How to take apart a track bike (with pictures)

Riding a bicycle is an increasingly popular activity as a recreational activity and for practicality reasons as well. However, sometimes it is necessary to remove, replace or clean certain parts of the bicycle.

A track bike is a type of bicycle (driven by a single, usually fixed gear) that is popular in urban areas due to its simplicity, maneuverability, easy maintenance, and style. In this article we will discuss the maintenance and disassembly of these types of bicycles.

For the sake of convenience, in this article we will assume that the bike you are working with has a fixed gear. This project will do best in a clear space with a clean floor, as things like grease tend to pick up dust and debris. This project can be done by anyone with the necessary tools, a bit of strength (for certain parts), and an interest in bicycle maintenance. This project can take anywhere from an hour to a full day, depending on your level of care and familiarity with the parts.

Steps

In general, many of these steps can be done in a different order, but removing the parts in the order listed is a wise way to proceed. For example, the saddle can be removed at any time, you can choose to leave it on the bike to support it when it is upside down when removing the wheels. A bike repair stand can help you hold onto your bike through the many steps, but it's not necessary for this project.

Part 1 of 14: Pedals

The pedals are an easy part to remove. Coiled:

the right crank (the one on the chain side) is screwed in as normal, the left is screwed backwards.

Step 1. Use the pedal wrench to unscrew the pedal at the end of the crank arm

Step 2. Make sure to hold the pedal up as you loosen it, otherwise it will fall to the ground

Part 2 of 14: Left Crank Arm

The left crank arm should be removed first, as the right crank arm is connected to the transmission and will be removed later. Coiled:

the pinion puller is screwed onto the crank with normal nuts, on both cranks.

Step 1. Remove the dust cap and crank bolt from the point where the crank connects to the bottom bracket

For this you will normally need an Allen wrench, but the tool may vary depending on the make and type of the crank.

When you have removed it you will see nuts inside the crank arm with the bottom bracket axis visible on the inside

Step 2. Unscrew the pinion puller slightly until the “pressure” portion of the puller is recessed into the threaded portion of the tool

Step 3. Screw the tool onto the crank arm, delicately at first

Make sure to screw the tool all the way in, as there will be a lot of pressure on the nuts when you remove the cranks.

Step 4. Turn the lever on the tool clockwise, threading the "push" part back onto the bolt that should be threaded into the crank

You can pull the crank off the bottom bracket shaft with some force.

Part 3 of 14: Wheels

Step 1. Remove the wheels by loosening the bolts that hold their screws to the frame and to the forks (rear and front)

You should be able to remove them directly after loosening the brackets

Part 4 of 14: Chain

After removing the rear wheel, the chain will hang loosely from the chain plate and frame.

Step 1. Use the chain cutter and choose a link and attach it to the tool

To do this, you must place the chain link between the teeth of the chain cutter in such a way that it is held in place.

Step 2. Use a tool such as a pinch pliers and point the arm at the small piece of metal that connects the chain links

Step 3. Screw the tool in until the piece of metal is almost completely out of the other side

The piece of metal connecting the chain links should remain on only one side of the link, you only need to remove it far enough to loosen the chain.

• Be careful not to remove the entire piece completely! It is extremely difficult to re-insert that piece to the chain.
• A good way to do this is to alternate between threading the tool arm onto the chain and removing it, checking for chain breakage (you won't be able to tell while the chain is on the tool). Do it slowly.

Step 4. When you have separated the chain you can completely remove it from the bike

Make sure you put it on a paper towel or other clean surface where the dust won't stick.

Part 5 of 14: Brakes

Step 1. Unscrew the brake lever from the handlebars on the bottom side of the lever

Step 2. Remove the brake lever from the handlebars, making sure to grasp any support pieces that may fall off

Step 3. Unscrew the bolt that is attached to the brake through the fork

Step 4. Optional:

this is a good opportunity to change the brake pads and clean them.

1. For caliper brakes, unscrew the small bolts on either side of the caliper brake that is attached to the pedal pad itself.

   

2. After removing the pads from the pedal, unscrew the (smaller) screw on the pad / metal assembly itself and slide the pad away from the piece of metal it is attached to.

   

3. Replace the pad by inserting a new one. This is a cheap and durable repair for your bike as brake pads are cheap and are your best friends on the road.

   

   Part 6 of 14: Handlebars

   

   Step 1. Remove the bolts from the handlebars that hold the handlebars in place

   

   Step 2. Catch the disc piece when you remove the last bolt

   Part 7 of 14: Handlebars

   Remember to hold the fork when removing the bolts that secure the handlebar to the top of the fork tube (including the steerer bolt), as it may fall off and fragile parts may break. This may or may not be a problem, depending on whether the address is part of a sealed assembly (images show an unsealed address).

   

   Step 1. Unscrew the bolt on the handlebar cap

   

   Step 2. Unscrew the bolts on the handlebar handle

   (This is the part where the hairpin can fall off.)

   

   Step 3. Slide the handlebar up to remove it from the fork

   

   Step 4. Slide the spacer rings, if any, off the fork

   

   Step 5. Remove the bearing ring from the handlebar cup

   Place this ring on a clean paper towel or other surface. It is a good idea to clean and re-grease this part with bearing grease.

   1. You can clean the ring by rubbing it with a paper towel in your hands or with lubricant or cleaner.
   2. Make sure to thoroughly re-grease this ring, as this is the part that rotates when you turn the handlebars to turn your bike. Ask your local bike store for recommendations on bearing grease.

      

      Step 6. Take careful note of the order and direction of the bearing rings and support O-rings at this stage of the project

      You will have to put them back exactly in place.

      Part 8 of 14: Hairpin

      

      Step 1. Slide the fork down to remove it from the frame

      Make sure not to loosen the bearing ring on the fork that was left in the bottom cup of the frame.

      

      Step 2. Slide the bearing ring and o-ring off the frame

      Part 9 of 14: Right Crank Arm

      Perform the same steps to remove the right crank arm in the same way as for the left crank arm. This is only slightly more awkward with the presence of the chainring on the crank arm. You can remove the chain ring bolts to remove it from the crank arm in this step, if you like. You only need to use an Allen key to unscrew the bolts on the crank arm.

      Part 10 of 14: Lower Fork

      Removing the lower fork is probably the most difficult part (in terms of force) of the process. You may need to take the frame to your local bike shop for this part, as some lower forks are installed with a lesser Loctite agent. You should also be aware that lower forks come in a variety of standard designs and the tools for the lower fork may differ in size. This article will discuss how to remove an ISIS style lower fork. Coiled:

      the lower fork cup is screwed in as normal. The lower fork itself is threaded backwards.

      

      Step 1. Place the fork tool on the lower fork shaft

      The shaft itself is not very deep, because of this the tool can easily come out by putting too much torque on the wrench to remove the lower fork. Be careful not to strip the lower fork shafts or threads.

      

      Step 2. The ISIS style lower fork has two parts, the snap ring cup and the main lower fork

      These parts are threaded differently and need a little bit of trial and error to find out which side the circlip is on. The circlip will be screwed on normally and you can most likely easily unscrew it (relative to the other side).

      

      Step 3. Choose a side and turn counterclockwise until the cup is removed

      

      Step 4. When you have removed the cup from the axle, rotate the frame and remove the lower fork, turning it clockwise

      Part 11 of 14: Saddle

      

      Step 1. Unscrew the bolt at the top of the frame where the seat post enters the frame

      

      Step 2. Remove and pull the saddle and seat post out of the frame

      Part 12 of 14: circlip

      The circlips are located on the outer nuts of the hubs of fixed gear bicycles. They are there to prevent the sprocket from unscrewing when you pedal the bike backwards. They do this by being screwed into the hub in a different direction than the pinion and fitting evenly against the pinion. Coiled:

      the circlip is screwed backwards, this is related to its purpose as the circlip is there to prevent the sprocket from unscrewing when riding the fixed gear bike.

      

      Step 1. Use the single prong side of the circlip tool (if you also have a triple prong side) to snap it into the circlip

      

      Step 2. Turn the lock ring clockwise to remove it

      Part 13 of 14: Pinion

      Coiled:

      the pinion is screwed in as normal.

      

      Step 1. Place a chain wrench on the sprocket where the chain is not hanging loose

      

      Step 2. Use your hand to wrap the loose part of the chain wrench around the sprocket and apply pressure to the sprocket directly away from the other chain

      

      Step 3. Hold it tight and twist it counter-clockwise to remove it

      This can be a bit difficult to do, so get someone to help you or get creative on how to attach the chain to the sprocket.

      Part 14 of 14: Tires

      

      Step 1. Deflate the tire completely

      

      Step 2. Insert the tire lever under the “flange” part of the rim, between the rubber tire and the metal rim

      

      Step 3. Push up to lift the edge of the tire and remove it from the rim, simultaneously pushing the rim down

      

      Step 4. When part of the tire's edge is over the edge of the rim, the rest will come off easily

      

      Step 5. Run the tool along the rim to remove the edge of the tire

      

      Step 6. Remove the valve from the hole in the rim and remove the tire from under the rim

      

      Step 7. At this point, you should remove one edge of the tire from the rim. Repeat the process with the other side

      

      Step 8. This is a good time to change the tires or add under-tire reinforcement if the tires go flat frequently

      Advice

      • In this article, "normal screwed in" means that if you screw to the right it will tighten and to the left it will loosen and "reverse screw" means that if you screw to the right it will loosen and to the left it will tighten. All screws and bolts are threaded normally. Please pay attention to the “Threading” information listed in the steps.
      • WD-40 is not a lubricant, it is a solvent.
      • Greasing the threads helps extend their wear time.
      • When removing parts, it is a good idea to clean (and if necessary re-grease) the part before putting it back on the bike. In addition to improving the bike's appearance, removing dust and grime is crucial to extending the bike's usage time.
      • Be careful with the threading direction of the bike. If a part is stuck and won't twist or kink, double check the threading information. You may be turning it in the opposite direction and this will damage the threading.
      • Make sure to carefully examine each part when removing it and remember how it looked when it was on the bike. This will make it easier for you to reassemble the bike. Taking a photo while you work is also a good option.

      Warnings

      • Be careful with your fingers! When turning the wheels / pedals / cranks of a fixed gear bicycle when the chain is on, avoid putting your fingers near the sprocket or chain. Because the bike does not have a freewheel, when you stop turning the wheels, the chain will continue to move. Your finger can get caught in the pinion!
      • Chain tension is very important on a fixed gear bike. Since the fixed gear is often the largest source of braking power, it is important that you keep the chain taut so that it does not move out of place when you hit a bump in the road or you could risk injuring yourself. and to the bicycle.