Quote:
Originally Posted by hulkrogan
Agreed. My rear derailleur was gummed up with rusty grease so bad it would barely shift by the end of winter. I'm riding a POS old bike, but I would recommend cleaning it more than you want to. After a ride home in -20 the last thing you want to do is give your bike a scrub, but you should.
Habernac, do you replace your own rear cogs? If so is it a tough job? I was thinking of buying a set at MEC and trying to throw them on, but I'm worried I'll have troubles getting the shifter adjustment right.
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Seriously, changing a rear cassette is probably one of the easiest things to do. As long as you replace it with the same cassette that was on before, there is literally no way to f it up. It only goes on 1 way, and there is a cog pattern that has 1 small tooth that you have to line all the rings up with.
Get one of these:
http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cyclin...-whip-tool.jsp
one of these:
http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cyclin...ol-shimano.jsp
And go on youtube for a tutorial.
Like I mentioned when this thread started, the best investment you can make is the Park tool AK-37 kit.
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...+Tool+Kit.aspx
I picked it up on sale for $199, and as long as you have it, a inch lb torque wrench (for CF bikes), a socket set and a repair stand, you will basically have everything a professional bike mechanic has. Park tool is like the snap on of bike tools. I have this repair stand:
http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Cyclin...pair-stand.jsp
You will never have to pay for a tune again, and will save a ton of money down the road. There is so much awesome info out there now to help you through it online, especially videos, it does not take long to get tons of confidence wrenching your own bikes. Better yet, if you have a beater, tear it down and put it back together a couple times. Or buy a $50 guinea pig go Kijiji to tear down. You won't regret it, and it is fun. The only thing I suck at is wheel truing, and I will pay to have an expensive wheel trued. But by next season, I think I will have it down, as I finally picked up a proper truing stand.