What Have You Fettled Today?

[Marchrider]

Front brakes pads changed on the S1000R, I was having some vibration with very slow speed braking, looks like I found the problem, one of the pads had disintegrated, no damage to the disc so looks I caught it just in time. I also used the opportunity to fit genuine BMW pads.

does make you wonder how thorough the MOT process is, the pads were knackered.

View attachment 755291

has a dart ever bounced back and hit a tyre ?
could nearly guarantee that would be my luck

 

[CXRAndy]

Torqued up the sump bolts after refit. Seems you have to let RTV cure a bit before full torque settings are applied.

I need to do a quick look over for leaks before engine floor plate goes back on

 

[DCLane]

Re-greased the front wheel from a pair of wheels which arrived earlier this week. They weren't in anywhere near as good a condition as described, but will do as temporary wheels for the Principia whilst I learn how to sort out a wheel ding on the nice wheelset that has.

 

[HLaB]

I changed the Specialized Pathfinders on the gravel bike to WTB Raddlers. The Pathfinders are lightly used and fast tyres but I had lost the rear in torrential rain so I wanted something a little grippier off road.

 

[sevenfourate]

I changed the Specialized Pathfinders on the gravel bike to WTB Raddlers. The Pathfinders are lightly used and fast tyres but I had lost the rear in torrential rain so I wanted something a little grippier off road.
View attachment 755768

Tyres sound great ! Those Raddlers sure are hugely popular hoops.....

Picture above not so much so. Infact you owe me a couple of headache tablets for being so out of focus......

 

[HLaB]

Tyres sound great ! Those Raddlers sure are hugely popular hoops.....

Picture above not so much so. Infact you owe me a couple of headache tablets for being so out of focus......

You don't get much better with my ancient phone 🤣

 

[dicko]

My Claude Butler Legend 24 came with quick release wheels. I have replaced the front wheel as I bought a Cytronex E bike kit and this wheel is attached with nuts and washers to to the forks,
I would like to replace the rear wheel quick release mechanism with nuts and washers too but do not know which method is best for me or where to look?

 

[Gunk]

My Claude Butler Legend 24 came with quick release wheels. I have replaced the front wheel as I bought a Cytronex E bike kit and this wheel is attached with nuts and washers to to the forks,
I would like to replace the rear wheel quick release mechanism with nuts and washers too but do not know which method is best for me or where to look?

Just use a security skewer, they are essentially the same nut but use Allen bolts

 

[dicko]

Just use a security skewer, they are essentially the same nut but use Allen bolts

Thank you I didn’t know

 

[Gwylan]

Just use a security skewer, they are essentially the same nut but use Allen bolts

Sadly, Jonny Scroat can nick a whole set of Allen keys from Poundland. And then graduate to your wheels.
There are other shapes of key available. But they are expensive. That makes dropping >£100 on protecting the wheels of a cheap bike seems counter productive.
The key is something else to lose too

 

[Dadam]

Sadly, Jonny Scroat can nick a whole set of Allen keys from Poundland. And then graduate to your wheels.
There are other shapes of key available. But they are expensive. That makes dropping >£100 on protecting the wheels of a cheap bike seems counter productive.
The key is something else to lose too

That's true but the risk is still a bit lower. QR skewers have the risk that anybody can have away with your wheel in about 3 seconds without even having to fiddle with any tools and find the right size key.

My old hybrid bike that I use for utility and shopping had QR skewers. I was fed up with having to bring a separate lock or faff with a cable so I got a set of these. Not that expensive and they use 7 lobe security bolts so it's a good price/security compromise. While anybody can buy a 7 lobe key, they're much less common than hex keys and someone would have to equip themselves with more tools. I deemed the risk profile was so much lower, most scrotes looking for bikes, even the opportunists will have pocket cable cutters that can deal with a cable in seconds. I reckoned far fewer would be carrying a set of even common security bits or keys. I keep the key attached to my multitool via an elastic band and the multitool goes with me on every ride longer than a couple of miles. The skewer seems to work well and I've had the front wheel on and off half a dozen times. I only bothered with the front one as the rear is secured via the D lock.

 

[Gwylan]

That's true but the risk is still a bit lower. QR skewers have the risk that anybody can have away with your wheel in about 3 seconds without even having to fiddle with any tools and find the right size key.

My old hybrid bike that I use for utility and shopping had QR skewers. I was fed up with having to bring a separate lock or faff with a cable so I got a set of these. Not that expensive and they use 7 lobe security bolts so it's a good price/security compromise. While anybody can buy a 7 lobe key, they're much less common than hex keys and someone would have to equip themselves with more tools. I deemed the risk profile was so much lower, most scrotes looking for bikes, even the opportunists will have pocket cable cutters that can deal with a cable in seconds. I reckoned far fewer would be carrying a set of even common security bits or keys. I keep the key attached to my multitool via an elastic band and the multitool goes with me on every ride longer than a couple of miles. The skewer seems to work well and I've had the front wheel on and off half a dozen times. I only bothered with the front one as the rear is secured via the D lock.

Looks a good compromise.

 

[ColinJ]

I had a used Quarq power meter crankset fitted to one of my bikes yesterday. That was to replace a used 105/4iiii power meter crankset which didn't work.

I just put a new battery in the Quarq and tried it out but that didn't work either...

WTF!!!

The 4iiii had been an ebay punt. It was sold cheap as being faulty but I have been lucky with this kind of thing before and fancied my chances. I was hoping that it would be nothing worse than a flat battery or a bent battery contact***. Nope!

The Quarq though was a donation from my cousin. He had been using it right up to the point that he bought a newer mode. It really should have been okay!

I tried a second new battery. No joy.

I was stumped. And then I had a sneaky suspicion...

The two new CR2032 batteries had come from a strip of 5 bought cheap from a local market stall. Was it possible that they were all useless?

I took the little backup front light off my bike. That is powered by two CR2032 batteries. I checked it... Yes, very bright - those batteries were definitely good!

I put one of the good batteries into the power crank and gave the cranks a spin to see what happened. And...



Yes - it powered up and passed its self test.

I just put the bike on my old turbo trainer, paired the Quarg with my Wahoo Elemnt Bolt, and did a quick test ride.

The power meter confirmed a long-held suspicion that old cyclists should not sprint up to 350 W from a cold start shortly after eating!!

Apart from nearly having a chat with Hughie and Ralph, all is good!

Just one thing though... I wonder if the 4iiii power meter would also have worked with the good battery?



*** Honestly, some people are really impatient and/or incompetent and give up too easily. A mate bought an Apple Mac for a pittance for spares but it turned out to just need a new mains fuse! I got a Google Pixel phone at a bargain price because its microphone was broken. That turned out to just be fluff bunging up the microphone...

 

[DCLane]

A bits-and-pieces day.

The Merida Scultura is off the smart turbo and ready to be a donor bike with most of the components shortly to be transferred to a Ridley Fenix SL frameset. But it needed some final tweaks before a last go on the turbo. And what it would look like with two wheels:

It's been replaced on the smart turbo by the Viner Mitus, which had a replacement rear derailleur and new gear cable outer that looks to have solved some shifting issues. The rear derailleur had given up after a winter plus a rainy autumn's use.

The temporary Principia 700 has gained a replacement 170mm Shimano 105 8-speed crankset, so it's now got a full matching groupset, plus a shinier quill stem. All ready to roll for temporary use until the Ridley Fenix is ready.

 

[EckyH]

Began to assemble the christmas gift for the missus: face milling of the head tube and right side of the bottom bracket housing, shortening of the steerer tube, assembled headset, stem, handle bar and seat post.

E.