NEW! RetroBike Tip of the Month!!!

i think everyone knows this

but, if you're having trouble getting bars into a stem, take the bolt out, put a 2p in the clamp and pop the bolt in from the back. gently tighten the bolt until you can ease the bars in

I use a mod version of O71 for grips..

Use boiling water to soak the grips in..this softens the grip, and lubricates, then dries faster too! You get about 30 seconds to get in position, then rock solid. Best way I have found excpet a lock on

With top tube cable routing where all the cables run along the top of the frame (as opposed to along the side) cross them in a crows foot pattern when 'riding english' (Front brake on the right).

Rear mech to left side of head tube, front mech and rear brake to right of head tube. The cable all emerge in their normal places but the rear mech and rear brake cables have to swap sides, hence the
\!/
/!\ pattern.

This keeps the rear mech outer and the rear brake outer off the frame and no paint dammage. Plus it looks cool and the cable rubbing have no real effect on each other.

1) When using a titanium cassette, always use a fixed top jockey rather than the usual floating jockey - makes the gears work a treat and keeps them indexed far longer.
2) When reaching the age of 30 take all lycra clothing and burn it.
3) When watching an item on ebay NEVER assume you are the only person who has seen it and then get upset when someone posts it on 'auction watch' otherwise we might turn into MTBR VR&C
4) Using the word 'Kult' in auction watch brings up some wonderful trinkets.

Increase the life of your beloved retro mech rear mech: leave it in a high or top gear whenever you park it up for a while or overnight or long term. This leaves it with the lowest tension on the spring and it'll live longer.

When watching an item on ebay NEVER assume you are the only person who has seen it and then get upset when someone posts it on 'auction watch' otherwise we might turn into MTBR VR&C

Click to expand...

here here

Take the stress out of selling secondhand. I tell anyone I sell to they can send the stuff back for a refund if they don't like it after 2 weeks for no reason at all.
This stops-
-accusations of who has the best definition of the phrase " good condition. "
-resentment that goods didn't appear the same colour/state/size in the flesh.
-stress that you might be getting a load of shonk.

It gives you-
an improved selling reputation.

These are good tips.

I like the criss cross cable one if it really does protect paintwork.

And the boiling water grip one.

More please!!

using an airline is waay faster/easier for installing grips than any other technique ...but then I suppose not many people hav them..

Grip sticking

After trying almost everything for sticking grips on, our latest in our workshop is:

Disc brake cleaner - Lubes them on and evaporates completely very quickly indeed!

here's another:

When cutting SIS outer or even SLR outer - with the correct cutters, naturally! - shove an old cable in first and cut it too, leaves your opening nice and round - no need to try the old pen in the end to try and get it to shape.

and another:

When chopping down bolts to fit - especially brake bolts to Canti studs - always fit a nut to the bolt and cut on the other side - leave it on and file end flat then unwind nut - leaves a lovely clean thread and flat to boot!

and finally:

Screwed up the threads in your fave cranks - clean pedal threads screwed in from the backside of the crank arm is cheaper than a set of 9/16 thread chasers!