Introduction
This article is for:
- most bikes for everyday use. They probably have Shimano or Campagnolo components, or compatible;
- single, double or triple - the fixings are similar
- people who don't mind a possibly long and dirty job.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
PRECONDITIONS: You may need some strength and confidence to remove well bedded in components, and you may want to remove the chain before you start, to make access easier.
TIME: This fix may take 1 - 2 hours the first time you attempt it.
WARNING: If your old chain has also worn down your cassette, you will need to replace all three components - a much longer job.
DIFFICULTY: A dirty job, and chainring bolts can be stiff. STEPS
2. Remove chainrings, smallest first
1. Remove right crank arm
Not always necessary, depending on which chainring you want to replace, but all rings are easier to access once they are off the bike.
(see Remove cranks and bottom bracket article).
If you have 3 rings at the front, you may need to remove the smallest ring first to get access to the larger two.
- Use a chainring tool to hold the inner frame-side of the chainring nut still.
- Unscrew the chainring bolt from the outward-side using an allen key.
- Check the orientation4 of the ring with respect to the crank arm. Some chainrings have ridges or markers to align with the crank arm.
A chainring tool fits the slots in the nut perfectly,a large flat-bladed screwdriver sometimes work, but you may also give yourself or your bike a good scrape.
Reverse the process, by fitting the larger rings, then the smallest. Then put the crank arm back on the bike. Grease the thread of each bolt and use the chainring tool and allen key to get them tight.
Bike Fixer
Bike Fixer is a co-op of bikers and web designers.
"mc" grew up car-free in the countryside, and had to ride a bike from an early age - absolute magic! In later life, he survived London traffic and l'Etape du Tour.
Sources
The books below are tremendously helpful, but there is a lot of material to get through.
- Ballantine, R. and Grant, R. 1994, Richards Bicycle Repair Manual. Dorling Kindersley
- Downs, T. 2005, Bicycle Maintenance & Repair
- Haynes 2007, The Bike Book - Complete Cycle Maintenance
- Park 2008, BBB-2 Big Blue Book of Bike Repair, Park Tools
- Van der Plas, R., 2007, Bicycle Repair. Repair and Maintenance of the Modern Bicycle
Sponsorship
Top10bikefixes is going for gold with Velo Club de Trabail - "Chapeau" to past, present and future members.
If they knew how to fix their bikes, they would not keep the rest of the team waiting around!