# Things You've Learnt From Fettling



## bpsmith (2 Oct 2017)

Needed to fit a new lower headset bearing, so decided to finally cut down the steerer after riding with the stem a lot lower than when I first got the bike. The obvious thing was that the compression bung was in the way. After a short while scratching my head, it became clear how it all worked. I had put this job off for ages as though there would be a lot more to it.

What have you learnt from a spot of DIY fettling, the easy way or the hard way?


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## I like Skol (2 Oct 2017)

Don't mess with things I am not prepared/can't afford to ruin!


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## Hugh Manatee (2 Oct 2017)

Campagnolo rear hubs are very different to Shimano. I have serviced many, many Shimano hubs. Removing the cassette body and replacing bearings seems very logical and strait forward.

I assumed the big C would be similar. Wrong! Springs, pawls and bearings went everywhere. Managed eventually to get it all back together complete with new bearings. 

The trick is to use a length of cotton to keep pawls in place as you reassemble. Luckily, Campagnolo hubs seem long lived and I haven't had to do them since.


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## Hugh Manatee (2 Oct 2017)

User said:


> Don't fettle stuff on wooden decking. 63% of dropped items fall through the gaps.



This is probably governed by the same law that makes the vital dropped bearing/component roll under the heaviest least moveable object anywhere near you.


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## Spinney (2 Oct 2017)

User said:


> Don't fettle stuff on wooden decking. 63% of dropped items fall through the gaps.


Don't fettle on a gravelled surface, all small dropped bits are immediately camouflaged and come alive long enough to burrow down in the gaps between the stones.


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## byegad (2 Oct 2017)

My golden rules are:- 
1. To only fettle when I don't need the bike urgently anytime soon.
2. Leave things that are working perfectly well alone!
3. Only start a job for which I already have the tools.
4. Use time spent lubricating, cleaning or tyre pumping to cast a glance over all of the components to spot trouble before it develops into a breakdown. A prime example would be spotting an accessory coming loose, or a fraying cable!


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## roadrash (2 Oct 2017)

Agree with point number 2 ....if it aint broke, don't fix it


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## arch684 (2 Oct 2017)

Don't buy cheap tools


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## CanucksTraveller (2 Oct 2017)

Don't pull on a fraying cable with your bare hands, unless you like the idea of a sensation akin to needles going in your fingers.


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## MichaelW2 (2 Oct 2017)

byegad said:


> My golden rules are:-
> 2. Leave things that are working perfectly well alone!



I use this rule in regard to my Shimano dynamo hub. I have no idea how you can safely service the bearings and no shop seems to know.


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## si_c (2 Oct 2017)

Spinney said:


> Don't fettle on a gravelled surface, all small dropped bits are immediately camouflaged and come alive long enough to burrow down in the gaps between the stones.





User said:


> Or anywhere with leaves on the ground.



Closely related to these are don't fettle things on the grass. Servicing a front hub I lost a QR spring and half the bearings on one side.


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## SpokeyDokey (2 Oct 2017)

User said:


> Don't fettle stuff on wooden decking. 63% of dropped items fall through the gaps.



Crikey - you have to drop a lot of stuff on the decking to come up with that statistic.


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## Milkfloat (2 Oct 2017)

I seemed to have learnt that you should buy everything required for a job at least 6 months before I actually perform the work. I think subconsciously I believe that allowing the parts and tools to mature will make everything easier. Either that or I like shopping more than fixing.


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## numbnuts (2 Oct 2017)

If it ain't bust don't fix it


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## bpsmith (2 Oct 2017)

[QUOTE 4981523, member: 45"]It was an unusual headset containing 100 bearings.[/QUOTE]
So how many did you lose...


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## fixedfixer (2 Oct 2017)

Not all Tiagra group set is compatible with Tiagra group set - don't ask how long it took to figure that out


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## Drago (2 Oct 2017)

Always wear eye protection.


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## cyberknight (2 Oct 2017)

Never assume a like for like part will fit or indeed work properly.


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## arch684 (2 Oct 2017)

Chain rings don't like knuckles


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## Supersuperleeds (2 Oct 2017)

It normally works out cheaper and quicker to not fettle with it in the first place but give it to the LBS to do.


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## Dave 123 (2 Oct 2017)

Always do anything major like bottom brackets and chainring replacement in the presence of Patrick, in his workshop.

He pretends that he's an idiot, but really he's an unflappable wizard with every conceivable tool.

And he's free!


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## Will Spin (2 Oct 2017)

Resist the temptation to fettle when out on the road.


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## PK99 (2 Oct 2017)

Chainrings are sharp and hurt.


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## derrick (2 Oct 2017)

There's nothing to learn, i know it all.


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## Tim Hall (2 Oct 2017)

PK99 said:


> Chainrings are sharp and hurt.


Put the chain onto the big ring before fettling anything near them. The chain covers most of the pointy bits, acting as protection.


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## PK99 (2 Oct 2017)

Tim Hall said:


> Put the chain onto the big ring before fettling anything near them. The chain covers most of the pointy bits, acting as protection.



Now he tells me!


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## 400bhp (2 Oct 2017)

Make a cup of tea before starting.

Proceed to drink tea whilst examining the issue with the bike. 

Run through mind several times whether job will last long enough that another tea is needed. If answer in no, then fettle away. If answer is yes, take to bike shop.


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## dave r (2 Oct 2017)

Be careful of where you put your fingers when fettling fixed wheel transmissions.


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## Sharky (2 Oct 2017)

Next time you buy a washing m/c, dishwasher etc, keep one of the polystyrene packing tops. They make an eccelent work tray, being white and have a raised lip all round the sides. Has saved more than a few dropped widgets.


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## subaqua (2 Oct 2017)

User said:


> Don't fettle stuff on wooden decking. 63% of dropped items fall through the gaps.


I have learned that 63.45 % of statistics about fettling and fettling related stuff are made up.


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## Tin Pot (2 Oct 2017)

bpsmith said:


> Needed to fit a new lower headset bearing, so decided to finally cut down the steerer after riding with the stem a lot lower than when I first got the bike. The obvious thing was that the compression bung was in the way. After a short while scratching my head, it became clear how it all worked. I had put this job off for ages as though there would be a lot more to it.
> 
> What have you learnt from a spot of DIY fettling, the easy way or the hard way?



I've learnt that it's better and cheaper to pay someone else to do it.

But putting what I've learned into practice is tricky.


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## the snail (2 Oct 2017)

When you're taking a pedal off, make sure you're turning it the right way. Don't just stand on the spanner until it breaks.


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## Shut Up Legs (3 Oct 2017)

Don't fettle within earshot of others, in case things don't go as planned.


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## alicat (3 Oct 2017)

Never let a Staffie with a rubber fetish be in the same room when swopping tyres over.


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## biggs682 (3 Oct 2017)

How to almost build a complete bike from , not taught myself the art of wheel building yet


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## bpsmith (3 Oct 2017)

Tin Pot said:


> I've learnt that it's better and cheaper to pay someone else to do it.
> 
> But putting what I've learned into practice is tricky.


Whilst I agree that we need to pay for some jobs, the vast majority are perfectly doable at home.

It cost me nothing to do it at home and helped me enjoy a Sunday afternoon with weather too atrocious for riding. Got the bearing cheaper from a well known online bike shop, than my local well known bike shop (that also has a big online presence) was able to do.

Pleasure from DIY and cost saving. This time at least.


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## Nigel-YZ1 (3 Oct 2017)

When releasing bearings always put a bucket underneath. The last one I lost turned up in plain sight 6 months later


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## Vantage (3 Oct 2017)

I built my first wheel when I was about 18. It was more a rim swap than a build from scratch but up until I did it, I thought that spokes pushed outwards on a rim. The way I figured it, if spokes pulled in, then the wheel would implode.
That was a revelation.


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## Gary E (3 Oct 2017)

Having learned the hard way when it comes to bearings/quick links/nuts and bolts etc. - get yourself one of those little magnetic trays and place it underneath whatever you're working on. They're cheap and I honestly think it's one of the best things I've bought for my bike


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## Tin Pot (3 Oct 2017)

bpsmith said:


> Whilst I agree that we need to pay for some jobs, the vast majority are perfectly doable at home.
> 
> It cost me nothing to do it at home and helped me enjoy a Sunday afternoon with weather too atrocious for riding. Got the bearing cheaper from a well known online bike shop, than my local well known bike shop (that also has a big online presence) was able to do.
> 
> Pleasure from DIY and cost saving. This time at least.



Perfectly doable, yes - that's why I do it.

But it's neither better nor cheaper than getting someone else to do it.

Maybe in five more years my expertise will be such that I always thread casings and cables first time and never chew the ends up. No bracket ever misinstalled, no headset ever creaking, no chain ever stuck or farked up in some new and imaginative way.

Until then, it will be worse and more expensive, in money and time.


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## Levo-Lon (3 Oct 2017)

If it ain't broke, don't fix it


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## Milkfloat (3 Oct 2017)

dave r said:


> Be careful of where you put your fingers when fettling fixed wheel transmissions.



You will ignore this advice, but probably only once.


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## bpsmith (3 Oct 2017)

Tin Pot said:


> Perfectly doable, yes - that's why I do it.
> 
> But it's neither better nor cheaper than getting someone else to do it.
> 
> ...


Taking my time and buying the right tools has so far meant the second time doing a job has always been straightforward.

Not done a bottom bracket yet, so that’s about the only road bike learning curve to come, aside from building wheels.


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## wheeliebin (3 Oct 2017)

When planning to do some fettling, buy the parts you need well in advance. Leave them in the kitchen for a few weeks, at some point they will then inexplicably become migrated to some random location in the shed, never to be seen again.


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## dave r (3 Oct 2017)

Milkfloat said:


> You will ignore this advice, but probably only once.



I've managed it twice but have no desire to repeat it.


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## wreck rider (3 Oct 2017)

The large mallet, used for tent pegs in the summer, should not really become your go to tool for all those delicate micro adjustments.


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## Tim Hall (3 Oct 2017)

User said:


> When fettling a fixed wheel bike, if it is in a stand, put a toe-strap round the seat tube and rim.


Ooh, there's a blood sacrifice saving idea. Noted.


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## Poacher (3 Oct 2017)

The rear dropouts on the Bob Jackson frame I bought second-hand nearly 40 years ago measure 120mm rather than the 126mm I'd always assumed. No wonder it's been such a struggle to get a 130mm hub into place.

Maybe I should consider a fixed/SS option instead.


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## GuyBoden (3 Oct 2017)

bpsmith said:


> What have you learnt from a spot of DIY fettling, the easy way or the hard way?



Patience..........................................


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## bpsmith (3 Oct 2017)

GuyBoden said:


> Patience..........................................


Spot on there!

For a number of reasons, I have found that I am less stressed more recently. I have also noticed that working on the bike goes a lot better now. Definitely down to not panicking when something doesn’t go to plan.


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## Tim Hall (3 Oct 2017)

Saying out loud where I've put the bit I've just taken off, or the tool I've just used. This helps me remember where it is, saving hours of fruitless searching.


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## alecstilleyedye (10 Oct 2017)

righty tighty, leftey loosey, apart from left-handed threaded pedals of course


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## TheDoctor (10 Oct 2017)

If you remove the bolt but not the washer on a square taper crank, your crank tool will then remove the thread quite effectively if you lean on it hard enough.
Everyone within earshot will then learn some new words...


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## Vantage (10 Oct 2017)

GuyBoden said:


> Patience..........................................



Guaranteed it'll be the smallest job that sets off the biggest chain reaction of other jobs needing doing and it always happens when I'm on the strictest time limit which will inevitably get my blood pressure high enough to blow Mt St Helens a second time.
Straight after that happens, the Allen key will round off.


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## bigjim (10 Oct 2017)

Always take the bike for a couple of runs around the block after you have done any work on it.


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## Ming the Merciless (10 Oct 2017)

A little and often prevents the big fails...


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## Ming the Merciless (29 Sep 2019)

It always go wrong in front of an audience no matter how experienced you are.


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## Skanker (29 Sep 2019)

Don’t fettle in a boat until you find a way to block things from falling into the bilge, it’s too deep to rescue tools from and stinks of old oil and diesel!


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## MontyVeda (29 Sep 2019)

When i was a kid I was always rummaging in my dad's toy box (tool box), much to his annoyance. Then at some point around the age of 8 I worked out that all his steel bone shaped things were something to do with the little hexagonal things on my bike, and started loosening the seat post, wheel nuts and brake blocks and tightening them back up again. The biggest learning curve was when i found a spanner big enough to fit the headset on my Raleigh Tomahawk and undid that, only to watch all the tiny ball bearings scatter all over the garage floor. The challenge was to put it back together before Dad got home from work, otherwise i'd get a bollocking. I'm sure only 20% of the headset bearings went back in but it seemed to work afterwards.

When i was about 10, Dad got hold of an old frame from a workmate and some wheels from a skip and various other bits and we built a bike together, which first meant stripping the frame back to the metal and repainting it. I got Dad's big spanner and suggested we removed the forks. Dad suggested we didn't. I insisted it was fine, we just needed something to catch all the ball bearings in. I remember his perplexed expression to this day as I undid the forks and let the bearings drop into a big stork margarine tub, he was probably wondering how i knew what was going to happen.

I was a terrible as a kid for dismantling stuff then trying to put it back together before Dad found out... I think I almost always got away with it too.


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## Salty seadog (29 Sep 2019)

Don't suck what you can't see.


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## MontyVeda (29 Sep 2019)

Supersuperleeds said:


> It normally works out cheaper and quicker to not fettle with it in the first place but give it to the LBS to do.


not in my experience.


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## Ming the Merciless (29 Sep 2019)

I got a frame from the dump as a kid then stripped and got a pot of paint for it.


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## derrick (29 Sep 2019)

I learned there are a lot of bodgers out there,


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## Skanker (29 Sep 2019)

derrick said:


> I learned there are a lot of bodgers out there,


I think if I’m totally honest, I’m more of a bodger than a fettler!


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## Drago (29 Sep 2019)

Don't use the toaster for heating up heat-shrink sleeving.


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## Ming the Merciless (29 Sep 2019)

Drago said:


> Don't use the toaster for heating up heat-shrink sleeving.



Hair drier works well


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## Ming the Merciless (29 Sep 2019)

If you use a nipple driver when building rear wheels then you'll need to do a lot less work regards dishing. It'll be almost spot on from the start , assuming you use correct length spokes as well.


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## DSK (29 Sep 2019)

1) youtube always makes it look easier
2) get a shag knacker to practise bigger jobs on


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## palinurus (30 Sep 2019)

Sticking hub brakes are a piece of piss to fix.

Never start fettling on a day that the bike shop is closed (note: this is now every day as my LBS closed down)


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## Gravity Aided (30 Sep 2019)

Whatever project it is, it's not going to be finished today. Something you need will be missing. Yesterday's single speed conversion was held up by lack of a single speed freewheel (I have 2 fixed cogs on the same wheel) and a long presta valve tube. I had everything else I needed.


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## All uphill (30 Sep 2019)

Slowly is much, much quicker than quickly. 

Watch the videos, get the parts, cup of tea, take photos, keep parts in a container. Cup of tea and put it back together, short test ride and take essential tools on next proper ride.


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## All uphill (30 Sep 2019)

Oh, and be happy if you are competent on the third attempt.


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## MontyVeda (30 Sep 2019)

Keep stuff in stock.

If you need something 'now', chances are it's a Sunday and you've only got Wilko's open, and Sod's Law dictates that gear cable or those brake blocks will be out of stock.

Most stuff i'm likely to need is in my tool box and when i fit it, I order/buy the replacement soon after which I'll use in 3-5 years time... which reminds me; I need to order a new cassette & chain since i fitted the last ones a couple of months ago.


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## Salty seadog (30 Sep 2019)

Drago said:


> Don't use the toaster for heating up heat-shrink sleeving.



...or heating bathwater.


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## Ming the Merciless (30 Sep 2019)

A silent bike is a reliable bike. Tackle any new noises as soon as you pick them up.


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## further (30 Sep 2019)

DSK said:


> 2) get a shag knacker to practise bigger jobs on


Eh ?


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## gbb (30 Sep 2019)

Always open up a hub over a laid out cloth or rag.
Many 'cartridge' bearings (I hate that term, they are just bearings) can be serviced or have their life extended by flipping the seal, applying grease then re sealing.
Bearings can be replaced in outboard cups, done campags and FSAs.
Check you tightened everything when done.


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## SkipdiverJohn (30 Sep 2019)

YukonBoy said:


> A silent bike is a reliable bike.



It's certainly a good indicator that the thing is well lubricated and adjusted if it makes minimal noise. A quiet bike is also much, much, more pleasant to ride than one that clatters it's way down the road. Mechanical noise is also inefficiency and wasted energy.


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## Reynard (1 Oct 2019)

Cats and bar tape do not mix.


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## Will Spin (1 Oct 2019)

If you are dismantling something, take loads of photos as you proceed.


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## ianrauk (1 Oct 2019)

Will Spin said:


> If you are dismantling something, take loads of photos as you proceed.



I've never done that however what I do is place the items on a tray in the order they came apart.


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## chriswoody (1 Oct 2019)

Experience - The one thing you gain, right after you really needed it.


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## Skanker (1 Oct 2019)

Reynard said:


> Cats and bar tape do not mix.


Yeah but bar tape on the underside of a cat is very entertaining!


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## Moodyman (1 Oct 2019)

Jobs you put off or are told are difficult are usually a lot easier than expected. Stuff that is supposed to be straightforward...well that seldom goes to plan.


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## Andy in Germany (1 Oct 2019)

Getting something wrong on the first attempt does not mean you are stupid or incompetent, it means you don't have enough experience.


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## Reynard (1 Oct 2019)

Will Spin said:


> If you are dismantling something, take loads of photos as you proceed.





ianrauk said:


> I've never done that however what I do is place the items on a tray in the order they came apart.



I do both of these with anything mechanical, not just bikes.

Also, make a habit of smearing grease on all bolts before replacing. Makes life so much easier down the line.


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## Reynard (1 Oct 2019)

Skanker said:


> Yeah but bar tape on the underside of a cat is very entertaining!



Knowing my terrible twosome.... Well, especially a certain blue & white madam...


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## Skanker (1 Oct 2019)

Reynard said:


> Knowing my terrible twosome.... Well, especially a certain blue & white madam...


My ex’s Norwegian Forest used to lay on anything you was working on, until it napped on my bar tape.


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## Reynard (1 Oct 2019)

Skanker said:


> My ex’s Norwegian Forest used to lay on anything you was working on, until it napped on my bar tape.



Bar tape, glue, long hair... I can quite picture it...


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## Skanker (1 Oct 2019)

Reynard said:


> Bar tape, glue, long hair... I can quite picture it...


I would have taken it off much quicker if I could have got off the floor from laughing so much at the cat tip toeing round arch backed.


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## Racing roadkill (1 Oct 2019)

Hitting stuff with a hammer works well.


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## Jenkins (1 Oct 2019)

Wear overalls or have specifice bike repair clothing. Chain oil & road grime mix is the most difficult substance to wash out and no matter how careful you are, it will get on whatever clothing you wear.


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## Drago (1 Oct 2019)

Teeth do not make a good substitute for pliers.


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## Reynard (1 Oct 2019)

Cable ties are a useful thing to have for when you don't appear to have enough hands to undertake the task at hand.


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## SkipdiverJohn (2 Oct 2019)

A length of bootlace or sash cord can be useful for restraining a stubborn Schwalbe Marathon at one point when trying to fit to a wheel without resorting to the use of tyre levers. Cable straps also work just so long as you have cutters to hand afterwards.


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## freiston (2 Oct 2019)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> A length of bootlace or sash cord can be useful for restraining a stubborn Schwalbe Marathon at one point when trying to fit to a wheel without resorting to the use of tyre levers. Cable straps also work just so long as you have cutters to hand afterwards.


In that sort of situation, I tend to use a toeclip strap. I haven't used toeclips for decades but I make sure that I have a few straps available. I sometimes use one as a front parking brake and I usually cinch one around my cape to stop it unrolling. They can come in handy in non-bike applications too.


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## Drago (2 Oct 2019)

My buttocks, as firm and tight as they may be, are not strong enough to crimp on a cable end.


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## Dec66 (2 Oct 2019)

Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres are a b@stard to fit, and will happily chew up any misaligned brake block.

I found out the latter bit approaching a busy roundabout in the pouring rain the other night. Imagine my surprise and delight as I pulled the brake lever.


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## freiston (2 Oct 2019)

Drago said:


> My buttocks, as firm and tight as they may be, are not strong enough to crimp on a cable end.


Better stick to opening beer bottles with them then


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## Drago (2 Oct 2019)

You been spying on me?


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## Blue Hills (2 Oct 2019)

Never ever adjust anything at all serious (including gears) on the day of a big ride/tour. I would even try to avoid touching the thing the day before. Save that time for packing etc.


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## Ming the Merciless (12 Nov 2019)

If you've forgotten to do something like grease a bolt before tightening, then undo the bolt, grease it, then tighten up again. It's guaranteed that if you don't do it there and then, then you won't do it later. Next time you'll encounter the said component , it'll be corroded in place and you'll curse not correcting that minor mistake months or years back.


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## sheddy (12 Nov 2019)

Get big releasable zip ties - handy for so many jobs.


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## Jenkins (12 Nov 2019)

I carry a pair of latex gloves in my saddle pack for fettling/tube changing on the road - I discovered today that they can be used as emergency waterproof phone covers, although the powder does make a bit of a mess!

Note: Edited for clarity/spelling - see next post for original fat fingered input


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## Reynard (12 Nov 2019)

Jenkins said:


> I carry a pair of latex gloves in my saddle pack for fetttling/tyre changing on the road - I discovered today that they can be used as emergency waterproof phone covers, although the powder does maks a bit of a mess!



That's why I keep a plastic food bag in which to wrap my phone before putting it in my bar bag.


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## keithmac (12 Nov 2019)

I like Skol said:


> Don't mess with things I am not prepared/can't afford to ruin!



Most of my jobs are born from the opposite of that!. 

People can't help having a go first even though they haven't the faintest idea what they're doing.


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## SkipdiverJohn (12 Nov 2019)

keithmac said:


> People can't help having a go first even though they haven't the faintest idea what they're doing.



There's a few staff at work that the above comment could be applied to.... Never mind, the regular weekend overtime earned putting right various cock-ups always comes in handy!


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## Seevio (12 Nov 2019)

alicat said:


> Never let a Staffie with a rubber fetish be in the same room when swopping tyres over.


I'm beginning to suspect that I'm the only one who imagined a small, dog shaped gimp suit when I read this.


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## Globalti (13 Nov 2019)

Years of owning bikes, a house and a proper repairable Land Rover have taught me that however simple you think the job, an unforseen complication will arise, which leads to my prime rule of fettling: never start a job late on a Saturday morning when car spares shops, proper tool shops and proper plumbers' merchants are about to close.

There are always the DIY sheds but you won't get free advice or suggestions for a better solution with your purchase.


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## stumpy66 (13 Nov 2019)

If I haven’t done a job for a while, watching YouTube to refresh the memory usually helps


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## Moodyman (13 Nov 2019)

Swearing is an excellent way to deal with stubborn to remove / install parts.


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## Globalti (13 Nov 2019)

Another thing I've learned from owning a house and all the stuff that goes inside it is that everything has been manufactured and so most things can be disassembled and repaired to a large extent. That TV show The Repair Shop is a good example because some of the craftsmen and women are so resourceful and often have to make spare parts using some fascinating techniques.


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## Kestevan (14 Nov 2019)

The first fitting of a new set of SKS mudguards generates more swears per minute than any other activity known to man.


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## Blue Hills (14 Nov 2019)

Kestevan said:


> The first fitting of a new set of SKS mudguards generates more swears per minute than any other activity known to man.


Very true - I always allow a few hours - they are trouble free once fitted though. I'd never use any others.


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## Quadratica (16 Nov 2019)

Fettling has taught me how expensive bike shops are. 

I paid £52 for replacing headset bearings in 2015. The next time they needed replacing I thought £52 + inflation...NO. So I bought bearings for about £6 online and VERY carefully removed old ones, making notes and taking pics of exact order of bits. Replaced bearings and all bits and hey presto works like new! I felt very pleased with myself.


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## 12boy (17 Nov 2019)

I've only learned 3 things really
If I think I can do it I can. If I don't it doesn't happen. Such things as Marathon pluses on Brompton rims come to mind, as do reinstalling the clips on SA hubs that hold the sprocket on.
I find things go better and faster if I approach the job with the idea that it will take as long as it takes. Having many bikes I enjoy riding, taking the time to do it right just means I will enjoy a different lovely bike until it's done.
Part of taking the time is keeping things clean and greased when reinstalling them.
I've spent many a contented hour working on bikes when I approach it as a good thing in itself.


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## Richard A Thackeray (17 Nov 2019)

A good friend of mine, uses the pseudonym '_Fettler'_ as her surname on her FaceBook pages


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## Brandane (17 Nov 2019)

Don't even try to bleed HyRd hydraulic brake calipers. And that's from someone who can do Honda linked brake systems on a motorbike without too much problems.


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## Ming the Merciless (23 Nov 2019)

From today.

If something doesn't fit , check each component in turn to see if something is fitted incorrectly, or the wrong part. Don't try and force it.

Found 160mm rear disc rotor was catching caliper. After a few checks diagnosed that the IS / post mount adapter was for 140mm rotors not 160mm rotors. Trip to Lbs supplied correct 160mm adapter and we were in business.


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## HLaB (23 Nov 2019)

Kestevan said:


> The first fitting of a new set of SKS mudguards generates more swears per minute than any other activity known to man.


Every one says that but mine have never been more than a 15 minutes job


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## All uphill (23 Nov 2019)

One thing I have learnt over the years is that nothing is a 15 minute job for me! I can spend an hour or more on the smallest thing. Comes from being retired I guess.


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## Shearwater Missile (23 Nov 2019)

I say knowing your limitations is what I have learnt. I never touch plumbing jobs as a result unless it is just minor. I never wan`t to be the little dutch boy with his finger in the dike.


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## overmind (24 Nov 2019)

Grease is the word.


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## davidphilips (24 Nov 2019)

Very bad mistake to make, no mater how many times you have done it and how easy it is, do not say to some one that you will do it in a few minutes for them if they bring it to you.


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## Oldbloke (24 Nov 2019)

When dismantling or removing small parts on a gravel drive, always put a sheet or blanket under the bike, or have a big magnet nearby. DAMHIK


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## EltonFrog (24 Nov 2019)

Quadratica said:


> Fettling has taught me how expensive bike shops are.
> 
> I paid £52 for replacing headset bearings in 2015. The next time they needed replacing I thought £52 + inflation...NO. So I bought bearings for about £6 online and VERY carefully removed old ones, making notes and taking pics of exact order of bits. Replaced bearings and all bits and hey presto works like new! I felt very pleased with myself.


Yep, done that. Do it myself now, I was well chuffed the first time I did it.


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## Shearwater Missile (24 Nov 2019)

Something else I learnt years ago. Never start a job late in the day as you`ll be sure it will go wrong. Best to start with a clear head and fresh and besides when you realise that you now need a new thing-me-jig as well, the shop will still be open.


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## SkipdiverJohn (24 Nov 2019)

Always make sure you have at least one other bike in good working order before embarking on any maintenance or repairs. Then if something doesn't go as planned you can put the job to one side, and have another go when in a better mood. Nothing worse than only having just one of something, then putting it out of action by a job going wrong. Guaranteed to put me into an (even more) foul mood.


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## Gunk (24 Nov 2019)

One thing I’ve learnt is that I can’t stop until I’ve completed the job, I can never walk away from it half done so my motorcycle restorations for instance has to be a series of small jobs each one I complete before starting the next. I’d love to be able to just put the tools down, leave it, and walk away.


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## PeteXXX (24 Nov 2019)

Wearing 'decent' clothes and doing a quick fettle will, invariably, end up with a row of greasy spots from a chain ring across the front of your best T SHIRT that MrsPete bought me for my birthday... 

DAMHIKT


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## Andy in Germany (24 Nov 2019)

If you find yourself doing a delicate job on the floor of the workshop/garage, it's probably time to consider tidying up the workbench.


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## Richard A Thackeray (24 Nov 2019)

PeteXXX said:


> Wearing 'decent' clothes and doing a quick fettle will, invariably, end up with a row of greasy spots from a chain ring across the front of your best T SHIRT that MrsPete bought me for my birthday...
> DAMHIKT




You could follow Dr Hutch's tales...……..














Or Helms....
(MTBers can use Sheep)


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## Ming the Merciless (28 Nov 2019)

It is easy to strip the bolts on 6 bolt rotors given the torque requirements. Centre lock much easier to torque correctly without stripping any threads or bolt heads.


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## C R (28 Nov 2019)

Andy in Germany said:


> If you find yourself doing a delicate job on the floor of the workshop/garage, it's probably time to consider tidying up the workbench.


You have a workbench? Luxury.


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## Gunk (28 Nov 2019)

Andy in Germany said:


> If you find yourself doing a delicate job on the floor of the workshop/garage, it's probably time to consider tidying up the workbench.



I can relate to that, mine always ends up as a dumping ground, I’m fighting a losing battle


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## Ian H (28 Nov 2019)

Having nearly always built up my bikes myself, I'm finding it hard to come to terms with the new, complete bike. I have an urge to take it to bits and re-assemble it just to reassure myself. This is despite having discussed the components in some detail with Mr Hallett, who built it for me.


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## Bad Machine (28 Nov 2019)

The time needed to identify the source of a creak, rattle or squeak is inversely proportional to its volume.


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## Ming the Merciless (24 Dec 2019)

If trimming modern SKS mudguard stays then trim them a little longer than you think you want them, then cut them down to final length. In other words once the stays are too short, they are too short and nowt to be done.


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## chriswoody (24 Dec 2019)

So I consider myself a reasonably competent mechanic and will happily get stuck in with most jobs. So there I was the other day dropping the rear wheel out of the Kona so I could clean up a sticky piston in the brake calliper. I ended up pulling the wheel in and out a few times and each time cursing like mad and wishing I had three hands as I battled to get the axle past the rear mech, the cage and the disc in to the calliper all at the same time. Each time I kept seeing the small button on the SRAM Rival mech with a little padlock drawn on it. I fiddled with it once or twice, but couldn't make it do anything meaningful, so I just concentrated on the task at hand. 

After packing up I decided to consult google to sate my curiosity and discovered that it's actually a nifty way of locking the mech cage in the forward position to reduce chain tension and negate all the problems I'd been having! Cunning really, but I wish I'd known about it before I embarked on my work. Ah well always next time.


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## roley poley (16 Jan 2020)

keep your thumb on the split ring as PING gone / never buy cable ends as old spoke nipples pulled off a bust wheel do the job just as good


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## Ming the Merciless (16 Jan 2020)

If you clean out the gunk from a mudguard you can guarantee someone leading a group ride that day will you up a mildly off road mud fest. Cue mudguard back to original state.


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## Jenkins (16 Jan 2020)

Never throw out any old clothing without checking its suitability for use as a chain cleaning cloth first.


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