Learning how to restore vintage roadies… what's best?

[Diamant_Don]

Re:

NeilM - thanks for the encouragement!

I've always loved tinkering with bikes, but it's only now (after a couple of negative experiences with LBSs) that I'm determined to learn the whole business of bike maintenance and repair. I'd love to be experienced enough to do it all, safe in the knowledge that nothing will fall off! All responses really help!

Anything in particular I need to know about hub maintenance, or is it really as straightforward as it seems?

 

[mattsccm]

Re:

From experience I draw the lines at Shimano's road STI's. I did get one back together but it took months of leaving it to sort itself out and leaving it in a box to learn a lesson as well as much swearing. Other than that a bike is stupidly easy. Just take it apart and reverse the process. The most complicated things involve adjustment such as cones and that can't be done wrong, just not quite perfect.
Can't say I have ever looked at the web to find out how to do things. Just play a bit.

 

[NeilM]

Re: Re:

Anything in particular I need to know about hub maintenance, or is it really as straightforward as it seems?

Cups and cones? Lots of little adjustments to get it just right.

And a general rule of anything mechanical (especially on racing engines), it will NEVER 'be alright'; if it is not dead right, then it is dead wrong.

 

[Diamant_Don]

Re:

Being able to sort racing engines without formal training is massively impressive!

It's not the competence I lack, it's the confidence - I'm going to have to get over the feeling that bikes are way too fragile, and only for experts to fix.

The last experts who've done work on my bikes have been a major disappointment.

Cheers guys

 

[t47b]

Re:

Use a tray or oven baking tray to place under parts for disassembly so you don't lose any parts, lay it out in order and photograph it this makes assembly a lot easier.

Magnetise your screw driver to use to pick up loose ball bearings, rolling around your tray/conservatory, boy can those things travel when released into the wild

Here's one I did earlier...

viewtopic.php?f=66&t=297819

 

[Woz]

Re: Re:

NeilM - thanks for the encouragement!

I've always loved tinkering with bikes, but it's only now (after a couple of negative experiences with LBSs) that I'm determined to learn the whole business of bike maintenance and repair. I'd love to be experienced enough to do it all, safe in the knowledge that nothing will fall off! All responses really help!

Anything in particular I need to know about hub maintenance, or is it really as straightforward as it seems?

Don't over tighten the cones. Tighten them up to what you think it right with no play, then back off
about a quarter or half turn. The QR skewer will take up the rest.

 

[Jamiedyer]

As was told to myself many many years ago when I had blown up an engine on my dirt tracker on a Saturday afternoon and desperately needed it fixed for a mid Sunday morning qualifying start time.
My good mate who used to wrench on his own race engines from speedway to sprint cars to offshore jet boats put on the BBQ, gave me a beer, full access to his garage/workshop and said go for it. With a bit of guidance I had it out stripped, new rings and valve guides by midnight.
The main peice of advice that stuck was' you have the skills but are too precious with it, always remember it was built by a man from nothing and can always be rebuilt by a man again' he did add that ' that man might not be you and that man may want a lot of money to do it, but it can be done'

Jamie

 

[Diamant_Don]

Re:

Thanks for all the advice, guys!

 

[glpinxit]

The great thing about working on your own bike is that the worst that can happen is going on eBay to buy new (old) components. IMO you just need a bit of common sense and mechanical feel and confidence in your own judgement. And patience - deadlines are best avoided.

That said, when I was 15 I wrote off my frame 3 days before a cycle touring holiday (riding into a fence while flirting with girls). A school mate sold me a frame and I spent a day transferring every part to the 'new' frame. The only tools I had available were two of those stamped steel cycle multi tools, an adjustable spanner, pliers and a hammer. And a file which was important to adjust the new cotter pins to fit.

Lifelong lesson - never work on anything on a gravel drive.

 

[Yardbent]

hi DD

as you may have guessed from my threads that you have commented on
i'm midway between novice and novice.... ...but here's my 2p

''So here's my question: is it possible to service hubs, replace cassettes, bottom brackets and hubs''

servicing hubs and BB is simple
I've done 2 bikes now and confidence increases 200%

hubs -
i bought the correct size [thin] cone spanners
counted the balls on each side
cleaned them and replaced using Rock&Roll Web bearing Grease
adjustment is a 'tactile' thing..tighten the cones till there is 'just' a wee 'rock' of the axle
tighten the locknut and rock the axle again - an tiny imperceptible movement is OK - tightening up the wheelnuts/skewer takes up the 'play'
if it doesn't - do it again........ :facepalm:
---------------------------------------

basically the same for the BB
dismantled from the drive side
ascertain which way the locking ring unscrews before beating the hell out of it -- don't ask..!
when you slide the axle out - mark which way it is installed - many have a longer drive side end
Peugeot have an arrow stamped on the axle
---------------------------------------------------------

''cassettes...do you mean cassettes or freewheels
cassettes are easy - come off with the relevant tool and a 'chain-whip'
not worth servicing - they are so cheap

freewheels..? ah..another kettle of fish. Sheldon Brown is the 'man'
it's all a scale of money
yesterday i took off an older Maillard freewheel which was running rough
it was cheaper to destroy the freewheel in its removal than buy a removal tool ...sad really
but a replacement 6speed freewheel was new £8

lotsa luck - and if anything, take photos or many sketches along the way...
....john