Your Pro Tips

[Duke]

I spilled a couple to norbs over the past few days so thought a topic on it would be good.
So what Bike Pro Tips do you have, can be anything as long as it involves some aspect of this great activity / sport.

I'll kick off with the 2.

1. Pro Lube your Chain:
I can't claim this as I only got told about it 3 weeks ago but after trying it I reckon it's a winner.
Lube as you normally would with good quality chain lube (Pro-Link, Rock'n"Roll).
Once applied wipe off all excess, don't be shy get it completely off the extremities of the chain.
Get some good quality bike grease and smear it between you thumb & fingers then apply it lightly to the whole chain.
You don't need a lot & it's messy but worth the effort. Again work it in and around every link.
Once done wipe the chain again to remove all the excess, again don't be shy get as much of it off as you can, it will still leave a light coat no matter how much you wipe.
That's it, the grease seals in the chain lube and since it is such a light coating it doesn't attract any more grime as usual. Also make your drivetrain silky smooth & quiet.

2. Split Tyre:
You know the type of split where you could probably still ride home if only the tube wasn't bulging out of that tiny slit on the tyre which caused that puncture you just had. Well you may just be able to get home by using one of the following to reinforce the tyre from inside.
Grab either a dollar note ($5 & $10 notes work best) or some good fresh green (not dry) leaves, gums / eucalypt work best.
Fold them so they will fit inside the tyre.
Place them between the tyre carcass, where the hole is & the tube.
The tricky bit is to get them in the right spot while you put in a new/repaired tube but it can be done & works a treat.
I suggest as soon as your able to replace the tyre but this will save you if you need to.

I probably have many more but they'll have to wait till I remember them, probably stimulated from the ones you guys share.

[CLP]

Split tyre rubber
After running through glass etc and finding shallow splits in the tyre rubber, but not the casing, when you get home deflate the tyre (doesn't have to be fully) and put some rubber cement or contact adhesive in the split to bind the rubber again.

Cleaning tyres on the move
An roadie oldy, and possibly not practised much with the more puncture resistant tyres now available. Having gone through glass, while still travelling use your gloved hand to wipe over the surface of the tyres to dislodge any remnant glass that may be stuck into the tyre surface. This will stop small slivers of glass working their way through the rubber and causing a puncture later on. Be careful doing this on the rear tyre since there's a risk of jamming your hand between the tyre and frame!

[Duke]

Split tyre rubber
After running through glass etc and finding shallow splits in the tyre rubber, but not the casing, when you get home deflate the tyre (doesn't have to be fully) and put some rubber cement or contact adhesive in the split to bind the rubber again.

Yep I've heard this one before but have never bothered with it actually.
What Rubber Cement do you use, are you talking about the glue you get with the old fashioned punture repair kits?

Cleaning tyres on the move
An roadie oldy, and possibly not practised much with the more puncture resistant tyres now available. Having gone through glass, while still travelling use your gloved hand to wipe over the surface of the tyres to dislodge any remnant glass that may be stuck into the tyre surface. This will stop small slivers of glass working their way through the rubber and causing a puncture later on. Be careful doing this on the rear tyre since there's a risk of jamming your hand between the tyre and frame!

I have a variation on this one. A safer option is to grab one of your water bottles and use that to rub on each tyre.

[Duke]

Seat Height
This is an easy one for when you have to remove your seat post regularly, usually for when travelling.
Place some Electrical Tape on the seat post just above the frame seat collar/clamp.
The bottom if the tape represents the correct height when you reinsert the post.
Leave the tape on as it last for years without coming off.

Annoying Creaks
This is a remedy for those really annoying strange & rythmic creaks, especially when you stand up to pedal.
You know those creaks that sound like they are coming from the bottom braket or headset.
I have found 99% of these creaks are actually coming from your wheels, usually the skewers. Most of the time it's the front wheel as well.
The remedy is to simply apply a smear of grease on the drop-outs.
Put it on the both the inner & outer surface and also inside the dropouts where the wheel axle sits.

[CLP]

Split tyre rubber
After running through glass etc and finding shallow splits in the tyre rubber, but not the casing, when you get home deflate the tyre (doesn't have to be fully) and put some rubber cement or contact adhesive in the split to bind the rubber again.

Yep I've heard this one before but have never bothered with it actually.
What Rubber Cement do you use, are you talking about the glue you get with the old fashioned punture repair kits?

i've used contact adhesive before. it' worked, though you just have to be careful not to get it everywhere. It's not something that i've done too often though. If the cut has exposed the casing (sometimes leaving a flap of rubber hanging on) i'll use this technique. If it's just a small cut i wouldn't bother.

Cleaning tyres on the move
An roadie oldy, and possibly not practised much with the more puncture resistant tyres now available. Having gone through glass, while still travelling use your gloved hand to wipe over the surface of the tyres to dislodge any remnant glass that may be stuck into the tyre surface. This will stop small slivers of glass working their way through the rubber and causing a puncture later on. Be careful doing this on the rear tyre since there's a risk of jamming your hand between the tyre and frame!

I have a variation on this one. A safer option is to grab one of your water bottles and use that to rub on each tyre.

I suppose that would work too.. though you won't look quite as pro

[CLP]

Seat Height
This is an easy one for when you have to remove your seat post regularly, usually for when travelling.
Place some Electrical Tape on the seat post just above the frame seat collar/clamp.
The bottom if the tape represents the correct height when you reinsert the post.
Leave the tape on as it last for years without coming off.

I think this one (mainly the last bit) might be roadie specific. Since a MTBer needs to be able to drop their seat frequently. excellent tip for maintenance and travel though.

[Hz-Lab]

I've just got scored little markers on my seatposts at various heights. I basically have 3 different heights, one for Road Riding/commuting, one for Single track XC and one for messing around on jumps and pump tracks.

[Duke]

Yep it is probably more road specific given Roadies use mainly carbon, I wouldn't dare mark or scribe a carbon post that's for sure.

[mrleisure]

Nice one Flinty , just prepped my chain as per your pro method . Seems nice and smooth now and it was fun doing it , gotta luv grease .

[Duke]

Nice one Flinty , just prepped my chain as per your pro method . Seems nice and smooth now and it was fun doing it , gotta luv grease .

Hahaha, nice one, let me know what you think as you ride this week.
I have now gone for a 2nd go at it & so far I reckon it's the bees kness.
I actually can't wait to see how it goes on a real wet ride. That will be the true test of it's versatility.

[Duke]

Been a while since we've had anything in here, so here is a few about cleaning accessories, some of my own & 1 I stole.

Helmet Cleaning:
I saw this on TV, not sure if it was a cycling program like "Cycling Central" or one of the more recent movies like "Chasing Legends".
To keep you bicycle helmet clean and smell free wash it regularly by firstly wetting it throughtly with the hose, then clean it with a clean sponge in detergent (before you wash your bike with same sponge/water). The hose it out again to rinse it and hang it up to dry, in the sun is best as the UV kills of bacteria.

Gloves:
Don't go more than a few rides before washing your gloves, chuck them in a wash bag when washing the rest of your kit.
Just make sure the velcro straps are done up. When done regularly your gloves won't smell until they are really old & thin & by then probably ready for replacement.

Shoes:
If they are already wet & filthy just hose em off, then clean with a wet cloth in detergent. If dry just use a damp cloth & wipe them off. Again Nappy Wipes work well.
Remember to undo all clips & velcro straps and clean around / under them. Some clips even need a small drop of lubricant at regular intervals to keep working well.
To dry wet shoes, lightly rollup newpaper sheets into balls and place in shoe, then put in a warm spot to dry.

[CLP]

Won't claim this as a "Pro Tip" since it's made up by me

I've been trying a bit a mineral oil (aka parafin oil) on the chain of my roadie.. very light smear worked into the chain with the fingers and then wiped off. noticed that initially any grime that had accumulated practically fell off and the gears have been running silky smooth ever since.. no idea of the longevity of this approach!