Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
When removing rust from a bicycle frame, you always want to make sure that you're making good use of a few basic techniques. Remove rust from a bicycle frame with help from an avid cyclist and mechanic in this free video clip.
Installing a bicycle kickstand shouldn't require you to spend a lot of money on the help of a professional. Install a bicycle kickstand on your own with help from an avid cyclist and mechanic in this free video clip.
When installing SPD clips on cycle shoes, you're always going to want to keep a few key things in mind. Install SPD clips on cycle shoes with help from a leading health and fitness professional in this free video clip.
Bike shorts are typically designed to be worn in a very particular way for the best results. Wear bike shorts with help from a leading health and fitness professional in this free video clip.
Faulty front hub bearings can cause a number of symptoms, such as grinding, whirring, humming, shaking and excessive vibrations. These symptoms are usually most audible when turning a corner. The excess heat, friction and weight from the vehicle components cause the bearings to degrade slowly over time, causing an increase in play and looseness in the bearing unit. Because the front hub bearing bearings sustain the weight of the engine and transmission, their condition can worsen quickly creating a serious safety concern.
Removing a tire from the rim is actually a lot more simple of a process than you might be expecting. Remove a tire from the rim with help from an expert in the automotive industry in this free video clip.
A broken carriage or worn inner slide on your Genie chain drive garage door opener can cause the door to remain shut when the Genie's motor engages the chain. A damaged carriage or slide could also allow the carriage to disengage from the chain as the door rises. That could cause the door to fall on you or your car. Installing a new carriage means you must install a new inner slide compatible with the carriage.
Forget everything you thought you knew about cable television: Verizon's new FiOS television service uses cables to transport the signal into your home, but not the standard RG-59 coaxial cable you're used to. Instead, FiOS's signals travel over fiber optic cables that enter your home through an optical network terminal, or ONT, that processes the data into information that can be carried along a standard coaxial cable. Verizon suggests upgrading from RG-59 coaxial cable, which can experience large amounts of signal degradation for high frequency signals, to RG-6 coax, which more efficiently carries the signal from your home's ONT to…
While road bikers can usually expect a smooth surface upon which to ride, mountain bike riders thrill at the prospect of difficult terrain. Similarly, competitive road bikers’ quest to lighten their ride leads them to demand different gear than casual riders. Both types of specialized cycling may benefit from custom seat posts, the part that attaches a bicycle’s seat to its frame. Whether installing a lightweight, carbon-fiber seat post or one with a suspension system, using an aftermarket seat post may help improve your performance.
Although a Kohler toilet may give you many years of trouble-free service, eventually, the toilet tank may begin to leak water on the floor or may continue running after the toilet has been flushed. Both of these symptoms may point to worn parts that are available in Kohler part number 83991 — the toilet flush valve repair kit. This kit includes a new tank-to-bowl gasket, filler tube, filler tube gasket and retaining nut.
The Toro snowblower features a drive chain that is partially responsible for the successful operation of the motor. The drive chain can become loose over time, and this will cause the snowblower to fail. You can perform immediate adjustment of the drive chain with just a few tools. Professional aid is not required for repairs.
Some washing machines -- especially high-efficiency models -- have an "Extra Rinse" setting, which makes double-rinsing laundry a snap. If your washing machine doesn't have this feature, you can manually rinse your clothes twice by using the main wash cycle dial. Double-rinsing clothing minimizes detergent residue, which can irritate sensitive skin or trigger allergic reactions. A second rinse also helps remove toxins such as pesticides from contaminated clothing, and it flushes away traces of bleach from your washing machine tub.
Regularly biking or running offers numerous health benefits, but without proper safety precautions, your healthy hobby can become dangerous and life-threatening. Between 1999 and 2003, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, reported that pedestrian fatalities were 50 percent more likely between 6 p.m. and midnight. The number of accidents after dark suggests that a lack of visual aid played a role in these accidents, concluded the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, or NHTSA. Safely cycling and running mean dressing defensively during all times of day by wearing plenty of reflective clothing.
Putting mountain bike components on a road bike allows you to achieve a lower gearing. Put mountain bike components on a road bike with help from the co-owner of Berkshire Bike and Board in this free video clip.
You can save a decent amount of money by installing your rear bike rack yourself. Install rear bike racks with help from the co-owner of Berkshire Bike and Board in this free video clip.
Building a wall-mounted shelf that looks awesome takes a little creativity but not very much skill. If you can find a flat wooden board and some brackets, you can have a homemade shelf. Dress the shelf up with a bright coat of paint or by decoupaging fabric or magazine images to its surface. Screw tea hooks into the bottom of the shelf so you can make use of both the top and bottom.
While decorative rain chains usually are placed under holes in an aluminum rain gutter, the intricate items can be installed into a concrete overhang under the correct circumstances. Rainwater from a gutter or overhang trickles over rain chains in an attractive fashion. Unless your home already has holes in a concrete overhang, a hole needs to be drilled for each rain chain.
Pedals direct power from your legs to the bicycle's drive train. Without them, the bicycle relies largely on gravity to propel it along. A Huffy kid's bike contains a standard pair of bicycle pedals. Replacing these pedals begins with knowing which way each pedal threads into the bicycle's crank arm. Preparing the threads properly eases installation of the pedals and prevents the pedal and crank arm from chemically bonding with one another.
A bike helmet is a serious accessory with a serious job to do: keeping your skull in one piece in case of an accident. But that doesn't mean you can't have a little fun with it. Dress up your bike helmet with paper mache Viking horns that you can attach and detach with a hook-and-loop fastener. Wear them when you are in the mood to get a lot of attention and remove them when you aren't.
Vertically hanging a bicycle is usually the best way to save storage space in the garage. On the road, however, bike trailers often aren't tall enough to accommodate full-size 10-speed road bikes mounted vertically. Inside a low-profile bike trailer, the best option is to mount the bike horizontally to a fork mount. Fork mounts are commonly used to store bicycles inside trailers, pickup truck beds, campers and boats. After the front wheel of the bicycle is removed with the quick-release lever, the fork locks securely into the fork mount, holding the bicycle horizontal.
Surfboards are much too large to fit in a car, and some don't even fit in the back of a pickup truck. The best way to transport a surfboard is by tying it down to a roof rack. You can make a cheap one for your surfboard without drilling into your car. In fact, nothing about this surfboard roof rack is permanent. You can remove it easily, and even put it on a friend's car.
Using a bicycle's gears translates into a more efficient use of energy. The Sora gear shifter relies on a derailleur to actuate each command. This derailleur, located above the front gears, moves the chain as directed to the appointed gear. Like a telephone line, a cable carries the command from the shifter to the derailleur. Proper tension of this cable plays a vital role in smooth, accurate shifting of gears.
Full Speed Ahead, known by the acronym FSA, produces components for road and mountain bicycles. Enduro produces cartridge bearings that are compatible with the FSA MegaExo bottom bracket. The Enduro bearings are installed the same as any other cartridge bearings. A special tool is needed to remove the bottom bracket from the bicycle, when doing the installation.
Bicycle jerseys are made out of synthetic or wool fabrics. Many older and vintage jerseys are made of itchy wool, while more modern versions use high-tech "itch-free" wool. Regardless of the fabric of your jersey, consider displaying it in a frame. Personal or collector's item jerseys make attractive, one-of-a-kind wall hangings, especially in the homes of athletic owners or in sports-themed rooms. Use a glare-free or polarized glass to prevent the sun from fading the jersey to preserve it for years to come.
BMX style bikes use a single, fixed gear and have no derailleurs. Derailleurs do more than shift gears; they add tension to the chain. Because BMX bikes do not have the benefit of the derailleur's chain tensioning, it helps to have a way of removing slack on the BMX chain. This is where a chain adjuster, also known as a tug or tensioner, comes in handy. These devices tighten down on the rear wheel, pulling it back from the bike frame, reducing slack on the chain.
Keeping a watchful eye on your Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R's drive chain is a part of keeping the motorcycle roadworthy at all times. As a wearable item, the chain's tension must be checked every 600 miles to ensure that it will not slip off the motorcycle's sprockets. Likewise, an overly-tightened chain can cause serious damage by quickly wearing the sprocket's teeth to a sharp point, a situation that can cause the chain to snap. Kawasaki recommends an optimum chain slack range between 1.38 inches and 1.57 inches to allow the chain to move freely during most riding situations.
The Akai GX-4000D is a recording device that uses a reel-to-reel tape to record and play back audio. The device is no longer in production by Akai, because the introduction of the digital recording devices. Certain sound problems can develop with this Akai audio device. Some of these sound problems range from simply installation problems to major electronic problems.
A bicycle's bottom bracket is installed in the frame cage in the bottom center of the bicycle frame. A bottom bracket has a set of sealed ball bearings and a spindle. When the cranks are attached to the spindle, power transfer takes place between the cranks and the chain and gears. There must be grease in the cage and bearings to keep the bottom bracket spinning smoothly. On mountain bikes, the cage and bracket are exposed to copious amounts of grit, mud and grime, making a repacking of the grease in the device and cage necessary about once a season.
Chain door fasteners, also known as chain locks, are a cheap way to secure your door, though they do not offer nearly as much protection as a deadbolt might. Chain fasteners come in two parts: the chain and base that attach to the door frame, and the lock plate that attaches to the door. When you insert the chain into the lock plate, it becomes impossible to open the door more than a few inches.
Constructing lowrider frames is a creative way to express your talent in building bikes. Finding a video that will give you tips or instructions on how to build the frame is a wise tool for giving you a boost of ideas and inspiration. The lowrider bike phenomenon began during the 1960s, according to Bicycle Designer, subsequent to the invention of lowrider automobiles. Whether you are building a lowrider bicycle or motorbike, using online videos will move your construction project forward.
Part number 8174837 is the solid-plastic handle assembly on older Sears upright vacuum models. If ordered directly from Sears, the handle is also listed as 4370913, which is the substitution part number. (The part may be slightly different in appearance from the original but is the functional equivalent.) The handle connects to the tube on the vacuum cleaner in a few minutes using common household tools. If your old plastic handle is cracked or broken, save money by completing this simple repair yourself.
A pit bike frame or stand helps stabilize a motorcycle when it’s being worked on or repaired at a race track. Making your own stand involves being able to weld metal together to give it strength. While the equipment also provides a handy vehicle brace for work at home in a garage, pit frames or stands tend to be most commonly used in the pit area of a race track as an easy way to prop up a motorcycle out in the open.
When an ATV is operated on rough terrain, the rear end pivots and sways with the movement of the rear suspension. Since the rear sprocket is moving around in relation to the drive sprocket in front, it is easy to knock the drive chain off the rear sprocket, putting a premature end to your ride. This can be prevented by installing a chain adjuster or tensioner, which allows you to put more tension on the chain and make it less likely to slip off the sprocket.
The drawbar hitch has common agricultural and industrial uses. The hitch style uses a single, welded piece for towing purposes. The receiver hitch is common on vehicles and is adaptable to different tow bars, cargo carriers and bike racks. The receiver is a square opening that receives the attachment, while the drawbar is fixed for single purpose use.
A lathe center is a tool use to accurately position work materials being cut by the lathe. Centers are ground to a point, or tapered, and the work material is centered between the tips. Each center is sized differently and used for a specific alignment calibration on the lathe. Before equipping the lathe with new centers, you have to remove the existing ones.
Campagnolo is known for making some of the best bicycle components, garnering a Cyclingnews.com Reader Poll award for its Super Record 11 lineup of parts and helping to power several Tour de France riders to victory. But even the best bicycling parts need adjustment from time to time, especially the rear derailleur, which pushes and pulls the chain sideways using a cable and springs to switch gears. If you notice that your bicycle no longer shifts as smoothly as it once did, take the time to make sure the rear derailleur is properly adjusted.
Many motorcycle enthusiasts haul their bikes to distant regions for exploration. However, a motorcycle, such as Harley Davidson's Electra Glide, is extremely heavy to haul. The bike must be properly restrained during transport for preventing damage to the bike. Ratchet straps are a common harnessing method for motorcycle transport, but must be attached to specific areas on an Electra Glide motorcycle.
Like a car trailer, a bicycle trailer attaches to the rear of your ride, allowing you to haul a variety of items. Bicycle trailers come in all shapes and forms, each designed to haul a specific quantity of weight. Depending on your cargo needs, bicycle trailers also have different dimensions and shapes to accommodate items such as containers, groceries and children. The flatbed-style trailer has a plank-on-wheel design, making it versatile to haul a variety of items.
A quick-exhaust valve (QEV) is an aftermarket upgrade for the Smart Parts Ion paintball marker. In electro-pneumatic markers, compressed air propels the paintballs and also drives the bolt back to the rear position and holds it there as the next paintball is fed to the chamber. To release the bolt to move forward, chamber and fire the next paintball, the propellant gas must be exhausted through a pneumatic hose and electronic solenoid. Installation of a QEV provides a faster, more direct exhaust path for the gas. This speeds up bolt-cycling time, resulting in a higher rate of fire.
The stench of athletic competition often occurs when you take off your shoes after a long training session or cycling competition. To keep your focus and win the race, you need to eliminate those distracting odors emitting from your shoes. Cyclists may deal with this issue more often, as their feet tend to encounter more dirt and water from the road or during rain downpours while riding. If you've noticed a stinky smell coming from your cycling shoes, get the odor under control right away. You can use a variety of methods to help kill and eliminate the smell.
Marine bicycles are compact, convenient, foldable bikes designed for light transportation or touring. Although small in comparison to a full-sized bike, many models offer the same options found on standard bikes, such as multiple gears, hand brakes, adjustable handlebars and seats. Their compact size and ability to fold make them an ideal choice for travelers tight on space, like when on a boat. Maintenance and repair is the same as standard bikes with one difference; excess exposure to moisture makes them more prone to rust.
A bicycle allows you to travel without carbon emissions, saves you money and is good for your heart and waistline. Perhaps the only burden that comes with owning a bicycle is the need to keep it safe from theft and store it in an area where you're not constantly tripping over it. A bike hook comes in handy, as it allows you to store it off your floor, yet off the street. With a bike hook, you can even store a bike in your bedroom.
Your trusty helmet is the first line of defense against a head injury while cycling. As you'll be wearing your helmet every time you go for a ride, you should feel confident while wearing it. If you've grown tired of its current look, re-painting it with the color of your choice is a quick and simple project. Painting an old helmet can also give it a new, fresh look and help cover up any scratches or scuffs.
You need to periodically adjust the chain on a Harley Davidson Shovelhead, or any other motorcycle, to keep it tight and responsive. You should also adjust it after any modifications have been done to the frame, rear wheel or engine. When the chain is found to have more than 1 inch of vertical play between the front and rear sprockets, it should be tensioned to prevent excessive wear on the sprockets. Checking your chain often for excessive play can save you a lot of money in replacement parts over the years.
If the sprockets on your bike are worn out and need to be replaced, then you're probably in the market for a new cassette or freewheel. Many bicyclists do not have a clear understanding of the difference between these systems and use these terms interchangeably even though they are not the same. It is important to know whether your model of bike uses a freewheel or a cassette before selecting the best cassette.
Add a small engine to your pedal bike and you will be glad you did on those long hills on the way home after a tough day. You can salvage a small gasoline engine from an old weed whacker or go green with a small electric engine powered by power tool battery packs. You can even add an engine to a mountain bike. Use the engine for going up the mountain and come down the mountain -- the fun part -- under your own power.
The Kawasaki Zx600 has its battery contained underneath the seat of the bike. For the Kawasaki Zx600 to be wired, it must be connected to the battery. To access the battery, you will need to remove several of the bike's components. Once removed, you can easily connect the battery, thus wiring the Zx600. This can be completed using a socket wrench.
The timing chain on a KA24DE engine keeps the valves properly timed. If a chain wears thin or gets damaged, you should replace it so the engine runs properly, and you can replace a chain at home in about an hour. KA24DE engines have a double row chain system and will not work with a single row chain. Since you need to access the engine, work while the car is turned off, and ask a friend to help you.
You can fashion a necklace chain adjuster with only one tool and one supply, giving yourself the freedom to adjust the length of your necklaces whenever the need arises. Whether you need to adjust the length of a necklace permanently or temporarily, to suit the neckline of certain garments, a basic chain adjuster works with any necklace that has a small, linking clasp. For mere pennies, you can tailor nearly any necklace to your ideal length.
Harley-Davidson's FLHT Electra Glide is among the manufacturer's classic road bike designs. Although the technology has continued to develop since the first model rolled out in 1996, the handlebar components remain relatively similar. Replacing damaged handlebars or installing a different style is not a complicated job. The average do-it-yourself mechanical with a degree of aptitude and standard tools can replace the handlebars on a FLHT motorcycle.
