# New Owner (Used Bike) Questions on Maint.



## ScooterDobs (Nov 26, 2010)

Bike is a 1990 Trek 420.

Here are my questions regarding road bikes in general.

Tires on the bike when I bought it were 700-25C. LBS sold me 700-23C tires. Wheels are Matrix Titan II 700c. My goal is not to race or set the world on fire, recreational riding for fitness, possibly some touring, and Seattle to Portland (2 Day) in 18 months. Is this a good tire size? Would a 700-28 fit on the rim? Would this provide a "softer" ride as I approach geezerness? Any advantages to either way? Wider tires fit and advantages?

Shifting - As I am an engineer, I had to calculate the ratios for the bike. Do you shift based on the ratios (1-1, then 1-2, then 2-1 front - rear sproket) or just get on the front sproket for the terrain you are on and fine tune with the back gear?

Wheels - I trued the wheel and wondered if there was some way to determine proper spoke tension or is a round, true wheel fine and estimating the spoke tension by squeezing two of them together and feeling if everything seems alright?

Enough random questions for now - thanks in advance for the assistance.

Scott


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Tires & weight*



ScooterDobs said:


> Bike is a 1990 Trek 420.
> 
> Here are my questions regarding road bikes in general.
> 
> ...


Tire size depends on the combination of rider weight and the desired ride comfort. 28 mm tires would fit on the rims, just be sure that you have enough clearance in the fork and frame. If you weigh over about 200 lbs, then 25 or 28 mm tires make sense. Below that weight and above about 140 lbs, you would be fine on 23 mm but you might like the ride of 25 mm better. Tires are a wear item so you can choose what you want once you wear out whatever you have.

Generally you are in a comfortable gear on the flats, and you shift up or down based on the hills or the wind. If you need to slow slightly you search for the right gear, which may involve shifting both the chainring and the cogs in the back. If you hit a hill, you can just shift what gives you the needed change in ratio since you will be going slower as you come to a steady state on the hill. The main thing you need to do is know where the next gear is relative to the one you're in, even though you might be skipping it as you climb or descend.

Spoke tension depends on the number of spokes and the strength of the rim. Hitting the spokes with a metal object will give you a tone, and that is the best way to compare tension from spoke to spoke. Find some "good" wheels on someone else's bike and compare. Of course the spokes on the drive side will be lower tension than the spokes on the non-drive side.


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## [email protected] (Oct 16, 2010)

I got a book called "The Bicycling Guide To Complete Bicycle Maintenance & repair" For Road & Mountain Bikes. this is a good book tells you how to do alot of things with your bike


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## slow.climber (Nov 25, 2010)

I'm a physicists but used to I play an engineer in real life 

Of course some solutions are more efficient than others but don't over think the gearing thing. Ride what feels comfortable for your situation. Different people have different comfort zones. Some people like riding at higher cadences than others.

However, I've got to agree that I see some really silly things out there. We ride across the Golden Gate Bridge about 500 times a year. So we see lots of inexperienced riders windmilling along on rental bikes. Basically they need to get into a higher gear ratio.

My suggestion is to calibrate yourself on a flat path with no head wind. Shift to the big chain ring and set the rear derailer about halfway down the cluster. Experiment with that (plus or minus a few gears on the rear cluster) and find a comfortable cadence. Use this as your benchmark as to 'how hard' it sould feel when you're crusing. Not hammering at 20+ mph, just crusing at 10-12 mph.

I think that you'll find youself 'favoring' a small subset of gear combinations and adjusting your cadence to fit the situations. I think that's what most people do unless they're seriously hammering.

For hill climbs, well that's a tough one if you're not doing a lot of climbing now. Hill climbing can make a huge difference in your fitness. Of course what that means is that it's going to beat you up and take your lunch money when you first start. This is a case where you shouldn't be too worried about windmilling in a stupidly low gear. That's generally what it takes for most people when they start climbing. The trick is to keep at it and slowly start moving down to more difficult gearing. Personally I think that it's better for new riders to windmill their way to the top of a climb than to push too difficult a gear and need to stop and rest. It's better for your joints. I don't understand the biomechanics but as you build muscle strength it seems to decrease the risk of damage to tendons and ligaments. Maybe some one here has some more info on this.

In terms of maintenance, get comfy with changing tires/tubes. Super easy to do, good tutorial here,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmNo6rFKMzE&feature=channel

One thing that he could have made more clear is that when you're re-installing the tire, start slipping it back on to the rim near the valve and then work your way around to the side opposite the valve. If that's not clear, just keep that comment in mind as you're watching and then it will probable make more sense.

The thing I see the most on my daily ride is riders stranded beside the road with a flat. Carry a cheap set of tire levers, a tube, and a compact pump. I like the Crank Bro's pump,
http://www.crankbrothers.com/pumps_powerpump.php

Be sure to always find the rock or glass or metal thingy that caused the flat. It's often hard to find. It can be tiny and some times you'll only find it by turning the tire inside out. One trick is to make sure that you preserve the relative orientation of the tire and the tube when you seperate them. Finding the hole in the tube is easy, just pump in a little air. That will tell you where to look for the thing that caused the flat.

Carry a simple muli-tool, you'll use it on the road and you'll use it at home for simple adjustments. The multi-10 or multi-17 is a local favorite,
http://www.crankbrothers.com/tools_multi10.php

I carry the multi-10 because I don't need the chain breaker. But at least once a month I'll have some one ask me if I've got a chain breaker. So maybe my next mult with be the multi-17.

Chain maintenance is something that you can easily do at home and it makes a big difference. There are endless debates on this topic. I go with the theory that almost no matter what you do you're screwed. Grit is going to get onto and into your drive train. Light lubes hold fine grit in suspension. Thicker lubes combine with fine grit and medium grit and make a nasty grinding paste. 'Waxes' do the same thing. I'm especially unhappy with waxes. The three times that I've seen people break a rear derailer, all three had been using White Lightning wax. They hadn't cleaned the goo out of their rear derailers. They destroyed the derailer when they shifted while climbing. The chain got fouled in the grit/wax that gooed up the idle pulleys. The chain is a hell of a lot stronger than the derailer cage -- end of derailer, long walk home.

I use ProLink and re-oil before every ride (some people re-oil very 50 miles or so),
http://www.progoldmfr.com/products/prolink.html

you can buy this stuff discounted on eBay in quarts.

Every couple of hundred miles I remove the chain, toss it into a plastic bottle filled with degreaser, slosh it around for a bit, pull it out, rinse it down, DRY IT (10 minutes at 250 in the oven), and brush down gears and derailer pulleys. I've got a PowerLink on the chain so it only takes a few seconds to pop the link and pull the chain.

Lube the cables every time you do the chain.

Lube the shifters every few months.

The best tutorial I've seen on replacing the rear derailer cable and adjusting the rear derailer is here,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkzvfCaIbyQ

Check your brake pads for rocks, especially if you hear a hissing sound when you apply the breaks. That's the lovely sound of rocks (stuck in the pads) grinding your rims to death. If you're riding a lot in wet weather this is something that you'll need to do quite often.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Overkilling?*



slow.climber said:


> I use ProLink and re-oil before every ride (some people re-oil very 50 miles or so). Every couple of hundred miles I remove the chain, toss it into a plastic bottle filled with degreaser, slosh it around for a bit, pull it out, rinse it down, DRY IT (10 minutes at 250 in the oven), and brush down gears and derailer pulleys. I've got a PowerLink on the chain so it only takes a few seconds to pop the link and pull the chain.
> 
> Lube the cables every time you do the chain.


Obviously a lot depends on your local riding environment, but I find that I only need to re-lube with ProLink every 350-400 miles. I never take the chain off for cleaning, and my chains last a long time.

I find that properly lubed cables might need a little oil every 5,000 miles or so. Again, your local riding conditions may require more frequent lubrication.

Here's how to lube a chain: 

Assuming we're talking road riding, use the following technique for successful ProLink or homebrew lube (1 part motor oil to 3-4 parts odorless mineral spirits) application and use:

1 - wipe the chain, cogs, pulleys, and chainrings clean with a rag. 
2 - drip on lube while pedaling slowly so that the chain just starts to drip lube. Aim the lube between the side plates and between the bushings and the side plates. 
3 - keep pedaling the cranks for a minute or so to loosen all the dirt on the chain and to get full penetration of the lube. 
4 - thoroughly wipe the chain, cogs, pulleys, and chainrings clean with a rag. 
5 - repeat steps 2-4 if the chain was really dirty 

Do this AFTER a ride, as you want to allow time for the solvent to evaporate before you head out on the road. If you do this every 300 miles or so (or when you get caught in the rain or other dirty conditions), you will not get any significant gunky buildup, and you won't have to remove the chain or the cassette to clean it. This leaves lube on the inside parts, and wipes it off the outside parts, minimizing dirt pickup.

No lube is "perfect." A brite shiny chain that is clean to the touch but is well lubed and gives long mileage is still not possible. IMO, ProLink is the best compromise.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

There's more here than I want to get into on maintenance etc., and for some people it's a religious topic...

As far as tires are concerned... Comfort is largely a function of air pressure, although a better-quality tire casing helps too. If the pressure that's comfortable for you is problematic - you'd experience pinch flats first, IME - a larger tire may be more forgiving.

When you build a new set of wheels, it's worthwhile to try to get the spoke tension even all around the wheel, or at least on each side - it will never match on a dished wheel, like most rear wheels. However, on a wheel with some miles, that's not always possible. Damage to the rim sometimes introduces odd bends or flat spots that may take uneven spoke tension to get rid of. So if it's round and true and all the spokes are under tension, don't worry about the rest.

On shifting - front shifts are typically a larger change in ratio and mechanically don't work as well. It's also not good for the drivetrain, and sometimes noisy, to cross-chain - large chain ring, large cog or small chain ring, small cog. I usually choose my chain ring based on terrain - flats vs. climbing vs. descending - and shift up and down the cassette to put my cadence where I like it.

If you're located in the PNW, keeping your drivetrain, rims and brakes working well through the winter is a bit of a pain. I just wipe my chain down after every ride, relube if I got rained on or it started squeaking, and keep a tape measure on my storage rack so I know to replace my bikes when the chain starts to stretch. Depending on how much time you have on your hands and whether or not you suffer from insomnia, I highly recommend this site...

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html#wear

Keep an eye on your brake pads and replace if needed. If you get home from a ride and there's crud all over your braking tracks, which happens a lot when it's wet out, wiping the brake track helps. Some people recommend sanding the surface of the brake pads regularly too, since stuff gets stuck in them.

Once you get through the winter, you might reward yourself with something newer. Summer riding is not nearly as hard on equipment and it's nice to have a reliable bike with new bits for more ambitious rides.


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## psycojose (Mar 19, 2013)

I think you mean spokes on the drive side will have higher tension than the non drive



Kerry Irons said:


> Tire size depends on the combination of rider weight and the desired ride comfort. 28 mm tires would fit on the rims, just be sure that you have enough clearance in the fork and frame. If you weigh over about 200 lbs, then 25 or 28 mm tires make sense. Below that weight and above about 140 lbs, you would be fine on 23 mm but you might like the ride of 25 mm better. Tires are a wear item so you can choose what you want once you wear out whatever you have.
> 
> Generally you are in a comfortable gear on the flats, and you shift up or down based on the hills or the wind. If you need to slow slightly you search for the right gear, which may involve shifting both the chainring and the cogs in the back. If you hit a hill, you can just shift what gives you the needed change in ratio since you will be going slower as you come to a steady state on the hill. The main thing you need to do is know where the next gear is relative to the one you're in, even though you might be skipping it as you climb or descend.
> 
> Spoke tension depends on the number of spokes and the strength of the rim. Hitting the spokes with a metal object will give you a tone, and that is the best way to compare tension from spoke to spoke. Find some "good" wheels on someone else's bike and compare. Of course the spokes on the drive side will be lower tension than the spokes on the non-drive side.


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