When I first changed out Betsy's drop downs, I also took the time to replace her brake levers. I had effectively gone from a long pull brake lever to a standard pull brake lever. The type of mechanical advantage that is used in long pull brakes is perfect for the center pull cantilever brakes that I have on but the Standard Pull (or Short Pull) do not have the same advantage, therefore, the margin of error on adjusting these brakes is a good deal more slim, in almost every way. Standard pull brake levers are perfect for the side pull cantilever brakes that are standard on most road cycles. However, in potential increased load on a touring bike requires a braking system that will have a bit more stopping power, and a brake lever that pull the extra length you need for these center pull and side pull cantilever brakes. This has been something of a pain for me as I have had to ensure the tension was perfect, particularly after installing new brake lines which will tend to stretch a little.
As I have documented in prior posts, using the barrel screw to adjust brake tension after you have run your new lines is definitely an option. This, however, becomes increasingly impractical if your brakes are not wearing perfectly even (a result of not setting them properly) or your wheel is even slightly out of true. Even if these conditions are met, you still have the problem of not having enough lever to really get a good stop on your bike. It should be said that there are items (called a "Travel Agent") that you can place in line with the cable to take up the additional slack by using a standard pull linear brake lever I have tried, like a mad man to avoid these issues, and there are many people who are able to make it work, I have not. So, this weekend, I removed the Shimano 105 levers and replaced them with the levers that came with Betsy. There is a noticeable difference in braking almost immediately as I am now using the appropriate type of lever for the type of brakes mounted on my bike.
Be cautious of these issues when you are changing out levers to reduce weight or even to something that is more aesthetically pleasing. At the end of the day, the only thing between you and a car door is those two levers by your hands.
Just for some further reading, take a look at Sheldon Brown's website regarding cantilever brake geometry, very informative.
Showing posts with label maintenance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maintenance. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Routine Maintainence for your Bicycle
One of the most important things you can probably do for yourself if you are riding your bicycle with any regularity is just maintaining the moving parts. While changing out your cables and housings should be done at least yearly, you can expand the longevity of your chain, improve shifting and even decrease energy spent by pedaling by just cleaning and maintaining your ride.
I have discovered that just like driving your car, operating your bike for anything more than a few miles, you will start accumulating road grime that can get into your drive train, wheels and bike itself. When you get right down to it, it will start looking a bit less shiny than the day you bought it.
Before you set down to give your ride a good once over you will need:
Spray Degreaser (I use simple green)
Plenty of shop rags
An old towel
Chain Lube (I use Finish Line Dry)
Lubricant for your components (I use Tri-Flow. Not only is it a lubricant, but it also has a solvent agent in it, so it can clean and lubricate)
Chain Cleaning tool (optional, but will me your life easier)
Narrow nylon brush
Spray bottle full of 1:1 rubbing alcohol and water.
Wax (optional)
Polish (optional)
If you have a bike stand, you can count yourself lucky as you have a bit less work ahead of you, if you don't, just immobilize your ride so you can spend half an hour or so working on it. First, wipe down your entire bike with a damp cloth to remove any excess and unwanted dirt. Next, spray down all the greasy areas of your bike (the drive train, wheels, down tube, fork, seat tube). I don't recommend spraying on your hub, but instead spraying some degreaser on a shop rag and gently cleaning it until it is free from grime.
While it is working through the puddles you have splashed through and the accumulated tar the road has saw fit to spray your frame with, lay down a the old towel beneath your chain and attach your chain cleaner with an ample amount of degreaser/cleaner in the container (the above linked Park Tools kit comes with a small starter bottle). If you are not using the chain cleaner, I would suggest spraying the degreaser on the chain lightly just so it covers it and grab a couple rags in your hand and lightly cup the chain. Run it 30 or so revolutions and start cycling through the gears on the cassette as you pedal the bike. Change the now dirty cleaner/rag and repeat a couple more times until all the grime is off.
Now, take either a thin hard bristled nylon brush or a shop rag and start cleaning the cassette with a back and forth scrubbing motion until you get all the grime off.
Take another shop rag and wipe down all the joints and general areas that you have cleaned. The last thing you want is degreaser getting where you actually want grease (the hubs and bottom bracket in particular)!
Now, take your bottle of alcohol solution and spray everything you had degreased down lightly. This acts to neutralize the degreaser. Wait a few minutes for things to dry, then relube your chain with a few drops of the Dry Lube while pedaling and then start cycling through your gears to ensure everything is coated. Add a few drops of the Tri-Flow to your derailleurs to give them new life and to the pedals themselves as well. Those few drops of lube to the pedals can make a difference in effort on those long rides (when I did mine last weekend, I spun the pedals after dropping a little Tri-Flow into the pivot points just to get the agent to work in)..
Make sure the rims of your breaks are free from degreaser, if you are using clincher rims, otherwise your stopping power might become "barely slowing" power.
You now have a newly revitalized ride! What better way to finish than to polish up your aluminum rims and maybe throw a light coat of wax on there to give it a sparkle and get the rain less to adhere to.
I have discovered that just like driving your car, operating your bike for anything more than a few miles, you will start accumulating road grime that can get into your drive train, wheels and bike itself. When you get right down to it, it will start looking a bit less shiny than the day you bought it.
Before you set down to give your ride a good once over you will need:
Spray Degreaser (I use simple green)
Plenty of shop rags
An old towel
Chain Lube (I use Finish Line Dry)
Lubricant for your components (I use Tri-Flow. Not only is it a lubricant, but it also has a solvent agent in it, so it can clean and lubricate)
Chain Cleaning tool (optional, but will me your life easier)
Narrow nylon brush
Spray bottle full of 1:1 rubbing alcohol and water.
Wax (optional)
Polish (optional)
If you have a bike stand, you can count yourself lucky as you have a bit less work ahead of you, if you don't, just immobilize your ride so you can spend half an hour or so working on it. First, wipe down your entire bike with a damp cloth to remove any excess and unwanted dirt. Next, spray down all the greasy areas of your bike (the drive train, wheels, down tube, fork, seat tube). I don't recommend spraying on your hub, but instead spraying some degreaser on a shop rag and gently cleaning it until it is free from grime.
While it is working through the puddles you have splashed through and the accumulated tar the road has saw fit to spray your frame with, lay down a the old towel beneath your chain and attach your chain cleaner with an ample amount of degreaser/cleaner in the container (the above linked Park Tools kit comes with a small starter bottle). If you are not using the chain cleaner, I would suggest spraying the degreaser on the chain lightly just so it covers it and grab a couple rags in your hand and lightly cup the chain. Run it 30 or so revolutions and start cycling through the gears on the cassette as you pedal the bike. Change the now dirty cleaner/rag and repeat a couple more times until all the grime is off.
Now, take either a thin hard bristled nylon brush or a shop rag and start cleaning the cassette with a back and forth scrubbing motion until you get all the grime off.
Take another shop rag and wipe down all the joints and general areas that you have cleaned. The last thing you want is degreaser getting where you actually want grease (the hubs and bottom bracket in particular)!
Now, take your bottle of alcohol solution and spray everything you had degreased down lightly. This acts to neutralize the degreaser. Wait a few minutes for things to dry, then relube your chain with a few drops of the Dry Lube while pedaling and then start cycling through your gears to ensure everything is coated. Add a few drops of the Tri-Flow to your derailleurs to give them new life and to the pedals themselves as well. Those few drops of lube to the pedals can make a difference in effort on those long rides (when I did mine last weekend, I spun the pedals after dropping a little Tri-Flow into the pivot points just to get the agent to work in)..
Make sure the rims of your breaks are free from degreaser, if you are using clincher rims, otherwise your stopping power might become "barely slowing" power.
You now have a newly revitalized ride! What better way to finish than to polish up your aluminum rims and maybe throw a light coat of wax on there to give it a sparkle and get the rain less to adhere to.
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