Announcement

**The Monk** · 06-04-2016, 12:11 PM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

The forks are bottoming out?

Did you put enough fork oil? My suggestion would be to dump this fork in the garbage and buy a stiff fork from some Hero MTB, which will fit. You will be much happier.

Is this the coneset type noise coming from the fork or the headtube? Bearings might be bust in the headtube, a common problem i faced in my Hero Jet.

No gel seat. HTFU

**rreneav1987** · 06-04-2016, 03:57 PM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Originally posted by theironhorse99 View Post

since months i was been planning to pick up a bike to start cycling again however the fear of not able to do it regularly never let the cash out of my pocket.
over a tea talk few days back a close friend suggested i take his bicycle which is not in use and i can just take it for free, keep and and use as i prefer..

got the cycle 2 days back.. did some basic DIY servicing myself and some outside.
the cycle i got is not a proper tarmac bike rather a Hero NEXT MTB as they state,, 18 gears , standard brakes model ( no disc).

Next 26T (18 Speed with Front Disc Brakes)| Hero Cycles|India's Largest Cycle Manufacturer

it has few issues and got most of them fixed now.
rims had slight bend/play (front and back).
seat height was not working for me.
handlebar was set at diffrent angle
front tyre is stock knobby ones and rear changed by him to a skinny tyre.
front suspension due to no use became hard and
rear suspension had to be set to my weight.

what all i did until now.
got the gears, chain serviced and they work well now and not getting stuck like before.
chain cleaned lubed.
both rims bent fixed.
move the knobby tyre to rear and skinny one to front.
oil topped up in front suspension
rear one set to my weight and no longer is bouncy even on a flat road.

some man hours and 350 bucks later its rideable now. however one peculiar issue is concerning me.
Front suspension after oil change works well however when it crosses a bump it makes a loud thud noise. there is no oil leakage however i believe that the fork springs are done. Also there is play in the forks. just like we get when the coneset life is over.

can we get just the fork springs seperately and replace ?
or can i replace the complete front suspension setup ?
can it be upgraded.

saddle seems like bench to me now. spoilt by motorcycles.
can i get a softer seat ?
or a gel seat kind of seat cover will do ?

i will continue cycling on this one for atleast a few months before i move to a better road bike as i will never to trails or mountains.
Please help me out on what further can be checked or fixed on this. i will post pics shortly.

got the helmet along with it for safety.
will start adding other gear too

thank you all. am a biking noob and only riding after 8th standard now.

I am new to the cycling world riding a bicycle after 11 years.. I am a total noob as well

I was in the same dilemma as you whether to buy a bicycle or not. whether I will use it regularly and is it worth spending money on buying a bicycle or not.. I know I was a lazy @$$.. I used to go to the Gym and I started playing Badminton everyday.. this seemed to be the best opportunity for me to buy a bicycle so I got permission from dad and started looking out for bicycles.. finally settle with Kross Impel Hybrid 26.. Initially I was thinking whether my decision on buying a bicycle without front suspension was wrong.. but then I don't regret it.. A Rigid fork is definitely the best like what [MENTION=38603]The Monk[/MENTION] has mentioned..

Regarding the hard seat! My ZMR has spoiled me..

coming from a Comfy saddle to a hard seat.. Boy, my first couple of days were saddle sore'd in few minutes and I could hardly ride 5 kms in 45 mins.. that is when I started looking out for Gel seat covers.. One of my colleague also bought a bicycle recently and he purchased the Gel Seat cover for this bicycle.. got some feedback from him and he suggested against them as they show no effect..

On the other hand, I started researching and got a lot of good feedback on the bicycle shorts.. Yes, those tight shorts which I felt looked horrible before had come to my rescue.. I went to a nearby Decathlon and got myself a riding shorts and boy, It was so damn comfortable.. the pads made sure my saddle is comfortable..

Now, I can ride 13 kms in 30 mins and can keep riding for 1hr constantly.. I am planning to order a pair of bib short from AliExpress next time

Yes, here is a pic of my bicycle

**theironhorse99** · 06-06-2016, 07:44 PM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Originally posted by The Monk View Post

The forks are bottoming out?

Did you put enough fork oil? My suggestion would be to dump this fork in the garbage and buy a stiff fork from some Hero MTB, which will fit. You will be much happier.

Is this the coneset type noise coming from the fork or the headtube? Bearings might be bust in the headtube, a common problem i faced in my Hero Jet.

No gel seat. HTFU

thank you for the approval Mod.
yes fork oil was added to the forks. the noise is from the fork and not the headtube. i was also on same line to dump this fork set and get a new one rigid or new front.
also the rear was pretty loose so if i paddle hard it used to go up and down and was very funny. its set to hard now and much better.

as suggested i will go for new forks from Hero. will visit hero shop shortly.

Originally posted by rreneav1987 View Post

I am new to the cycling world riding a bicycle after 11 years.. I am a total noob as well

I was in the same dilemma as you whether to buy a bicycle or not. whether I will use it regularly and is it worth spending money on buying a bicycle or not.. I know I was a lazy @$$.. I used to go to the Gym and I started playing Badminton everyday.. this seemed to be the best opportunity for me to buy a bicycle so I got permission from dad and started looking out for bicycles.. finally settle with Kross Impel Hybrid 26.. Initially I was thinking whether my decision on buying a bicycle without front suspension was wrong.. but then I don't regret it.. A Rigid fork is definitely the best like what @The Monk has mentioned..

Regarding the hard seat! My ZMR has spoiled me..

coming from a Comfy saddle to a hard seat.. Boy, my first couple of days were saddle sore'd in few minutes and I could hardly ride 5 kms in 45 mins.. that is when I started looking out for Gel seat covers.. One of my colleague also bought a bicycle recently and he purchased the Gel Seat cover for this bicycle.. got some feedback from him and he suggested against them as they show no effect..

On the other hand, I started researching and got a lot of good feedback on the bicycle shorts.. Yes, those tight shorts which I felt looked horrible before had come to my rescue.. I went to a nearby Decathlon and got myself a riding shorts and boy, It was so damn comfortable.. the pads made sure my saddle is comfortable..

Now, I can ride 13 kms in 30 mins and can keep riding for 1hr constantly.. I am planning to order a pair of bib short from AliExpress next time

Yes, here is a pic of my bicycle

thank you for the insight on the gel covers. i will not go that route.
i will get cycling shorts as suggested. first few days were horrible for me.
i managed to do 14 km yesterday in 1 hour

will push harder slowly and meanwhile will also work on making the current bicycle better.

i will definitely go for strictly hard tail when i buy the new cycle. the suspension eats off a lot of my energy.
i will post pics of the ride soon and thank you for helping me out on this one.

**theironhorse99** · 06-07-2016, 09:42 PM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

spoke to hero dealer today. getting the front fork changed to either better ones else rigid forks.
one tyre was changed however rear still old knobby tyres. losing air pressure.

will change rear tyre too to thinner road profile tyre whatever will suit fine to the rim.
it will also be easier to ride then.

rear suspension to hard to imitate similar to a hardtail. much better now.

**Kaushik Iyer** · 06-08-2016, 12:42 AM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Well its not a surprise the way you guys are starting out.... Buying mtb and then slowly trying to make it more road-worthy. Hehehehe that's how most start off. 👍. Anyway for riding on roads rigid forks are best. I know saddle sore will be a problem initially but do yourselves some favour and get a pair of good shorts or bibs. When I say good I mean atleast Btwin n not Chinese stuff,and ditch the gel nonsense.

**Divya Sharan** · 06-08-2016, 08:23 AM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Originally posted by Kaushik Iyer View Post

I know saddle sore will be a problem initially but do yourselves some favour and get a pair of good shorts or bibs.

Do you guys go commando under bibs?
If no, then doesn't the clothing under tight shorts cause chafing?
Also, how does one attend nature's call?

**rreneav1987** · 06-08-2016, 10:26 AM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Originally posted by Kaushik Iyer View Post

Well its not a surprise the way you guys are starting out.... Buying mtb and then slowly trying to make it more road-worthy. Hehehehe that's how most start off. 👍. Anyway for riding on roads rigid forks are best.

haha.. I was initially planning for a MTB, but later confronted to myself that I am not anyways gonna do off-road.. so I chose to go for a Hybrid.. Road cycle is something I cannot afford at the moment.. I find the Rigid forks doing better than with shocks

Originally posted by Kaushik Iyer View Post

I know saddle sore will be a problem initially but do yourselves some favour and get a pair of good shorts or bibs. When I say good I mean atleast Btwin n not Chinese stuff,and ditch the gel nonsense.

That is exactly what I did

I bought myself a pair of BTwin shorts for ~1000/- and it is doing wonders

I have an event coming up this Saturday.. close to 60kms ride and I hope the shorts serve me well

**The Monk** · 06-08-2016, 11:06 AM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Kaushik

The TS didn't BUY the MTB. He got it for free and is trying to make it as road friendly till such time where he can buy a better bike. With the resources at hand he has gone down the correct path, tyres, stiffen the hell out of the rear suspension. Change front fork to rigid.

When he starts building some leg strength, the pedals will break or get wonked. The spokes will break every other day. The brakes will fail every other day. And life on the saddle will seem so darn terrible, that he will either buy a better bike or stop cycling altogether!

**Kaushik Iyer** · 06-08-2016, 05:19 PM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Guys my comment was not make fun or offend anyone... it was only a pointing out a joke well known within the cycling community.

On the shorts front - Going commando is the only way to go in cycling shorts/bibs. For Bibs while it looks like a task for attending nature's call it's really not - if "IF" you've the correct size since the abdomen area of the Bib is quite stretchable. it's a big "IF" coz wrong size bibs will be a lot tighter and may not comfortably stretch. I can say this confidently because I use only Bibs & while it may not be as convenient as shorts for dressing/undressing but comfort level and warmth offered is far ahead.

The next thing to later look out is thickness of the bib-pad. you'll need to buy & tryout a few before really knowing what your balls & butt love. For longer rides initially it's best to rub a bit of Chamois-cream around the crotch. Now "Longer" is relative term here, and a more economical alternative to terribly expensive chamois creams are Vaseline Petroleum Jelly or Coca Butter Cream.

Also to make it both a more comforting & hygienic it's best to trim/clean off the entire crotch+butt hair. I know talking about this might sound disgusting & deeply personal but it changes the whole experience of cycling. Bunch of Hair acts as a storage for sweat & bacteria and it also acts as a sandpaper against the skin due to constant movement, A smooth(no hair) crotch changes the whole long ride scenario when coupled with a good pair of shorts.

**theironhorse99** · 06-09-2016, 12:01 AM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Originally posted by Kaushik Iyer View Post

Well its not a surprise the way you guys are starting out.... Buying mtb and then slowly trying to make it more road-worthy. Hehehehe that's how most start off. ��. Anyway for riding on roads rigid forks are best. I know saddle sore will be a problem initially but do yourselves some favour and get a pair of good shorts or bibs. When I say good I mean atleast Btwin n not Chinese stuff,and ditch the gel nonsense.

as stated. got for free and trying to get into habit before i graduate to something better.....

Originally posted by The Monk View Post

Kaushik

The TS didn't BUY the MTB. He got it for free and is trying to make it as road friendly till such time where he can buy a better bike. With the resources at hand he has gone down the correct path, tyres, stiffen the hell out of the rear suspension. Change front fork to rigid.

When he starts building some leg strength, the pedals will break or get wonked. The spokes will break every other day. The brakes will fail every other day. And life on the saddle will seem so darn terrible, that he will either buy a better bike or stop cycling altogether!

thank you sir.... yeah slowly working my way out to make it as rider friendly as i can.. 1 thing is for sure decided now. NO MTB ever ...
building my stamina and strength slowly...
also joined cyclops to keep a check on good deals.

i started after a gap of a decade or more. i must be honest the first few pedals everyday make me think twice if i really want to do this. but hell yeah i am pushing my self.
cycling will not stop for sure but i will definitely upgrade to better one and continue riding....

this is the benefit of amazing community. had people not helped me and guided i would have kept the rear to soft. never gone for rigid and would have given up in first few days itself.

7-8 days now and i am averaging out at 8-10 km per day on a mtb.
sweating like hell and getting drained out... but thats the fun... good way i am sure i would have lost a kg atleast...

**ecenandu** · 06-09-2016, 12:16 AM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Originally posted by theironhorse99 View Post

7-8 days now and i am averaging out at 8-10 km per day on a mtb.
sweating like hell and getting drained out... but thats the fun... good way i am sure i would have lost a kg atleast...

Keep it rolling, you will get better with more miles you clock. 8 - 10 Km is pretty decent mileage to start of.

If losing weight is the main motive, then you should control your diet as well, cycling alone won't suffice.

Originally posted by Kaushik Iyer View Post

Buying mtb and then slowly trying to make it more road-worthy. Hehehehe that's how most start off. ��.

Yes, I can second that. I started with a MTB, but only thing is, I didn't make it any more road-worthy. Other than locking the front suspension and pumping a lot more air.

Ultimately, you should have the stamina to maintain the higher pace offered by the machinery (Roadie>Hybrid>MTB).

**dnewguy** · 06-09-2016, 12:56 PM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Hi all

Good going ironhorse99.
keep pedaling.

I have to admit reading all this bicycle stuff has re-ignited the cyclist in me.
I shifted to an appartment on third floor with no elevator and narrow staircase which killed my daily cycling.
I own a Firefox Dart 2.6 and due to fear of thieves i keep my cycle in the room, and it kills me everytime i have to climb down/up with not so light firefox.

I now think may be i should have bought one of those which we can easily dismantle/assemble.

I happened to visit a triathlon in gurgaon last year which really inspired me to build my physical endurance and skills so i can also participate soon.
Right now i am busy working on my swimming.
A time will come for cycling too.

I am also new to cycling as a sport. So do you think that i should upgrade now ?
Or should i keep working on my endurance on my Firefox. ( its got only 6 speed with gear changes only on my right hand and rubber brakes, i see the current dart2.6 comes with disc brakes)

@ ironhorse99
sorry for posting my query here.
Thought its too early to start a new thread.
I havn't even serviced my cycle since the winters.

Cheers

**The Monk** · 06-09-2016, 01:01 PM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Originally posted by dnewguy View Post

Hi all

Good going ironhorse99.
keep pedaling.

I have to admit reading all this bicycle stuff has re-ignited the cyclist in me.
I shifted to an appartment on third floor with no elevator and narrow staircase which killed my daily cycling.

Cheers

I live on the fourth floor with no lift. Earlier lived on the fifth floor with no lift. Carried my bike up and down every time. When female friends decided to go for a ride with me, then carried two bikes up and down four and five floors. Don't make excuses, get up and ride

I remember you rode down all the way from north delhi to the dhaba a couple of years back. Jump start it again man

Don't upgrade, the FF is good enough for your current purposes. First rack up the miles on this before you bother spending money on upgrading.

**dnewguy** · 06-09-2016, 01:22 PM

Re: Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Originally posted by The Monk View Post

I live on the fourth floor with no lift. Earlier lived on the fifth floor with no lift. Carried my bike up and down every time. When female friends decided to go for a ride with me, then carried two bikes up and down four and five floors. Don't make excuses, get up and ride

I remember you rode down all the way from north delhi to the dhaba a couple of years back. Jump start it again man

Don't upgrade, the FF is good enough for your current purposes. First rack up the miles on this before you bother spending money on upgrading.

Got it.
I gotta seek out female riders

Heheheh.

Thanks for the morale boost. I will surely service my cycle today.
Do you think adding an odometer would help?

Also i don't have the suitable bibs/shorts/helmet yet.
Is decathlon the right place or any cycle store would provide quality gears?

i like the quality of the shimano gears on my cycle more than the ones on my friends recently bought Btwin (~Rs 15,000) which misses everytime i reach maximum pedaling speed ?!

I will post the pics of my serviced Firefox soon and ask for further necessary mods.

Cheers.

Announcement

Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Started pedaling... need help over bicycle suspension repair.

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment