Doing My Own Maintenance This Year
 

In years past I always had my LBS do work on my bike. There are great resources out there but time was limited and I knew if I got it wrong it would take me a great deal of time to get back on the road. Now the kids are gone and I don't coach anymore. With me having two bikes, if I mess something up I have the other bike to jump on until I can figure it out.

My first magic trick will be to remove the brake calibers, disassemble them, clean them up, grease up the necessary parts, and put it all back together.

I will never be able to use my brakes again.

I think the hardest part is starting, and messing up a few times. I keep hearing that after that, it's not terribly difficult.

At least the basic things.

Working on bikes may not be rocket science but it isn’t completely uncomplicated either. There are lots of little details that can go wrong which can make the bike unridable. I often use that as a threat (jokingly). Don’t mess with a man who can turn your pee green or can make your bike unridable in 30 seconds;)

That said, I don’t usually mess with brakes. I can rebuild them but there really is no reason. They aren’t worth the effort. If the brakes aren’t working, they are generally cheap enough to just replace. That also assumes that the brakes aren’t working which doesn’t happen all that often. I certainly wouldn’t take them apart just for fun. Pick something else to work on.

I love working on my bike. And I don't have to incur any downtime with it being in a shop.

I picked them because at the end of last year they got "stuck". I did spray it with something (can't remember what) and they loosened up. I figured it was time to clean them. Is that not what people do? I ask because I don't know.

Yep, you don't need to disassemble calipers, derailleurs or shifters. Clean and lube whatever is obvious and pay attention to the cables.:thumb: If you are like me and prefer well written instructions to watching some random guy yammer on YouTube, get one of the Zinn books.

incorrect thinking. your need a backup bike (n+1) to truly incur no down time :commute:

LOL. I actually do have a backup bike that I've owned since 1993, but the Gunnar fits so well and is such a joy to ride that I hate having it down at all.

The lube on the pivot points did take care of the immediate problem for me.

I'll look those books up. I wan't doing it because of youtube (though I've done that before), I just figured it was what I was supposed to do, so I looked up how.

I will be MORE than happy to not take them apart.

Wonder Monkey if you haven't done much bicycle maintenance before then the Sheldon Brown website is a good resource for information on maintenance practices and tools needed for just about everything done to bicycles. If you live in an area that has a community bicycle maintenance shop where everyone and anyone can go to work on their bikes, that is a great resource. During Covid most of these types of facility's are shut down. Check them out when they get going again. Your brake issues are pretty common and can be anything from weak old return springs, broken return springs, too much dirt and grime at the pivot points, brake cables and housings and of course the brake handles themselves. If you take apart your brakes be sure to put them back together in the reverse order you took them apart. Lots of brakes actually use nylon bits and pieces for bearings and washers so grease does not help them. But a general cleaning of the parts will help. I find that cable and outer housing issues seem to be the source of most of my brake issues. Good luck with your new hobby.

Thanks! I had forgot about Sheldon's site, I will go there immediately.

My issue was at least temporarily fixed with a bit of lithium grease (it's what I had) on a pivot point. I may not take my brakes apart, but I will take them off the bike and clean them and the area. They are due, for sure. I have a bike stand coming this week so I'll feel like an actual mechanic and hoist my bike up there and do the easy stuff. Meanwhile, I'll ride my n+1 bike.

Thanks for the input!

The Park Tool site is another place to look. It’s more up to date and has more video content than Sheldon Brown’s site.

As to lubricating brake pivot points: I know that WD40 is verboten but it has its uses. Pivot points are an ideal place on which to use it. The solvent in WD-40 flushes out a lot of dirt and the oil in the solution provides just about the right amount of lubrication. Use a rag to protect from overspray but it’s useful stuff.

Proviso 1. This advice is for side pull calipers. If you have cantilever or linear brakes or any brake that is mounted on a stud on the frame, removal of the brake and greasing the stud will help with stick brakes.

Proviso 2. You should check the cable...both inner cable and outer cable...on any brake that is stick. Often the cable is dragging inside the housing which will cause the brake to be slow to return.

The stud area is what temporarily fixed mine.

Since I have the time, I'll take the brake assembly, do a wiping and greasing, and put it back on.

I'll also check those cables, I appreciate the focus on them as they would be easy to ignore.

Hi, I just wanted to say that working on bikes is great, you have gotten off to a good start. The only problem is that all your bikes will be working fine and you will have to get more bikes to have fun working on them.

I do find it relaxing to sit and tinker on things like that. I have an ATV and a youtube channel that I'm growing and like to tinker on it, process video, etc.