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.