Customer isn't always right!

Customer - My brake needs bleeding! Me - why do you think it might need doing? Customer - the lever comes all the way back to the bars. Me - ok - does it pump up if you activate the levers a few times. Customer - no but it defo needs bleeding. I am now suspicious. Squeeze the lever and it feels like no pressure at all in the brake - feels like all the fluid has gone - but where to? Closer inspection reveals fluid around the lever pivot - not a good sign. It makes a squishing noice like air is being sucked back in on release. It is also impossible to push fluid through from caliper to lever or vice-versa - until hose is disconnected. Therefore it is the lever that has a problem. Strip lever and in doing so find everything wet with brake fluid- seals have disintegrated. Lever rebuild required. End of story :)

Fun Day today

Unable to remove a left-hand crank today - - it wouldn't budge - judicious use of a plastic hammer on the bb puller didn't work,a heat gun didn't work - brute force in the form of the strong apprentice didn't work - so we ended up cutting through the bottom bracket spindle - fortunately, we were disposing of the bottom bracket anyway. And luckily I had a spare l/h crank that was a close match to refit when we put the new cartridge unit in. This is the only crank we have never been able to get off. Why was it like this? Probably when it was assembled in the factory no grease was applied to the spindle before installing the cranks. The bike has then been used, put away wet and dirty and left for quite some time which will not have helped. Answer - bit of grease on the spindle flats before putting cranks on. We also had a tyre that would not come off a rim (different bike)- having gone through several levers we ended up cutting the tyre off - it was being replaced you'll be glad to know.This tyre has obviously been a problem as you can see where its owner has been using metal levers when he had had a puncture and the rim is a bit dinged in several places. Just a combination of poor rims and poor tyres methinks - no-one's fault. There was an interesting pair of 'twists' in the inner tube. The rims are very shallow with very little 'well' for the tyre to fit into so making it difficult to seat when replacing it. The tyres were 26" x 1.75 and the inner tube was a big fat one which didn't help. At 1.75 the rim is right at the bottom end of the range for that inner tube. Might be better to use one that covered 1.25 - 1.50 which is less fat and might have made it easier to get the tyre back on.The new tyre went on without tyre levers - just using a bit of technique,patience and strong fingers. As it was a 1.95 there was just a wee bit more room for the tube to squeeze in. After all that you can bet I'm looking forward to a nice easy cabling job on a lovely Ridley road bike!

Good time of the year

Now is the best time to get that suspension fork and/or shock serviced as things are a little quieter and turnaround times a bit quicker. We can deal with most makes.Get in touch with us for prices etc.

We have a new GPS and are starting to publishing some of our fav rides on the website. Page not live yet but will be soon!

Another big bill

Bike serviced back in November came back today - it needs another new chain. It hasn't been cleaned or lubed since I had it last and has been ridden nearly every day. The rear mech has almost seized up around the main pivot and all the cable adjusters are seized up. It was very dirty and greasy - rubber glove territory!
I think if it had been cleaned the chain may have lasted substantially longer and a bit of lube every now and then would have stopped things seizing up.
But I can now look forward to rebuilding a resprayed Orange Five full suspension bike - though the choice of fluorescent yellow instead of black wouldn't have been my first choice of colours!

Spring is on it's way

Judging by the way the phone has started to ring so often spring must be on it's way! This was confirmed by me being able to work with the sound of new-born lambs in the workshop from the fields across the road. The first three or four have appeared since last night. This reminds me of what a lovely place I live and how lucky I am to be able to hop on my bike and ride the hills and plains of this part of Lancashire. There are more and more folk out on their bikes now - and my friend who runss a local bike shop is as busy as ever selling new bikes - so all in the world is great! See you on the road...

Busy again

Typically, the minute I opt for a long weekend away the phone starts ringing so I had a 'queue' of bikes waiting for me when I got back yesterday. It was a typical day in the workshop - lots of replacing cables, chains & cassettes, cleaning drivetrains and adjusting brakes. On the phone to suppliers for parts we need. One chap wants new forks fitting. Another has just bought a tidy looking Trek road bike for a very good price and would like it checked over please...
With the longer days on the way it'll be busier and busier if this year is the same as previous years - which is great. And I must get around to replacing the chain & cassette on my own road bike - talk about cobbler's children!

A salutary tale

An expensive pair of Fox Talas forks came in which hadn't been serviced for at least three years and put through some pretty tough riding. A normal service will cost about £99. Fox recommend a service every 50 hours for their forks - a bit excessive - you'd get away with 100 hours but 3 years...result - wear to left-hand stanchion. This means we cannot guarantee air/oil loss from the fork. Replacment will cost £134 on top of the service charge. Also, the fork was only partly stripped to ascertain the above - it was quite possible that on fully stripping them we'd find the bushings were worn too - an additional cost of £30 to fit those. Fox Talas need servicing more regularly than other Fox forks as there isn't much room in the left-hand stanchion for oil - so they can wear more quickly if not looked after. If they had had a full service every 100 hrs- followed by a regular lower leg removal clean and refit they would most likely have been good for many years.
These forks new are a £700-800 fork - not a cheap item. Of course my customer was most upset and decided not to go ahead with the work and will probably replace with a cheaper fork.:(

Busy start to the year!

Things have been busy since 3rd Jan wit the phone ringing a lot - milder weather has helped. Sad to say we are getting yet more disk brake bikes in with pads worn completly away to the metal :(. This means as well as new pads- a new rotor and a bigger bill. If the brake hasn't been set up right -one piston coming out farther than the other - this can result in the loss of fluid as well. All owners of these brakes comment that it has been making an awful noise or a metallic scraping noise. This is because IT IS METAL ON METAL!!! If the brake is making a noise all is not well - get it seen too. Some folk think cycle disk brake pads last as long as car ones do - 25,000 miles or more. They don't. Depending on where you live, what conditions you ride in, the way you ride they may only last 2-3 months! If you live where we do in sunny?? Lancs then a combination of gritstone, mud and lots of downhill braking will eat pads very, very quickly. Of course if you clean and tend to your bike regularly then you will spot the wear - if you leave it caked in mud then you won't - could be the diference between a big bill and a little bill. Same applies to chains. Some wear mud as a badge of honour - it ain't it just covers everything up. So don't blame the mechanic for the big bill if this is you!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all of our customers and trade colleagues. It's a bit of a wet and windy start to the Newy Year but already the workshop has been busy. Ideal time for suspension servicing!

Caveat Emptor!

Or in plain english - buyer beware! We have had two bikes this week bought on e-bay and another forum where the descriptions have 'implied' that the bike is ok and in working order. I hate to be the one who has to go back to someone who, in genuine faith, has bought a bike this way only to find that all is not as it seems. Sad to say there are some unscrupulous folk out there - they don't lie, they just don't tell it like it is and rely on the fact that most folk are not bike mechanics. One of these bikes had scratched and worn stanchions & knackered springs in the forks, worn bushings on the rear shock (we didn't go as far as examining the state of the shock), and a worn bottom bracket which we cannot access as the crank arm threads are destroyed and it failed to respond to the old -fashioned type puller. The only way to remove the crank will be to destroy it at the expense of the new owner. The other had chain, cassette & gear cables worn out, very tired forks, the wrong gear mech hanger and a cracked hydraulic caliper. The former description just listed the components on the bike - no comment about the condition - the latter merely commented about a small tear in the saddle cover - nothing else - to the average punter it seems that all would be well. Neither bike was cheap either - one was very expensive. Both purchasers are going back to the person who they bought from but this is never easy as the 'Caveat Emptor' clause rules. They are between a rock and a hard place and I feel for them.

The darkness descends!

Please, please can I make a plea for all cyclists to light up now that the dark evenings are upon us. Mums & Dads - if your kid is out on his/her bike please make sure they have lights on. I passed two quite young cyclists on my way to deliver a bike the other evening and there they were - unlit, no reflectors or anything. There are loads of cheap LED lights available so no excuse.
The bike that was left on my doorstep a few weeks back is no more. There was nothing worth keeping off it so it is broken down and off to the scrapyard for recycling into something useful. Annoyingly, I now have to dispose of the tyres and other non-recyclable bits that came off it. Thanks to hwoever it was - not. Will think of fitting CCTV if it happens again so I can return the unwanted goods!!!
Workshop has been quiet but steady - we have had the joys of changing twist-grip gear cables and lots of hub & freehub servicing along with rebuilding Avid hose & brake calipers of various kinds for various folk.
Good time to get your bike in condition for getting through the winter - make sure all bearings are nicely greaed up and cables running smoothly plus a good coat of polish to kepe the water and salt at bay.

A free bike - and a week of freehub problems

Popped out this morning and whilst out somebody left a bike propped up against my garage wall. No message, phone call, email to explain. It is very old and tatty, has no chain and the rear hub is shot as well as the back tyre. I don't know if it wants fixing, scrapping or if it is a free pre-xmas gift!
Had a week of freehub problems. Fun bit was getting the Bontrager one off - firstly it requires an unusual size allen key - 11mm - plus a vice and a strong arm! Removal of the seal on the body revealed a lot of orange gunge and a distinct notchiness. Next freehub was making a grating, creaking noise and once removed (easier!) showed it too was full of orange gunge and the inner workings were slopping about.
Another Bontrager hub looked like it would be a problem but turned out to be easy enough once the big plastic mallet was brought out. Nice new cartridge bearings in that one now.
Be careful how you route your hydraulic hoses by the way. I have one to replace as it was lashed to the fork crown (not a good idea). Not only has it worn the crown badly it has also abraided the outer casing of the hose and is down to the plastic inner.

Fork and shock time

This is a good time of year to get forks and shocks serviced before winter to ensure they are in tip top condition to get through whatever the weather may throw at us between now and spring. If we are doing these jobs for you pleae be aware that we may need to keep your bike for a week if it is a full service - so find a time when you are not going to be needing it. Folk do neglect these items, or put off because of the expense - but it can be very costly to not pay attention to them. Service intervals are way more often than what you think - in some instances every 50 hours which is not a lot of riding time. Trouble is you won't see it until it is too late! And even lower price range forks like Suntours can benenfit from a lower leg strip and clean. Talk to us about your requirements and we'll advise.

Avid's live up to their name!

Word of warning for anyone considering fitting Avid Elixir brakes - if you need to replace the hose it will cost you. The fitting at the caliper end is swaged so you have to buy the hose and fitting complete. This will set you back over £30 just for the part. If you have other makes then it will cost a lot less. Hope for example will cost you less than £10 because you can take it to pieces and buy all the individual bits needed. Avid by name and rather avid on the price!!!

Sorry we haven't posted for a while!

Sorry to any regular viewers - we've been so busy over the summer that we have hardly had time to ourselves - except for squeezing in a lovely short cycle tour in the Orkney Islands!
Today's workshop 'disasters' - very seized bottom bracket - so seized it broke the remover tool; disk brake pads worn down to metal - x 2: carbon steerer bung not tight + end of steerer poking above stem = loose headset. Par for the course...but also had some nice bikes recently - a Felt and a Principia - nice and light and clean and a joy to work on!

Ridden into the ground!

We have had a couple of bikes this week which have been rather well-used! But sadly owners have left it rather late to pay attention to the obvious problems and have persisted in riding them. I am always amazed at why folk do this.
This is the first time I have seen an external bottom bracket cup flapping in the breeze. When the chap rang and said he had play in the cranks I assumed he had a splined or square taper bottom bracket. But no - it was external cups. The drive side one was loose and because it had been ridden since coming loose it had worn away the threads on itself and on the frame shell threads too. The bearing was jammed onto the crank too and required a hammer and punch to get it off.The shell threads now have a lovely stepped ridge in them. This may well mean that the frame is u/s as it is ally. This is the second expensive bike where the owner has continued to ride with this sort of problem and it can cost dear. PLEASE do not ride if the cranks have any wobble in them - it will not go away AND it will get worse and cost more the longer you leave it.
Another had 'a creaky headset' - I am not surprised it creaked. The steering was stiff and notchy and grating which is never a good sign. When the forks were taken (rather hammered) out the bearing races fell to pieces. Instead of just new bearings ad some grease - we are now looking at a replacement headset!!!

Dangerous!

Bike in today - mtb front wheel felt a bit loose so went to tighten up q/r. Found that someone had obviously lost the screw end so had cobbled it together - the lever of the q/r was directly against the dropout on one side - the rubber 'knuckle part was on the otehr side and the whole thing held in place by a tiny alloy wingnut. The wheel could never have been tightened up properly and would probably have come out on the first bump. Fortunately no damaged to the drop out - but the q/r lever end was badly damaged so had to be replaced. This was a very dangerous set-up! I assume the same person was responsible for the cobbled together B screw at the derailleur end too!!!

Too busy to blog!

It has been very hectic in the workshop recently. The glorious weather before Easter had everyone getting their bikes out and wanting them fixed ready for the holiday. Lots of folk getting very old bikes out of sheds too and I am always amazed at what folk will spend on geting them fixed up even when we say it isn't worth it. We will fix them but don't expect miracles!
We saw an expensive mistake last week - we had to replace almost new hydraulic brakes as somebody used the wrong fuid in them - and being Shimano they were not serviceable. If you are having a go at doing these by yourself please at least read the manual and check the type of fluid - there are only two types - mineral oil and DOT 4/5.1. Mixing the two is a complete no-no. Other erroneous substances will not do any good either - don' try and save money by using Mum's cooking oil!
We have had lots of kid's bikes in recently too and many of them are in a poor state of repair. Please get them serviced - they need the same treatment as an adult bike - if not more so as most kids are pretty tough on bikes - after all it is their safety at stake.

Back to busy-ness again

Well, the workshop has gone mad this week. Better weather and pending school and Easter holidays mean that everyone is getting their bikes out. Plus many are turning to two wheels due to the horrendous cost of fuel. I filled my van up the other day and it cost me over £100. We had a great start to the week on Monday helping out at the Bike Inn in Lincolnshire where some trainee bike mechanics were doing their City & Guilds qualification - we were there to give them tuition on hydraulic brakes and suspension servicing. It was a really good day with enthusiastic students!
We also sold our last second-hand bike - these are getting to be in short supply now! So if you have bike you no longer want get it advertisied and it will likely be snapped up.