Shuv's 2-wheeled antics *SLOG

[sevenfourate]

You could have saved all that time and bother and just bought one of these 🤣

View attachment 756191

I’ve got a dozen or more of the Aluminium bodied, spring-loaded jobbies here: half a dozen of those not in use and leftover from BMX’s sold. Same stand as I’ve always used on my bikes though; as they are fantastic.

They’d be better than your Mild Steel stand in terms of corrosion; and probably stability. Neither will be as good as this wooden one though. Which will be rock solid while jet-washing, can be left tucked inside by the rear gate when not in use, won’t ever rust / corrode and can be left outside wet 👌

 

[a.twiddler]

You could have saved all that time and bother and just bought one of these 🤣

View attachment 756191

Where's the fun in that?

 

[sevenfourate]

3rd coat of wood protection going on. Dry and windy out today - so should dry out lovely by the end of play today (Due to the weather yesterday it did what drying it did: in the shed).

This thing is a Beast ! A Fireman's hose would have trouble upsetting this thing. And with 8” of rear wheel depth-insertion….ill be able to fire mud / grime off to my hearts content 😌

 

[sevenfourate]

Some prep / tinkering / cleaning: ready for our Boxing Day ride:

Also installed a couple of Titanium jockey wheel bolts on the Winter hack:

And cut 4 bands from an old inner tube: and stuck them on the Hydraulic braked MTB and Hybrid: pulling the lever in reasonably firmly.

This is an old ‘trick’ I learnt from motorbikes - when sitting over Winter - and squeezes any air out the lines, past the Master Cylinder and keeps brakes feeling fresh and strong. If you’ve got a bike with Hydraulic brakes that sits - literally do this for 48 hours or more and the feel will be rejuvenated 👍

Merry Christmas folks 🤶

 

[sevenfourate]

Clean up after today’s ride. Stand is 👌

 

[sevenfourate]

Yesterday’s 20-odd (Sun drenched 😉) enjoyable solo miles - were the last of the year:

And what a fantastic year of slowing down and tasting the Coffee it’s been 😁 This face:

……is looking forward to upping the miles and I’m aiming for 2025 in 2025. After a late start and only managing 1200 miles in 2024.

So - to finish off the Year; I’ve done a little maintenance today. Which involved a clean / lube / chain wax…..

Speaking of which I’ve ordered a spare KMC X-Bow chain from a favourite bricks-n-mortar store on eBay…...as these are ripe for being faked. *Ready for when the current one gives up the ghost after nothing but hard / gritty, winter miles.

I also took some time - using Black smoothrite paint - to carry out a few frame and fork touch-ups on the Winter ride. The forks being the main ‘concern’ as they are mild steel. The frame on this bike is Aluminium - so small marks here are nothing other than visual….

Was some rust under the bottom fork cup:

And cable rub marks from the front brake cable:

New Year’s Day forecast looking dire. So hopefully this coming Saturday it all starts again.

Happy New Year folks 🥂

 

[sevenfourate]

Pre-Christmas I read about kids back in the day (Early to mid 1980’s) having those ‘jelly’ / rubber watches attached to the handlebars of their BMX’s Maybe the ones you got from McDonalds etc…..

So I bought a period correct: Burger King item Brand New in the pack from the USA. And had it shipped over here to me in a cold and miserable U.K. And have now slapped it on the ET that hangs in the man-cave. All good fun……😉

 

[sevenfourate]

Bought a spare KMC 6/7/8 speed chain as above. Thinking of the Winter beater mainly…..but will work with either of my Carrera Subway’s. Along with a spare-link for joining it.

I did the enquire here - about how people join chains together: who have to regularly remove it to Hot-Wax. As this may be how I’ll end up going……

Either way: the spare link I ordered turned out to be a pair. And the KMC chain came with one anyway 😁

So looks like I have 3 (These will each last a number of removals / refitting I’m told) I am ready for stripping and hot waxing if I do so.

Any suggestions on what starter kit to buy ??

 

[sevenfourate]

‘Gravel bike’ *For me a multi-purpose; and first drop bar in the fleet - incoming !!

Looks a pretty decent spec. And i've been pondering for weeks on this very model. Should be perfect for my usege:

https://www.balfesbikes.co.uk/bikes...N6c56ncqOJuEyhr0tJACy8tI4R5yGo2xoCTakQAvD_BwE

Also ordered cages, bottles, DMR V12 Magnesium flat pedals, another Charge Spoon seat and a few other bits.

Eeeny meeny miny moe. Which of the current fleet has to go…….... (To keep same amount of space in the man-cave).

 

[sevenfourate]

After ‘much’ (?) consideration (*Because they need to look right - as well as obviously doing a good job) Crud-Guards are on order for the Gravel bike. Went with Win Wing 2 for the rear:

And an SKS-S Board for the opposite end:

Also bought a selection of widths [25, 40 and 50mm] of Helicopter tape to protect the paint from stone chips etc. Man is that stuff expensive. I should really write to the monopolies commission. You could honestly buy a nice bike for the cost of protecting your nice bike ! 25mm wide for example is over a tenner a metre.

It’s no wonder some of these pre-cut ‘kits’ for popular frames are over £100. You can do £50
in no time just protecting the most vulnerable areas….

Either way: bike should be here Wednesday. Can’t wait. And more importantly - here’s hoping for a frost-free weekend so i can actually ride……..🚴

 

[sevenfourate]

I must attract them ? Balfes Bikes are not doing too well to put it mildly; on my new bike arrival……🙄

I rang before purchase to check stock and despatch time. They failed the latter by 4 days after immediate payment [Note to others - this payment stage is where service, standards and promises often start to fail…🤨]

I rang and complained and was told a Manager would call back. Hey presto - they didn’t. Now their chosen courier is playing silly buggers and with 4 full days travelling the UK already and I’ve been told I won’t get it until Monday earliest. Customer care have already told me they will be offering me compensation (Here we go again 🤣🤣🤣🤣). All I really want is the bike I so desired, hankered over, purchased and paid for……

#frustrated

 

[sevenfourate]

Burgamont Gravel bike delayed due to local DX depot having no drivers. Monday I’m told 🤦‍♂️

Carbon bottle cages, favourite Charge seat with Green accents, Green bar end plugs, Green decals, rear Win-Wing mudguard (Green text 😁), front SKS mudguard [Both these look really good 👌], handful of KMC quick-links for the chain, SIS clear water bottle, 25mm and 50ml Helicopter tape, and some Stainless Steel bolts for swapping out / getting rid of some of those horrid Black stock jobs are all here. Just need something to fit them to now………🙄

 

[lostinthought]

It's kind of exciting, though, this bit, isn't it? You get to be like a kid just before Christmas..!

 

[sevenfourate]

It's kind of exciting, though, this bit, isn't it? You get to be like a kid just before Christmas..!

Be more exciting if had some toys to play with 🤩

 

[sevenfourate]

(Looks like)……I’m going down the contrasting Lime Green theme: on the eventually 🙄 incoming Burgamont Gravel bike.

Rear Mudguard I’ve already bought has Lime Green text, new Charge seat has Lime Green highlights, Bar ends are Green.

And today I’ve purchased Lime Green textured handlebar tape:

Some more Lime Green decals in various sizes - to pick a couple from:

Some Green self-amalgamating Silicone tape (**That I use to protect surface’s underneath: and mount lights, mudguards, other brackets etc on)

The Worlds most expensive dust caps (?) 🤣 I could literally only find Lime Green Presta valve caps in one single place only. So these were £8 for 5 😳

Also snagged some crank arm protection stickers / tape;