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Sun 6th: 11am-4pm

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Workshop Servicing

An active workshop is at the heart of any successful bike shop.

With many bikes becoming increasingly complicated it is becoming crucial that they stay well maintained, not just for your safety but also to ensure that your components last for as long as possible and provide you with an enjoyable cycling experience.

Here at Saddle Safari we are able to offer you a wide selection of workshop services performed by highly skilled and fully qualified mechanics. From a simple puncture repair to a full strip-down and rebuild, no matter what bike you ride our team is on hand with the in-depth knowledge to solve any problems you may be having.

For technical queries and to book in repairs please call us on 01628 477020. Alternatively if you have any other issues you can email us at workshop@saddlesafari.co.uk and we will aim to get back to you as soon as we can.

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Clean Your Bike Correctly

 

Washing Your Bike

Keeping you bike clean and free of grit and grime will not only improve the riding quality and the look of the bike but will also increase the lifetime of the bikes components.

Tools:

• Bucket full of warm soapy water

• Brushes / Sponge

• Cleaner / Degreaser e.g. Muc-Off • TF2 / GT85 / WD40 Water disperser / Lubricant

• Disposable gloves (not essential)

 

Firstly ensure that you’ve got everything that you need prepared and close to hand, there’s nothing worse that having to scrape around the bottom of your toolbox or shed looking for that brush or sponge, with cold wet hands whilst the light is dimming and the prospect of just putting the bike back in the shed is looking more and more appealing.

Warm soapy water is always best for removing mud, whilst stronger more concentrated cleaners and degreasers are best used for removing built up chain oil, grease and packed on brake dust and road grime. Remember, it can pay to use disposable gloves when cleaning you bike due to the strength of the cleaners, hot water and old grime can damage your skin. Also if you have some barrier cream to hand it can also be worth using some of this as an additional protection layer. Both of these products can easily be found at you local hard wear store.

Begin Cleaning Firstly wet the bike lightly with a hose (if available) to loosen any dirt and then, if using a cleaner (Muc-Off), spray the bike all over with a cleaning product.

 

When cleaning the bike pay particular attention to areas of high grime such as brakes and brake blocks, derailleurs and cable ends. Scrub the frame, forks, wheels, handlebars, grips, saddle and all the other parts of the bike that are dirty. Sometimes even when parts of the bike don’t seem dirty, they can look much better once they’ve had a going over with a brush!

Pay extra attention to the drive chain area (chain, front and rear cogs and gear changers) because these can often need deeper cleaning, calling for the use of stronger cleaners/degreasers to remove the built up grime. Once the bike has been sprayed, the cleaner needs to be left alone for 2-3 minutes in order for it to loosen the dirt. Then begin washing the bike with your brush/sponge and soapy water. Don’t be shy, really get in there and give it really good scrubbing!

 

 

If the chain needs degreasing you can buy specific cleaners that contain rotating brushes that clean the chain from all directions and bring the chain back to looking like new. If you don’t have a chain cleaner then an old toothbrush or and old small brush and some solvent cleaner e.g. White Spirit, Methylated Spirits or Muc-Off chain cleaner aerosol, will do the job nicely (this is where your disposable gloves will come in handy). Then just rinse the chain with clean water.

 

It can often help if you remove the wheels to clean the frame, forks and wheels, but you must make sure that you don’t rest the bike on the rear gear derailleur. Because any slight damage will throw your gears out and could potentially cause irreparable damage.

 

Never use a Jet Wash! Jet washing bikes removes all of the grease and oils that are held within the bike and are essential to the bike running smoothly. Without these greases and oils the bearings and other components will be running dry and the wear rate will increase exponentially.

After the bike has been rinsed you can spray it with a water dispersant/lube that will drive out any remaining water from the frame, cables and any other hard to reach places where any moisture will cause rust and damage.

 An old cloth can be used to wipe the bike down afterwards to bring back the shine of your paintwork and if any post-wash mechanical maintenance is required, it is always easier to perform on clean dry bikes and components.

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Correct Lubrication

Lubricating your bike

Rusty or un-lubricated chains and cables can literally slow you down and cause irritating noises and premature wear. A properly lubed bike not only improves gear shifting but also extends chain and sprocket life.

It’s a common misconception that spraying a bit WD40 on your bike will solve all your problems! Unfortunately this is not the case.

The modern bicycle is complex piece of equipment made up of many precision parts, after washing a bike WD40 is ok for dispersing water (we recommend using Teflon based TF2) from all the little nooks and crannies of these parts but that’s about as far as it goes.

These days bicycle lubricants have moved on a long way. Here at Saddle Safari we try to stock only the best bicycle lubricants available.

Finish Line lubes offer something for every rider. This includes a Wet lube for wet & muddy conditions (repels water). A Dry lube for dry & dusty terrain (repels dust) and a Ceramic lube offering maximum wear protection, making it ideal for bikes with new gear systems (ideally road bikes); this will leave a tough coating, much harder wearing than a standard wax lube.

Once you’ve decided which lube is best for your current riding conditions, then its just a case of applying to the correct areas. Follow the simple step by step guide below and remember that you should only apply fresh lube after thoroughly cleaning and removing the old stuff first!

Gears

1. Place your bicycle over newspapers or in a place that can get dirty and lean it against something that still allows the pedals to rotate freely.2. Using your chosen lubricant drip oil onto the center rollers of the chain. It is best to apply lube to the part of the chain that touches the gears. Try to avoid lubing the sprockets of the bike as the excess oil is unnecessary and can turn in to a grinding paste as the dirt sticks to it, this can prematurely wear out gears. The lube applied to the chain will spread during gear shifts, this will be more than enough for all of the sprockets.3. Hold a rag under the chain to prevent lube from dripping onto the wheel and causing potential braking problems.4. Slowly spin the pedal backwards while continuing to drip lube onto the chain. Once the chain is covered entirely in a thin coating of lube stop lubing!

5. Grab the chain lightly with a rag and spin the pedals backwards. This removes excess lube that can attract dirt and wear out your chain. Be very careful with your fingers at this point as you don’t want them getting dragged under the sprockets!6. Wipe any excess or splattered oil off the bike with a rag paying special attention to the rim.

Cables

1. Different bikes will have different cable routing so have a good look at what goes where before going any further.

2. Starting with the rear gear cable; pedal the bike around and click the right hand gear shifter so that the chain is on the largest rear sprocket.3. Now WITHOUT PEDALING click the right hand shifter back down to the other extreme. This will allow the gear cable to become very slack.

4. The extra slackness of the inner cable should now allow you to remove the black outer cable from all of the ‘cable stops on the frame’ be careful not to kink the cable anywhere as this will cause shifting problems also remember DO NOT TURN THE PEDALS.5. Now the cable is loose and fully exposed you can start adding lube. Ensure that you slide the black outer cable out of the way to lubricate the cable underneath.6. Now you should be ready to feed the black outer cable back into the cable stops. Again be careful not to damage or kink the cable.

7. Once all of the lengths of black cable outer are safely back in their original positions you can now gently turn the pedals allowing the chain to drop back down to the smallest sprocket.

8. Follow the same steps to lubricate your front gear cable but this time using the left hand shifter to change gear. To lube the brake cables you must first release the brake caliper (this can vary between different brake systems) then lube the cable as with the gears.

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How To Fix A Puncture

Punctures

Your bike is a high tech machine but unfortunately punctures are still part of the cyclists life. They always happen at the worst time and you can go months without one and then get three in one week! Your easiest course of action is to carry a spare inner tube, tyre levers and a pump, so that you can be back on the road in minutes. It’s always worth keeping the old punctured inner tube when you get back home and use it as a spare.

Tools:

• Pump

• Tyre Levers

• Spare Inner Tube or Puncture Repair Kit

• Small Needle Nose Pliers (not essential)

• Spanner (usualy 15mm but could be 17mm or 19mm for BMX bikes)

Diagnosis If you suspect a puncture it can often be worth inspecting the tyre to give you an idea whether your tyre is obviously punctured. Give the type a good squeeze and look over to see if you can spot any thorns of other matter penetrating it.

Try pumping the tyre to see if it will hold air. Tyres will naturally lose air over time so if your bike has been left dormant for a while it is quite likely that the tyres are low on air and just need topping up. If you’ve exhausted these options and all of the signs are pointing towards a puncture, then you will need to remove the wheel from the bike.

Releasing the Brake In order to remove the wheel from the bike, you will need to release the brake to allow the tyre to pass between the brake pads. Firstly you will need to remove the ‘noodle’ (metal tube at the top of the brake) from its cage which is attached to the left side of the brake. Pull the ‘noodle’ away from the wheel. Then you unhook the ‘noodle’ from the catch and the end of the cage.

Rear wheel removal Firstly put the bike into its highest gear on the rear gears (smallest cog, outmost from the centre of the bike or highest number on the shifter) this will aid you in removal and refitting of the wheel. Once the bike is in top gear you can then begin to remove the wheel from the bike.

To remove the wheel you will need to undo the quick-release lever which is located on the left hand or non-drive side of the bike at the axle in the centre of the wheel.

To undo this lever you need to pull it away from the bike until it is in its ‘open’ position, 180 degrees or opposite from its original ‘closed’ position. This can often be indicated by the words ‘open’ and ‘closed’ which are usually printed onto the quick release lever.

Some bikes are equipped with ‘bolt-up’ wheels. These wheels are removed and refitted the same as quick release’ wheel except that you undo/tighten the bolts with a spanner (usualy a 15mm spanner although it may be a 17mm or 19mm for BMX bikes).

Once the lever is undone the wheel will become loose in the bike, once this is achieved it will be easily removed from the bike by lifting the frame of the bike up and away whilst simultaneously pulling the wheel downwards and back away from the bike.

You may need to untangle the chain from the wheel but this can be easily done by pulling back the derailleur/gear changer and allowing the cogs to clear the chain.

To remove the wheel from the front of the bike you perform the same actions as with the rear wheel bar the gears, except once you’ve undone the quick release lever you will need to undo the nut on the opposite side of the quick release. This only need to be undone two or three turns and not removed fully.

 

Removing the Tyre Firstly ensure that any remaining air has been removed from the tyre. Depress the centre or core of the valve until the air stops coming out. With you thumbs push the tyre in towards the centre if the rim, then, using the lipped end of your tyre lever, lever the tyre off the rim.

You will then need to run the lever around the rim removing one side of the tyre from the rim. Then, using the tyre lever from the other side of the wheel, force the remainder of the tyre off the rim in the same direction as the rest of the tyre. You will then need to remove the inner tube from the tyre.

Once the tube has been removed, check the inside of the tyre for any thorns or glass that is penetrating the tyre. If any such offending items are found they must be removed using your fingers or a pair of pliers. Also check the rim for any metal burrs or sharp edges that could puncture the tube, also check the state of the ‘rim tape’ which is used to cover the ends of the spokes. If this is in poor condition it must be replaced or the new tube will become more prone to punctures.

Fitting the Tube You are now ready to fit the new tube. Remove it from its box, unfold it and remove the valve cap. Attach your pump and inflate the tube just enough to give it some shape then feed it into the tyre.Once the tube is fitted, locate the valve on the tube and the valve-hole on the rim of the wheel and push one into the other. Then begin to push the tyre back over the rim whilst working around one side of the wheel until that side of the tyre is seated

When the tyre and tube have been fitted the tyre is ready to be pumped. Look on the wall of the tyre to see what the recommended pressure range is. It can be anything between 30psi – 65psi for Mountain bikes or 80psi – 150psi for Road bikes. Attach the pump to the valve as before and begin pumping. If you have a pump with a pressure gauge you can watch the pressure in the tyre begin to increase. If you don’t have a gauge keep pumping until the tyre is firm to the touch.

 Refitting the Wheel The next stage is to refit the wheel to the bike. This is the reverse of the removal process including joining up the brake.

Once the wheel is fitted it can be worth pedalling the bike and running through the gears to ensure that everything is working correctly. Also squeeze the brake to make sure that is in proper working order.

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Booking Service & Repairs

Booking in your bike couldn’t be easier. Just give us a call on 01628 477020. Here you can book a day to drop your bike off and also discuss any specific problems you may be experiencing.

We are now running a computerized workshop system, this will enable us to keep a full record of each bikes service history and also allows us to highlight any potential problems in the future. Much like taking your car to a garage, we usually request a few days notice before bringing your bike in, however at peak times this can sometimes be up to a fortnight as space can often be limited. We always try our best to turn your bike around as rapidly as possible. This usually means dropping it off in the morning (before 10:30am) and collecting it at the end of the day. This way you spend the minimum amount of time without your bike.

If you have previously purchased a bicycle from Saddle Safari then this gives you the unique privilege of being able to effectively jump the queue. We put aside half of our spaces each day for our loyal customer and will give priority over bikes purchased elsewhere.

Once again we would stress that you need to call ahead before bringing in a bike to avoid disappointment. If you have purchased parts elsewhere and would like us to fit and set them up then a 25% surcharge is charged.

The work shop is open Monday to Friday 9:00am-5:30pm.

Call us on 01628 477020 or Email workshop@saddlesafari.co.uk

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