October 26, 2025 • 25 mins
Ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes at a top UK bike workshop? In this video, I sit down with a professional bike mechanic to talk about Canyon bikes, gravel setup, DT Swiss hubs, bottom brackets, tubeless setups, and the most common service issues he sees from riders.
We cover bike maintenance tips, how to avoid costly repairs, and whether carbon frames and Di2 systems are really worth the hype. If you’re into gravel riding, endurance cycling, or just want to keep your bike running smoothly — this chat is packed with insights from someone who’s seen it all. 👉 Subscribe for more cycling adventures, gravel rides, and real-world bike talk from the English Cyclist.
A superb chat with my Pro Bike Mechanic, Graeme at The Chainbox in Lincoln, UK. Graeme has services almost all my bikes for some time and today's episode I have managed to get a few word about him and the process he follows on one of my services for my Canyon Grail. You can reach him either on Instagram (or most Social Media for that matter) or visit the website to book in for any work needed.
https://www.instagram.com/thechainboxbikes/
https://thechainbox.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/thechainbox/
https://www.tiktok.com/@the.chainbox
#BikeMechanic #CyclingTips #BikeMaintenance #GravelCycling #CanyonBikes #CyclingUK #RoadCycling #CyclingSetup #CyclingVlog #TheEnglishCyclist
https://www.youtube.com/@englishcyclist
We cover bike maintenance tips, how to avoid costly repairs, and whether carbon frames and Di2 systems are really worth the hype. If you’re into gravel riding, endurance cycling, or just want to keep your bike running smoothly — this chat is packed with insights from someone who’s seen it all. 👉 Subscribe for more cycling adventures, gravel rides, and real-world bike talk from the English Cyclist.
A superb chat with my Pro Bike Mechanic, Graeme at The Chainbox in Lincoln, UK. Graeme has services almost all my bikes for some time and today's episode I have managed to get a few word about him and the process he follows on one of my services for my Canyon Grail. You can reach him either on Instagram (or most Social Media for that matter) or visit the website to book in for any work needed.
https://www.instagram.com/thechainboxbikes/
https://thechainbox.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/thechainbox/
https://www.tiktok.com/@the.chainbox
#BikeMechanic #CyclingTips #BikeMaintenance #GravelCycling #CanyonBikes #CyclingUK #RoadCycling #CyclingSetup #CyclingVlog #TheEnglishCyclist
https://www.youtube.com/@englishcyclist
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Today I'm with my professional bike mechanic Graham.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Welcome Graham, afternoon. How are you not too bad?
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Thank you very much. He's actually done a fantastic service
on my bike. I've asked pretty much. Well, I would
say what I think is nearly impossible by going as
wide as possible with these tires. But if you want
to just break down what you've done to the bike
so far.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Sure, so what I would call a gold service effectively,
so full stripped down of the bike, no stone left unturned.
So I literally will do everything I possibly can to
make the bike mechanically sound. The only thing I can't
do a lot about is paint chips, that sort of thing.
So full stripped down in terms of the frame will
be in my workstand. Take everything off it, du Alia's cables,
(00:45):
bar tape, handlebars come out, headsets stripped, bottom bracket, crankset,
everything comes off. So it's all laid out on my
bench ready to go. And then obviously the process then begins.
So with the yours, obviously we've put on some new tires.
First thing I did was service the hubs, fit the
new tires, Ceilant, get everything sorted there first, and then
(01:07):
it's a case of either replacing parts or you're cleaning
certain things that aren't worn but need to be effectively serviced.
So it's a build back up from their kind of process.
So usually when you're down to the frame, it's just
the frame. Everything else is mechanical.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Is there any major is well, any questionable things where
you're like, oh, that doesn't look quite right and it's
not standard or thereafter.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
No, nothing in particular. Again, this is in the first
service I've done on this bike, so I do know
my way around a little bit more, and it's a
bit more obvious to me when I'm working on a
bike that I've worked on before. There'll be certain things
that I do, or certain greases or lubricans that I use.
There are sort of telltale signs that I've been in
here before. But no, nothing out of the ordinary. It's
(01:48):
all reasonably straightforward for me. I've been doing this a
long time.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
So for my bike, he's put well, we think it's
the biggest tires.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
What can go on it. I think it's the biggest,
safest size we can put on. Yeah, you could get
a wider time in there, but it's going with correct Yeah,
the tread makes a difference.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
So well, we've got forty two's on this one, correct, Yeah,
and we've got a tuberless setup as it was before.
In fact, you did my first tubeless setup and do
you know what, I didn't have one pontra of them.
I took that for the Reava first time. I thought
I'd be pushing a lock to go to Riva again
with the same ceiling inside. So no, you've done a
really really good job on that. Hopefully these are going
(02:26):
to be a little bit more comfier for me on
that one there. When it comes to bikes itself, do
you find saying this is a canyon, But when you
service a trek or specialized are they did have their
own quirks when it comes to the mechanical side of.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
It sometimes, but it's not necessarily per brand. For example,
certain bottom brackets can be more difficult to engage with.
Let's say, from my perspective, hubs is another one. You know,
different free of body systems or different ways of working.
Some are either easier to work with from my perspective,
easier to work with or less troublesome. Shall we say,
(03:02):
you have a preference as in what you really like
and what you hate. When it comes to hubs, things
like DT Swiss, like what you run with this are
definitely a preferred option just because you see a lot
less problems with them. So typically when I take one apart,
I know what to expect, I know I'm going to see,
and the design of it, the clutch type system on there,
(03:23):
it's a lot less prone to damage, and there's no
polls and springs for example, so there's there's less to
go wrong in that sense. When it comes to bottom brackets,
I've always got to be very careful with press fit anything,
and when it's carbon again got to be careful in
that sense as well. And sometimes they can be nice
and straightforward and other times they can be a real nightmare.
Seized bottom brackets. It is an issue that what should
(03:46):
take a short amount of time ends up taking a
long amount of time. But outside of that, no brand
wise not necessarily obviously the better, the sort of more
commonly perceived better brands are typically just better made. You
do see slight things, and it can be just basic
things like threads on bottom brackets. You know they are
better cut, or the tolerances on things are closer, so
(04:08):
you tend to have less issues with creaking and things
like that.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Oh that's good when it comes to bikes itself, obviously,
this is a gravel bike.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Of course, I've got all of them.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
I've got a road bike as you know, and I've
got mountain bikes, and yeah, we've got a preference yourself.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
What do you write? Well, I started off originally in
my trials riding like tricks and things like that, and
that sort of quickly led into more and more aggressive
sort of style of riding. So downhill bikes is what
really got me into cycling. Effectively, as I got older,
it hurt more and when you crash and things like that,
(04:43):
and you have rent to pain things like this, it
becomes more of a concern if you do get injured,
and it's commonplace when you do that kind of riding.
Road biking is a bit of a fitness thing in
terms of yes, I'm a big Cannondale fan. I've always
had Cannondales throughout sort of my cycling career. It's just
for fitness more than anything. You know. I do keep
(05:03):
myself fit, don't get me wrong, but road cycling at
the minute is probably where I land. And then when
it comes to gravel. I do think that gravel bikes
are what most people actually want, whether they realize it
or not. The ability to sort of commute or go
to work or just cover distance. It covers that ground
and then actual sort of fun off road cycling covers
(05:24):
that as well. So it ticks a lot of boxes
gravel cycling. But when I started, gravel wasn't a thing
one or the other. Really I can imagine. I mean
that was a good, good decision for me. I mean,
obviously road bike it was like should I get a
gravel bike? Back where?
Speaker 1 (05:36):
And obviously gravel bikes are all the buzz, you know,
it was everywhere on the internet. Gcm by just pushing
everything should be a gravel bike. Yeah, I actually got this,
and I was just yeah, it's a good mix between
road bike and a mountain bike. It isn't the mountain bike,
but it can do sixty seventy percent of what a
mountain bike could.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Where you would normally ride it.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Like, so the safety aspect does kick in, especially as
you get a little bit older, and yeah I could
go faster, I could go a little bit more daring,
but you just sort of lean back again.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Sometimes it starts to question decisions at some point. Cool.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
So when it comes to obviously the bi mechanic side
of it, how did you get started into it?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Originally it was from a passion for cycling. I was
lucky enough that when I was still at school effectively,
friend of mine's older brother actually was the UK Rep
four Cannondale. So at the age of like thirteen, fourteen fifteen,
I'm getting a demo bike, a different one every weekend.
And these are four or five grand, brand new bikes
(06:34):
that are way out of my sort of capabilities of owning.
You're interested, but it definitely got me interested. I've got
the ball rolling. That's where it all sort of started effectively,
and then got to the point of work experience at
school and got a sort of placement in the local
bike shop, which is no longer there unfortunately, But that
(06:55):
was my foot in the door. Would be a cycle,
that's cycles. Yeah, that's where I started. Yeah, so that
got my foot in the door. Saturday job led to
I think I seen. I genuinely remember picking up my
GCSE results on my lunch break from Arrow Cycles. So
I was literally the minute I could start in full
time employment in bikes. That's what I did there is
(07:17):
where I sort of learned my basics. Yeah. Yeah, it's
also where I did my side tech training, so I'm
a qualified Master technician as I side tech grade it.
I did all of that Arrow because it was a
great place to do it. You have the time to
do the coursework or spend time with tutors and things
like that, but you also had the bikes and the
level of bikes to work on. So that's where I
(07:39):
sort of did my initial qualifications. And I think at
the time I was the youngest person to be level
two qualified, So we're talking twenty odd years ago now,
but like at the time, yeah, I was quite proud
of that achievement and I just knew that that's what
I wanted to do. So if I'm going to do it,
do it to the best of my ability. All that
sounds grave for you.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Good location as well, because I imagine you went local
around that school area.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Yes, yeah, yeah, went to Robert Pattinson's as as a schoolboy,
and then yeah, Arro Cycles was literally the career. It
made sense.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
So it does singm that you've got a bit of
a preference for Canadall I do.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, and I think it's I've always just liked the ingenuity.
I suppose things like the Lefty Folk and the headshog
system are quite renowned, aren't they. But to me that
just stood out amongst every other sort of option that
was on the market. You know, canadall and and the
(08:34):
sort of early naughties were using oversized head tubes. Now
pretty much everyone uses a taper. Heji was pretty much
a standard thing. There was things like that that they
were just kind of ahead of the game with and
some things they did were really crazy and didn't work,
but they were always trying something that And like Cedric
Grassey is probably my sort of favorite Manning Bicker ever,
and because he rode for Canada for years, I met
(08:56):
him a couple of times as well, so that was
quite nice. Yeah, just the whole package to buy into
with Canada.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Yeah, that was obviously lean us on to the next
questions what do you currently ride or but.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yes, yeah, so bigwise, I've got myself a cannondall Are
one thousand just heading up over there and it's from
two thousand and one. Found it on eBay. Just always
wanted a handmade American Canada because they're not made in
America anymore, So there was a sort of a time
limit of when they were sort of in trouble and
were bought out the production moved from America to Taiwan.
(09:30):
So I always wanted myself like an original, full alloy,
just nice one and found this one on eBay an
immaculate condition. It wasn't set up for me as in
the bars were really narrow, stem was really long. I
think the guy that had had it was sort of
crip racing on it or something along those lines. So
I just kind of updated the cockpit and what have you.
But everything else on it's still original, So still full
(09:51):
full of Tegre, the Mavick, Syrian and Wheels, their cells
that are on there. It's all from two thousand and one,
and it's just in immaculate condition. That's why I like it.
So looks absolutely gorgeous as well.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
So this leads on to the other questions, Uh, quick
fire on this one. Yeah, brim break or dis break,
dis break carbon or anything else?
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Carbon? Really? Yeah, you've been a titanium Yeah, well, titanium is.
It's just the price of it. It just puts so
many people. It just put it's in a bracket that
so many people can't stretch to. Yes, it's a very
sort of guccy, luxury sort of material to use, and
you do see pretty much with every titanium frame it
(10:32):
is really well made. But yeah, carbon technologies come on
along the way. The price of it, it's a lot more. Certainly.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
I can testify to the cheapness of carbon sometimes. I
mean I've been ali expressing carbon. You go for a
phase of trying it and then realizing I'll just buy
the proper thing and that's the end.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
But it's good fun to do it.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
So next question would be if you add an ideal bike,
you know, on obtainingum bike, what you could never affought.
What would it be, What is the current thing, what's
on your hot list?
Speaker 2 (11:02):
It'd be a mountain bike, yep, something probably like an
Endurer e bike. I was going to approach the e
bike exception in a minute, because I mean I've never
touched an e bike. I know some people do ride
e bikes and they ride it for as in they've
got knee or hips or age or something which has
slowing them down from normal riding.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Yeah, they still want to get out, So that's brilliant.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
But you look completely able body.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
I'm very able.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Is it just you don't like to pushing up?
Speaker 2 (11:29):
It's just the lazy part of it. Yeah, pushing forty
so I like to. It was always about the speed
and the ride and downhill for me. So if I
can have a lightweight ish electric mountain bike, for for example,
it'd be something yeah with prices no objective'd be something
really high end, so that weight is as low as possible,
(11:49):
Fox Fawks, Shimano XTR throughout that sort of thing. Yeah,
it's going to be expensive, but yeah, I'm just lazy
in terms of I much prefer the downhillside.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
In suppose we get if you've got the money to
waste on one, then you might as we go all in.
So this leads onto the gearing obviously for road bike
and gravele bike. I suppose ideal group set.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Road bike I think called Tegra and again d I
two w Tegra as well. Doesn't necessarily about which which
model of it, but the di I two from Shimano
for me, from a customers perspective and a mechanics perspective,
it is pretty bullet proof. It very rarely goes wrong. Okay,
Shram's sort of approach with full wireless is that next
level of that's great, but again it comes with a price. However,
(12:34):
one oh five doesn't quite come up to scratch in
terms of the quality of it. Dur Race for example,
again just a bit out It's just a little bit
outage for most people. You're not necessarily gaining a lot
in performance. But you asked, is weight based for me?
That's where you see advantage.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Have you found the drip down sort of flow from
Shimano obviously over the years, you know, yeah, I mean
last year's Dura racist, this year is you know it
is it like that?
Speaker 2 (12:59):
What you Yeah, it does work like that, like twenty
six years in the game effectively. I remember back in
sort of the naughties when you know Shimano dere when
it was nine speed and you had XTR that was
nine speed, years before ten speed became popular. Yeah, you
would see that trickle down effects. But ultimately price plays
(13:19):
a part in terms of technology can come down, but
things like material costs can't. So where you're using titanium,
aluminium or steel, steel is always going to be cheaper.
Seeing dore and one oh five parts typically have more
steel in there than they do aluminium or titanium, So
it's where the weight comes into it. But the prices
of things, what about gravel?
Speaker 1 (13:38):
And I suppose we had better say mattin bike as well,
because you got a passion for that. What's your you know,
the ones, what you look at for the ones you
like In terms of brands, as.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
In group sets for Glory lights. Yeah, the more work
that Shram do with their group sets when it comes
to mounting bike products, yeah, I would swing slightly more
towards say Shram than Shimano for sort of road mounting
bags in the verse of things, And it is purely
down to sort of the maintenance and the sort of
the simplicity of wireless group sets. Like, yes, it comes
(14:09):
at a price, but for a mountain bike, for example,
it just works so much better, and the maintenance of
it in terms of people looking after it themselves or
for me doing it, it just makes a lot more sense.
You've also got a bearing mind. Internal routing of cables
is very common now, so by removing that element and
just having break hoses in that makes things a lot
easier for myself and for customers and replacing of parts.
(14:32):
It just all makes much more sense. That's brilliant.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Now you've been in this game for obviously a considering
amount of time. When I first caught you, it was
with some hughes, right, Yeah, and I got wind of
you because someone recommended you to me. And just looking
at your Instagram food you can see everyone in why
I ride and follow. Yeah, they know you, they follow you,
and they bring their bikes. Yeah, you must have some
some rubbish stories to tell about users bring well, customers
(14:56):
like me coming along and say I've done this and
you've gone yep, I'll take care of it. He got
any scary stories for people that bring the bike?
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah. One from last year customer's bike specialized rube I
think it was so carbon frame, quite old, but he'd
been using it on a turbo trainer. It had then
been put in the shed, I think for the summer,
not really done anything with The following year came back
after the turbo trainer. Anyway, by the time it came
to me, it was in a state in terms of
(15:25):
everything that could wear needed replacing. The scary thing is
when I removed the bottom bracket and on this particular
model of Rubay, so this isn't the same on every bike.
It used an aluminum sleeve that's bonded into the frame.
But because there's been a lot of water sat in
the down section of this cylindrical tube, it'd eaten away
(15:47):
to the point that you could just poke it and
it was just collapsing. Now because that sleeve isn't repairable,
it's not designed to come in or out. Once it's in,
it's in. It's off frame terminal problem. Yeah, turbo trainers
water the elements effectively can be a real and it's
hidden away. He had no idea that that was going on,
(16:09):
and he just had had its service for five or
six years.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
I must admit I put my end up to us
as well when it comes to cleaning bikes. I'm pretty rubbish.
I'll yeah later or next time. You're not as bad
as some of the ones I see. You have got
any recommendations, you know, the ideal sort of black mechanic
would say this is what you need to look out
for the chain Obviously, what else would you recommend chain?
Speaker 2 (16:30):
In terms of where yeap just for cost saving more
than anything, because when it comes to a chain, where
a lot of people have the assumption that when you
change the chain, you change the cassette at the same time,
that's not necessarily the case. The cassette will only need
replacing if it's worn, and the only reason it'll become
too worn is if the chain is stretched beyond a point.
(16:52):
So just keeping an eye on your chain way and
changing your chain at regular intervals can save you the
price of a cassette multiple times over. Chain tools can
be a tenor so for the sake of a tenor
It depends on your level of cassette. You can save
yourself some money in terms of the actual drive train itself,
keeping that clean and not overly lubricated. So one thing
I see a lot of is drive trains that are
(17:14):
really gunned up and dirt in just horrible and what
have you, and it just creates extra wear and extra friction.
So to keep that maintained. Again, isn't that you don't
have to go crazy as in the level that I
do with ultrasonic cleaners and things like that, but keeping
it clean ish will just make everything better in the
long run. And brake pads. The amount of times I
see bikes with brekepads that are dangerously low and the
(17:37):
customers have no idea that they've never they've not checked them,
or they don't know how to, or they don't know
what to look for, to the point that this year alone,
I've had multiple bikes where the breakepads have worn down
to the metal. It then breaks on the rotor, then
destroys the rotor, so rather than a basic set of
brake pads, it can be a lot sort of worse. Yeah,
you're all right with that.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
I think every time I brought any bike to you,
pretty much every bike has had a new chain and
brake pads.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
You We've luckily got away.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
On this bike breakpads this time with the cassette as well,
because for me, the most expensive part, which apart from
natural dreada is probably the real cassette that makes it about.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
One hundred and fifty brown. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Yeah, So when when I bring it for a service,
I'm a bit cautious because if it's a new cassett
and a chain that can be very expensive.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Starts adding it up here, and it's completely avoidable in
terms of if you know what to look for in
terms of a chain way, you need a tool to
do it. It's not something you can visually really look at
to determine that they're just a cheap thing to buy
is a tool.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
So yeah, when it comes to obviously not these kind
of bikes, you know, helf for special bikes because you
take any bike really pretty much.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah, bike, I say a bike is a bike. It's not,
but like in terms of me working on it more
or less it is. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
So obviously you're in Brent Road now obviously in Lincoln
comes in. I'll put the link in the description and
all the drouds to the website as well. Well. Worth
recommended to just drop my message with your problems and
I'm sure you'll be able to happy to help. You
will do what's obviously how would you put yourself competitively
on the price structure? Would you say you're road because
I mean there's a lot of what isn't competition as such.
(19:12):
Because people recommend for me, I go with what people
have recommended. They say, I've been to this chap's brilliant,
I've been to that chap. They're okay, you know, it's
that sort of thing. So where would you put yourself
on price wise? Competitive but end product better than anybody else?
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (19:28):
I think everyone I've spoken to seems to think I
don't get no negative.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Let's put it that way.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Yone says, yeah, you want to go see this chap
is good. You might have a bit of weight if
he's got a rush on.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
But the middle of the summer up to maybe a
two week wait at worst is what happened. This summer
just gone. But again, if it's booked in, typically I'm
working on it the day it's booked in, so the
actual turning around time is maybe two or three days
at worse.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
It's pretty good with me. I mean every time I've
messaged you, it's pretty much. I'll drop it off the
day or the day after or the day after that normally.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
And then it all comes down to parts. As in
a huge amount of stock, as in chains cassettes, the
generic bearings are tons of bearings. But if there's for
that cassette, for example, I don't carry a lot of cassettes,
So if I have to order something like that and
it takes two or three days, that's the hold up.
And I'll always get to a point with a bike
where I can't do anymore until parts X, Y and
(20:18):
Z turn up. So when they turn up, it should
just be the remaining parts and.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Crack hard where you go next, is it this building up,
building up this, Yeah, I think long term, for me,
it has to be effectively a bigger premises.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
So for me that that next step is a shop,
it's always it was originally the goal when I sort
of started doing the chain box. However, it's almost a bit.
It's a big it's a big gap. Now it's a
big jump. I've got a really good client base. I'm
very busy all year round. Premises wise, I'm okay. Size wise,
I okay. I don't necessarily need more space to do
(20:55):
more work. It's just me as well. So until I've
got an apprentice or something along those lines, the next
step is a big one. But ultimately, yeah, when I
look into the when I look at the market I've
been in various parts of cycling for the last twenty
six years. The real area that does well is the
mid to higher end type bike shop. So there is
(21:17):
a lot of bike shops closing. There is a lot
of distributors that are struggling and closing. But the guys
that do well are professionals like myself that have either
done it a long time or they take great pride
in what they do. And you're dealing with bikes that
are probably three to four grand plus up to the
ten fifteen grand mark, because they're the kind of customers
(21:37):
that want that level of competency as well as professionalism
as well as thoroughness of the job, and people like
myself are hard to find now. It is becoming a
rare sort of niche part of the industry. Effectively, if
you go into many bike shops and find mechanics, but
a lot of the time they're not there for the
long haul or there for the profession of it. They're
(21:59):
there because they're working at UNI and that's the UNI
type level job, or they like cycling. You walk into
a bike shop nine times out of ten, everyone in
those a cyclist, of course. Yeah, that's what you expect anyway. Yeah,
but they just get to a point, I think where
career options are limited, so they ultimately end up not
staying in the industry.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
That's true when it comes to chains, what's your preferred
loop and whatch of you on.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
That good question? And waxing. Yeah, okay, so chain waxing,
for example, is a very current trend trends. Yeah, when
you look at say like proteins and how they go
about it and having ten twelve pre wax chains per bike.
Of course, that's a lot of change. That's a lot
of wax, and they're doing things accordingly. Chain waxing will
(22:48):
only last up to something around six hundred miles, if
not less, depending on various different things, and again quality
of the wax and different things like that. So the
for the regular cyclist, not necessarily competitive cyclist, it's a
lot of faffing around, and you do have to have
multiple chains because you're going to take at some point.
(23:08):
You're best off having one on the bike and one
ready to go because cleaning it, rewaxing it, etc. Takes time.
It's not a quick thing to just swap them over.
For some people that do it properly, it seems to
work great and they swear by it and they'll never
go back. I think my view is a little bit
skewed purely because I'm a mechanic and I have all
the required equipment for doing it the hard way, I suppose,
(23:32):
so for me, I wouldn't ever go down that waxing route.
But that's purely because of what I do. I think
when it comes to lubricants and brands, weld tie is
a brand that I've used for a long time. And again,
when you work in bike shops, you typically don't get
a choice in what you use. You're just given something,
whatever it may be. It's off the shop floor one
(23:53):
way or another. For me running my own workshop, I
can use whatever products I want. But Well Tied Do
is such a great range of products. They do a
ceramic chain loop, which the thing for me that really
stands out is if I'm fitting a chain or a
drive train or have cleaned it, it's been in the
ultratronic cleaner, it all comes out and it's bone dry.
There is no lubric and whatsoever. And when I'm shifting through,
(24:14):
when I'm shifting through gears, for example, it can be
very loud and very noisy. As soon as I apply
that ceramic chain lube on there it all goes definitely quiet,
and it's a great sign of like how good the
loup is.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
So the question is wax on or wax off?
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Oh wonder what mister Maaggie would say, whax off?
Speaker 1 (24:36):
There you have it, Well, there we go. Thank you
very much for that. It's been a good insight into
your world. You're welcome, And yeah, as a lazy sort
of rider. When it comes to cleaning up after myself.
I'm glad that there are people out there who can
actually do a professional job after me as well, because
you know, the bike wouldn't be as good as it
is without a decent service. The service he did last year,
(24:57):
and I've should have done it quicker has lasted me
what a year or yeah, I'm a bit longer, so
it's done a really really good job. So thank you
very much and my pleasure. Yeah, I'll drop a link
in the description for this chapter website. You're on Instagram
as well, Yeah, pretty much every social platform. I'm fantastic
and if you catch his Instagram reels you'll see the
(25:17):
little breakdown on the canon as well. So yeah, thank
you very much for you me today and if you
do like what you see, please do drop me a
like hit me coming outderneath.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
I'm see you the next video. Bye bye,
Today I'm with my professional bike mechanic Graham.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Welcome Graham, afternoon. How are you not too bad?
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Thank you very much. He's actually done a fantastic service
on my bike. I've asked pretty much. Well, I would
say what I think is nearly impossible by going as
wide as possible with these tires. But if you want
to just break down what you've done to the bike
so far.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Sure, so what I would call a gold service effectively,
so full stripped down of the bike, no stone left unturned.
So I literally will do everything I possibly can to
make the bike mechanically sound. The only thing I can't
do a lot about is paint chips, that sort of thing.
So full stripped down in terms of the frame will
be in my workstand. Take everything off it, du Alia's cables,
(00:45):
bar tape, handlebars come out, headsets stripped, bottom bracket, crankset,
everything comes off. So it's all laid out on my
bench ready to go. And then obviously the process then begins.
So with the yours, obviously we've put on some new tires.
First thing I did was service the hubs, fit the
new tires, Ceilant, get everything sorted there first, and then
(01:07):
it's a case of either replacing parts or you're cleaning
certain things that aren't worn but need to be effectively serviced.
So it's a build back up from their kind of process.
So usually when you're down to the frame, it's just
the frame. Everything else is mechanical.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Is there any major is well, any questionable things where
you're like, oh, that doesn't look quite right and it's
not standard or thereafter.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
No, nothing in particular. Again, this is in the first
service I've done on this bike, so I do know
my way around a little bit more, and it's a
bit more obvious to me when I'm working on a
bike that I've worked on before. There'll be certain things
that I do, or certain greases or lubricans that I use.
There are sort of telltale signs that I've been in
here before. But no, nothing out of the ordinary. It's
(01:48):
all reasonably straightforward for me. I've been doing this a
long time.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
So for my bike, he's put well, we think it's
the biggest tires.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
What can go on it. I think it's the biggest,
safest size we can put on. Yeah, you could get
a wider time in there, but it's going with correct Yeah,
the tread makes a difference.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
So well, we've got forty two's on this one, correct, Yeah,
and we've got a tuberless setup as it was before.
In fact, you did my first tubeless setup and do
you know what, I didn't have one pontra of them.
I took that for the Reava first time. I thought
I'd be pushing a lock to go to Riva again
with the same ceiling inside. So no, you've done a
really really good job on that. Hopefully these are going
(02:26):
to be a little bit more comfier for me on
that one there. When it comes to bikes itself, do
you find saying this is a canyon, But when you
service a trek or specialized are they did have their
own quirks when it comes to the mechanical side of.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
It sometimes, but it's not necessarily per brand. For example,
certain bottom brackets can be more difficult to engage with.
Let's say, from my perspective, hubs is another one. You know,
different free of body systems or different ways of working.
Some are either easier to work with from my perspective,
easier to work with or less troublesome. Shall we say,
(03:02):
you have a preference as in what you really like
and what you hate. When it comes to hubs, things
like DT Swiss, like what you run with this are
definitely a preferred option just because you see a lot
less problems with them. So typically when I take one apart,
I know what to expect, I know I'm going to see,
and the design of it, the clutch type system on there,
(03:23):
it's a lot less prone to damage, and there's no
polls and springs for example, so there's there's less to
go wrong in that sense. When it comes to bottom brackets,
I've always got to be very careful with press fit anything,
and when it's carbon again got to be careful in
that sense as well. And sometimes they can be nice
and straightforward and other times they can be a real nightmare.
Seized bottom brackets. It is an issue that what should
(03:46):
take a short amount of time ends up taking a
long amount of time. But outside of that, no brand
wise not necessarily obviously the better, the sort of more
commonly perceived better brands are typically just better made. You
do see slight things, and it can be just basic
things like threads on bottom brackets. You know they are
better cut, or the tolerances on things are closer, so
(04:08):
you tend to have less issues with creaking and things
like that.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Oh that's good when it comes to bikes itself, obviously,
this is a gravel bike.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Of course, I've got all of them.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
I've got a road bike as you know, and I've
got mountain bikes, and yeah, we've got a preference yourself.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
What do you write? Well, I started off originally in
my trials riding like tricks and things like that, and
that sort of quickly led into more and more aggressive
sort of style of riding. So downhill bikes is what
really got me into cycling. Effectively, as I got older,
it hurt more and when you crash and things like that,
(04:43):
and you have rent to pain things like this, it
becomes more of a concern if you do get injured,
and it's commonplace when you do that kind of riding.
Road biking is a bit of a fitness thing in
terms of yes, I'm a big Cannondale fan. I've always
had Cannondales throughout sort of my cycling career. It's just
for fitness more than anything. You know. I do keep
(05:03):
myself fit, don't get me wrong, but road cycling at
the minute is probably where I land. And then when
it comes to gravel. I do think that gravel bikes
are what most people actually want, whether they realize it
or not. The ability to sort of commute or go
to work or just cover distance. It covers that ground
and then actual sort of fun off road cycling covers
(05:24):
that as well. So it ticks a lot of boxes
gravel cycling. But when I started, gravel wasn't a thing
one or the other. Really I can imagine. I mean
that was a good, good decision for me. I mean,
obviously road bike it was like should I get a
gravel bike? Back where?
Speaker 1 (05:36):
And obviously gravel bikes are all the buzz, you know,
it was everywhere on the internet. Gcm by just pushing
everything should be a gravel bike. Yeah, I actually got this,
and I was just yeah, it's a good mix between
road bike and a mountain bike. It isn't the mountain bike,
but it can do sixty seventy percent of what a
mountain bike could.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Where you would normally ride it.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Like, so the safety aspect does kick in, especially as
you get a little bit older, and yeah I could
go faster, I could go a little bit more daring,
but you just sort of lean back again.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Sometimes it starts to question decisions at some point. Cool.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
So when it comes to obviously the bi mechanic side
of it, how did you get started into it?
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Originally it was from a passion for cycling. I was
lucky enough that when I was still at school effectively,
friend of mine's older brother actually was the UK Rep
four Cannondale. So at the age of like thirteen, fourteen fifteen,
I'm getting a demo bike, a different one every weekend.
And these are four or five grand, brand new bikes
(06:34):
that are way out of my sort of capabilities of owning.
You're interested, but it definitely got me interested. I've got
the ball rolling. That's where it all sort of started effectively,
and then got to the point of work experience at
school and got a sort of placement in the local
bike shop, which is no longer there unfortunately, But that
(06:55):
was my foot in the door. Would be a cycle,
that's cycles. Yeah, that's where I started. Yeah, so that
got my foot in the door. Saturday job led to
I think I seen. I genuinely remember picking up my
GCSE results on my lunch break from Arrow Cycles. So
I was literally the minute I could start in full
time employment in bikes. That's what I did there is
(07:17):
where I sort of learned my basics. Yeah. Yeah, it's
also where I did my side tech training, so I'm
a qualified Master technician as I side tech grade it.
I did all of that Arrow because it was a
great place to do it. You have the time to
do the coursework or spend time with tutors and things
like that, but you also had the bikes and the
level of bikes to work on. So that's where I
(07:39):
sort of did my initial qualifications. And I think at
the time I was the youngest person to be level
two qualified, So we're talking twenty odd years ago now,
but like at the time, yeah, I was quite proud
of that achievement and I just knew that that's what
I wanted to do. So if I'm going to do it,
do it to the best of my ability. All that
sounds grave for you.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Good location as well, because I imagine you went local
around that school area.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Yes, yeah, yeah, went to Robert Pattinson's as as a schoolboy,
and then yeah, Arro Cycles was literally the career. It
made sense.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
So it does singm that you've got a bit of
a preference for Canadall I do.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, and I think it's I've always just liked the ingenuity.
I suppose things like the Lefty Folk and the headshog
system are quite renowned, aren't they. But to me that
just stood out amongst every other sort of option that
was on the market. You know, canadall and and the
(08:34):
sort of early naughties were using oversized head tubes. Now
pretty much everyone uses a taper. Heji was pretty much
a standard thing. There was things like that that they
were just kind of ahead of the game with and
some things they did were really crazy and didn't work,
but they were always trying something that And like Cedric
Grassey is probably my sort of favorite Manning Bicker ever,
and because he rode for Canada for years, I met
(08:56):
him a couple of times as well, so that was
quite nice. Yeah, just the whole package to buy into
with Canada.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Yeah, that was obviously lean us on to the next
questions what do you currently ride or but.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yes, yeah, so bigwise, I've got myself a cannondall Are
one thousand just heading up over there and it's from
two thousand and one. Found it on eBay. Just always
wanted a handmade American Canada because they're not made in
America anymore, So there was a sort of a time
limit of when they were sort of in trouble and
were bought out the production moved from America to Taiwan.
(09:30):
So I always wanted myself like an original, full alloy,
just nice one and found this one on eBay an
immaculate condition. It wasn't set up for me as in
the bars were really narrow, stem was really long. I
think the guy that had had it was sort of
crip racing on it or something along those lines. So
I just kind of updated the cockpit and what have you.
But everything else on it's still original, So still full
(09:51):
full of Tegre, the Mavick, Syrian and Wheels, their cells
that are on there. It's all from two thousand and one,
and it's just in immaculate condition. That's why I like it.
So looks absolutely gorgeous as well.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
So this leads on to the other questions, Uh, quick
fire on this one. Yeah, brim break or dis break,
dis break carbon or anything else?
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Carbon? Really? Yeah, you've been a titanium Yeah, well, titanium is.
It's just the price of it. It just puts so
many people. It just put it's in a bracket that
so many people can't stretch to. Yes, it's a very
sort of guccy, luxury sort of material to use, and
you do see pretty much with every titanium frame it
(10:32):
is really well made. But yeah, carbon technologies come on
along the way. The price of it, it's a lot more. Certainly.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
I can testify to the cheapness of carbon sometimes. I
mean I've been ali expressing carbon. You go for a
phase of trying it and then realizing I'll just buy
the proper thing and that's the end.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
But it's good fun to do it.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
So next question would be if you add an ideal bike,
you know, on obtainingum bike, what you could never affought.
What would it be, What is the current thing, what's
on your hot list?
Speaker 2 (11:02):
It'd be a mountain bike, yep, something probably like an
Endurer e bike. I was going to approach the e
bike exception in a minute, because I mean I've never
touched an e bike. I know some people do ride
e bikes and they ride it for as in they've
got knee or hips or age or something which has
slowing them down from normal riding.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Yeah, they still want to get out, So that's brilliant.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
But you look completely able body.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
I'm very able.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Is it just you don't like to pushing up?
Speaker 2 (11:29):
It's just the lazy part of it. Yeah, pushing forty
so I like to. It was always about the speed
and the ride and downhill for me. So if I
can have a lightweight ish electric mountain bike, for for example,
it'd be something yeah with prices no objective'd be something
really high end, so that weight is as low as possible,
(11:49):
Fox Fawks, Shimano XTR throughout that sort of thing. Yeah,
it's going to be expensive, but yeah, I'm just lazy
in terms of I much prefer the downhillside.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
In suppose we get if you've got the money to
waste on one, then you might as we go all in.
So this leads onto the gearing obviously for road bike
and gravele bike. I suppose ideal group set.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Road bike I think called Tegra and again d I
two w Tegra as well. Doesn't necessarily about which which
model of it, but the di I two from Shimano
for me, from a customers perspective and a mechanics perspective,
it is pretty bullet proof. It very rarely goes wrong. Okay,
Shram's sort of approach with full wireless is that next
level of that's great, but again it comes with a price. However,
(12:34):
one oh five doesn't quite come up to scratch in
terms of the quality of it. Dur Race for example,
again just a bit out It's just a little bit
outage for most people. You're not necessarily gaining a lot
in performance. But you asked, is weight based for me?
That's where you see advantage.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Have you found the drip down sort of flow from
Shimano obviously over the years, you know, yeah, I mean
last year's Dura racist, this year is you know it
is it like that?
Speaker 2 (12:59):
What you Yeah, it does work like that, like twenty
six years in the game effectively. I remember back in
sort of the naughties when you know Shimano dere when
it was nine speed and you had XTR that was
nine speed, years before ten speed became popular. Yeah, you
would see that trickle down effects. But ultimately price plays
(13:19):
a part in terms of technology can come down, but
things like material costs can't. So where you're using titanium,
aluminium or steel, steel is always going to be cheaper.
Seeing dore and one oh five parts typically have more
steel in there than they do aluminium or titanium, So
it's where the weight comes into it. But the prices
of things, what about gravel?
Speaker 1 (13:38):
And I suppose we had better say mattin bike as well,
because you got a passion for that. What's your you know,
the ones, what you look at for the ones you
like In terms of brands, as.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
In group sets for Glory lights. Yeah, the more work
that Shram do with their group sets when it comes
to mounting bike products, yeah, I would swing slightly more
towards say Shram than Shimano for sort of road mounting
bags in the verse of things, And it is purely
down to sort of the maintenance and the sort of
the simplicity of wireless group sets. Like, yes, it comes
(14:09):
at a price, but for a mountain bike, for example,
it just works so much better, and the maintenance of
it in terms of people looking after it themselves or
for me doing it, it just makes a lot more sense.
You've also got a bearing mind. Internal routing of cables
is very common now, so by removing that element and
just having break hoses in that makes things a lot
easier for myself and for customers and replacing of parts.
(14:32):
It just all makes much more sense. That's brilliant.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Now you've been in this game for obviously a considering
amount of time. When I first caught you, it was
with some hughes, right, Yeah, and I got wind of
you because someone recommended you to me. And just looking
at your Instagram food you can see everyone in why
I ride and follow. Yeah, they know you, they follow you,
and they bring their bikes. Yeah, you must have some
some rubbish stories to tell about users bring well, customers
(14:56):
like me coming along and say I've done this and
you've gone yep, I'll take care of it. He got
any scary stories for people that bring the bike?
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah. One from last year customer's bike specialized rube I
think it was so carbon frame, quite old, but he'd
been using it on a turbo trainer. It had then
been put in the shed, I think for the summer,
not really done anything with The following year came back
after the turbo trainer. Anyway, by the time it came
to me, it was in a state in terms of
(15:25):
everything that could wear needed replacing. The scary thing is
when I removed the bottom bracket and on this particular
model of Rubay, so this isn't the same on every bike.
It used an aluminum sleeve that's bonded into the frame.
But because there's been a lot of water sat in
the down section of this cylindrical tube, it'd eaten away
(15:47):
to the point that you could just poke it and
it was just collapsing. Now because that sleeve isn't repairable,
it's not designed to come in or out. Once it's in,
it's in. It's off frame terminal problem. Yeah, turbo trainers
water the elements effectively can be a real and it's
hidden away. He had no idea that that was going on,
(16:09):
and he just had had its service for five or
six years.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
I must admit I put my end up to us
as well when it comes to cleaning bikes. I'm pretty rubbish.
I'll yeah later or next time. You're not as bad
as some of the ones I see. You have got
any recommendations, you know, the ideal sort of black mechanic
would say this is what you need to look out
for the chain Obviously, what else would you recommend chain?
Speaker 2 (16:30):
In terms of where yeap just for cost saving more
than anything, because when it comes to a chain, where
a lot of people have the assumption that when you
change the chain, you change the cassette at the same time,
that's not necessarily the case. The cassette will only need
replacing if it's worn, and the only reason it'll become
too worn is if the chain is stretched beyond a point.
(16:52):
So just keeping an eye on your chain way and
changing your chain at regular intervals can save you the
price of a cassette multiple times over. Chain tools can
be a tenor so for the sake of a tenor
It depends on your level of cassette. You can save
yourself some money in terms of the actual drive train itself,
keeping that clean and not overly lubricated. So one thing
I see a lot of is drive trains that are
(17:14):
really gunned up and dirt in just horrible and what
have you, and it just creates extra wear and extra friction.
So to keep that maintained. Again, isn't that you don't
have to go crazy as in the level that I
do with ultrasonic cleaners and things like that, but keeping
it clean ish will just make everything better in the
long run. And brake pads. The amount of times I
see bikes with brekepads that are dangerously low and the
(17:37):
customers have no idea that they've never they've not checked them,
or they don't know how to, or they don't know
what to look for, to the point that this year alone,
I've had multiple bikes where the breakepads have worn down
to the metal. It then breaks on the rotor, then
destroys the rotor, so rather than a basic set of
brake pads, it can be a lot sort of worse. Yeah,
you're all right with that.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
I think every time I brought any bike to you,
pretty much every bike has had a new chain and
brake pads.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
You We've luckily got away.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
On this bike breakpads this time with the cassette as well,
because for me, the most expensive part, which apart from
natural dreada is probably the real cassette that makes it about.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
One hundred and fifty brown. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Yeah, So when when I bring it for a service,
I'm a bit cautious because if it's a new cassett
and a chain that can be very expensive.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Starts adding it up here, and it's completely avoidable in
terms of if you know what to look for in
terms of a chain way, you need a tool to
do it. It's not something you can visually really look at
to determine that they're just a cheap thing to buy
is a tool.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
So yeah, when it comes to obviously not these kind
of bikes, you know, helf for special bikes because you
take any bike really pretty much.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah, bike, I say a bike is a bike. It's not,
but like in terms of me working on it more
or less it is. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
So obviously you're in Brent Road now obviously in Lincoln
comes in. I'll put the link in the description and
all the drouds to the website as well. Well. Worth
recommended to just drop my message with your problems and
I'm sure you'll be able to happy to help. You
will do what's obviously how would you put yourself competitively
on the price structure? Would you say you're road because
I mean there's a lot of what isn't competition as such.
(19:12):
Because people recommend for me, I go with what people
have recommended. They say, I've been to this chap's brilliant,
I've been to that chap. They're okay, you know, it's
that sort of thing. So where would you put yourself
on price wise? Competitive but end product better than anybody else?
Speaker 2 (19:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (19:28):
I think everyone I've spoken to seems to think I
don't get no negative.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Let's put it that way.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Yone says, yeah, you want to go see this chap
is good. You might have a bit of weight if
he's got a rush on.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
But the middle of the summer up to maybe a
two week wait at worst is what happened. This summer
just gone. But again, if it's booked in, typically I'm
working on it the day it's booked in, so the
actual turning around time is maybe two or three days
at worse.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
It's pretty good with me. I mean every time I've
messaged you, it's pretty much. I'll drop it off the
day or the day after or the day after that normally.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
And then it all comes down to parts. As in
a huge amount of stock, as in chains cassettes, the
generic bearings are tons of bearings. But if there's for
that cassette, for example, I don't carry a lot of cassettes,
So if I have to order something like that and
it takes two or three days, that's the hold up.
And I'll always get to a point with a bike
where I can't do anymore until parts X, Y and
(20:18):
Z turn up. So when they turn up, it should
just be the remaining parts and.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Crack hard where you go next, is it this building up,
building up this, Yeah, I think long term, for me,
it has to be effectively a bigger premises.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
So for me that that next step is a shop,
it's always it was originally the goal when I sort
of started doing the chain box. However, it's almost a bit.
It's a big it's a big gap. Now it's a
big jump. I've got a really good client base. I'm
very busy all year round. Premises wise, I'm okay. Size wise,
I okay. I don't necessarily need more space to do
(20:55):
more work. It's just me as well. So until I've
got an apprentice or something along those lines, the next
step is a big one. But ultimately, yeah, when I
look into the when I look at the market I've
been in various parts of cycling for the last twenty
six years. The real area that does well is the
mid to higher end type bike shop. So there is
(21:17):
a lot of bike shops closing. There is a lot
of distributors that are struggling and closing. But the guys
that do well are professionals like myself that have either
done it a long time or they take great pride
in what they do. And you're dealing with bikes that
are probably three to four grand plus up to the
ten fifteen grand mark, because they're the kind of customers
(21:37):
that want that level of competency as well as professionalism
as well as thoroughness of the job, and people like
myself are hard to find now. It is becoming a
rare sort of niche part of the industry. Effectively, if
you go into many bike shops and find mechanics, but
a lot of the time they're not there for the
long haul or there for the profession of it. They're
(21:59):
there because they're working at UNI and that's the UNI
type level job, or they like cycling. You walk into
a bike shop nine times out of ten, everyone in
those a cyclist, of course. Yeah, that's what you expect anyway. Yeah,
but they just get to a point, I think where
career options are limited, so they ultimately end up not
staying in the industry.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
That's true when it comes to chains, what's your preferred
loop and whatch of you on.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
That good question? And waxing. Yeah, okay, so chain waxing,
for example, is a very current trend trends. Yeah, when
you look at say like proteins and how they go
about it and having ten twelve pre wax chains per bike.
Of course, that's a lot of change. That's a lot
of wax, and they're doing things accordingly. Chain waxing will
(22:48):
only last up to something around six hundred miles, if
not less, depending on various different things, and again quality
of the wax and different things like that. So the
for the regular cyclist, not necessarily competitive cyclist, it's a
lot of faffing around, and you do have to have
multiple chains because you're going to take at some point.
(23:08):
You're best off having one on the bike and one
ready to go because cleaning it, rewaxing it, etc. Takes time.
It's not a quick thing to just swap them over.
For some people that do it properly, it seems to
work great and they swear by it and they'll never
go back. I think my view is a little bit
skewed purely because I'm a mechanic and I have all
the required equipment for doing it the hard way, I suppose,
(23:32):
so for me, I wouldn't ever go down that waxing route.
But that's purely because of what I do. I think
when it comes to lubricants and brands, weld tie is
a brand that I've used for a long time. And again,
when you work in bike shops, you typically don't get
a choice in what you use. You're just given something,
whatever it may be. It's off the shop floor one
(23:53):
way or another. For me running my own workshop, I
can use whatever products I want. But Well Tied Do
is such a great range of products. They do a
ceramic chain loop, which the thing for me that really
stands out is if I'm fitting a chain or a
drive train or have cleaned it, it's been in the
ultratronic cleaner, it all comes out and it's bone dry.
There is no lubric and whatsoever. And when I'm shifting through,
(24:14):
when I'm shifting through gears, for example, it can be
very loud and very noisy. As soon as I apply
that ceramic chain lube on there it all goes definitely quiet,
and it's a great sign of like how good the
loup is.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
So the question is wax on or wax off?
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Oh wonder what mister Maaggie would say, whax off?
Speaker 1 (24:36):
There you have it, Well, there we go. Thank you
very much for that. It's been a good insight into
your world. You're welcome, And yeah, as a lazy sort
of rider. When it comes to cleaning up after myself.
I'm glad that there are people out there who can
actually do a professional job after me as well, because
you know, the bike wouldn't be as good as it
is without a decent service. The service he did last year,
(24:57):
and I've should have done it quicker has lasted me
what a year or yeah, I'm a bit longer, so
it's done a really really good job. So thank you
very much and my pleasure. Yeah, I'll drop a link
in the description for this chapter website. You're on Instagram
as well, Yeah, pretty much every social platform. I'm fantastic
and if you catch his Instagram reels you'll see the
(25:17):
little breakdown on the canon as well. So yeah, thank
you very much for you me today and if you
do like what you see, please do drop me a
like hit me coming outderneath.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
I'm see you the next video. Bye bye,
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