Maine Recreation & Park Association Presentation

Programs Report 2013

TFK Program Report from Community Bicycle Center

Lubricating Caged Bearings

Step 1: "Gloop" a bit of grease onto the palm of your hand.

Step 2: Roll caged bearings through the grease.

Injecting grease between the bearings and the cage will ultimately reduce friction between the bearings and the cage in which they reside = a nice smooth ride!

Oldies but Goodies!

Looking through some older files and found a few documents that might spark some interest around the shop!

http://www.slideshare.net/cbcad2010/trailer-fabrication
http://www.slideshare.net/cbcad2010/tire-drop
http://www.slideshare.net/cbcad2010/blender-fabrication
http://www.slideshare.net/cbcad2010/bicycling-vocabulary-for-kids

All documents are also located in our links tabs!

Enjoy and feel free to send along ideas that you have!

Blog in Review

Hi all,
Just wanted to remind you of a few older posts made to the blog over the last two years. That's right, I believe we are nearing the blogs two year anniversary! Thanks Dillon!

Anyway please feel free to revisit some of these older posts:

Riding in that?
Colder Weather Riding
Common Misses
Crash Stats
Ways we learn
Rules of the Road

Most of the links in these posts should be up to date, but if not, here is a very important link to the BCM rules of the road page... BCM

The Old Elastic Around the Break Pad Trick

Here is a little trick that we tried out and found to be a lot easier than using a piece of cardboard when toeing in the break pads...

You will need:
1. Break pad
2. Elastic
3. Allen or socket wrench

Step 1: Ensure that your current break pad is okay to use-- it is not to worn and it is the correct break pad for the particular bike that you are working with.

Step 2: Wrap the rear 1/4 of your break pad with an elastic (see image)

Step 3: Set break pad in designated break arm
Step 4: Press break pad against rim ensuring that the pad is aligned flush to the rim.
Step 5: Tighten break pad in place and remove elastic.

If the installation is done correctly your break pads will be properly toed in (see image)

Mentoring Best Practices Presentation

Mentoring best practices pp

View more presentations from cbcad2010.

Cross Country Adventure

I stumbled upon this site this morning and found it to be pretty neat. It highlights the journeys of two brothers traveling via bicycle across the United States, of course there is much more to the story, but my words are just that, words. Check it out and let me know what you think!

http://www.americarecycled.org/?p=618

Left to Right, Clean, Grease, Right to Left

If you can follow the title than you have successfully disassembled, cleaned, inspected for broken parts, greased, and reassembled any of the rotational systems on a bicycle. It is all to often that we will hear a kid in the shop ask where his lock nut disappeared to or where her axle went and our response to them is normally, "If it wasn't on a rag than it was recycled." Now I understand that this may seem a little harsh, but to think about it makes one realize that it is teaching them the correct, more organized, and easier way of taking something apart and then putting it back together.

We try to teach each participant to, when they are disassembling a component on their bike, place all of their parts on a rag from left to right just like reading a book. For example:


What we don't like to see is a jumbled mess or parts spread out all over the shop, for example:

Although the above picture does have all of its parts on a rag, they are not organized and for a participant who may not know which part goes first, it may get confusing when reassembling the system.

The moral of the story is to keep things organized whether it be at the shop, at home, or at school. Keeping things on a rag from left to right is just our way of teaching that!

Colder Weather, Freezing Water

As we change seasons and shift to cooler fall weather, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. It may not be cold at the start of a ride, but remember, when you are on your bike you are traveling a lot faster and you must factor in wind. Be sure to layer up, you can always take layers off.

2. It is getting darker sooner. Be sure to plan your ride around sunset. You, as well as the road you are riding on, is less visible in the dark. Follow this link to view sunrise and sunset times for the month of September (http://www.sunrisesunset.com/calendar.asp).

3. Keep an eye on your tire pressure. As the temperature cools down, you may lose a bit of pressure in your tires. It does not necessarily mean you have a flat or a slow leak—remember heat causes air to expand and the opposite occurs in cooler weather.

4. Give your bike a once over. Check the bikes rotational systems. Although we did not have much rain this year, there is still a chance that you have some water mixing around in there.

5. Continue to stay hydrated! You may not feel or look dehydrated, but do not leave anything up to chance. Remember; eat before your hungry, sleep before your tired, and DRINK BEFORE YOUR THIRSTY.

6. And last, but certainly not least, continue to have fun! Enjoy the different, colors, smells, and changes of fall! Follow this link to view the CBC's fall schedule (http://communitybike.net/Schedule%20Fall%202010.pdf). Hope to see or hear from you all soon!

On a more serious note, we have noticed a few participants and adults replacing their plastic water bottles with the solid aluminum water bottles. The problem with this is that water bottle cages are not designed to hold these longer more narrow water bottles. If the water bottle were to fall out it could cause serious injury. Unfortunately, a friend and supporter of the CBC has been dealing with a lower back injury for two years because of this.

If you must carry an aluminum water bottle, carry it in your back pack or in your ride bag as this is a much safer place for it. Or stick to the old fashioned plastic water bottle and if your worried about it not being as cool, come over to the CBC and decorate it yourself. An uncool water bottle is a lot cooler than not riding!

Bike Repair Common Misses (Part Two of Two)

Here are some more common misses -- watch out for these when you're fixing up your bike...

What's wrong with this picture?

Front/Rear Brakes

1. Spring tension not balanced (one pad rubbing on rim)
2. Pads not centered on rim (hanging off or rubbing on tire)
3. Brake pads not toed-in (to prevent squaky brakes)
4. Brake pads down or dried out
5. Missing parts (especially where they come in contact with the frame)
6. Missing cable cap
7. Used derailleur housing, not brake housing (derailleur housing is more rigid)
   

Chain

1. Dirty
2. Dried out/corroded/not lubricated
3. Too much lubrication (picks up dirt)
4. Tight links (watch for a 'hop')
   

Front/Rear Derailleur

1. Limit screw not set properly (not reaching gears on extremes, or overshifting and dropping the chain)
2. Frayed/corroded cable
3. Sharp bends in cable housing (makes it hard to shift)
4. Cable cap missing
5. Used brake housing rather than derailleur housing (will often cause indexed gear systems to not work properly)
6. No metal ends on the cable housing
7. Barrel adjuster all the way out/not present

Handlebars, Stem, Grips, and Levers

1. Bar end plugs missing
2. Stem loose
3. Stem higher than maximum height mark
4. Levers not secured
5. Levers not positioned properly (especially for hand size -- for younger riders, often the levers need to be brought within easier reach)

Seat and Seat Post

1. Seat post rusty/ungreased (ever encountered a stuck seatpost?)
2. Seat post higher than safety marks

Reflectors

1. Wheel reflectors not positioned close to rim/loose
   
2. Front and rear reflectors broken/not angled properly

What other issues have you encountered when fixing up a bike?

Bike Repair Common Misses (Part One of Two)

We see a lot of bikes come through the CBC, and after a while you start to recognize some common problems. Here's the first part of a list that we have compiled of these common issues that can make a bicycle unsafe to ride:

Sadly, this bike might be beyond hope.

Frame and Fork

1. Bent derailleur hanger drop-out
2. Collision damage (see above), bent frames
3. Excessive surface/interior rust
   

Bottom Bracket, Cranks, and Pedals

1. Bearing play
2. Loose of missing lockrings
3. Crankarms not securely fastened
4. Bent chainrings
5. Pedals not securely fastened

Front/Rear Hub

1. Locknut missing
2. Locknut not tightened against cone
3. Hub not centered with axle
   
4. Bearing play
   

Freewheel or Cassette

1. Worn (sharp) teeth
2. Dryness, corrosion
   

Headset

1. Lockring not securely fastened
2. Bearing play

Front/Rear Rim and Tire

1. Valve stem not straight
2. Tire underinflated
3. Tire bean not seated in rim
4. Wheel not centered
5. Quick release levers closed backwards
6. Safety catch washers missing
7. No valve cap
8. Bald (from skidding)/cracked or dry-rotted tires
   

Next Post....
Front Brakes
Rear Brakes
Chain
Front Derailleur and Cable
Rear Derailleur and Cable
Handlebars, Stem, Grips, and Levers
Seat and Seat Post
Reflectors

What other common problems have you noticed on bicycles you are fixing?

How to fix a flat

At this week's Bike Monkeys class we talked about one of the most important skills for a bike mechanic to know -- how to fix a flat tire. A flat tire is a relatively common problem that can be a real bummer out on the road or trail, but with some simple know-how you'll be back on the road in no time. Park Tool has a great step-by-step guide that shows the best technique -- check it out here: http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=100

Bummer! Hope you know how to fix that...

Some tips to keep in mind to help prevent flat tires:
-Check and maintain your tire pressure
-Make sure the valve stem is always straight -- if it's angled, you're risking a hole that can't be patched
-Always use a rim strip between the tube and the rim
-Be on the lookout for obstructions (a big bump can sometimes be enough to cause a flat!)

What other tips can help prevent flat tires?

Tips while working in the shop

Each year, the CBC hosts the "Bike Monkeys" program, an intensive bike mechanics training class for 6 young people. At last night's session, we continued our conversations about rotational systems, finishing up bottom brackets and moving on to the front hub. We had a lot of fun, and a few tips and concepts were brought up that you might find helpful.

The first has to do with keeping your workspace organized: Fixing bikes requires a lot of disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling -- in a hectic shop, it can be a headache when parts get lost. Try keeping all your parts on a rag -- it'll keep those bearings from rolling around, and it's helpful for remembering how a part goes back together.

No parts lost here!

Secondly, never recycle a part before you find a replacement, even if it's not working properly -- often a worn-out part is better than no part at all.

This cup and spindle are really worn out, but do we have the parts to replace them?

Thirdly, use the appropriate tool, in the appropriate way. There are lots of tools in the shop, and lots of If you have a question, just ask! We staff are here to help you.













Fourthly, and lastly (for now) , think about where the tool is going to go if it slips. Injuries may occur if a tool accidentally strikes you or another person.

What other tips have helped you work more efficiently and safety in the shop?

Introduction to Rotational Systems

Last week, the CBC staff gathered before the shop opened for a mechanical tutorial -- the subject was bottom brackets (around which the pedals turn), but here's a little introduction to rotational systems in general.

A "rotational system" is any part of the bike that involves circular motion -- the wheels (hubs), steering (headset), and the drive-train (bottom bracket). Each of these parts of the bike operates in a similar way, containing a set of parts that work together to allow smooth, but solid, motion.

Perhaps the most important part of rotational system is the bearings, small metal balls that reduce friction by distributing the pressure placed upon them. Before they were invented, bikes weren't nearly as smooth or comfortable to ride, in fact they were called "boneshakers" and looked like this -- ouch!

For more information about rotational systems (specifically bottom brackets), check out chapter 3 of the Bikes Not Bombs training manual. Jim Langley has a great page that offers a step-by-step guide to overhauling hubs.