DO THIS! Before you buy a new bike! YOUR BIKE is GOOD ENOUGH for who it's for 😜 Easy Bike Tuneup 🚲🔧

[@schrodingerthecat]

Watching a bike farmer video makes the day way more better hey.

[@t1murik]

This year i decided to sell my all cool carbon bikes,because i ve become tired of always repairing them or upgrading only in mechanics shops and not by myself and all this becuase of the fact that every part or special methods of tune ups need a special tool,which i basically dont want to buy specified for every little part of carbon reality. After selling out everything,i got from my friend one old back from 2006 mtb and decide to clean it,upgrade it for my needs for traveling more and more bulletproof style . So now i am satisfied that i am not afraid that i get a crack or basic scrathches on my frame and get punctured a very expensive tyre . No i ride how i love and when i want. Old school rules!

[@escgoogle3865]

Keep it stupid simple for daily drivers and most adventure bikes. Full disclosure i have one sunny day race bike and ride it ~500 miles a year.

[@bobwilliamson5574]

Exactly I think what I've done 👍

[@Burger1097]

I buy the 15 year old super bike for $400, which is easy and cheap to work on and plenty of bike for fast group rides. Most of the bikes in these groups are $4k and up.

[@MarshWaha]

This is why I prefer steel or aluminum bikes, their recyclable they don’t get cracks, on top of that with steel, especially if something breaks you can usually wall it right back on, and it’ll hold forever.

[@mattgies]

@@MarshWaha Metal bikes absolutely do get cracks. Buyer beware with old ones. Always examine thoroughly.

[@ekims_echoes]

Nice. I really appreciate telling people it's okay to just fix up and ride old bikes - even those that come from department stores. I've gotten plenty back on the road myself, but I love what you do to oil the cables and housing. I saw you do it in another video too and I'd never thought to loosen everything like that. I love that it all just pops back in to place.

[@grumpy9478]

one of your best yet... teaching in detail, the why's & how's, on an out-of-tune bike in good condition. valuable insights for keeping in-maintenance (cheap!) rather than constant repair (not cheap!). you might've turned any poverty stricken bike-ride'n citizen into a novice bike mechanic. {I'm trying out optimism in our self-devouring phase of civilization}

[@misterhaan]

a lot of this was explained very similarly to how i explain it to my kids when we volunteer refurbishing bikes at the bike charity. i like that tip about pressing the valve stem against the side of the hole -- i usually press in radially through the tire but i'll try your way next time . . . which is probably going to be tonight!

[@dancurran8977]

I bought Tri-Flow because of the Bike Farmer's recommendation. It works great for me. I also found that it quiets squeaky garage door panels.

[@6479rob]

I don’t know why but the Tri-Flow acts and even smells like the old slick-50 of years ago, isn’t it funny how slick-50 was only $4-5 a bottle not expensive like Tri-Flow is ?

[@ShapezPuller64]

How 'ago' is "years ago" in this case? Lots to factor in there

[@JoeyMills-y3v]

There's a lot of products perform similar to Tri-Flow or other bike oils that are far cheaper. That why most mechanics I know who also cycle just use stuff they get free from work. But Tri-Flow has that handy applicator straw, is a reliable brand, & it's not like you use much anyway. So you wouldn't save over $20 a year anyway even if it was free.

[@6479rob]

@ I was thinking about what you said we all know Andy uses non bike cleaners on bikes so he should never get upset when we discuss other cleaners or lubes.

[@JoeyMills-y3v]

@@6479rob Plain old multigrade engine oil is really good. 5W-30, 5W-20, 10W-30, all extremely effective lubricants. One-Step is basically just WD40 with a bit of teflon or graphite or similar added, there are literally 100s of alternatives available cheaper. Own brand stuff for example from Walmart or whoever. All these oils come from the same refineries, they're made in bulk. The bike specific ones are just the same, but put in a fancy bottle, maybe with some colourant or perfume added, then sold at a huge mark-up.

[@ClintDowd]

I've been watching and doing long enough to do this blindfolded but imma still watch a good how-to from the bike farmer. Thanks.

[@ShapezPuller64]

Appreciate that you took the extra time in this one and explained the 'why' beyond the straightforward 'how' - it's genuinely rare! Over the years I've come to appreciate that context is what makes information stick in my brain so earnestly, thanks. Barrel adjusters ARE a conceptual tongue twister to lay out simply 😄

[@WitchesPuzzle]

Ironically, a friend just gifted me this exact bike, and it has, as this one did, sat in a garage and collected dust. This video was literally right place, right time, and exact bike. Thank you, Andy Q. Now, I want to learn how to retape a set of road bars for a bike I acquired from the same friend. Massive Hint! 😊 I would rather watch a Bike Farmer video for that.

[@jimoshaughnessy2272]

Like when you go back to basics occasionally. Great reminders and I pick up something every time. I might actually understand barrel adjusters now, maybe! :)

[@markmeador]

I just found your channel a few days ago. You have already showed me many things I can do myself. I found a Fuji Crosstown at a pawn shop for $75 and it was in pretty good shape but needed a tune up because of neglect. I took it to a bicycle shop and when I got it back it shifted great but a week later it was hard to shift and the brakes didn’t stop very well. You have given me confidence to fix it myself. Thank you.

[@artistlovepeace]

Thank you for recording and sharing your work. It's very inspiring to get me to fix that old bike in the garage.

[@donkeyavenger]

Thanks for what you do! I always enjoy watching tune ups since it's oddly relaxing 😂 I have a newer bike with mechanical GRX and recently had people on a group ride ask me if it's Di2 since it was shifting so smoothly. I spent a couple of days watching videos on how to adjust things and went for it and am glad I learned to do my own service since it's been a much better ride than what I left the LBS with

[@markymarknj]

Thanks to your videos, I'm doing more bike maintenance myself. My LBS is only open four days a week and the owner will be retiring in the next few years, so necessity plays a role here. One, if I have an issue with the bike and it'll be a couple of days before the LBS is open again, I can resolve it myself right now. Secondly, the next closest bike shop is about 15 minutes away, so I won't be able to go for every little thing when my LBS closes. Three, I can set up my bikes EXACTLY how I like 'em!

[@tonywmckinney]

I enjoy watching your vids. This video was super-helpful. The angles on some of your shots like undoing the linear breaks or adjusting the front derailleur were great. I'm excited to get my bike up on the stand and tune it up!

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks hey! Excellent feedback!

[@teacherguy5084]

When I grow up, I wanna be a rocket surgeon!! Thanks for the tips. I'm bookmarking this for future reference.

[@richardchaney6990]

This is one of the best videos yet! Learning so much! Thank you Bike Farmer! …….Key West Rick

[@williammrdeza9445]

Thanks Andy. Another satisfying tune up.

[@DarrenSaw]

Thanks

[@nalissa77]

Thanks for that, I like the slower speed you explained everything. I'm not a big tinkerer but now I want try and service my own bike.

[@lawrenceokane1678]

“Lawyer’s Lips” retain the wheel when the QR lever is open.

[@davidburgess741]

There is nothing more frustrating in cycling than fixing a flat and having another one you missed! I always turn the tire inside out after checking the tread. After fixing an obvious leak, I inflate the tube a bit more, I look again for more punctures. Sometimes tiny punctures go unnoticed until the tube stretches a bit more. Latex! Good luck!

[@markymarknj]

I like your mantra about the bike being good enough for who it's for, which is why I had my LBS refurbish mine back in spring when I got back into biking. Plus, he had a couple of nice used ones that I also bought from him, and I had my LBS refurbish those as well. For less than what a carbon fiber bike costs, I have four bikes (two MTBs set up as ATBs and two vintage road bikes) that are good enough for who they're for-me, someone who rides for fitness and fun. It's not that I don't appreciate modern bikes and the technological marvels that they are; it's that they're too much bike for me. A $5K or $10K bike is fine for a high level amateur or professional racer, but it's too much bike for someone who just rides for fun and fitness. A vintage road bike or a Y2K vintage hybrid, comfort bike, or MTB is all that 95% of riders need. They're good enough for who they're for.

[@sagehiker]

Thanks for shout out to your neighborhood taco shop, finally (grins so we know it is a real thing. My favorite ride is five blocks down to mine. Those old bikes may be our next ride we need for the apocalyse. This is great intro video for those who normally don't do their own.

[@timking2822]

Excellent video. Old bikes after a little work can be so much fun.

[@BearZA_91]

I also hate crooked valve stems, drives me insane. I took a wheel for truing and dishing to a local bike shop a few weeks ago, got it back with a skew stem... and a missing valve cap. I like my valves capped, I took in in capped and got it back with no cap. I'm learning so I can just do everything myself.

[@leanid2380]

Dealiebobber (n.): One functioning part of a larger Gizmo. Comparable to the more general-purpose Thingamajig and Whatchamacallit.

[@jeffreycrow9326]

You are about a month late, i got a new bike. But now I have 2!!! I am ecstatic! my wife however, not so much.

[@cayr7745]

Thanks!

[@bkefrmr]

Excellent!! Thanks so much!

[@ButterflyMatt]

Muchos tacos! ¡Qué generoso!

[@kmancrx]

Watching people wrench on bikes...🍻

[@DarrenSaw]

Great video, instructional and entertaining!

[@brianjoyce2731]

Oh, I really wanted to see a test ride.

[@ReaperCH90]

This was very useful. I do know some things, but you pointing out every step helped me out a oot and gave me some ideas of things I could do to my road bike I bought used.

[@ironmikeradio7342]

Nice work as usual 🚲

[@MNpicker]

This is awesome!! I actually have a Schwinn on the stand as well.. Mine is an SX 2000 aluminum.... loose chainring..They are good bikes.. around here..they are definitely good enough for who it's for 👍🏻✌️

[@dougcroxford4038]

I’ve bought five 90’s bikes since I started watching your videos, so thanks? I can’t let some of them pass for what I paid for them…a disc brake Trek for $50, a Gary Fisher ladies bike for $40, a GT ladies 700c bike for $20? The last one is in nice shape but has a pair of MINT 8 speed LX shifter/brake levers on it and I might just part it out. I’ll have a fleet of bikes ready for spring…have to stay busy over the winter with something!

[@stevecornford8097]

Thank you so much great vid on how to just fix it and get going. so much fun.

[@shaunbrowne3963]

This is an excellent idea, repurposing a bike that has been ‘left behind.’ As you correctly said, the bike you have already is good enough. Due to having dementia, I have had to transitioned to an adult tricycle. I’m hunting for a good used one in my local area. I’m assuming that many of the ideas about your video will easily transfer to any trike I can purchase.

[@RodMesa-e2t]

I picked up a real beater. a '94 Trek 800, and have been going through it following your methods. It was incredibly filthy, especially the drive train, so I've cleaned it, but didn't improve its looks one bit. New brake cables. Cantilevers, ugh. I tried rebuilding the worn pedals, but one side was missing all the outer bearings. Replaced them with cheap-o plastic flat pedals. In purple. Replaced the foam rubber handlebar grips with some cheap-o screw-set types in matching purple. Why not? This bike is so fugly, nobody is going to ever steal it. Can you say Rat Bike? On to the shifter cables and the bottom bracket. Yeah, that's out of logical order, but so what? I'll do the next bike in the proper order. This one is just for learning my way around.

[@FISHALLDAY-d9d]

Do you ever treat your used / older bike tires? My local bike shop told me that he treats all his used bike tires by spraying them down with Armor All (or cheap equivalent), lets it sit for about 5 minutes and then wipes it down. It apparently makes the tires look new and remoisturizes / protects the tires from future cracks.

[@bkefrmr]

I don’t, but I could!

[@6479rob]

Can you show some ways or products to use to clean the chain and cassette? The park tool cleaner seems a little expensive maybe you recommend it I am not sure ?

[@PhyllisBoone-sn8oi]

I'm notcsure you remember, but a few months back I wrote to you about how I was having trouble with an underbar mount SLX front derailleur shifter being to stiff for me to shift from the 34 to 50 tooth chainring. The derailleur is a Shimano 105. The rear derailleur is SLX on my recumbent trike. Both were stock with SLX shifters. After 3 years of various adjustments on the front shifter and derailleur without a good resolution, I found a flat bar 105 shifter, had it installed, and viola! Problem solved. I put about 1200 happy miles on the trike since using all gears. I appreciate your input on the problem and I also want to let you know how I was able to resolve it.

[@bramsanjanssan4908]

I did like it. I have a project bike, I bought 11 years ago for my commute and general transportation, on which like 5 years ago, with the help of my uncle, I already performed some of these steps because heavy use on sandy wet roads just eats away at it. Now I ride a Bullitt, which I love, but I'm going to fix up the other one. It's a light weight ,at the time "relatively cheap", cyclocross type frame. Prices really skyrocketed in 10 years time. I would pay more than double for it now.

[@rickthatch3556]

Love the title!

[@6479rob]

This was a really great video because you used a screw driver for 85% of what you fixed a common guy could afford a hand pump. Unless you know of some generic wheel stand that isn’t expensive I don’t see too many people buying a true stand. It’s cheaper to pay the bike shop dude on a wheel true. Even though your on the bike adjustment was excellent.

[@jeffandersen6233]

A really nice tutorial on the basics,

[@Chrisb8s]

Good stuff. Nice tips

[@tmn32001]

Thanks for all the videos - you're full of knowledge and ideas about bringing an older/vintage bike back to life. If you don't mind a question, I recently bought a 1982 Trek 610. The frame has been repainted and in great shape. Any suggestions for a reasonably-priced triple crankset that is compatible with the existing Shimano 105 triple front and rear derailers? The bike has a 7-speed (assumed to be) free wheel - i have not checked for certain. Thanks!

[@brucejanson2849]

One of your better vids..

[@bkefrmr]

Thank you!

[@lucafwn]

Great video. I really hope that the "Make your bike great again" line doesn't start another poopstorm, it would be a shame.

[@ggr9566]

Excellent commentary/explanations. Thanks.

[@sveablu]

Great video.

[@HFVidShotz]

Excellent!! Appreciate you!!

[@bkefrmr]

Preesh!

[@ziptiefighter]

It's good enough. It's smart enough. And dog goneit, people like it. -Stuart Smalley

[@ianbrade7754]

My friend Arthur used to call those safety catchers at the front fork tips, "lawyer tabs"

[@billincolumbia]

I'd call the noodle thingy a yoke. But I see that someone else called it a stirrup, and I think that's OK too.

[@alanprice7584]

The rest is " why stand when you can sit, why sit when you can lie down, why lie down when you can sleep 😂

[@mattgies]

My grandpa's version was "Never run when you can walk; never walk when you can stand, and never stand when you can sit."

[@lilpoindexter]

i just got my 2013 fuji absolute 1.4 tuned up at my local bike shop for $150....i think they trued up the spokes and the rear derailleur was adjusted nicely, but i feel a looseness in the stem that i dont remember if it was there before. i just don't feel like doing it myself

[@catherinekoch3735]

That looks like the bike I bought for my son at Goodwill for $50. The one he had was a higher quality was stolen out of his garage. It needed new tires, tubes and runs otherwise was mostly good. We had never changed a tire before. This video here would have given he some good tips on how to do it easier, great video! He actually likes the ride on the $50 bike better because it's the xl frame he really needed and the more angled bars for street bikes

[@r0ns0n0l]

this bike wouldnt be available to buy for less than 500 dollars here around my Town in Germany :/ and if there finally is one for sale, its usally sold within 2 days.. thats why i started checking the bike market every day ^^ Best regards

[@91LX50Mike]

Excellent video….

[@Joe-lg3xw]

Thanks for another great video .is that left brake lever bent😮

[@rayc4543]

I have 17, 500 kms (10.900 miles ) on my current steed a 2018 GT Virage, how long can I reasonably expect it to last at my current rate of riding ?

[@4epatterson]

Awesome learning experience😊

[@romanmentor9238]

Do you lube thumb shifters? I've noticed after I put some chain lube on it,it starts to downshift on itself as if not holding cable tension.Maybe it shouldn't be lubed at all?

[@chrissy24-7]

I would like to get one of those attachments that you have on your lube bottle that allows you to precisely place the lube... What would I shop for? 🚲❤

[@bkefrmr]

They come with the bottles

[@maribellebron8609]

Good job!

[@stanleykowalsky]

I feel like I do well at this. Bought multiple quality name brand bikes over the years super cheap. Most just needed cleaned and tuned up. As a consequence, I ride a nice bike, my kid rides a nice bike, my brother rides a nice bike…. Etc. all because people don’t know basic bicycle maintenance or they want to sell the old stuff for the “latest and greatest”

[@RSHedgehog]

Another great instructional video. However, someone once said that a spoke wrench in the hands of an amateur is the most dangerous tool in the world - I have to admit that I always let my local bike shop check my wheels.

[@chahn27]

Super easy to true wheels. Just do it a little bit at a time, like 1/8 of a turn.

[@viperexpress305]

This is a family show ! Don't say noodle ! 😂👍🍺

[@ClintDowd]

How about a members' bikes video???? 😁 I know I can't be the only one that would like to show off a bike or 2....

[@buckman840]

Know it makes recording so much easier but with an at home diy projects i kinda struggle without a bike stand. Particularly the shifter / gear tuning and whats the best way sans bikestand. Hope your bike cabinets are cleaner than #47s.

[@picasticks]

Just get a bike stand! Even a crappy no-name 2-leg folding one like I have works fine and is only like $50. The legs fold up in 10 seconds and you can stash it in a corner or a closet. Trust me you will not regret it. The standard alternative (and for trailside fixes, your only choice) is to put the bike upside down on the seat and bars. But, then everything is opposite, the brake or shifter levers may be on the ground which makes them hard to squeeze, plus you're crawling on the floor to reach things like derailleur limit screws. Soooo much better to work at eye level

[@aricbergren6532]

My bike stand was originally bought at Aldi for like 30 bucks. It even holds my 80 lb ebike.

[@buckman840]

@aricbergren6532 how long ago was that? Haven't recalled seeing many bike items in the special buy aisle.

[@aricbergren6532]

@@buckman840 I got it second hand on facebook marketplace. Not sure when the guy bought it, but I guess they have had it for sale every once in a while.

[@chahn27]

I have repaired over 200 bikes without a bike stand. I use 2 ropes. One goes around the handlebar stem and the other goes between the seat tube and rear stay. One end of the rope attaches to a hook on the ceiling. The other end goes around the bike and up through a pulley that also hangs from the ceiling. The rope is secured by 2 half hitches. I can easily adjust the height of the bike. Super easy. I can lift the bike by pulling down on the rope after it passes through the pulley so you don’t even need to lift the bike. No need for a bake stand.

[@aricbergren6532]

Another great video. My project bike didn’t shift well and adjustments didn’t help, but, since I watch these videos and am therefore pretty much considered an expert in my field, I bought one of those park tool deraileur hanger straightener outer’ers and it went from being about 30 degrees out of wack to being dead on. It must’ve been hit hard. Its old. It was probably the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs a couple years before Epstein didn’t kill himself that did it in. Or maybe some kid didn’t like kickstands. One or the other.

[@6479rob]

After you do the Andy way of adjusting even brakes the any old way doesn’t do any more. Love the way these tweaks change a bike.

[@KeikenWow]

So many information here..best regards from indonesia..😁

[@joshriles84]

So glad I'm not the only one that says rocket surgery

[@Bol3D_Comics]

Everthing leads to schwin❤

[@craigpuetz7020]

I din't know deely-bobber is called either but according to Park Tool "The cable housing attaches to one arm at a linkage and “noodle.”" That wasn't a very satisfying name. Wikipedia was a little better, calling it a stirrup. I like that name better so that is what I will use from now on!

[@stephencooper5040]

I DO need a new bike because N+1, and presently N=0. This is the longest I have gone without a bicycle as an adult, and it's awful and I don't want to do it anymore.

[@PoserBallin]

classic bike farmer video

[@gajc89]

good and tight is not german XD BUT IT WAS FUNNY!!

[@siTTinLo]

Yay!! Perfect timing!

[@brothermaynard3759]

I think that brake part you couldn’t name is called “a-thing-a-mabob”.

[@wenttogloucester]

"Isn't rocket surgery ". It was worth watching to the end just for that!

[@chrispop99]

Do Schwinns always have the front brake lever on the left? Or is it an American thing? That would always make it tricky for me to ride.

[@picasticks]

American thing. Actually I think Continental too, only UK and maybe a few Commonwealth countries have got the moto layout. I think it makes sense, if you think about driving/riding on the left or right side of the road, it lets you drag your rear brake while signaling to traffic with your arm.

[@beardyface8492]

They generally get fitted according to which side of the road people drive or ride on in a given country. Were you to buy one new in the UK from a bike shop the cables would get swapped so the front brake was on the right (legal requirement for a fully assembled new bike here), though there's no requirement you keep it that way post delivery.

[@billincolumbia]

In the US, the front brake is on the left.

[@daneish96]

Checking in🙌

[@ButterflyMatt]

It must have been a not-quite-earnest-enough engineer who decided that PSI was the correct abbreviation for Pounds PER Square Inch. I am truly earnest when I say “that tire oughta have way more PPSI, hey.”

[@AHoundOnAHonda]

29:00 "Working on bikes isn't rocket surgery". What is rocket surgery, exactly? 🤔

[@jcampbell100]

Best 30:8 I ever spent.. Wish you were closer.

[@Meower68]

How often do you need to work on a bike with a rear / full suspension?

[@Randombourg]

Apparently they are called lawyer notches

[@aq7705]

That's the ultimate comfort bike...ride all day like you're floating. The seat post and the suspension are a cushion of air.

[@mikeh6286]

I don't want to sound like a smartass but anybody should hesitate before loosening spokes. If the wheel was built wrong then sure go ahead but sometimes it's the opposite side that has slackened. You don't want to end up with a slack spoke pair. Tap the spokes a bit and listen just to make sure.

[@chahn27]

I usually tighten one spoke and loosen the adjacent one the same amount. Maintains the overall tension on the wheel.

[@mikeh6286]

@chahn27 That's good when building a wheel. Might be good even when truing sometimes. But spokes on a well built wheel can't tighten by themselves, only loosen. So if a spoke pair has a tight spoke it's probably because the other spoke loosened or the rim is bent to cause a tight section. If you have a rim that's failing but is "rideable", you don't want to have a loose spoke section even if it means it'll be out of true a bit. Keep the tensions balanced people. Perfect trueness is secondary. Chasing true on a bent rim is useless because it won't last. It can remain rideable if you balance spoke tensions. It'll just look a bit funky.

[@aq7705]

How do you keep the boot on your noodle? Mine keeps slipping.

[@armchairwanderer1287]

👍😊🚲

[@justinb2824]

I never have issues with performing these tasks. Getting everything back the way it was and in the right place seems to be impossible for my brain though, so it has to be done by someone with the right mind for it.

[@HunterAtheist]

Taking before pictures or filming yourself can help with that.

[@ericsande5345]

Ha, you mentioned my Woody Charrelson comment! Enjoy your taco.

[@bkefrmr]

Nice! I’m gonna lie down for a while after I eat it sitting up.

[@kingcarcas1349]

i'm mad I didn't get to see that rant

[@wenttogloucester]

Yeah!

[@r0ns0n0l]

they think its gonna leak LOL :D

[@04658IFH]

If it fits, I sits.

[@cuadstar]

Hey, yo, work on a 20" BMX Bike. Preferably a freestyle version for your boi Julian from Brooklyn, NY. Gracias bike farmer, great work as usual you're doing there.