Did you know...

[SuperSix]

Petrol is good degreaser but you gotta dry them out before re-greasing so it doesn't de-grease the grease when you want them on (plus the fact that you don't want the seals to melt)

Does anyone bother using car grease (for higher lower viscosity) because of higher temperature rating? Also, cost per litre is cheaper than the best bike grease...

 

[harmonix1234]

Petrol is good degreaser but you gotta dry them out before re-greasing so it doesn't de-grease the grease when you want them on (plus the fact that you don't want the seals to melt)

Does anyone bother using car grease (for higher lower viscosity) because of higher temperature rating? Also, cost per litre is cheaper than the best bike grease...

I use castrol High Temperature Bearing grease.
Use it in my hubs, on clamping areas, all over the shop. It's cheap and a tub lasts forever. There is probably better stuff out there, but this works fine for me. Some people swear by the boating grease for hubs/bearings because it has water repelling qualities and anti rust properties. Might try some of that next.

 

[T-Rex]

Another chain fitting trick

I have 2 pegs in my tool box. I use them when I'm putting a chain back on my bike.
Thread the chain through the rear dérailleur and put a peg on the chain with about 4-5 links poking out from the bottom jockey wheel.
Then thread the chain through your chain guide top guide, around the chain ring and through the lower chain guide pulley and then stick a peg on the chain after 4-5 links are through.
Now you can take your time connecting your chain with out worrying that is you accidentally let it go that it will run back through your dérailleur or chain guide.
This has saved me much anguish

You can do the same sort of thing with a small piece of wire bent into a hook at both ends. Hook it over the rollers on both ends of the chain after you have fed it through the chain ring and derailleur. If you hook it over about three pins back from each end you have enough slack to easily fit a speed link.

 

[SuperSix]

So the it's right to use car grease for bikes for high temp rating!!!

I'll buy a tub of that

T Rex also made a good contribution to this

 

[dilzy]

Petrol is good degreaser but you gotta dry them out before re-greasing so it doesn't de-grease the grease when you want them on (plus the fact that you don't want the seals to melt)

Does anyone bother using car grease (for higher lower viscosity) because of higher temperature rating? Also, cost per litre is cheaper than the best bike grease...

Temperature rating means nothing on a bike. Seriously, what kind of loads and speeds are your legs capable of, because I want a pair. Stabbing aside, if you want something a little better than the boating grease, Belray waterproof is good stuff.

I've just got a little dualco needle point grease gun, so I like to use anything that comes in convenient tubes so the current grease is Rock n Roll Red Devil.

 

[AngoXC]

You can do the same sort of thing with a small piece of wire bent into a hook at both ends. Hook it over the rollers on both ends of the chain after you have fed it through the chain ring and derailleur. If you hook it over about three pins back from each end you have enough slack to easily fit a speed link.

Many bike multi-tools that feature a chain breaker are being equipped with these. It's a really neat idea!

As for grease, this is my friend;

When fitting tyres, many manufacturers (I'm looking at you, Maxxis) place their branding/logo on the drive side - makes proper rotation direction easy, especially if your bike is inverted.

 

[Nerf Herder]

Petrol is the best degreaser.

I wouldn't suggest petrol for de-greasing bearings or anything with rubber, as it may degrade the seals. Kero is the stuff to use.

And it enables you to burn your chain ... refer to the chain burning thread or was it the eyebrow burning thread

Something I learnt tonight ... For Avid Juicy Brake pad haters ... when trying to retract the caliper(sp) pistons to fit your frig'n new pads ... use your old worn pads ... get the biggest flat head screw driver ... and press exactly in the middle of the piston/pad (where the little piston nub thingy is ... by sheer magic ... the bugger that never seems to retract on my caliper ... draw back into the caliper body ... almost flush.

First time I've ever had those pistons retract in over 4 years of stuffing about filing and dremelling shite down Its a miracle.

 

[No Skid Marks]

And it enables you to burn your chain ... refer to the chain burning thread or was it the eyebrow burning thread

Something I learnt tonight ... For Avid Juicy Brake pad haters ... when trying to retract the caliper(sp) pistons to fit your frig'n new pads ... use your old worn pads ... get the biggest flat head screw driver ... and press exactly in the middle of the piston/pad (where the little piston nub thingy is ... by sheer magic ... the bugger that never seems to retract on my caliper ... draw back into the caliper body ... almost flush.

First time I've ever had those pistons retract in over 4 years of stuffing about filing and dremelling shite down Its a miracle.

You should have perhaps cleaned the pistons with a coton bud and some metho first. Either way, I'd pull the lever in, and pry them open again a few times, to help clean crap away. Put a ten cent piece in when you pull the lever in so you can get the flat head in again. You may need to let some fluid out also.

 

[merc-blue]

AHHH NOOO dont use bearing grease in your hubs. its so thick and nasty fine for a big D40 Nav, but on your nice free rolling bike use a bike specific grease.
I use motorex stuff and its amazing.
Also remember there is more than 1 lube you need.
I have a box of about 6 or 7 different lubes for different jobs.

 

[timrob]

$20 note makes a great emergency tyre boot, incredibly tough plastic.

 

[SuperSix]

What I meant by temperature was day long riding on harsh terrain. You do understand that small bumps and drops generate energy and are partly absorbed by the bearings. Not all ride impacts are handled by suspension (specially on hard tails).

 

[harmonix1234]

After washing out your camelback bladder, use a couple of those little plastic tripod things you get in the middle of a large pizza inside the bladder to aid in drying it out.

 

[dilzy]

What I meant by temperature was day long riding on harsh terrain. You do understand that small bumps and drops generate energy and are partly absorbed by the bearings. Not all ride impacts are handled by suspension (specially on hard tails).

The temps are still very low compared with say a wheel bearing in a car.

 

[harmonix1234]

A small split shot lead sinker crimped on your cable ends works just as well as a proper cable crimp. (Had some floating around in my tackle box).

When your nobby tyres are dead, if the side tread is still intact you can cut off the larger side knobs, pin a hole in them and use them as cable donuts. A bit stupid really, but I replaced my cables today and my old donuts were all chalky from being in the sun and the improvised side knobs worked a treat.

 

[No Skid Marks]

A small split shot lead sinker crimped on your cable ends works just as well as a proper cable crimp. (Had some floating around in my tackle box)..

Pop rivets with pin removed are good also.
Chuck camel back in freezer every time after use(this is my mates tip, I hate plastic tasting camel backs), no need to wash it then.

 

[$$Clarkson$$]

Spraying hair spray into grips is much better in my opinion. Slides on easy because it's wet and then dries, sticking the grip to the bar

na whats even better is using a air compresser heaps better, they slide straight on and there right to go straight away,

washing detergent to clean disc brakes, put a tiny amount on the disc then spay it with the hose get it all soapy then lock the brakes on an off then rinse and repeat it till the brakes stop bubbling up with the soap or when the brakes start getting really grippy.

use spoons as tire levers,

$1 coins in your boxxer teams an races(they fit perfectly) to make them harder instead of paying for those plastic ones off monza, but read on rockshox i think they advise only have a maxium of 8 plastic spacers in your forks or the spring will compress all the way when it bottoms out and hit the inside of your lowers, the $1 coin is the exact same size as the proper plastic spacers.
bearings when ever you need new bearings on your bike go to your local bike bearing shop for them, they will be much cheaper. same with any bolts go to your local fastseners shop.

 

[drivebytrucker]

CT 18 truck wash for cleaning (super chaep auto), soooooo cheap compared to muck off etc, just as good a job and not acid based so it actually works best the longer you leave it on and no fear of paint strippng.

this weekend i leathered my shock and cranks in it prior to riding(very wet and muddy this sunday) and found it helped with dispersal of mud on the track as the mud couldnt stick and clog it all up.

 

[AngoXC]

After washing out your camelback bladder, use a couple of those little plastic tripod things you get in the middle of a large pizza inside the bladder to aid in drying it out.

Those have sharp edges - I'd recommend plastic salad tongs. Hang upside down from a coat hanger using a bulldog clip.

 

[r.ayres1]

After washing out your camelback bladder, use a couple of those little plastic tripod things you get in the middle of a large pizza inside the bladder to aid in drying it out.

Any tips on getting the inside of the flex tube on the c/back cleaned then "dry" .. I can always still see small droplets of water in there, and think - mould! cheers ..

 

[harmonix1234]

Any tips on getting the inside of the flex tube on the c/back cleaned then "dry" .. I can always still see small droplets of water in there, and think - mould! cheers ..

Yeah, Go down to your local gun shop and buy two of these. One for washing the tube, and another for drying the tube. If they don't have the woolen ones for the .303, just get a .410 shotgun one and shave the diameter down a little. They always have the shotgun ones in stock because they are more popular.

It's for cleaning out the barrel of a .303. Just put a bit of string on it and pull it through. It has an eyelet on one end for this purpose.

Or, what I used to do is get two pipe cleaners, twist them around eachother so they look like a barber shop pole, this makes them exactly the right thickness to clean the tube.
Tie one end of a piece of fishing line to the end of the pipe cleaners, and tie a cable tie to the other end of the fishing line. .

Feed the cable tie down the tube, hold the tube upside down and the cable tie will fall down through the tube and out the other end.

Before you pull on the fishing line and pull the pipe cleaner through, put a drop or two of washing up detergent in the tube, wet the pipe cleaners just pull them through. It's a tight squeeze so you have to make sure you've tied them on well.
Do this a few times and then rinse the detergent out of the tube.

Repeat this process with a dry pipe cleaner to dry the tubes inside.