Stuff you learn(t) the hard way by being your own mechanic

[Fleming]

If you take pride in your bikes appearance and often polish it, never, ever be tempted to polish the saddle.

[lechatnoir]

Where in Cape Town can one get Nitrile gloves? I'm going scatty looking

 

Dischem...  sizing may be a challenge though

[PhilipV]

Where in Cape Town can one get Nitrile gloves? I'm going scatty looking

My local hardware store has them.

Benbel, man that is my favourite shop in town.

[johanpre44]

Sweet tip, man

Can also use old coffee grind (course grind works wonders). Think I have to go make a coffee now...

[Dubber]

Me too. I hate that farking job. Along with fitting new tyres.

Done properly it shouldn't take more than one minute a tire - 2 if you are slow ;-)   All about having the correct tools for the job.

[V18]

I enjoyed this thread too much.

[MudLark]

New Continental tyres need to be scrubbbed out on the inside with dishwashing liquid and a 3M sponge before you fit them, otherwise they won't seal very easily, if they seal at all.

 

Always use a torque wrench... Especially on smaller high tension bolts (eg seat clamp bolts).

 

Always zero the wrench after use.

 

Getting a spare part for a Trek bike when you stuff up something is practically impossible...

[dewaldsss]

If you take pride in your bikes appearance and often polish it, never, ever be tempted to polish the saddle.

after a wash and lube, Mr.Min also gives the bike a nice shine

[MORNE]

forgot about this one..but I assume it falls under "don't work when you are tired"

 

we were on our way to a mtb event and stopped at a traffic light behind other peeps heading to the same event (race boards). In the dark with headlights on the bikes in front -  I was looking at and judging their bikes on the bike rack (as one does right lol?)...I noticed the last bike on the rack, looked like it had the chain guided through he rear derailleur cage on the wrong side of that little rivet by the jockey wheel.

 

Hope they saw/heard that that when they got on the bikes on the other side...

[Colin Pym]

Hahaha....love it! Doesn’t make me feel so bad anymore.

[Pure Savage]

 

Yesterday I managed to fix the return spring in my ultrgra shifter. Not after butchering the lever a little getting the pin out.

[mahleu]

I learnt that a cheap upgrade can cost more than an expensive one. Actually I haven't learnt. I have done this several times and will probably carry on. 

 

Most recently - carbon crank for R300! Grabbed that. Oh, it's GXP. Add a BB. Oh, it's a SRAM with a stupid BCD (120), add a chainring. 

 

I've had the same issue lots of times where things just don't transfer across resulting in buying lots of extra bits/tools. 

 

I have also learnt that it's often better to go to the LBS and pay them a small fee to use their right tool than my hammer. 

[Roguemeister]

Don't pull out all the cables on your internally cabled bike without threading something through with it so you don't spend 5 hours fishing for cables, no amount of beer makes that a fun job

[dewaldsss]

Don't pull out all the cables on your internally cabled bike without threading something through with it so you don't spend 5 hours fishing for cables, no amount of beer makes that a fun job

I found fishing line to work like a charm...

Once routed through the frame, tie/tape it to cable and feed it through

[Roguemeister]

I found fishing line to work like a charm...

Once routed through the frame, tie/tape it to cable and feed it through

Yes I found it to work great, after I had pulled all the cables out [emoji1787]

[nox1111]

1. In general - it is better to do-over than to overdo.

 

2. I have gotten a bearing press stuck in a frame after pressing in chainstay bearings... and I had to get in a second opinion to come up with a plan to get it out. There's a lesson in there - make sure the press removes to the outside, not the inside of the stays.

 

3. After getting silicon sealant on my rear rotor, there's only one way to get it off (and I tried everything else first).

Get a small plate, douse brake pads in around a shot of spirits and burn them with the brake surface up. Wait for flame to go out completely (this is important - otherwise you will end up without facial hair). And redo. Redo another three or four times. You'll hear them boil and see the bubbles and eventually they burn silent. Then, wait to cool, sand lightly with 350grit and wipe off dust with a paper towel.

Then also burn your rotor brake surface 2 or 3 times - until it is clean - you can actually see the contaminant burn off.

Fit and go (don't touch the brake surfaces again with your fingers) - best braking I've ever had!

3B. Apparently silicon sealant makes a moeruva good lubricant.

 

4. Soldering cut cable ends (I hear superglue works just as well and is easier).

 

5. I still (to the irritation of my colleagues and riding partners) fit my tyres wrong way around pretty often... but can not tell the difference on the trail tbh, so I just leave them that way.

 

6. Emergency valve core in your spares can save you a long walk home.

 

7. Building solid & straight wheels are actually easy - the 5th time around.

 

8. Calculating spoke lengths for said wheel is not in my list of talents.

Edited August 19, 2019 by nox1111