Where to shop for Christmas!

Since it’s nearing the holiday’s I figured I would give a plug to a few of the good online bicycle retailers.  And, although you may think it’s already too late, that’s not necessarly true.  Some are still guaranteeing delivery before Christmas!  Most sell all types of bike parts, but they have a great selection of road bike parts as well.  These are one’s I have ordered from in the past and have always had a pleasurable experience with.

JensonUSA.com – A well established online retailer, good website organization/design, great prices, and simple/smooth/secure checkout system.  It’s usually the first place I look for my road bike parts.

PricePoint.com – Another well established online retailer, great selection, decent website organization/design, excellent prices (especially when they have sales/specials), simple checkout.  I check here occasionally for deals or if I can’t find something elsewhere.

ICyclesUSA.com – Very simple site, but great selection, fair prices, smooth checkout system.

Nashbar.com – I’ve never actually used them, but many friends have and they swear by ‘em.  Great selection, good prices, same checkout as the rest.

Qbike.com- this is actually just a directory, but can come in handy if you can’t find something.

Many of the above sites are running super deals for the Christmas season so if you need anything, I highly recommend getting it before the end of the year.  Also, although online retailers are a great source, there is always the local bike shop that could use your support, plus you can get stuff from them up till closing time on Christmas Eve!

Happy Holidays!

Replacement Pedals

I’ve been looking for new pedals for my used road bike and the more I look at all the variations and types the more I just want a basic plastic pedal.  Reason I say this is because I’ve got plastic on my other two bikes and they work great.  The ones I’m looking at aren’t no Walmart-bike plastic pedals thought.  The pedals I have on my other bikes are super light, super grippy, and super cheap (inexpensive).  For how I ride my road bike a set like what I have on my BMX bike will work perfectly.  The only reason I can see investing in clip-less pedals is if you are a racer or ride significant distances, where you would greatly benefit from the extra leg power.

These are the pedals I currently have on my BMX and I just ordered another set that I’m putting on my used road bike.  If you are interested in these or similar styles, check out Dan’s Competition for all the colors and sizes.  They have lots of fun colors and styles.  Almost all multi-piece cranks are 9/16″ pedal axle diameter.

Odyssey Twisted PC Plastic Pedal

My disclaimer is if you do lots of night riding you would likely want to get some reflective material to stick to these or some article of clothing, as they do not come with any type of reflector.

Converting Used Road Bikes: Single Speed

After a long break I’m finally back to explain how to convert your used road bikes to single speed. There are many reasons you may want to do a conversion but that is a big enough subject to save for another post. Today I am focusing on how to do the conversion. And keeping with the used road bikes theme, I will be showing the fastest, easiest, and least expensive way (within reason) to do the conversion. There are many other things you could do to make the conversion more “perfect” and permanent; however, for most people the conversion I’m showing will suffice. Also, as I’ve said in earlier posts, I did this conversion to my bike right after getting it because one of the detailer cables was broken. Therefore, to the experienced mechanic, some pictures may seem slightly out of order if you know what to look for.

Also, I’ve decided to include the cost of doing these conversions and repairs I’ve been talking about, so from now on I’m going to include the cost of any parts necessary to do any work I talk about. For this conversion I spent ~$25 for a new freewheel and that’s it. If you need to buy the single speed conversion it is about the same cost. The only other expense my be to pay or tip your local bike shop for any assistance they provide. If you choose to replace the hub and/or front sprockets/cranks the cost could quickly jump into the hundreds.

Tools Needed:

1. Phillips and flat head screw driver (to remove derailleurs and shifters)

2. Crescent wrench or socket (to remove the axle nuts)

3. Chain breaker

4. Wire cutter (speeds up the process)

5. Freewheel/Sprocket remover (don’t worry if you do not have one)

6. Depending on your bike you may need allen wrenches

Step 1

Break the chain with your chain breaker. This is somewhat tricky if you plan to reuse it and do not have a master link.

First, place the chain in the breaker and start pushing out the pin until it is almost out, but not entirely.

Then, pull the chain out of the breaker by loosening the pin pusher.

If you’ve pushed it out enough you will be able to bend the chain and it will pop apart. If not, place it back in the breaker and push out the pin a little bit more and try again. Continue until you get it to pop apart…it should look something like this

Pull it off the bike. If you plan to reuse it (which you can, as far as length is concerned), place it aside.

Step 2

Next, is to go ahead and loosen and remove all the derailleur and shifter bolts. And remove the shifter(s) and derailleur(s). If you don’t plan on ever using the wires again I suggest just cutting the wires, it makes it much easier to pull them off the bike.

Step 3

Remove the rear wheel by loosing the axle nuts and pulling it out of the dropouts.

Step 4

If you have the freewheel/sprocket removal tool you can go ahead and remove the rear cassette or freewheel. Depending on how old your bike is it may be a freewheel with multiple gears (which is what mine was, as the picture shows it just unscrewed from the hub) or it may be a cassette, which means there a many separate gears all locked onto the hubs cassette. Either way you need to get them off and if you are not very experienced with this I suggest taking it to a local bike shop and just tell them you want to remove the gears from the wheel. I did this and they removed it for free.

(alternative to Step 4)

The other thing you could do is simply skip to step 6 and not take out any chainrings, instead just choose one to use and make the chain fit that setting. This is possible and works, however, it leaves a lot of unnecessary weight and ‘junk’ on your bike. It is much cleaner and lighter to do this part correctly.

Step 5

If it is a freewheel, all you need to do is simply buy a new single speed freewheel and screw it on the hub. The only trick is finding out what gear ratio you want. Mine is 40/16 and as a relatively new single speed rider it is perfect. The best way to figure out what works best for you is to try some different gears before starting the conversion process. Lots of places across the web sell Freewheels and removal tools as well as local bike shops.

If it is a cassette, you can pick out one of the gear that you’d like to use as your single speed and save it. There are numberous single speed conversion kits available online that come with a gear or multiple gears. Here are a few for starters… single speed conversion kits. Just find one that will work with your type of hub (which is most) and the number of gears on your cassette and you will be set. These will come with directions on how to install and it is fairly straight forward.

Step 6

Put the rear wheel back on and finger tighten the axle nuts. Get the chain you are going to use and lay it over the gears and pull the ends together to figure out the length you are going to need. You will need to shorten the chain since it is not going to go through the derailleurs and multiple gears. Make sure you break the end that does not have the pin in it. If you removed your chain correctly (as I stated above) you will be able to break the chain completely this time (push the pin completely out) and just snap the other end into the new break and press the pin in. You’ll obviously need to take the chain back off the gears to get enough slack to put it together but make sure it stays on the bike, it must loop around the chainstay in order to go back onto the gears properly.

Step 7

Place the chain back on the gears and tighten the rear wheel making sure the chain is taught. Double check the chain alignment by looking at it from above and pedaling backwards. If it continues to jump off the gears you will need to change the spacing either on the front or back gear so that they are aligned better.

Finished Product…

Step 8

Enjoy! Go for a test ride and make sure everything is functioning and if you replaced the freewheel you may feel it tighten as you pedal the first few times.

Other Notes:

Again, depending on your bike there may be a few differences. Also, there are a number of other things that are beyond the realm of this post that could be done such as replacing the rear hub or the front chainrings. If your front chainrings are just bolted together you can unbolt the ones you are not using and leave the one you are using to further reduce weight and clean it up. If there are any questions do not hesitate to ask in the comments, I’m sure many others will benefit from them as well.

Repairing Used Road Bikes: Tires and Tubes

I was about to go for a ride the other day and noticed this. Apparently I got a pinch flat during my last ride because the tire pressure was too low. Luckly, tires and tube are a quick and easy fix. Here’s the tools for the job:

1. Tire levers (preferably some heavy duty plastic or aluminum ones)

2. Crescent wrench or socket (to remove the axle nuts)

3. Tire Pump

the tools

If you don’t have any/all of these I highly recommend getting them as they are heavily used tools by cyclists. And if you’re an internet shopper like myself, I recommend Amazon.com for almost any non-perishable item…it’s amazing all the things you can get at Amazon nowadays.

Although, my tires we not terribly worn, they were very old and so I decided to go ahead and replace the tire while I was replacing the tube. I just get the basic road tires, I got these from biketiresdirect.com.

fresh rubber

And if I don’t already have a huge stock I order lots of tubes to have plenty of spares, you can never really have too many.

tubes are your friend!

With the right tools you’ll be amazed at how simple a flat tire can be to fix.

Step 1

Remove wheel

Loosen nut

Step 2

Remove tire from rim by using the tire levers to pry the tire bead over the edge of the rim. Tip: Use the opposite end of the tire lever to hold the tire out by wrapping the loop or notch around the spokes.

insert lever under lip

flip lever down and under a spoke

Continue working around the rim until it’s loose enough to pull off.

insert other lever and slide it around

use your hand to start working it off

once it is far enough off just grab and pull apart

Step 3

Pull tube from tire

tube removed from tire

Step 4

Inflate new tube just slightly

slightly inflated tube

Step 5

Place the new tube into the tire

tube inserted into the tire

Step 6

Start at the nozzle and work the tire back onto the rim. When you get towards the end you can use the tire levers again if necessary, but be cautious not to pinch the tube.

work it on with your hands

If it gets really tight you can use the levers to help you get the bead back on the rim, just be cautious not to pinch the tube between the tire and rim.

Step 7

Reinstall the wheel

setting the chain on the sprocket

tighten axle nut

Step 8

Inflate. I usually inflate to about 60 psi, but check your tires for manufacturer recommendations.

Step 9

Ride!

Repairing Used Road Bikes: Brakes

It’s now time to start learning how to repair used road bikes! In this first lesson we will focus on the brakes. Used road bikes, or really any used bike, typically has brakes that hardly work, if at all. This is mighty important if you plan on riding it! Unlike most tutorials and guides online, I’m going to keep it as simple as possible with as few words as possible. Then there will be supplemental info at the end if you have any problems. With no further ado, lets get to work!

Tools needed:

Tools

A. Crescent Wrench – to loosen hex nuts.

B. Cable Cutter – to cut wire with.

C. Allen Wrench(es) – if you are changing brake pads (mine was a 5mm).

Out with the old!

1. Loosen the screw holding the end of the brake cable.

2. Pull the cable and cable jacket out of the brake.

3.1 Squeeze the brake lever.

3.2 Release the brake lever.

4. Pull the end out of the lever.

5. Jiggle the wire until you get it completely out of the lever.

6. Pull the cable out through all the cable guides until it is completely free from the bike.

7. Remove the cable from the jacket and set aside the jacket grommet.

A Fresh New Start

8. On the new cable...Separate the cable from the jacket and replace the grommet.

9. While you have the jacket removed, cut the JACKET ONLY to the proper length using the wire cutters. (we’ll cut the actual cable later)

10. Feed the new wire back through the lever.

11. Play with the end until you get it set back in the lever.

12. Feed the new wire though all the cable guides on the frame and on through the brake assembly. There is a small hole in the bolt going through one of the brake arms, feed the wire through it and just get the nut finger tight.

13. Pull the wire tight and double check to make sure the jacket is seated in all the grommets.

New Pads

I’m also going to discuss changing the brake pads. If you are NOT changing brake pads, skip on down to the “Finishing Up” section. If you ARE installing new brake pads, lets proceed.

14. Loosen the pad nuts.

15. Remove both pads and get the new ones ready.

As you can see, there is a big difference in the newer pads. Not only are they larger, but they will align with the rim much better due to the curved washers that come with them. I got my pads awhile back so the exact ones are probably not still available but there are plenty of great ones to choose from here. Just make sure you get the threaded ones (assuming your bike has the caliper style brake, which most do).

16. Check that you have the appropriate pad on the correct side (they should be marked in some way, if not then it does not matter). Slide the washers on just as they come (there should be two on each side of the brake arm), then thread the nut on finger tight.

17. This part is kind of tricky. Press the brake to the rim with your hand while holding the pad straight on the rim. With your other hand, tighten the nut with the wrench. Do the same to the other side. When you are done, it should look something like this...

Finishing Up

18. Adjust the barrel nut till it is about half way out.

19. This part is a little tricky as well. Make sure everything is still seated well. Then, with one hand, squeeze the brake pads to the rim and hold it there. With the other hand pull the wire tight, then torque down the compression nut. Another set of hands is useful here if you have a friend that can help, but it’s not necessary.

20. At this point, check the brakes and see if they work. If you held the pads tightly they should be locked on the rim. Adjust the barrel adjuster back in as you squeeze and test the brakes. It will come to a point where the brakes are just slightly off the rim and allow it to move, but when you barely squeeze the brake they lock up. It up to personal preference how you want the lever adjusted. Just keep playing with the barrel adjuster until you get it how you like it. Once you’ve got them how you like go ahead and cut the wire.

That’s all there is to it! If you are keeping/changing the other set of brakes as well, just follow the same procedures.

Extra’s

Below are a few supplemental photos and other tips.

Tip 1

When buying the new cable, make sure it has the same end as your current brake cable. You can also get a great variety of brake cables here.

Tip 2

Some bike have cable guides that are set up for stripping some of the housing and running bare wire. Personally, I prefer to leave the entire wire in the housing and just zip tie the cable to the bike frame, as opposed to running it through the guides.

Tip 3

Using sharp cutters is very important. It’s vital that the end of the cable does not get frayed, otherwise it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to feed it through the compression bolt.

Tip 4

If you are having a really hard time removing the old cable you can simply cut it off. Of course, this is assuming you are going to dispose of it. The way explained above just helps familiarize you with how the brake cable fits into the lever and caliper, thus making it easier to understand when installing the new cable.

Tip 5

Go for a ride afterward to test them out and take pride in a job well done!