What Have You Fettled Today?

[sevenfourate]

I presume the other half was out

Absolutely not. This is no issue to her. Or me 🤣 Infact it’s been in the stand in the front room for 5 days now…..

 

[lostinthought]

Down the 'Hirth joint' rabbit hole!
Fascinating

I think I did that soon after I got this chainset! I'm no wiser for it though, which says more about me than engineering or Mr Hirth.

The general critical tone around this application seemed to be that Campagnolo wasted a lot of machining expense on a system that could have been achieved more simply other ways.

In fairness to them, BB/crank is a deceptively tricky interface, with a history of failed designs. I remain a fan of square taper, which is time proven, and cheap to make components for. But the hirth joint is very satisfying to assemble, and anyway it's cool AF, so there.

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

Checked the set up on the 3 speed hub and the wee little 2 speed derailleur on my new bike. It’s not that anything was wrong with them, I just don’t trust any shop except my own.

 

[FrankCrank]

Some garden fettling underway at Crank towers - time for a new shed type structure. First up, demolishing the old hut
View attachment 755060

Then fabrication of the new structure, measuring approx 3M x 4M
View attachment 755061

And almost complete now
View attachment 755062

It's mainly somewhere to store gardening stuff - might partially block the sides in at some stage for the rainy season.
The old hut, made from palm fronds, does look nice, but the thatch has to be renewed every few years.
I'm at an age now where all this work has to be for something more permanent.
Even in the cooler season, it gets unbearably hot in the direct sun, and makes these jobs quite an effort.

An update on the shed. Got the side panels on now, so pretty much complete. Also added a few extra roof joists, now spaced about half a metre apart

Hoping to keep the front open, will see how it goes in the rainy season. There's about four feet of overhang at the front.

I built a steel shed a few years back at my mum's house. That came as a kit, and have to say how flimsy it is, compared to this one. The kit shed doesn't have any internal frame as such, so only gains any rigidity once all four sides are on and also the roof. The kit one is also really a two man job to assemble, and best done on only the calmest of days, ie zero breeze. I learned this the hard way.

Anyhows, a most enjoyable project, and hoping it'll prove itself over the years.

 

[cyberknight]

Re-cabled the rear brake and it is a lot better, noticed that the bearings on that wheel are ticking so i guess i need to re-grease them too.

 

[Gunk]

Stripped this, it put up a fight but finally it’s completely dismantled

 

[DCLane]

The Merida Scultura that I've been using on the smart turbo is now a pile of bits. I've never actually ridden the Merida on the road, just the smart turbo.

My big issue is going to be removing the CeramicSpeed bottom bracket; the threads are damaged and I can't do it with one arm; that'll be my work's workshop, a vice and a helping hand methinks.

It did look like this:

The parts will mostly go onto the Ridley Fenix frameset I picked up in November and the frameset, with cable outers / stem / bottle cage, can be moved on once ready.

 

[ColinJ]

Winter rides are battering the chain on my DIY 1x6 bike so I have been cleaning and lubing it about once a week.

The bike has just started dropping the chain when I change gear too quickly. If I change slowly it usually works. The only cause I can think of is that the chain has stiff links in it because of salt-induced corrosion?

I noticed today that there was a ticking noise as I pedalled. If it isn't due to an iffy chain then I will have to check the pedals and bottom bracket

I have realised that I need to wipe the chain clean after every ride, and will relube it every 2 or 3 rides.

The chain has now been attended to! My next ride will hopefully be on a quiet bike that doesn't throw its chain away.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Stripped this, it put up a fight but finally it’s completely dismantled

View attachment 760270

View attachment 760271

Please keep posting on this: I'm following with interest.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Non bike related: My car door handle broke one frosty morning recently. I managed to find an inexpensive replacement and found it fairly easy to fit. The clip that attaches it to the lock rod is different though and that caused some gnashing of teeth as I tried to bodge a way of stopping the rod from slipping out of place - a press fit retainer made from a bit of washer tubing was the plan but having reorganised not long ago do you think I could find it?

A bit did turn up so it is sorted. Another ten-minute job that actually took about two hours.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Oiled the chain

 

[lostinthought]

Non bike related: My car door handle broke one frosty morning recently. I managed to find an inexpensive replacement and found it fairly easy to fit. The clip that attaches it to the lock rod is different though and that caused some gnashing of teeth as I tried to bodge a way of stopping the rod from slipping out of place - a press fit retainer made from a bit of washer tubing was the plan but having reorganised not long ago do you think I could find it?

A bit did turn up so it is sorted. Another ten-minute job that actually took about two hours.

That does seem to be how it goes. 10 min jobs are 2 hours; hour jobs are a day; day jobs are a week; week jobs are the rest of your life.

I've also spent what felt like weeks inside car doors. And at other times, all the other bits of cars. I spent an appreciable part of this summer installing a toilet, apparently (in a house, not a car door). Bicycles! Simple things, but I've been tangled in them like Mr Pastry in a tuba, and continue to be.

I try to take a vaguely zen approach to it all, but sometimes one does wonder what one is doing...