Finn
Active Member
Hello All, first post here so thought i best make an effort
I've been back on the bike for a couple of years now and August saw my first from new bike - A Giant Defy 2. Smashing! The previous SCR 1.5 was second hand and bedded in and ran great. The expected new bike noises and oddnesses started last week with gears slipping and then not . I'm not a tech expert but basically my mission this winter is to ride as much as i can and learn about fixing and maintaining the bike for myself. The warm winter clothes are working and im even finding it fun guessing what bits to chuck in the backpack for when its needed. Always getting it wrong too but im closer than not.
Anyhow the preverbial fan was struck with excrement on a ride today when going to buy some cable cutters and the pedals were lurching forward and gears slipping up then down - a chuffing nightmare. I pulled over to look and generally scratch my head to see if that fixed the problem but it didnt seem to. I had been tweaking the adjuster for a day or too whenever i felt the odd slip but nothing had changed just getting worse. I bought a pair of SRAM Rival calipers to replace the Sora ones on the weekend and having a quick look at them noticed that you had to pull the adjuster knob up and THEN twist for anything to happen!
Eureka im thinking maybe thats whats i've got on mine.... do a tighten of the cable then ride to check out my work. Nothing improved but i picked up the cutters and gingerly made my way home thinking I've broken my bike, half worried that im going to break it even more with the ensuing tinkering im going to have to do.
But Tinker i must ...
Investigations with the seat resting on a guitar stand that i can highly not reccomend as a stable workstand reveal that the limit screws seem fine but a worrying kink in the chain is making that effing noise i heard on the road! Give it a twist and discover how shockingly stiff it is.
Dig out the SRAM power link chain i had bought for the previous bike but never used and think nows the time to put this baby on ...
Use the old chain cutter that had been lying around and promptly break the head of the cutting thread on the unmoved stiff link! Topeak multi tool has one too so i use that for the first time with fingers crossed and it works thankfully- ANOTHER first done. but left thinking " Breaking the chain-cutter" is a section I should pay more attention to, and make a mental note to self - Dont forget to put chain onto Small / Small cogs before the undone chain flies off with a lesson learning bang
Now its time to learn how to measure the chain and i'm hoping the 50% success rate of breaking things doesnt extend to having gotten this wrong as the chain cutter shifts the rivet out. Partial success here until i realise i need to take out the other rivet to use the power link.... Then i remember to thread the chain THROUGH the derailleurs to aid shifting and look a bit like they are meant to be, but even this doesnt help make the "Pull the chain to connect the link" advice on the fitting instructions happen.
Take a break to eat tea and put old chain in a jar of paraffin - secretly hope chain comes out smelling of pickled eggs that were previously there.
Deep sigh takes me back to the link - covered in oil and gunk now cos the rubber gloves kept getting stuck in the plates trying to join them up. Midnight ticks happily by and still it wont click gently in like on ALL the sodding videos i've watched. Im at the cant give up ...must not give up stage and spy some "Cycle Oil" from my vantage point lying on my back trying to get this damn thing to just move 3mm!.
In a "well it cant do any harm" kind of way i put a drop on each side and turn the pedal round to push as hard as previously tried when suddenly. . . . . A sweet gentle click.
I had to look twice to make sure it was really in. I've forgotten why i had even started working on the bike now. I'm covered in grease and oil but newspaper does work to protect the carpet. Im amazed at how well baby wipes work on anything to be fair. its good to have a forum like this to search for others problems when all seems lost. Self reliance is hard but worth it in the end . Its too late to take it for a ride now but its running through ok and sounds good. The gears can wait till tomorrow i think.
I'm so enjoying biking
I've been back on the bike for a couple of years now and August saw my first from new bike - A Giant Defy 2. Smashing! The previous SCR 1.5 was second hand and bedded in and ran great. The expected new bike noises and oddnesses started last week with gears slipping and then not . I'm not a tech expert but basically my mission this winter is to ride as much as i can and learn about fixing and maintaining the bike for myself. The warm winter clothes are working and im even finding it fun guessing what bits to chuck in the backpack for when its needed. Always getting it wrong too but im closer than not.
Anyhow the preverbial fan was struck with excrement on a ride today when going to buy some cable cutters and the pedals were lurching forward and gears slipping up then down - a chuffing nightmare. I pulled over to look and generally scratch my head to see if that fixed the problem but it didnt seem to. I had been tweaking the adjuster for a day or too whenever i felt the odd slip but nothing had changed just getting worse. I bought a pair of SRAM Rival calipers to replace the Sora ones on the weekend and having a quick look at them noticed that you had to pull the adjuster knob up and THEN twist for anything to happen!
Eureka im thinking maybe thats whats i've got on mine.... do a tighten of the cable then ride to check out my work. Nothing improved but i picked up the cutters and gingerly made my way home thinking I've broken my bike, half worried that im going to break it even more with the ensuing tinkering im going to have to do.
But Tinker i must ...
Investigations with the seat resting on a guitar stand that i can highly not reccomend as a stable workstand reveal that the limit screws seem fine but a worrying kink in the chain is making that effing noise i heard on the road! Give it a twist and discover how shockingly stiff it is.
Dig out the SRAM power link chain i had bought for the previous bike but never used and think nows the time to put this baby on ...
Use the old chain cutter that had been lying around and promptly break the head of the cutting thread on the unmoved stiff link! Topeak multi tool has one too so i use that for the first time with fingers crossed and it works thankfully- ANOTHER first done. but left thinking " Breaking the chain-cutter" is a section I should pay more attention to, and make a mental note to self - Dont forget to put chain onto Small / Small cogs before the undone chain flies off with a lesson learning bang
Now its time to learn how to measure the chain and i'm hoping the 50% success rate of breaking things doesnt extend to having gotten this wrong as the chain cutter shifts the rivet out. Partial success here until i realise i need to take out the other rivet to use the power link.... Then i remember to thread the chain THROUGH the derailleurs to aid shifting and look a bit like they are meant to be, but even this doesnt help make the "Pull the chain to connect the link" advice on the fitting instructions happen.
Take a break to eat tea and put old chain in a jar of paraffin - secretly hope chain comes out smelling of pickled eggs that were previously there.
Deep sigh takes me back to the link - covered in oil and gunk now cos the rubber gloves kept getting stuck in the plates trying to join them up. Midnight ticks happily by and still it wont click gently in like on ALL the sodding videos i've watched. Im at the cant give up ...must not give up stage and spy some "Cycle Oil" from my vantage point lying on my back trying to get this damn thing to just move 3mm!.
In a "well it cant do any harm" kind of way i put a drop on each side and turn the pedal round to push as hard as previously tried when suddenly. . . . . A sweet gentle click.
I had to look twice to make sure it was really in. I've forgotten why i had even started working on the bike now. I'm covered in grease and oil but newspaper does work to protect the carpet. Im amazed at how well baby wipes work on anything to be fair. its good to have a forum like this to search for others problems when all seems lost. Self reliance is hard but worth it in the end . Its too late to take it for a ride now but its running through ok and sounds good. The gears can wait till tomorrow i think.
I'm so enjoying biking
Yes Steve H an LBS purchase. No complaints on them as its a fair drive away for me to get back there 
