Category: Service

servicing plastic pedals vp 536 clones 15

How to service & maintain cheap plastic pedals

Not all cheap, plastic bike parts are junk: at lots of bike forums, people automatically think plastic pedals are non-serviceable and junk. Funny thing is, there seems to be a general consensus on this, and nobody cared to take apart such a pedal! Most plastic pedals I know of is quite serviceable, and long lived. I bought VP Components VP-536 clone for $12 or less about 2 years ago, and they performed admirably. After 2000 kilometers of heavy use and abuse, I have zero complaints about them. They are not the smoothest running pedals I know, probably due to tiny ball bearings, but they are my go to pedals. Ok, now lets take them apart, clean, relube and inspect! We don’t need too much tools: a 12mm socket, a 14 one, 17 spanner, few qtips, and of course, a trusty… Continue Reading How to service & maintain cheap plastic pedals

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FSA SL Alloy ACB Bearing Headsets

What causes fork shake and how to fix it ?

A bicycle fork is an often overlooked item, but it really makes up a bike. Believe it or not, even a rigid fork makes a bike softer, “compliant”, or has a significant effect on how it steers. It changes your bike’s overall character more than the frame itself. I’m surprised to see most people talking a lot about frames, which generally doesn’t matter, but either get the cheapest fork they can get, or don’t think about it much. Why forks matter – know your fork Forks also can be dangerous. I’d worry less about my chipped carbon frame then the carbon fork. If the fork cracks, game over. With a cracked frame, you still have a small chance. And unlike forks, frames do not crack (generally at least) without prior signals. It’s harder to figure out fork problems because it’s… Continue Reading What causes fork shake and how to fix it ?

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