Ask the Bear & Badger - The Bear and Badger

bad_hair_day

...and the Weegies.

bad_hair_day

regmcfly

Someone really hates the glaswegian contingent.

Spoiler:

bad_hair_day

Edit. Stick, wrong end, me.

afgavinstan

Note: I have seen said bike it is LORGE this time

yourfavouriteuncle

So I was lucky enough to get a mountain bike before they went all toilet paper rare on us but I was wondering how often you’re meant to maintain it (and what this actually entails) and do they need a service, kinda like a car, and if so when/how often?

nick_md

Why the hell is Ulysses 31 trending on UK twitter today? Not complaining... maybe this?

https://twitter.com/samaracello/status/1274613237519208448

What a quality cover

Nina

yourfavouriteuncle wrote:

So I was lucky enough to get a mountain bike before they went all toilet paper rare on us but I was wondering how often you’re meant to maintain it (and what this actually entails) and do they need a service, kinda like a car, and if so when/how often?

Kinda depends on how much you use it, and how dirty it gets. And how expensive it was / if you want to invest in it.

The first service we usually did was mainly checks, see if cables got slack, check the chain, check the spokes, check all connections for slack, and did any basic riding position changes if we could.

In the Netherlands the MTB season usually ends around spring, when people get their road bikes out again, so then we would often do bigger services. Replace or bleed brakes, change the chain, do all the checks, sometimes we had to take out the bottom bracket or remove bearings. Check the fork etc.

One of the more important things you can do at home is maintain the chain. A really easy tool for that is the muc off chain cleaner. After that you wipe off the cleaner, and then you can lube the chain. I know muc off has a variety of lubes, check out the one for the weather you ride in.

Cleaning the chain is not just to get mud off, but also after rain, that might have wiped away some of the lube. If you keep the chain clean it doesn't need to be replaced as quickly, and keeps your sprockets in a better shape for a longer time.

There's often specific brushes you can get to clean the sprockets as well. That's really the most important part you can do at home, apart from visual checks of tires and cables. Don't go cleaning you're bike with any high pressure machine, that's usually not good for it.

Bike shops often have workshops where they explain a lot of this, could be fun to attend one when they're available again.

Funkstain

nick_md wrote:

Why the hell is Ulysses 31 trending on UK twitter today? Not complaining... maybe this?

https://twitter.com/samaracello/status/1274613237519208448

What a quality cover

Which is better?

https://mobile.twitter.com/samaracello/status/1268471802528964608

Eric

Immense. Both great but I prefer the TC rendition tbh.

yourfavouriteuncle

Nina wrote:

yourfavouriteuncle wrote:

So I was lucky enough to get a mountain bike before they went all toilet paper rare on us but I was wondering how often you’re meant to maintain it (and what this actually entails) and do they need a service, kinda like a car, and if so when/how often?

Kinda depends on how much you use it, and how dirty it gets. And how expensive it was / if you want to invest in it. The first service we usually did was mainly checks, see if cables got slack, check the chain, check the spokes, check all connections for slack, and did any basic riding position changes if we could. In the Netherlands the MTB season usually ends around spring, when people get their road bikes out again, so then we would often do bigger services. Replace or bleed brakes, change the chain, do all the checks, sometimes we had to take out the bottom bracket or remove bearings. Check the fork etc. One of the more important things you can do at home is maintain the chain. A really easy tool for that is the muc off chain cleaner. After that you wipe off the cleaner, and then you can lube the chain. I know muc off has a variety of lubes, check out the one for the weather you ride in. Cleaning the chain is not just to get mud off, but also after rain, that might have wiped away some of the lube. If you keep the chain clean it doesn't need to be replaced as quickly, and keeps your sprockets in a better shape for a longer time. There's often specific brushes you can get to clean the sprockets as well. That's really the most important part you can do at home, apart from visual checks of tires and cables. Don't go cleaning you're bike with any high pressure machine, that's usually not good for it. Bike shops often have workshops where they explain a lot of this, could be fun to attend one when they're available again.

That’s absolutely brilliant info Nina. Thanks.

This is my bike but I got an ex shop demo so didn’t pay the price that’s listed.

https://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.php?product_id=7739

I’d been doing around 80 -100k a week before the arm injury so I’m down to zero at the moment. That’s obvs gonna head back up though once I’m better. I’ve really loved trail biking so I’ve now half an eye on using the bike as part ex on a decent full suspension bike at some point 12/18 months down the line so I can go for slightly more intense stuff. I want to make sure I look after the bike both for myself but also to ensure I get a decent trade offer when I come to swapping over.

Nina

If you have a shop in mind for trade in, might be worth it to have them to a service on it. Specially since you're not using it right now. Gives them an idea what they'll get in the future, and gives you a fresh bike once you're arm is up to it. Can also probably get some tools there for the smaller maintenance yourself.

It's a 29er right, they're a lot of fun! I've never had a full suspension myself, and I don't think 29er's benefit from them that much.
Dropper seatpost is a really useful thing to add as well if you're gonna look at a future bike. Depending on what it is you can even get one on your current bike and transfer it over to the next.

Eric

Nice bike Uncle. Particularly fond of the Gulf livery!

yourfavouriteuncle

Nina wrote:

If you have a shop in mind for trade in, might be worth it to have them to a service on it. Specially since you're not using it right now. Gives them an idea what they'll get in the future, and gives you a fresh bike once you're arm is up to it. Can also probably get some tools there for the smaller maintenance yourself. It's a 29er right, they're a lot of fun! I've never had a full suspension myself, and I don't think 29er's benefit from them that much. Dropper seatpost is a really useful thing to add as well if you're gonna look at a future bike. Depending on what it is you can even get one on your current bike and transfer it over to the next.

Yeah, it’s a 29er and yup, it’s been loads of fun so far. I came off it and onto my head a few weeks into owning it and 1) i was really happy my helmet worked and 2) I knew it was totally my fault, you have so much control over a 29er that you can only really blame yourself. I have wondered about a dropper post so I’ll bare that in mind even more now. Just to clarify on my original post I’d put 80 -100k a week. I missed off the ‘m’ so I’m not actually doing tens of thousands of miles a week As my original post may well have implied....

Eric wrote:

Nice bike Uncle. Particularly fond of the Gulf livery!

Thanks! I wasn’t too sure on the colour initially but the price was that good and for quite a lot of bike that I didn’t really mind what colour I was ordering. It’s really grown on me though. Paired it with some orange hope pedals and it looks pretty sweet.

nick_md

Funkstain wrote:

nick_md wrote:

Why the hell is Ulysses 31 trending on UK twitter today? Not complaining... maybe this? https://twitter.com/samaracello/status/1274613237519208448 What a quality cover

Which is better? https://mobile.twitter.com/samaracello/status/1268471802528964608

She's fucking awesome eh! I prefer the Ulysses 31 over Thundercats (sorry Eric) buts that's just personal preference. Either way though, brilliant.

nick_md

God that Thundercats one is class though.

afgavinstan

Damn I'm only going about country parks and trails on my MTB. Govt sanctioned safe to ride areas, lol. I live near Chatelherault Country Park and all its back roads and trails connect Hamilton (where I live) and Larkhall (where I used to live). It's about an hour to larky and back via these trails, nice and wide, decent elevation changes. That'll do me as my main route. Will try and get out and about more once I get a rack for the car.

regmcfly

Trying to maximise space in the house by putting stuff up in our unfloored loft space. Have never been up to it since we bought it 6 years ago. I've tried to get in today and it is a crappy sort of plastic covering over it. I have tried to turn the little dial to open it and it just feels completely jammed shut. (pic below)

Tried using a coin to get some leverage but could just feel little flecks of the plastic coming off. Any suggestions?

Roujin

Seems odd to have a latched loft door like that. Is it a door/ladder combo reg? If not and it's just a lift up one, you could always just break the latch.

poprock

Have you ever seen the movie [•REC], Reg?

The Daddy

Looks like the one at ours. Just opens normally. If it’s a relatively new build then it’s probably got some insulation on the other side of it (like a big block of polystyrene or something), which might have just weighed on the mechanism over time.

Maybe try a flat head screwdriver for some actual leverage.

regmcfly

Screwdriver is a good shout. There's nothing on it, I can jiggle the hatch plastic around fairly easily, just can't turn the fucking dial

regmcfly

Roujin wrote:

Seems odd to have a latched loft door like that. Is it a door/ladder combo reg? If not and it's just a lift up one, you could always just break the latch.

Yep, just a lift up one. Would rather not break as don't even know how to go about replacing but may have to.

MattyJ

poprock wrote:

Have you ever seen the movie [•REC], Reg?

Yeah Reg, don't open that (trap)door

MattyJ

afgavinstan wrote:

Damn I'm only going about country parks and trails on my MTB. Govt sanctioned safe to ride areas, lol. I live near Chatelherault Country Park and all its back roads and trails connect Hamilton (where I live) and Larkhall (where I used to live). It's about an hour to larky and back via these trails, nice and wide, decent elevation changes. That'll do me as my main route. Will try and get out and about more once I get a rack for the car.

I too now have a mountain bike and am slowly building up some confidence before I no doubt stack it going down a steep hill

Nina

Always do some brake checks in safe areas. First thing I always do when I get the bike out of the garage is a couple brake checks, both while walking the bike out and riding it out of the community lot.

And wear helmets.

I really want to cycle again (I only have my mtb here, but miss road cycling as well), but I'm just too scared to go into the park alone, there's mountain lions there and if they attack it's usually children or cyclists. No thank you. I did sign up for a group with the local bike shop, but the first ride was planned for the first week of lockdown. Hopefully that gets going soon.

It's nice to see you all discovering the joy of riding, puts a smile on my face. Hope Yoss is still using his Moov bike too.

poprock

Nina wrote:

Always do some brake checks in safe areas. First thing I always do when I get the bike out of the garage is a couple brake checks

Same with cars for me. Test the brakes before leaving my quiet street. Every time.

cockbeard

poprock wrote:

Have you ever seen the movie [•REC], Reg?

Hahaha

afgavinstan

Well here she is.

Brake pads on the back were pretty worn so I tried to swap them with the front using my limited tools and knowledge and I think I made it all worse so I've taken advantage of my nhs freebies by booking into halfords on Wednesday for a service. Needs a proper lube.

Not bad for £60, it'll do!

g.man

Interesting colour...

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