Learn how to remove decals on your bicycle

An 18" wheel size bike is perfect for a six years old child if he or she is not tall enough yet for a 20" wheel size bike.  He is likely too tall for a 16" wheel size bicycle, which is possibly what he or she is currently cycling on.

Recently, my disbutributors have 18" wheel size bicycles to offer and I have been stocking them for the bike shop.  These are some models available.

Yesterday, a six years old child came with his parents and grandparents to select a bicycle for his birthday.  It will be a gift from his grandparents.  He likes the above 18" wheel size bike in blue.  However, both the parents and grandparents objected because there were lots of Chinese writings on the bicycle. 

I told them that they should be able to remove the decals on the frame and mudguard by heating over them with a hair dryer.  In the end, they opt to go to another bike shop to try to find another bike to his liking.  

I could tell that the child likes the bike very much so I took the trouble to remove the stickers today.  As I heated the decal with the hair dryer and it loosen up, I used the flat of a knife to push it out further.

It took me sometime to remove them as I also need to remove the sticky residue left behind by using an insulation tape.

I have done my best and I am sure his family members will no longer have any objections to his choice.  I hope to see you back for this bike, kid. 

According to a test ran by The Kitchn, the easiest way to remove sticky stickers is by using vinegar. This is how you should do it:

-soak a paper towel with vinegar.
-place it over the sticker.
-depending on thickness of stickers, let it sit for 5 up to 15 minutes.

-try lifting the sticker off the surface after 5 minutes. 
-leave paper towel with vinegar to sit for a bit longer if it is still difficult to remove the decals.

This information is very useful for parents who bought a pink bike for their daugther whose younger sibling is a boy.

They can remove the pink or girlish decals by following the above instructions I have provided when it is time to pass the bike down to their son.

Should the rusty chain on my bicycle be replaced?

If your chain is all rusted, should you replace it? That depends on whether you can remove the rust off your chain. Once that is done and there are no kinks or stiff link pins in any of the links, you do not have to replace it.

It is easier to clean it by taking the chain off your bicycle and soak it in a rust removing solution like Q12. Lubricate the chain after you have re-installed it on the bicycle.


Note that as dirt and grime can easily stick onto the lubricating film, let it “dry out” (absorbed) on the chain overnight, if possible, before you start cycling on it.

Check out your bicycle owner's manual and learn how to take care of your chain to prevent it from getting rusty any sooner. It usually include a schedule to advise you when you should be lubricating the moving parts on your bicycle.

Tools for assembling a bicycle

Most good quality bicycles are usually supplied with “Bicycle Owner’s Manual”. If it is not supplied with the bicycle you purchased, you can easily find one if you google “bicycle owner’s manual”.

I googled “bmx bicycle assembly tools .pdf” and found a link to this image of tools:

These are the tools you require:
1. Standard Phillips Head Screwdriver
2. Adjustable Wrench
3. 4,5,6,8mm Allen Wrenches
4. Pedal wrench or 15mm Open End Wrench
5. Standard Slip Joint Pliers
6. Standard Flat Head Screwdriver

This information is extracted from Dynacraft Owner’s Manual. It provides very clear instruction for assembling a 12” to 24” wheelsize BMX which is the standard procedure for assembling most single speed bicycles. Since the manual is for a BMX, it includes information about gyro brake system which you can ignore if your bicycle is not installed with one..

However, if you assembling a bicycle with gear components installed, check out “Dynacraft Owner’s Manual for MTB”. The tools required for assembling it are the same.

Plan to convert your 20" wheelset to a 24"?

If you plan to convert your 20" wheelset to a 24", you will have to note that the difference of 4 inches in wheelsize is too great. You may have a problem fitting the tyres through the fork installed. Even if you change fork to one for 24″ wheelsize, you will face issues with the frame.

As you can see from the image of this frame, the area mark “X” gets narrow towards the seatpost tube.



So, it is likely that the tyres will be touching the sides of the frame once the tube is inflated.

It does not matter if it is a regular bicycle or a folding bike, As you can see from these image of a folding bikes.
 

There is not much clearance space to fit a larger rim even if you remove the mudguard.



Find out how much it will cost you to buy a 24″ wheelsize folding bike. If you consider the cost and service fee to change the rims and replace tyres and tubes, you may want to consider buying new.

Gyro brake system for BMX

This BMX is installed with a gyro brake system.



It allows the cyclist to do a 360 degrees turn of the handlebar during high jumps. You can see how a gyro brake system looks like up close in this video.

Are dynamos still used in a bike to power the bike lamp, or is there a better alternative?

Bicycles shops that still supply the old school double beam 28″ wheelsize steel bicycle like this are likely to stock some dynamos.

This is the kind of dynamos usually installed on such bicycles.




There are other version of dynamo light set that are more modern looking. This overstock Coleman folding bike made for the Japanese market has a different model installed.

As spare parts are difficult to find for dynamos, the better alternative will be a regular flashlight that comes with a battery charger because you can also use it in your car or at home. The curved edges of this flashlight are sharp enough to break glass windows in an emergency.



There are many kind of flashlight holders for bicycles but I like the one that can be rotated 360 degrees. This means that you do not have to change the direction of your bicycle to shine on areas you want to look at. Once the flashlight is mounted on the holder, you can easily rotate it.

It is easy to remove the flashlight from the mount to keep it so you do not have to worry that it will be stolen off your bicycle where you parked it.

Is it OK if your child's legs are not touching the ground while seated on his bicycle?

Training wheels are usually attached to bicycles with wheel size of 12″ up to 16″. These bicycles are suitable for children of age 3 to 4 years old.



It is alright if their legs are not touching the ground when they are riding on bicycles with training wheels.

For children who can cycle well, it is best that both the tips of their shoes are able to touch the ground when they are seated on their bicycles. That way, should they stumble during a mishap, they will have better control of their bicycles. The legs touching the ground can also help them to balance themselves if they have to cycle slowly because of obstacles or (human) traffic. Their legs can also work like a brake should they have to stop unexpectedly.

You can adjust the saddle height by lowering the seatpost if the tips of their legs are not touching the ground.  The bicycle wheel size maybe too large for their age if their legs are not able to touch the ground even after you have lowered the seatpost to its lowest position.

Take a look at this chart to see if you need to change the bicycle.