Taking over the bike shop...

[Andy in Germany]

Just to show Germany can be as disorganised and unproductive as other countries...

Next month comes a visit from the Bundesgenossenschaft, which is similar to the "Health and Safety Executive in the UK but manages to get it into one word. Cue panic, screaming and people running about and crashing into each other.

Now, remember how I was told to stop trying to organise the place and "Get on with fixing bikes", and things like hangers for the wheels and tyres were "Low priority"? Same manager is now running about telling us to stop fixing bikes and tidy up those wheels and tyres ASAP...

 

[Oldhippy]

Just to show Germany can be as disorganised and unproductive as other countries...

Next month comes a visit from the Bundesgenossenschaft, which is similar to the "Health and Safety Executive in the UK but manages to get it into one word. Cue panic, screaming and people running about and crashing into each other.

Now, remember how I was told to stop trying to organise the place and "Get on with fixing bikes", and things like hangers for the wheels and tyres were "Low priority"? Same manager is now running about telling us to stop fixing bikes and tidy up those wheels and tyres ASAP...

Isn't officialdom fun at times.

 

[Dogtrousers]

It will take a while to be in a position where I can get something like this "official" but I can certainly stick it up in the bike workshop.

It will probably involve three words and 37 exclamation marks...

But as those three words are German you have the ability to pack a fair bit in.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Isn't officialdom fun at times.

Yup, and the official bit hasn't even started yet, the headless chicken impersonation is all internal.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Look what turned up again, right in the middle of the Health and Safety preparation chaos:

"A customer has come with a bike," said the sales team on the phone "She said she bought it last week and the gears don't work"

"B*gg*r." I replied.

She'd been riding, changed into a lower gear while climbing and suddenly there was no resistance; she nearly fell off her bike. I've mentioned before that the local culture is sometimes very "British" and here's another example: the customer apologised for bringing the bike back.

The problem was intermittent and I couldn't replicate it but her description sounded like the cable tension was insufficient and the "setting line" wasn't exactly aligned. Sram gears have to be a very exact length; the instructions say 80mm but after this think this is a bit too long so this time I reduced it by about 3mm, nearly lost the screw to hold the top on (again) and tested the bike for a good fifteen minutes to make sure it was working.

I think it is now working so I went back to reducing the wheel breeding colony...

 

[classic33]

Look what turned up again, right in the middle of the Health and Safety preparation chaos:

View attachment 662493

"A customer has come with a bike," said the sales team on the phone "She said she bought it last week and the gears don't work"

B*gg*r I replied.

She'd been riding, changed into a lower gear while climbing and suddenly there was no resistance; she nearly fell off her bike. I've mentioned before that the local culture is sometimes very "British" and here's another example: the customer apologised for bringing the bike back.

The problem was intermittent and I couldn't replicate it but her description sounded like the cable tension was insufficient and the "setting line" wasn't exactly aligned. Sram gears have to be a very exact length; the instructions say 80mm but after this think this is a bit too long so this time I reduced it by about 3mm, nearly lost the screw to hold the top on (again) and tested the bike for a good fifteen minutes to make sure it was working.

I think it is now working so I went back to reducing the wheel breeding colony...

What are those "spots" on the wall behind the bike, just above the left-hand side of the handlebars?

 

[Andy in Germany]

What are those "spots" on the wall behind the bike, just above the left-hand side of the handlebars?

Muck, probably.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Cue panic, screaming and people running about and crashing into each other.

Now, remember how I was told to stop trying to organise the place and "Get on with fixing bikes", and things like hangers for the wheels and tyres were "Low priority"? Same manager is now running about telling us to stop fixing bikes and tidy up those wheels and tyres ASAP...

It may be my odd nature but I see this as a very good thing. It will focus the higher ups mind on your space issues, may get you some extra €s or it may mean a bit of a clear out.
You have the backing now to finish what you started in terms of organising without any criticism for not having bikes ready.
Best of all, if you're calm, organised and methodical (IE not adding to the stress and panic) then you're lodging brownie points in the bank.

I'd suggest trying to find out what the inspectors are looking for too.

Happy tidying!

 

[HobbesOnTour]

tested the bike for a good fifteen minutes to make sure it was working.

Did you test it on a hill like the original problem?

 

[Andy in Germany]

I'm finding that I can use the current situation to my advantage, because I'm really supposed to be tidying up at the moment and the old "try not to throw anything that may be of use, some time" has become "If you can't use it right now, chuck it." So we have been able to deal with the Wheel Breeding Colony, which is turning from this:

into this:

And a few to keep...

 

[Andy in Germany]

Did you test it on a hill like the original problem?

There aren't any that are close enough; this region would rival the Netherlands for flatness. The Black Forest shoots up nearby, but not that near...

 

[classic33]

There aren't any that are close enough; this region would rival the Netherlands for flatness. The Black Forest shoots up nearby, but not that near...

I'd keep hold of any that have drum/hub brakes or hub dynamos. Possibly even just the hubs if there is damage to the wheel.
The parts within can come in handy.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I'd keep hold of any that have drum/hub brakes or hub dynamos. Possibly even just the hubs if there is damage to the wheel.
The parts within can come in handy.

We think the same way...

It will also be handy to take them apart and find out how they work.

 

[Andy in Germany]

I'd keep hold of any that have drum/hub brakes or hub dynamos. Possibly even just the hubs if there is damage to the wheel.
The parts within can come in handy.

I'm keeping all the hubs (f+R) that I think I can salvage; I've got nearly half a dozen hub dynamos already, and any where I had a cassette on them I've noted how many gears they have, as from memory 7 and 8 speed freehubs are different.

 

[Oldhippy]

I'm keeping all the hubs (f+R) that I think I can salvage; I've got nearly half a dozen hub dynamos already, and any where I had a cassette on them I've noted how many gears they have, as from memory 7 and 8 speed freehubs are different.

If you have a good Rohloff how much? 😊