On Your Left Cycles » Tech Tips

Cleaning your rims

derek — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:28:36 +0000

Below you can see a major difference in the rim, on the right side is the brake pad residue encrusted surface. On the left is the newly re-surfaced side. We use a special Mavic rim stone to re-surface the entire rim followed by a cleaning from some rubbing alcohol. This will greatly increase your breaking power and lengthen your brake pad life. This is a very good thing to do, your bike will love you for it. It is especially important for bikes that get rode in nasty conditions. Let us know next time your bike is in and we can do this for you.

FOX Float Rear Shock Service

derek — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:12:22 +0000

Is your once amazing Fox Float rear shock not feeling as good as it use to? If so, it is time to have it serviced. For a very reasonable price we will replace the oil along with the o-rings and glide rings. That may mean nothing to you, but we guarantee you will notice a difference in the performance as soon as you hop on your ride. It is recommended that such service be done every 40 hours to a year depending on the riding conditions.

Replacing DU Bushings

derek — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:02:07 +0000

Fox’s Float series of rear shocks are the most popular shock on bikes these days. They are very reliable, but one thing that commonly gets overlooked is replacing the DU bushings. Over time the PTFE coating (orange) wears out, this is when you will start to hear creaks. Your fancy aluminum reducers will also start to wear since it is just metal on metal now. Bring your bike by the shop any we can use a special installation/removal tool to replace them.

Stans Sealant Dried up?

derek — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:25:52 +0000

For riders using a tubeless tire system with sealant such as Stans you need to add more sealant every 2-4 months. Make sure you get these “stans balls” out of your tire and refill with new stans, we have plenty in stock if you need some and we can do it for you if you want to save yourself a headache.

Changing housing…

derek — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:39:22 +0000

Replacing your cables and housing will keep your bike shifting properly every ride. Housing gets clogged with dirt,mud, and water and keeps your cables from moving freely though the housing. Cables can also fray inside shifters and break in half causing some serious problems. The inner wire of the housing can blow through the ferrules (pictured below) on the end and create an awful creaking noise when you turn you handlebars. It’s good to replace all your cables at least once a year or when you notice a decrease in shifting performance.

Old brake fluid

derek — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:33:56 +0000

Today’s tech tips is a very important one concerning your brakes. Below you will see new hydraulic fluid on the left and on the right is old fluid turned black. After a good year of heavy riding and many downhill runs, your brake fluid will break down and not work as well as it should. This can cause damage to your brake system after time. A simple brake bleed will fix everything and get you back on the trail. We can order you a bleed kit for your brakes and stock dot and mineral oil for those wishing to fix their own bikes or we can do it for you.

Sram road shifting tuning

drew — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:43:57 +0000

Worn disc brake pads

derek — Fri, 13 May 2011 06:04:32 +0000

We see a lot of bikes come in with extremely worn disc brake pads. Once they get to the point of the one on the left, it is time to re up. New pads will work better and make less noise. We check every mountain bike that comes through the door as this is something you don’t want to become a problem. We’ve seen some pads worn completely to the metal, which ruins your disc. So, if you haven’t had your bike in the shop lately, take a look at you pads or bring it by for us to take a look at.

BONUS TIP: Noisy disc brakes can be very annoying. Use some rubbing alcohol on a clean strong rag and apply it your disc to quiet them down. You can also floss the rag between your pads to clean them. Make sure to never pull your lever while the wheel is off, the pistons in the caliper can be pushed to far out.

Drivetrain and pulley wear…

derek — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:12:59 +0000

A worn out drivetrain will decrease your shifting performance and if not fixed can make your bike unrideable. Your chain and cassette should be checked for wear often, if not replaced you will experience skipping which can send your knee into the stem(ouch). Chain and cassettes usually need to be replaced at the same time as they wear in unison. The front chain rings will take longer before they need replacing since the chain wraps more teeth, there is less stress put upon them. Take a look at the picture below, see how the teeth have been worn down. Imagine a new tooth being a tight U shape, the ones below are a wider u shape and need to be replaced.

Derailleur pulleys can often be overlooked when it comes to replacing parts. Worn out teeth like the ones in the photo below will cause your chain to run rough. It’s very important to have good pulleys as they guide your chain through the derailleur and onto the cassette.

Rusty cables…

derek — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:32:04 +0000

Rusty cables are something you should regularly inspect your bike for. Not only do the decrease shifting performance, but they can break while out riding at any moment… a ticking timebomb. Avoid bad shifts and walking home by replacing them and the housing.