/

FBinNY 

From the description, I don't know if the hanger is bent, so something else. If you're fairly sure it's the hanger (the tab on the dropout where the derailleur is bolted), You can put a 6mm hex bey in the bolt, and use that to lever the tab out. If there's any doubt, don't bend anything, instead use the hex key to remove the derailleur and tie it off to the frame so it clears the wheel and you can roll the bike to the co-op for some help.

exeo

A friend that happens to know something about bikes just dropped by and helped me out. The hanger is definitely bent. He just had me put it in a middle gear so I can put the wheel back on and it rolls fine. But the chain is not straight front to back, so the hanger is bent, I can get it to 8th (out of 9) gear and it's close to the spokes. I will take it into the co op tomorrow and learn how to fix it. The bike came with clip less pedals, it's not flat. Can I just use this with my sneakers or is it better to change out the pedals or buy clip shoes? Basic tools and gear recommendations still needed and appreciated, thanks.

ThermionicScott 

Read as much of this site as your brain can hold, then bookmark it and read more later: www.sheldonbrown.com

Kimmo

Don't try to ride clipless pedals with normal shoes; bad idea. If you're using the bike for transport at all, it would make sense to fit toe-clip pedals unless you feel inclined to cart another pair of shoes around. Or if they're SPD pedals, you can find shoes with recessed cleats that are okay to walk in apart from the stiff sole.

If you're just using the bike for recreational riding, then get the full kit of cycling clothes including shoes to minimise wind resistance and maximise power transfer.

exeo

I've gone to the local co op, got the deraileur hanger fixed. I noticed something else, on the tension pulley wheel, one of the teeth has completely broken off. Is that of any concern? I also had a bent front chain tooth, the guy in the shop tried to bent it back and ended up breaking it off, well 1/2 of it. First he tried to hammer it in place (which I didn't understand how that was going to work since there is no support). This is why I always want to learn to fix my own stuff.

FBinNY 

Hopefully the shoemaker at the shop didn't bend the chainring hammering on it without a dolly.

The missing or broken tooth won't matter. Think of it as an extra shift gate (the cut down teeth on new chainrings). Nor will the damaged pulley, unless it's bad enough to derail the chain and cause it to drag against the cage.

wrk101

To your original question, as long as you are comfortable with the co-op, I would hold off on buying tools (this from a guy with quite a bit invested in tools).

Over time, you will know which tools you want for convenience. I only justify my tools by working on bikes all the time, and moving the bulk of them to new homes. I also buy bikes in neglected, need some TLC condition. Working on a French tandem and a mite right now, typical French can of worms.

exeo

Thanks for the advices. I do notice already that I need some tools to make adjustments. Aside from my allen keys, my bike uses something like an allen key, at the shop the drivers had a allen key like shape with a rounded head nipple on the tip. Could someone tell me what it is. I need it to adjust my seat front/back. Also my hydraulic brakes, front one, one pad is touching the brake disk on one side. It rolls fine though. Do I need to center it? (I need that same tool for the job). My brake levers, they don't have the same squeeze travel distance, is this normal? They both work fine when casually braking.

exeo

Hmm, I just stumbled on it on Amazon, it's P-handled hex wrench, am I correct? Hmm, about 8-10 bucks a piece!

FBinNY 

What you're describing is called a "balldriver". They come in a variety of styles, from the basic L shaped key, to T or P Handles, to screwdriver styles. The advantage is that they allow bolts to be turned even when the key isn't perfectly aligned with the head. However once the bolt is starting to tighten you should change form a ball to standard key because the ball has such limited contact area that it can round out the screw heads.

exeo

Hmm, it appears there are metric and imperial sized allen keys! Gees. I have imperial and the bike must be using metric, my keys 'almost' fit, thankfully I didn't try to force a fit. I noticed there is a nut at the base of my presta valves, what are they for and are they suppose to be in a certain position?

FBinNY 

The nut at the base of the valve is simply a convenience, and isn't critical. It helps by keeping the valve from getting pushed into the rim when you're pressing on the pump head. Some people use them, some don't.

I don't use them on my tubular tires for safety reasons, but I use them on my 1.9" tires on the commuter because otherwise I could push the valve all the way in when pressing on my pump's head.

exeo

That's interesting. My presta valves, one is short on one wheel, and the other is long. Should I try pulling the short one out to match the same length as the other valve?

wrk101

I use a set of T handle metric allen wrenches. Can buy them on sale at Harbor Freight for around $6. Been using them for years. I even bolted a set onto the side of my work stand.

I rarely use the nut on a presta valve. Your choice. Tubes come with various stem lengths. No reason to change. Just remember when you replace a tube to match stem length. "Pulling it out" is not going to work. Short is short, long is long. I have at least three different length stems in my tube supply right now. Deep V rims need longer stems.

Sure enough, on sale right now for $5.99

https://www.harborfreight.com/10-piec...set-37862.html

FBinNY 

If the tire is inflated air pressure would have pushed the valve all the way out already. I suspect that you simply have tubes with different length valves. The longer ones are to reach through deeper rims like some of the aerodynamic carbon ones.

exeo

I though I had my biked tuned perfect but..... I just noticed a hole in the sidewall of my rear tire. The inner tube is almost puffing out. It is small oval 2mm x 3mm, and I can see the wires of the sidewall from the scrape/damage. What should I do? This is a 100psi tire.

FBinNY 

If it looks like a small black eye winking at you, you need a new tire. The two main causes of this are impact damage form sharp corners, like potholes, driveway curbs, or steel plates over road work, and abrasion from a brake shoe mounted too high and cutting into the tire over time.

If it's not the brake shoe, you'll continue to suffer this kind of damage unless you learn to help the bike over bumps by standing with your knees bent to act like a suspension system so the bike can lift without lifting you too. Larger cross section tires will also help, but aren't a replacement for good riding habits.

exeo

Upon closer inspection, the damage is actually bigger, the side of the black eye wink is another hole almost forming (scraped). It looks like abrasion of some type, there are some minor scrape marks on the rest of the sidewalls. This is a used bike with disc brakes, so it wasn't caused by me but thank you for the important riding tips.

The tires are 700c x 32. If I get something wider, does that mean it will be more comfortable but have more rolling resistance? If I go wider, do I have to buy bigger inner tubes as well? I only want to ride to commute on paved streets. Any recommendations? I don't want to go to the co op and only buy what they stock.

Also, my tire is rated 'max 100psi', so can I just inflate it to a lesser amount to get a softer ride?

FBinNY 

32mm is plenty wide enough for use on pavement. Even though it's rated to 100psi, I wouldn't inflate it that high unless I weighed 250#s or so, and yes you'll get a better ride at lower pressure without much (if any) increase in rolling resistance.

Here's a link to a nice article that discusses the relationship between tire width, tire pressure, and load. It includes a graph that will help you find a starting point for optimum pressure. Don't treat this as precise rocket science, but you'll get the best overall performance if you stay fairly close to the guidelines.

If your tire has circular abrasion, near the rim line, that's usually caused by the brake shoes. Possibly this wheel was on a caliper brake bike at some time. Or you could see the same type of damage if it was ridden for any length of time severely underinflated.

exeo

When I tested out the bike, I rode it maybe 100 meters. I didn't know at the time, but it must have had less than 10 psi. When I pumped air in it, it was less than that. That's too bad, but then again, I had to ride it to find out the derailer was rubbing on the spokes and got a discount on it. The bike has original wheels and tires and brakes, the abrasion around the tire isn't all around, just here and there, maybe from the deflated state. I guess I don't worry about the front tire? It looks fine.

FBinNY 

Don't beat yourself up. I doubt that the 100 meters was the issue. Odds are the prior owner rode it much farther while under-inflated.

DIMcyclist

Hi!
Just to comment about useful smaller tools, an odd little thing you might want to pick up is a packet of 'T'-head pins; dept. stores usually sell them in the 'crafts' section and they cost about $.75 (or less) for a pack of ten. These'll come in pretty handy if/ when you decide to get cleated shoes: you can work one through the sole of your shoe until it (ideally) pricks- and exactly locates- the ball of your foot. They help to make your initial cleat position a snap (granted, this applies to off-road and commuter shoes; the soles of 'road' shoes are a tad harder & stiffer).

exeo

Ok, so I've had my bike for a short while now and have read up lots of stuff, even fixed my first flat (tube) and patched up the tire that I documented in this post (the tire was actually damaged due to being run flat/or a blowout, the rims (one edge) were slightly damaged (looks like it was run on the ground, had some gouge all around one side of rim) too which I have filed down and fixed).

I've got a problem that I am not sure what it is. I believe I've had it since acquiring the used bike. Basically, when I peddle hard in whatever gear, I hear a sound, like a creek. If I turn my bike upside down and peddle with my hand, I don't hear anything. If I peddle without much pressure (torque) with my feet, I don' hear anything. I've already changed my peddles so that's not it (changed from clip less to platform). Any help to diagnose and fix the issue is appreciated thank you.