nate-14
01-12-2005, 04:24 AM
Things you should know before working on your bike
(1.) WD-40 is not the best solution when it comes to cleaning stuff, I know emily has expanded on this many times.
(2.) Turn right to loosen your pedal on the LEFT side and left on the RIGHT side. Also, with bottom brackets on 1 pc cranks, the threads are opposite the other side meaning the same thing that I just said.
(3.) Make sure you know EXACTLY what you are doing, how to do it. Heres some steps to make sure you know how to work on your bike.
.....1. Research what your going to be working on, whether it be through a book, person, internet, or even phone your local shop.
.....2. Find the RIGHT tools always. If you have a metric wrench for an SAE nut/bolt, chances are you probably WILL strip the bolt. Always use the exact tool for that job.
.....3. If you can't find the right size, ask someone or buy one. Come on, 2 dollars for a little wrench is not that much (just dont buy those shiny new valve caps that are pointless for your bike)
.....4. Start fixing! Keep in mind that its better to work indoors incase of rain or dust/dirt getting into your parts of your bike, which can effect your bike later on when it builds up, that is one reason to keep your bike clean.
.....5. Make sure EVERYTHING is put back on the bike like it was before you started and everything is tight, as long as you have the right wrench, tighten the nut/bolts as good as possible, so nothing will slip while riding.
.....6. Clean up!! You really dont want rusty tools hanging around your garage/shed or bike parts laying over the floor.
.....7. Evaluate before you ride. Test everything out like spin the cranks both ways, check everything, but make sure to do this before you go out. You might have not fully tightened one pedal or something like that and you never know what might happen.
(4.) Ask yourself if its worth it to switch back to front brakes, to go brakeless, to switch your little sisters frame for yours. Just make sure you ask yourself is it worth it and will it benefit in anyway. Also what are the bad parts about it? Possibilities?
(5.) Think about what people said about doing what your going to do. Think about both the positive and negative aspects of doing this.
The reason I stress all of this is because, I have messed up many things on my bike and dont want people coming on this forum making the same mistake. I hope this topic was helpful and feel free to post more if a thought comes to mind.
:D nate :D [/b]
(1.) WD-40 is not the best solution when it comes to cleaning stuff, I know emily has expanded on this many times.
(2.) Turn right to loosen your pedal on the LEFT side and left on the RIGHT side. Also, with bottom brackets on 1 pc cranks, the threads are opposite the other side meaning the same thing that I just said.
(3.) Make sure you know EXACTLY what you are doing, how to do it. Heres some steps to make sure you know how to work on your bike.
.....1. Research what your going to be working on, whether it be through a book, person, internet, or even phone your local shop.
.....2. Find the RIGHT tools always. If you have a metric wrench for an SAE nut/bolt, chances are you probably WILL strip the bolt. Always use the exact tool for that job.
.....3. If you can't find the right size, ask someone or buy one. Come on, 2 dollars for a little wrench is not that much (just dont buy those shiny new valve caps that are pointless for your bike)
.....4. Start fixing! Keep in mind that its better to work indoors incase of rain or dust/dirt getting into your parts of your bike, which can effect your bike later on when it builds up, that is one reason to keep your bike clean.
.....5. Make sure EVERYTHING is put back on the bike like it was before you started and everything is tight, as long as you have the right wrench, tighten the nut/bolts as good as possible, so nothing will slip while riding.
.....6. Clean up!! You really dont want rusty tools hanging around your garage/shed or bike parts laying over the floor.
.....7. Evaluate before you ride. Test everything out like spin the cranks both ways, check everything, but make sure to do this before you go out. You might have not fully tightened one pedal or something like that and you never know what might happen.
(4.) Ask yourself if its worth it to switch back to front brakes, to go brakeless, to switch your little sisters frame for yours. Just make sure you ask yourself is it worth it and will it benefit in anyway. Also what are the bad parts about it? Possibilities?
(5.) Think about what people said about doing what your going to do. Think about both the positive and negative aspects of doing this.
The reason I stress all of this is because, I have messed up many things on my bike and dont want people coming on this forum making the same mistake. I hope this topic was helpful and feel free to post more if a thought comes to mind.
:D nate :D [/b]