Hello,
I noticed at the end of the summer season that my back tire was hanging on to dear life. I want to get ready in advance for spring and couldnt find a bikeshop open during the winter season.
So this leads me to have to fix it on my own. Little issue i have is, i dont have the quick release tool to remove my wheels(bought the bike used). So i need to buy new tires(can i keep using the existing innertubes?) and the quick release bit(or a new one all together think its called rear hub or axle not sure). Also maybe thats a nice to have but think its time for me to fix my brake hoods(do i need to buy a new set of brakes or its possible to buy just the hoods?).
Could someone help me figure this out? Im in canada if it makes any difference. Whats the best website I should use to purchase my bike parts? I barely have any bicycle tools(except for like a 3 way hex of diff sizes), are there any i need to buy to do my fixes? I want to stop relying on the bikeshops for repairs and dont mind spending a bit to have a nice setup.
Thank you very much
by SurrenderAtTwenty
1 Comment
Hey friend, let’s break this down into parts.
Tools: For basic maintenance and adjustment, I would have a set of metric hex wrenches. Ideally from 2mm-8 or 10mm and a nice Phillips head screwdriver. That will allow you to take apart most things for service, and adjust brakes and derailleurs etc.
R. Wheel: to get those wheels off, it looks like it’s likely just a 5 or 6mm hex, the ones I’ve worked with in the past were usually 5’s. If you wanted to replace them they’re often called QR Skewers. If memory serves, road spacing is 100mm in the front and 130mm in the rear. They’re often sold as sets, just make sure you don’t order one for a mtb or fatbike as those spacing are different.
You can reuse your tubes if you’re looking to save a few dollars, but generally I recommend replacing them when you’re doing the tire and keeping the old ones as spares.
Tubes come in a lot of shapes and sizes, they have a diameter measurement (yours is 700c) and a width range. Your existing tires are 28c’s so you’ll be looking for tubes that are, for example, 25-32c.
As for the hoods, I can’t quite tell what kind of brakes those are, but I’m sure if you look up the brand/model you may find something if they’re a bigger brand like SRAM/Shimano. Depending on the brakes it may end up just being cheaper to replace them. Having the new cables and housing that new brakes come with may be nice for the next season.
Lastly, I haven’t ordered many parts online outside of cheap things off amazon, as I have a great LBS where I’m at. Hopefully someone else in the comments can help out there. Best of luck!