Crashing

Whether you like it or not, crashing is part of riding. Most of the people I ride with say that if you're not crashing, then you're not riding enough. I crashed on Thursday going around 20 mph on my way to swim practice. Thankfully I didn't break anything and it was a one-bike crash.

Learning from your crashes is the best thing that you can do when they happen. Try to remain calm and ask for help if you need it. I will not go that fast while turning on that bike ever again, and by doing this I can be safe and not have it happen again.

Learn from my mistakes and don't make the same ones.

Cleaning Your Bike

Today I spent a little under 3 hours cleaning a bike. Granted, this bike has not been ridden on a regular basis for at least 3 years and is an older bike to begin with, but I think most will agree that this is a long time to be cleaning a bike.

I took my time, cleaning the chain, removing the front and rear wheels and cleaning the rear sprocket by taking it off the wheel. In the end I had a bike that was as clean, if not cleaner than a bike on the floor in a bike shop.

There are several reasons to keep your bike clean:

1) Reduce wear on the parts
2) Dirt and grit will break the seal created by grease
3) Eliminate the chance of rust (or slow the oxidation process down)

Perhaps the most important reason you clean your bike is to make sure there are no mechanical problems with your bike. I learned that the bike that I was cleaning had a flat tire and removed the tube to check it for punctures. Sure enough I found a small hole in the tube and replaced the whole thing. I will end up patching the tube and using it as a spare because it is not good to waste, but I am glad that I found the hole then and not 30 miles away from wherever I started riding.

Paint Suggestions Anyone?

Just wondering if anyone had any paint suggestions for the 1200... just comment!

An Update:

An update on my Dad's 1988 Trek 1200-

It's about ready to be stripped, checked and repainted!

Recommendation

If you are interested in knowing more about your bike, cleaning, repairing, or you just want to know the names of the parts so you can explain your problems you NEED to get The Park Tool Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair. It tells you what tools you need for the components on your bike and is extremely helpful with all your bike needs. 

Manual

We scored the "Big Blue Book Of Bicycle Repair" written by C.Calvin Jones today. It looks very comprehensive while slightly biased to Park Tools, but with good reason since the sub-title is A Do It Yourself Bicycle Repair Guide from Park Tool.

It will be a great source of information on tools and other things we'll need to set up our bike repair shop in the garage.

It's a great start and we have already started reading through it with intent to take the bottom bracket out of my old Trek 1200 frame.

Where to Find Those Essential Tools

You can find the more common tools at your local Home Depot, Lowe's or on Amazon.com but you may need to go to your local bike store to find the bike-specific tools such as multi-tools or pedal wrenches. My personal favorite tools are ParkTools, the link for their website can be found under the "resources" tab.

Essential Tools

There are a few tools that you must have to complete the simplest bike repairs, many of which you can find already in your house, especially if you have a standard tool kit. In fact, I don't even have a bike-specific tool kit, but I can get by because of my common bike knowledge, videos on Youtube and by borrowing a few of my friend's and neighbor's tools.

The most important tools that you can own are hex, or Allen wrenches, as well as regular wrenches of many different shapes and sizes. Other important tools to have are screwdrivers, both Phillips and Flat-Head types. But perhaps the most used tool in my house is my multi-tool. It has screwdrivers and hex wrenches of different sizes and types and comes in handy when you are looking for an easy to use tool. On top of that they are small and convenient to carry (I bring mine almost everywhere) and can offer more torque than a conventional hex wrench or screwdriver when tightening or loosening screws.

Brake Adjustments

The brakes, one of the hardest adjustments you can make on your bike. Whether your brakes are rubbing or you need to remove them for cleaning, here are a few tips to help you out.

Tools needed: Depends on your brakes, you may need a wrench, or a hex wrench.

Adjusting your pads: 
1) Loosen the pads with the wrench or unscrew the whole mechanism with the hex wrench for easier adjustment
2)Pull the pads farther away from the wheel and tighten (this may take a lot of time to get right and requires patience)
3)Check to ensure the pads are not rubbing, but are not so far away that they are ineffective

If this doesn't work you may need new pads, which can be purchased at a bike store and replaced there.

Removing your brakes:
1)Disengage your brakes (There will be a lever on the mechanism or a button on the brake lever on your handlebars)  
2)Unscrew the nut that holds the brake mechanism to your frame using the hex wrench
3)Remove from your bike, but make sure you keep all the parts, which will be needed later

Reinstalling your brakes:
1)Position the brakes over the wheel
2)Make sure they are on in the right direction
3)Tighten with the hex wrench, ensuring that the brakes are attached securely but are not damaging your frame   

Adjusting your brake lines:  
*May require two people*
(If your brake lines are loose)
1)Unscrew the nut that clamps the brake line
2)Pull the line and tightening the nut

Welcome

Welcome to R&C Cycling, where you will find out how to complete simple repairs along with valuable resources that we recommend with confidence from many combined years of experience in the cycling world.