What Have You Fettled Today?

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How, just how.

I'd like to say it's a one off but we have had a few like this in the past nearly always some cheap internet bike although also had some nicer bikes in a mess.
 

Big John

Guru
We get quite a few bikes like that at our place too. Some look like they've been in the river for a few years. Some even have a few weeds stuck in the wheels. They book the bike in for a service costing £55 and despite me trying to talk them out of it (on the grounds that the bike needs to go to the tip) they still insist on getting it done.
 

Gillstay

Veteran
We get quite a few bikes like that at our place too. Some look like they've been in the river for a few years. Some even have a few weeds stuck in the wheels. They book the bike in for a service costing £55 and despite me trying to talk them out of it (on the grounds that the bike needs to go to the tip) they still insist on getting it done.

But if they had to do, it even if they were paid, it would never happen.
 
But if they had to do, it even if they were paid, it would never happen.

I think that's why we get a lot of donations as well; a bike's gears are a bit off, or like today, a the rear V-brake isn't working, and they just want rid of it. The back brake was fixed by shortening the outer cable by 15mm to get rid of a damaged end, and now it's on sale for 115€...
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
I replaced the chainrings and chain on my MTB last Friday. I had guests coming. The bike had been up on a workstand in my kitchen for months (!) since their previous visit and I didn't want to admit the embarrassing truth that this was not a new repair, but still the earlier one! :whistle:

My excuse for the delay was that I thought that I had replacement rings, but could not find them. I finally admitted defeat and bought some more on eBay.

About 10 minutes after finishing the job, I found the missing rings! :cursing:

Oh well, I now have a spare set of rings. The 2 sets of rings might last me the rest of my life, given that...
  • The rings are heavy-duty steel
  • I don't do much offroad riding these days
  • When I DO ride offroad, I try to avoid really mucky conditions
  • And... I am getting old! :sad:
 

Mandobob

Über Member
Location
Bristol
Took off the back wheel for some routine cleaning / maintenance and the Campag spindle fell out and it

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was in two pieces! I have never seen this before. Replaced with a new one.

Has anyone else had this trouble? It was only sixty years old!
 

Bristolian

Senior Member
Location
Bristol, UK
Replaced the cassette today. 12-25T is now 11-32T. My lbs mechanic suggested that I might have gone too big with 32T and recommended 28T instead as that's what the Shimano data says is the maximum for a 2010 Allez Sport.

I can see what he was talking about now, even with the B-screw all the way in the top derailleur wheel is really close to the 32T sprocket and the derailleur is pulled a long way forward with the chain on the big ring and big sprocket. A short test ride didn't throw up any issues (or loud expensive noises) and gear changes are not noticeably slower or unreliable so I guess time will tell. I have made a mental note not to cross-chain if I'm going onto the bigger cogs at the rear.

For the first time in my life I now have a rear sprocket that's bigger than the small chainring :ohmy:

IMG_1909.JPG
 

a.twiddler

Veteran
Took off the back wheel for some routine cleaning / maintenance and the Campag spindle fell out and it

View attachment 714970

View attachment 714971

View attachment 714972

was in two pieces! I have never seen this before. Replaced with a new one.

Has anyone else had this trouble? It was only sixty years old!

Happened to me a couple of times, maybe 3 in 1980-82. A bit hair raising, as I rode a lot at that time including quite a bit of hurtling downhill with luggage. To think what could have happened if an over stressed skewer broke while doing that...I wonder if anyone's ever broken a skewer rather than an axle? I had the frame refurbished and resprayed in 1983 and the frame builder had to true up the rear triangle as he said it was out of true, so a probable cause. I had a collision with a dog in 1980 where I ended up in the road and the bike cartwheeled but after fitting a new front wheel it rode fine in the interim. Of course in those days it was screw on freewheels rather than freehubs so that couldn't have helped, either. Even with a broken axle, the only symptoms might be a tendency for the tyre to rub on the chainstay while pedalling hard uphill, but appearing central when stopped. A bit baffling until you stop to fix a puncture, and notice the wobbly spindle only held together by the skewer. Even then, clamped up tight it could get you home, but once you know about it it's a bit hairy. Ignorance is indeed bliss.

As I recall, they tended to break on the drive side at the start of rhe threaded portion, as yours has.
 
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