On the 14th of July I will go on my first real bike vacation. Set on the beautiful Swedish Island of Gotland, we will travel from my friend’s summer house a bit south of Visby and head north for places such as Fårö and Slite.
As a part of that, I gave my bike a much-needed service this weekend. I have had problems with squeaking sounds when pedaling, and after some roadside troubleshooting I came to the conclusion that the derailers were in good shape, and that they weren’t the cause of the sounds. Normally, a wrongly adjusted derailer is behind almost all of the pedaling noise. No, the problem was somewhere else.
I decided to have a look at the chain. It was some time since I last cleaned it, and I have had problems with getting it fully clean the last time. It felt very dry when I touched it, a bad sign since such a sensitive mechanical part should feel moist of oil to prevent problems. I took apart my SRAM Powerlink (a godsend for all bike-fixers like me) and started the usual cleaning progress. I decided not to dip the chain in my diesel jar this time, since the diesel is in a dire need of change and has a half centimeter of dirt in the bottom; dirt that only would get caught between the sideplates.
I also looked at the rear derailer, took it apart and disassembled the precious arm that almost never has failed me during the years. The bearings were really dirty, something that worries me because the last time I serviced them was last fall. Luckily, under the grease was still the blue color of grease. I cleaned everything up and added propeller axle grease, a really good marine grease that is extremely strong against water.
I brushed the chain, soaked it with degreaser, washed with soap water, wiped several times with a large rag, flushed with a lot of water and dried with a heat gun and let it air-dry for an hour to get all the water out. During that time I looked at the rear wheel hub. I felt a small knocking in the bearings (this time again!), so I had to disassemble the cassette and re-do the tedious work of adjusting the rear axle bearing pressure.
Time to put everything back again. Back with the cassette, wheel back on bike, chain on, lube on. I tested the bike for noise once again, and it was actually a lot better! Still not perfect, I hear some high-pitched noise a few times every turn, and the rear derailer is moving slightly back and forth each second link (not a good sign I suppose), but it can still be ridden on a long while and will definately hold a long time.
I have just one thing left to test. I went camping with my friends a week ago, and then I carried a backpack that weighed 30 kg. The rear wheel made strange knocking noises, it seemed like it was because of the great load, and it made me feel uneasy. I think that the problem was solved by re-adjusting the bearings, but I still have to test.
To all bike fixers who want to move to the next level I have a few tips.
- Get a powerlink for easy chain removal. You really need this to be able to clean the chain and do all sorts of maintenance to the drivetrain
- Get a good bike stand that among other things will allow you to adjust gears and brakes without needing to lift the bike manually
- Be patient and willing to try
- If disassembling bearings and mechanism, photograph every step and note positions and the order of lockrings and bearings
- Don’t be afraid to ask. I have learned many things from my bike mechanic just by asking a lot while hiring him for bike service
Now, good luck with fixing!
