Tune ups question to fellow riders

[DoubleSpeeded]

Hi guys

i would safely assume that there are quite handy people on this forum that tune, work or even build thier own bikes here.

however, that wont be me...
i just noticed my 2013 x20 speed bike is slipping in some gears... say... Small Chainring at the front with Large cassette gear... several revolutions it has a skip/chain feel...

anyways im assuming that it would relate to the derailleurs... and possibly gear cables stretching .
(which i wasnt excepting, since its been at servbice not too long ago... probably x4 - 5 rides ago when the workshop replaced the Ultegra front and Rear derailleur with Dura-ace set... they wouldve had to adjust it...




So for those of you guys who either dont know how to do these things or just simply dont trust yourself and prefer a professional to handle it...

How Often do you guys take it to service?

[ozdavo]

If you bought from a LBS, then I would expect the first service free at about 6 weeks to tighten everything up and adjust the gears once the cables have stretched and settled. After that every 3-6 months depending on the conditions you ride in and what maintenance you do (ie cleaning & lubing)


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[DoubleSpeeded]

If you bought from a LBS, then I would expect the first service free at about 6 weeks to tighten everything up and adjust the gears once the cables have stretched and settled. After that every 3-6 months depending on the conditions you ride in and what maintenance you do (ie cleaning & lubing)


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could the cable stretch to the extend where it wont stretch anymore and require less frequent adjustment?

[Duck!]

Eventually, yes. New cables are quite springy, which is why they stretch & go out of tune over the first few weeks. Once they've weathered & settled in they become a lot more stable, requiring very infrequent adjustment.

Derailleurs shouldn't need the limits adjusted ever after they're set up, unless you have a stack which can bend the hanger & send it out of whack.

[Uncle Just]

i would safely assume that there are quite handy people on this forum that tune, work or even build thier own bikes here.

however, that wont be me...

Why not? It is a handy skill to learn to tune your own bike. The LBS is also something worth supporting too but the bicycle is a very simple thing to maintain, even rudimentary things like tuning your gears. Just think of it as a collection of screws, bolts, cables with some rubber, metal and carbon or aluminium thrown in. I've been howled down before by those who won't attempt it or feel it beneath them to service their bike as their time is so precious but believe me a little knowledge will come in handy one day. I've seen many stranded by the side of the road over >45 years often with just little things that are easily fixed which stopped them in their tracks.

BTW it is usually only a matter of turning a cable adjuster at the rear deraileur to get the right tension on the cable or if the cable has stretched a tad undoing the cable bolt on the RD and pulling the cable tighter then doing up the bolt. A couple of minutes work, if that, and you can get it shifting sweet. Today we are so lucky with all the info you could want on the internet at a press of the button, something unheard of when I was starting out working on bikes. Go for it.

[Paul B]

i would safely assume that there are quite handy people on this forum that tune, work or even build thier own bikes here.

however, that wont be me...

Today we are so lucky with all the info you could want on the internet at a press of the button, something unheard of when I was starting out working on bikes. Go for it.

Yep, that is how I see it. I am clueless at the present time but I am soon going to purchase a bike stand and some tools. I invested quite a few dollars in my bikes and I want to have them humming... Youtube is a great source of instructional material.

[DoubleSpeeded]

Eventually, yes. New cables are quite springy, which is why they stretch & go out of tune over the first few weeks. Once they've weathered & settled in they become a lot more stable, requiring very infrequent adjustment.

Derailleurs shouldn't need the limits adjusted ever after they're set up, unless you have a stack which can bend the hanger & send it out of whack.

hmmm
come to think of it... i did have a stack since the last 5 rides... and did kinda scrape paint on the rear derailleur slightly. but i copped soft tissue damage on my right side... shoulder rotorcuff muscles and inflamation of the bursa within the joint

ill take it for service before riding it again

thanks for that.

[DoubleSpeeded]

i would safely assume that there are quite handy people on this forum that tune, work or even build thier own bikes here.

however, that wont be me...

Today we are so lucky with all the info you could want on the internet at a press of the button, something unheard of when I was starting out working on bikes. Go for it.

Yep, that is how I see it. I am clueless at the present time but I am soon going to purchase a bike stand and some tools. I invested quite a few dollars in my bikes and I want to have them humming... Youtube is a great source of instructional material.

i would safely assume that there are quite handy people on this forum that tune, work or even build thier own bikes here.

however, that wont be me...

Why not? It is a handy skill to learn to tune your own bike. The LBS is also something worth supporting too but the bicycle is a very simple thing to maintain, even rudimentary things like tuning your gears. Just think of it as a collection of screws, bolts, cables with some rubber, metal and carbon or aluminium thrown in. I've been howled down before by those who won't attempt it or feel it beneath them to service their bike as their time is so precious but believe me a little knowledge will come in handy one day. I've seen many stranded by the side of the road over >45 years often with just little things that are easily fixed which stopped them in their tracks.

BTW it is usually only a matter of turning a cable adjuster at the rear deraileur to get the right tension on the cable or if the cable has stretched a tad undoing the cable bolt on the RD and pulling the cable tighter then doing up the bolt. A couple of minutes work, if that, and you can get it shifting sweet. Today we are so lucky with all the info you could want on the internet at a press of the button, something unheard of when I was starting out working on bikes. Go for it.

i can see your point guys

however, my first bike at the beginning of the year was a Cheapie .. an ALDI special MTB... i think it was about $125 or something.
Shimano components but not in any of the Shimano models hierarchy.

trust me ive watched like 4 - 5 videos of how to tune the front and rear derailleurs...
and ive tried many times... but i SIMPLY just couldn't get it right, no matter how i tried. it always seemed to slip. (they were Revo Shifters too)
and i found V-brakes are a pain to adjust too... although like i said, it was a cheapie bike.. .and high end ones im sure are quality and probably easier to adjust.

The bike i was referring to with the problem is is a 2013 Quintana Roo CD.01 Time Trial/triathlon bike with full Dura-Ace components...

the front Dura Ace derailleur im certain is a Friction type as it does not click between the 2 chainrings... but the rear is an indexed...

im sure the parts are much more reliable to adjust in comparison to the ALDI and Big-W bikes...

the local bike shop doesnt charge much for adjustments...
but eventually i might learn and catch on...

[DoubleSpeeded]

lol i was trying to reply to a message that was posted by 'Uncle_Just' but it dissapeared/deleted?

[DavidS]

V Brakes can be a pain to get right. With a slightly more expensive bike I've found the brakes adjust better. Have you been adjusting the return springs? Getting them balanced can be a bit tricky but they work much better when you do.

DS

[DoubleSpeeded]

V Brakes can be a pain to get right. With a slightly more expensive bike I've found the brakes adjust better. Have you been adjusting the return springs? Getting them balanced can be a bit tricky but they work much better when you do.

DS

well the The Timetrial/Tri bike... aside from the Dura-ace set up.. its actually got 'TRP AERO' brakes. seems pretty decent but havent played around with it... i might wait till 1 yr when the warranty expires...
would be handy as i can see that one of the brake shoes is really close to the rear carbon disc wheel braking area.
but waiting on a new set of wheel & Disc, so ill leave it to the Local bike shop as the cassette will need swapping and they have the tools.


Yeah the return springs on the cheapie bikes just can never be right.. its like the springs dont respond well to the adjustment screws...
and in the end result.. theres always a real minuscule rub on the brake shoes. but it works... lol

[Mulger bill]

Yeah the return springs on the cheapie bikes just can never be right.. its like the springs dont respond well to the adjustment screws...
and in the end result.. theres always a real minuscule rub on the brake shoes. but it works... lol

I'd suggest pulling the brake arms off the bike and giving the pivots a gentle scrub with fine steel wool or 1200 grit W&D then a thin smear of grease before reinstalling.

[DoubleSpeeded]

Yeah the return springs on the cheapie bikes just can never be right.. its like the springs dont respond well to the adjustment screws...
and in the end result.. theres always a real minuscule rub on the brake shoes. but it works... lol

I'd suggest pulling the brake arms off the bike and giving the pivots a gentle scrub with fine steel wool or 1200 grit W&D then a thin smear of grease before reinstalling.

Nah, it's in the too hard-basket-now.

I guess this is why alot of local bike stores tend to not service department store bikes.

[Duck!]

Good V-brakes are easy to tune. Cheap ones have a mind of their own. Unfortunately it's something you're not going to escape easily - the TRP brakes on your other bike are just as temperamental.

[DoubleSpeeded]

Good V-brakes are easy to tune. Cheap ones have a mind of their own. Unfortunately it's something you're not going to escape easily - the TRP brakes on your other bike are just as temperamental.

Hi duck, TRP AERO, temperamental?

I'll keep that in mind.

[kb]

I don't know if it's ill-advised, but when I had cheap v-brakes the easiest way to balance them was to unhook the weaker spring open it a bit.

[DoubleSpeeded]

I don't know if it's ill-advised, but when I had cheap v-brakes the easiest way to balance them was to unhook the weaker spring open it a bit.

yeah i dunno man...

too-hard-basket for me

[DavidS]

I don't know what brand the V brakes on my new bike are, they have Cannondale written on them, but they are far more responsive to adjusting the springs than the Tectro ones on the Giant CRX3 I used to ride. Maybe the next bike will have discs who knows, but for now decent V brakes work. You just have to adjust and see I suppose.

DS

[Mulger bill]

Those "'Dale" brakes are almost certainly made by Tektro Dave, OEM brake manufacturer to the world. See if you can find a part number and Google it to be sure. I've never had a problem with their Vs but there's not much chance of me going with their road brakes ever again, too flexy for my taste.

Shaun.

[DavidS]

They are Promax. For a flatbar the Cannondale was fairly pricey but it has decent components, 105 groupset and the like and a much more horizontal cross bar (important when your previous bike ended up with a broken frame!), so I hope they are decent V Brakes. I was seriously thinking of getting better V Brakes on my old bike, always wondered if the more expensive ones were better.

DS

[bychosis]

Back to the op. you should learn how to adjust your setup, if not service it. Adjusting higher end gear is realist let simple compared to the cheaper stuff. I jut seems to work better. Also if you learn to adjust, watch what you do so you can undo it! Early on I used to regularly adjust my bike gears, but get it wrong first. By noting which way the adjuster barrels were turned and by how much it ws easy to rectify, then try the other way.

I've only had a bike professionally serviced a handful of times in the 20ish years since I started riding decent bikes. Along the way I have had some of the more tricky/specialist works done, but have learnt to do the basics and now can happily completely strip and rebuild a bike.

[DoubleSpeeded]

Example:

The wife's Cheapie Big W special women's MTB with Cheap brakes that are ALWAYS out of whack.




FRONT:



REAR:

[DoubleSpeeded]

The TRP AERO that i mention. which i would... (one day) eventually learn how to adjust.





Front:



Rear:


as i mentioned, the local store doesnt charge much for tuning and its renowned TREK store... not Joe Bloggs.

and its still within the 12 Months warranty...
a peace of mind... get it done professionally for now.

(hmmmm, i didnt notice that until now... i dont really like the idea of that little Grub-screw in the carbon frame.....Looks flimsy)