Cleaning Up Vintage Steel Bicycle Wheels

I recently purchased two 1974 Raleigh Sports bicycles that needed a lot of cleaning and a good refresh to get back on the road.  This involved cleaning up the steel wheels which were quite dirty and had bits of rust on them.  I wasn’t too sure how to go about cleaning these up, so IContinue reading “Cleaning Up Vintage Steel Bicycle Wheels”

How to straighten a bike wheel rim help

Bike wheels often develop a bit of a wobble that should be straightened out.  If the wobble is too big it will often drag a little on the brakes and slow you down.  While it might seem like a task for the professional mechanic, it’s not that hard.  You might think you need a fancyContinue reading “How to straighten a bike wheel rim help”

Bike build compatibility checklist and assembly order

Last year I decided I wanted to become a better bike mechanic and building a bike seemed like the best way.  So, I started buying all cheap parts I could find.  I learned a lot during the build, but it’s definitely more expensive than buying a used bike.  I made an error and bought aContinue reading “Bike build compatibility checklist and assembly order”

How To Properly Inflate Bike Tires

Proper bike tire inflation is more important than most people realize.  It can change your comfort and performance and may save you a flat tire or damaged rim.  Most people have probably inflated a bike tire at some point, but many probably haven’t done it right.  There is more to it than you might think,Continue reading “How To Properly Inflate Bike Tires”

How To Fix Bike Shifting Problems

Does your bike not want to shift?  Is it making weird clicking noises?  Does it shift slowly?  Chances are your bike needs some indexing.  Sometimes cables can stretch throwing off the shifting.  Or it could be the gnomes were messing with the adjustments on your bike.  Before you start, think about when your shifting startedContinue reading “How To Fix Bike Shifting Problems”