Shuv's 2-wheeled antics *SLOG

[sevenfourate]

It's Bergamont.

….my point entirely 🤣🤣

 

[RumbaAzul]

….my point entirely 🤣🤣

What point?

 

[sevenfourate]

What point?

That this thread is a mockery of myself……

 

[sevenfourate]

***Done ( For the moment, as of now, until I spot something else I can’t live without…..😁)

 

[lostinthought]

It looks awesome, you're going to love it.

One problem with never buying a new bike (my bikes tend to just mutate, endlessly) is never getting that really new bike feeling. For me, the last time was 20 years ago, but I still remember it. Pristine chain clicking between the sprockets. Sticky new tyres sucking the tarmac. Mortal anxiety leaning it against anything, until it gets the first chip in the paint.

Damnit... now I need a new bike...

 

[sevenfourate]

It looks awesome, you're going to love it.

One problem with never buying a new bike (my bikes tend to just mutate, endlessly) is never getting that really new bike feeling. For me, the last time was 20 years ago, but I still remember it. Pristine chain clicking between the sprockets. Sticky new tyres sucking the tarmac. Mortal anxiety leaning it against anything, until it gets the first chip in the paint.

Damnit... now I need a new bike...

Thankyou 🙏 It’s ‘braver’ than my normal single colour; bright but perhaps staid colour choices. I just need to sort a miniscule rub on the front brake tomorrow and I’m away…..

New bike is good. But I also adore my cheap Winter Carrera. Love the history we have, the huge amount of fun it’s given me - and although I ‘moan’ about it at times - I also mostly enjoy keeping it tip-top.

Happy riding 🚴

 

[sevenfourate]

I can’t really remember commissioning a choice of Decals for the Gravel bike…....

But “Luckily” enough - it looks they’ll brighten it up; and the colours / exact shades will work just fine 🤣🤣

#tackletart

 

[sevenfourate]

Quite short. But very wet ride this Morning: Has seen a full clean, lubricate drivetrain, de-grease rear spokes, touch up a few paint chips etc etc for a few hours this Morning. Looking resplendent now: way beyond its 11 years of abuse 🤣

In saying that…..I think pretty much only: F+F, rear derailleur, handlebar stem, one of the brake levers, rear brake cable (?) and both brake calipers are all that’s left of original parts now. And the rear cable is about to be swapped out - as it’s feeling pretty graunchy 😂😳

 

[sevenfourate]

A short ride on the Carrera beater this Morning; and a quick’ish entry into a pot-holed corner saw some evasive action, some bumping and squirrelling around (Not to mention some auto-reflex buttock clenching 😳) - culminating in my water bottle removing itself from the cage….sliding across the wet road and into the curb at a fair rate of knots. Where it smashed the lid off and took some of the thread of the bottle itself with it (On a soft plastic bottle…..like WTF ?) ; rendering it useless forever more 🤦‍♂️ Oh well - I didn’t want a drink on this ride anyway 🙄

Upon spending a mere 10 seconds thinking about it - the bottle to cage fit on the cheap plastic Oxford Hydrofit cages has always been ‘loose-ish’ at best.

I’ve had no issues with the AliExpress Carbon Fibre jobbies on my Hybrid. These are usually £11-£12 odd each in the U.K. But i found them on sale on AliExpress on their ‘Choice’ deals - meaning 3 items gets you free delivery by March 3rd.

So a pair ordered at less than half that price (One for water bottle - one for tool bottle) along with a pair of chain quick-link pliers and a cheap pair of plastic digital vernier callipers to live in my toolbox and at least give me a rudimentary way of **accurately measuring - after my eyes deceived me with a tape measure recently and a part was ordered of completely the wrong size 🙄

 

[sevenfourate]

Gravel bike back in the house after a slightly prolonged stay at the LBS: due to what turned out to be a blocked front brake hose / master cyclinder. From new ! **This is part of the seal that gets broken upon connecting hydraulic hose to master cylinder by dealer / upon set-up etc

Absolutely shocking…….I should not have to have gone through this 😡😡

 

[Windle]

Gravel bike back in the house after a slightly prolonged stay at the LBS: due to what turned out to be a blocked front brake hose / master cyclinder. From new ! **This is part of the seal that gets broken upon connecting hydraulic hose to master cylinder by dealer / upon set-up etc

Absolutely shocking…….I should not have to have gone through this 😡😡

View attachment 763271

View attachment 763272

They should blow them through with compressed air to make sure they're clear before fitting them and putting fluid in.

 

[sevenfourate]

They should blow them through with compressed air to make sure they're clear before fitting them and putting fluid in.

The Master Cylinder is pre-filled upon arrival at dealership.

Its clearly some sort of 'plan' to make final installation of hydraulic hose easy for whoevers doing it.


But not for the Customer (me) in my case upon delivery ! Balfe's bikes [Supplying dealer] have been sent an email / pictures this Morning voicing my displeasure at having to investigate and sort this myself.............

 

[sevenfourate]

Rear brake cable (Inner and outer) swapped on the Carrera as it was feeling……and even sounding (?)…….a little graunchy. This in turn then made the front feel slightly rough 🤣 - so that was then swapped out too. Rear certainly was original / 11 years old. Lever feel is now much smoother. And I’d like to think they are even performing slightly better. Maybe I’m just saying that to offset what I thought was an expensive bill. On that point - everything is increasing exponentially - and maybe I’ve just lost touch a little bit. And I’m more than happy to support the really decent Staff at my local shop 👍

What definitely is true: is that it was such a nice evening my 2 mile ride to the LBS turned into 14 by the time I was home. Passing a couple of my favourite spots on the way:

 

[sevenfourate]

After not once: but twice - coming off a curb back onto the road at ‘speed’ - and losing my Water Bottle out of the cage 🙄 Much to my riding buddies amusement 🤣 **These cages were Oxford plastic / composite jobbies. And any and every bottle tried was a loose fit tbf.

……..I have this weekend invested my life savings in 2 x Branded Carbon Fibre cages. And a decent bottle:

Also saw this reduced on Amazon. As i already had a delivery coming - I thought I’d save the Planet and make the delivery worthwhile 😁

 

[sevenfourate]

Long story - but basically my LBS managed to chew up the 13mm Allen key head (Because they didn’t have the correct size and persisted on trying with the wrong size 🤦‍♂️) required to access / remove the Free-Hub on my Carrera Subway rear wheel - after I took it in because I heard one or two ‘Dry Squeeks’ on my last ride and wanted it investigated and lubed. They didn’t lie - but tried to fob me off with the fact they’d been able to ‘re-grease’ it by blowing new in and old out with an airline 🙄

I swiftly informed them that was not acceptable. If bearings went / I got in a pickle we’d knowingly be in a situation where the hub was effectively sealed. And a new hub / wheel would be the only answer.

So we may aswell do that now - while we’re in control of the situation. They are good lads there - and I didn’t want them to suffer financially despite their poor decision attempting stripping this one apart / keeping me happy. But by knowingly trying with the wrong tools ☹️ So I’ve paid Trade price for a new wheel:

And when I’m ready: they will swap over my existing parts from the current to the new, index gears etc FOC. (I am and may aswell try to squeeze a few miles out of it - despite my ‘argument’ to them 😉 ).

I also of course got them to take this New Free-hub apart and lube it. And the axle; before I took it away:

And this Morning thought “Crank / front rings are only a few hundred miles old / chain is exceptional”….so I may aswell take this opportunity to buy a new Cassette. So Shimano in matching 11-32T flavour duly per-chased….

Along with 6-off new bolts for the disc swap. Knowing the old ones can be ‘cheese-heads’…..

Nice ride planned for this weekend. In some nice weather ☀️ and with some nice guys.

Enjoy yours !! 🙏