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Q. I want to clean & tune up my own bike, what do I need to do?

A. Well there are a few things you will need to do. The first thing is to get the bike clean. Remember, a clean bike is a happy bike, and a happy bike is what we are looking for. A clean drive train is 40% more efficient than a dirty one. To tune your own bike, you will need a bike stand. A good quality bike work stand makes any repair work so much easier, and Park Tools makes the best on the market. Park has a variety, from a home style at about $100, to the big professional ones at around $750.00. In Europe I saw a few bike shops that hung two ropes with slip knots from the ceiling. One rope would grab the seat, and the other rope would grab the handlebars. Next you will need a hot water hose, a variety of brushes and sponges, and two buckets of hot soapy water, one bucket is for the drive train, the other bucket is for the frame, fork, and wheels. Put the bike on the stand, and take off your wheels. We will want to clean up the drive train first, so we will spray on a biodegradable degreaser on all the drive train parts and let that soak in. If the drive train is filthy, you will need to soak everything is a parts washer. Grab a screwdriver and scrape off any built up grunge on your drive train. Next you will need to clean your chain. Run your chain thru a chain cleaning machine, there are a few different types. Grab a sponge out of the clean bucket, and wash from the bike from the top down. As an elite international level team race mechanic in a stage race, this is done every day. Cyclists can be dirty, and it is important to wash off all old sweat, snot and possibly blood and urine. A top cyclists in peak form is on the razors edge, and a clean bike is important and helps keep them healthy. A virus could drop your performance by 7% or more. Back to the bike. Scrub the rims, especially the braking surface, now hose everything off. In my next issue, I will go into the tuning of the bike.

All the Best,
Steven "Butch" Morrissey

cycling quote. "There is something uncanny in the noiseless rush of the cyclist as he comes into view, passes by , and disappears." Popular Science 1891

The Essential Bike Washing Tools

1 The bike stand is an invaluable tool for the home mechanic. The home versions of the "Park Tools" stands that we use in the shop start at $149.50.

The new PCS-10 has all the features of our popular PCS-9 Home Mechanic Repair Stand but with special upgrades to make set up, take down, and use faster and easier.The PCS-10 works well with many recumbents and bikes with odd shaped tubing.
Cam-type clamp allows single action clamping of tubes 7/8” to 3” (24mm to 76mm). Clamping pressure is fully adjustable and jaw covers are replaceable (part #1185K).
• Composite top tube for smooth 360-degree clamp rotation.
• Quick release height adjustment (39” to 57”, 99cm to 145cm).
• Folds to 41” (104cm) for portability and storage.
• Three-point leg system with reinforced center yolk for superior stability
• Sliding retention rings lock folding legs
• Exclusive Receiver Pod accessory mounts allow easy installation of BTK-1 Bucket and Tool Kilt and PTH-1

2. You will need one large sponge. Also two buckets with hot soapy water, one for the drivetrain and the other the rest of the bike.

3. Pedros Orange Peelz Degreaser $13.99. This biodegradable citrus-extract degreaser, ideal for tough jobs.

• Powerful degreaser cuts through dirt and grime
• Removes wax from drivetrains
• 16 oz. squeeze bottle perfect for filling chain cleaners

4. Park "Cyclone Chain Scrubber" $32.99

The CM-5 Cyclone Chain Scrubber uses an extra large solvent reservoir and a series of rotating brushes to get chains really clean. A magnet at the bottom of the Cyclone’s solvent reservoir draws particles scrubbed from the chain, effectively keeping them from being redistributed on the chain during cleaning. Durable sponge material draws solvent from the chain as it exits the Cyclone, reducing drips and mess. To make it easy to control and use, we’ve even added a handle. Works with all multi-speed bikes and some single-speed models.

5. Park "GSC-1 GearClean Brush" $7.99

Park gear clean brush.It's designed to clean in between each cog with a thin piece.On the other end there is a brush with brissle to clean all the grime out of the chain and cogs.

Q: How do I tune up my own bike? (Continued)

A: Last issue I talked about the importance of washing your bike before trying to tune it. O.K., lets move on & assume the bike is clean. Once the bike is on the stand, we want to pull off both wheels and true them up. Truing the wheels is done by manipulating the spoke tension to get them as straight and round as possible, you will need a truing jig and a spoke wrench to do this. Put the straight wheels back in the bike and check the brakes. This is the most important thing for sure. If the brakes are not working correctly, you could get seriously hurt. The brakes on your bike are the one part of the bike is best left for professional bicycle mechanics, especially with carbon fiber road rims & hydraulic MTB disc brakes. Next is adjusting and lubing the gears. Use Teflon lube and lube the chain and pivot points on the derailleurs, wipe off any extra. Once lubed, it is time to adjust the gears, and that is like tuning a guitar. All modern bikes have index, or "click" shifting. There is an art and science to making your derraileur work correctly. Shift the bike into the middle chainring in the front (if you only have two chainrings in front, use the smaller), and the smallest on the back. Try shifting the rear shifter one click up. Does the chain move one gear up? If it doesn't go up, you will need to put more tension on the cable, and this is done with the barrel adjusters. If you shift up one click and the chain goes up two gears in the back, you will need to put less tension on the shift cable. The same idea applies for both front and rear shifters and derailleurs. Now pull the bike off the stand and take it out for a test ride, try the shifters and brakes. Readjust and try again until it is working well. Or you could come down, pay us 60 bucks, and use that extra time to cuddle with your wife or learn skydiving.
All the best,
Steve