The new biking season is almost upon us, and it's time to bring out your "wheels" and get them ready for the roads ahead.

Of course, you could just take it to the nearest bike shop and let them charge you $100.00 or more for what you could just as easily do yourself......

Wheels

We'll start with the hubs, since they're the easiest. You will need some special tools too, just like with your car, but not as expensive. For your wheels, you will need a pair of "cone wrenches". These are very thin wrenches made for working on the bearings. Tell your bike store what kind of hubs you have and he will sell you the correct size.

First, remove the wheel from the bike and unscrew the quick release nut, if it has one. Put one end of the axle in a vise, between two small pieces of wood, or you can use a wrench to hold one end while you loosen the other. Once you have the locknut and the cone removed from one end (leave the other end together, it will make adjustment easier), hold a small bowl or cup against the unscrewed end and turn the wheel on it's side and slide the axle out. The cup will catch any balls that fall out.

Dirty, aren't they? Use a water soluble degreaser (preferably an environmentaly-friendly one...) and an old toothbrush to clean them, as well as the bearing cups (inside each end of the hub), the cones and axle. Check the cones and cups for any wear. A smooth line is OK, but there should be no pits or rough spots. If there are, the cone or cup must be replaced. If the cup is bad, you will need a new hub, as they aren't removable. Get new balls at the same time, they have probably been ruined too.

Once you have everything cleaned and/or replaced, it's time to put it back together...

Pack the cup with grease. If you ride in the wet a lot, you might want to use a waterproof grease. I use boat trailer wheel bearing grease, which is designed to work even when totally submerged! Divide the balls into two even bunches and place them into the cups. The grease will hold them. Now slide the axle back into the hub and screw the cone onto the empty end until it's snug. Replace the washer and the locknut and using the cone wrench and a regular wrench, tighten them into each other, not into the bearings!! Try wiggling the axle, or the wheel if it's in a vice. There should be a no play (it shouldn't wiggle), and the axle should turn freely.

Special tools needed; if your crank has a "one-key" release, you can use the proper size hex key, if not, you will need a crank puller. Also, you will need bottom bracket wrenches. Again, tell your shop mechanic the brand/model and he'll get you the right ones.

Remove the cranks using the proper tools. This would be a good time to remove, clean, and lube the chain as well. Now to remove the bottom bracket. If it's a sealed cartridge type, use the lockring tool to remove the lockring and slide out the cartridge.

Using a thin knife carefully pry off the plastic seals from the bearings. Clean out the bearings with degreaser and a stiff brush, like an old toothbrush. Use a little water to rinse out the degreaser. Not too much, the bearing seals are not completely watertight, and you could get water in the cartrdge between the bearings. make sure you dry it off before you repack the bearings.

Using a grease injector (looks like a hypodermic), or your finger, pack the bearings with grease, waterproof if you ride in the rain, and snap on the seals. Slide the cartridge back into the frame, screw on the lockring and tighten.

If you have a traditional bottom bracket, Remove the cranks and, using the lockring spanner, loosen the lockring. Use the pin tool to remove the adjustable cup. The bearings are probably in a "cage" (holder), but they may not be. So put a bowl under the bottom bracket for them to fall into, if your not sure.

Clean everything, just like you did with the hubs, and check for any damaged surfaces. Use a flashlight and look through the bottom bracket hanger (the part of the frame that holds the B-B) to check the fixed cup. Do not remove the fixed cup, even if you have the tool to do so, unless it's damaged. If any of the bearing surfaces are damaged, replace the part and the balls. If you must replace the fixed cup, be sure that when you install the new one that you tighten it down tight!

Before you put everything back together, look carefully at the crank spindle (axle). Notice how far each end sticks out from the bearing "cone"? The end which sticks out farthest goes on the side that the gears go on, the right side. If you have loose balls, divide then into equal numbers and place them into the greased cups. If they are caged, slide the cage onto the axle, so that the open side of the cage is facing the [fixed] bearing cup. You can drop the other cage into the greased adjustable cup, "ball side" down, into the grease.

Slide the spindle into the frame (make sure the longer end is on the same side as the gears!), and screw on the adjustable cup until it's snug. Screw the lockring onto the adjustable cup and tighten it down. The spindle must turn freely without binding or play (wiggle). Make sure the lockring is on tight. Now brush off any gunk from the sprockets and cranks and tighten them back onto the crank spindles.

Pedals

Pedals come in two types as well. The old style, with cages and clips, are built much like your hubs. To service them, unscrew the cap covering the end, loosen the locknut and unscrew the cone. Remove the balls (caged or loose!), and slide the pedal body off. Clean everything and inspect. Replacement parts for pedals are rare. If the bearings are shot, don't be suprised if you find out you have to replace the entire pedal set.

Regrease the cups, replace the balls and slide the pedal body back on. Screw the cone onto the end, along with the washer and locknut. Adjust the nuts so the pedal turns without binding and doesn't wiggle.

Most clipless pedals are simpler, as you don't have to dissasemble the bearings. Unscrew the pedal from the crank (the left one screws off "backwards"!). Some pedals use a special tool (yes, another one :-3) ) to unscrew the bearing cartridge out of the pedal body. Others use a regular wrench. Wash the entire cartridge in solvent, wash it off and sgueeze in new grease. Screw the cartridge back into the pedal body and tighten it down. Now screw the pedal back onto the crank making sure it's tight also.

Headset

The headset contains the bearings that allow you to turn the bicycle. This is the most involved, so I saved it until last. Once again, some special tools may be needed, depending on what type and model of headset you have. Ask your mechanic for the right wrenches for yours, there are just too many different types to list them all here.

This is best done with your bike in a repair stand, but you could suspend your machine from the ceiling and work that way as well. Just don't suspend it by the handlebars, as they will be coming off.

If you have a traditional threaded headset, loosen the bolt on the top of the stem (the bent bar holding the handelbars), but don't unscrew it all the way off. Hit the bolt with a block of wood and the stem should come loose. Wiggle it back and forth and pull it out. There's no need to disconnect the cables, unless you have cantilever brakes and/or the cable is too short to let you pull the stem all the way off. Usually this is the front one. Disconnect it from the brake and the stem should come off.

If the front wheel isn't already off, remove it. Using the wrenches, unscrew the locknut on the top tube of the fork (called the steerer tube). Note: some locknuts, mostly on mountain bikes, have a small screw that must be loosened first, before you can loosen the main locknut. With the locknut off, hold the front fork and unscrew the top cup. If the bike is in a repair stand, turn the bike upside down, that way the fork will stay put while you take the cup off. The balls will probably be caged, but again, they may not. This is why a repair stand is so usefull. It lets you turn the bike upside down so you can hold a bowl under the headset while you take it apart.

When you have everything apart, clean the races, balls/cages, and cups. Inspect and replace what's necessary. I found that, while it is a little bit more inconvenient to service them, replacing the caged balls in the bottom bearing with loose ones gives the headset a longer life. as the balls are not held in the same place all the time, they don't pound dents into the cups. This is usually the main cause of having to replace a headset bearing. You will need the same size balls you have now, just get a couple more of them, to make up for the spaces that were between the balls when they were in the cage.

To reassmble the set, pack a bunch of grease into the cups. Place the balls into the greased cups. If they are caged, the open side of the cage should be against the cup. Slide the steerer tube back into the frame and screw the top cup on snug. Replace the washers, brake cable stop, if your bike has one, and screw on the locknut. Tighten the nut against the cup and slide the handelbar stem back into the fork and tighten the bolt.

Now to test the adjustment. Attach the front brake cable if you had to remove it. Then, locking up the front brake, push the bike back and forth. If the headset wiggles, loosen the locknut and readjust the headset until it doesn't, and the handlebars turn freely without binding.

A threadless headset is basically the same, with a few differences. Remove the the stem by loosening the bolts that clamp it onto the steerer tube. the locknut doesn't screw off, there's a bolt that clamps it onto the steerer tube. With that loose the whole assembly falls apart. Dissasemble, clean, inspect and replace if needed. Just like with a threaded headset. Regrease and reassemble. replace the lock"nut", and, holding everything tightly together, tighten the clamping bolt on the locknut to hold it together. test the adjustment as before.

That's it! your bike is clean, relubed, and ready for another season. And you not only saved a lot of money, but now you know how to repair your bike if you have to. And that will save you more money.