What Have You Fettled Today?
- Thread starter threebikesmcginty
- Start date
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numbnuts
Legendary Member
- Location
- Gone over the hill and far away
I'm fettling some polvorones so far so good
Elybazza61
Guru
Quick rub down of the Icarus as it was getting a bit grubby.
NeilM
Well-Known Member
- Location
- North Somerset
I'm currently building up a 'gravel' bike from a frame and forks I bought at Bespoked Bristol this year. The frame is steel and was built 15 plus years ago as a cx bike. More recently it became a demo / display piece for the builder Mark Lemstra. Anyway I found yesterday that the rear brake cable bridge (canti brakes) was threaded for a cable stop / adjuster but with a much finer and smaller diameter thread than the dozens of random brake cable adjusters I have knocking about.
So, this mornings fettle was to take a stainless steel bottle cage bolt of a suitable length, drill a 2m hole right through it and then enlarge the hex portion of the cap head out to 5mm. Job done, one brake cable adjuster screw.
So, this mornings fettle was to take a stainless steel bottle cage bolt of a suitable length, drill a 2m hole right through it and then enlarge the hex portion of the cap head out to 5mm. Job done, one brake cable adjuster screw.
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greekonabike
President of the 'Democratic Republic' of GOAB
- Location
- Kent
Guerilla Fettling. I like it
It was an interesting scene. I'd just seen an old mate of mine pass me at full on warp speed on his bike and he turned around to come and have a chat. Just as he pulled up we heard this clatter of metal and this kid just kinda flew across the pavement. He was with a mate that was walking and they just looked so confused. They were just kinda prodding around the rear triangle and the wheel was just knocking about. Being the nice bloke I am I told him to come over and helped him out. Unfortunately I'd just turned the helmet cam off. I neglected to ask whether the bike had been put together by halfords or whether it had been ordered off t'net and self assembled.
GOAB
D
Deleted member 1258
Guest
A couple of minor fettling jobs today, my Genesis Flyer is now resplendently wearing a new charge spoon saddle, the old one had split, and new click R pedals, single sided with a platform one side. My first ride in 2017 I will be riding fixed and clipless for the first time after years of riding fixed with clips and straps.
I cobbled a mudguard mounting rear light bracket for my battery back-up (I have a rack-mounted dynamo light but it is hidden from side view when the panniers are on the bike) the threads do tap into the nylock nuts; apologies for messy background:
I also put some new handlebars on and replaced the NVO sleeve and stem with a more usual stem and spacer set-up (with spacer-mounted bell); the stem, spacers and bell-spacer don't seem to have matching external diameters - this is not so noticeable in the flesh. I made a right hash-up of finishing off the handlebar tape and this definitely needs further fettling - probably with thinner tape. The cables were a b*tch to position on the handlebars - which have cable channels on the rear of the bar.
From this:
to this:
I also put some new handlebars on and replaced the NVO sleeve and stem with a more usual stem and spacer set-up (with spacer-mounted bell); the stem, spacers and bell-spacer don't seem to have matching external diameters - this is not so noticeable in the flesh. I made a right hash-up of finishing off the handlebar tape and this definitely needs further fettling - probably with thinner tape. The cables were a b*tch to position on the handlebars - which have cable channels on the rear of the bar.
From this:
to this:
NeilM
Well-Known Member
- Location
- North Somerset
Carrying on with the gravel bike, the front brake cable hanger that I ordered arrived today, so I fitted it...and immediately didn't like it or the amount of clearance it gave to the stem, so from the parts draw I found one of several longer drop hangers left over from one of many single speed builds that my son left scattered about the place when he left home.
The longer drop hanger is black and I wanted silver, it is also 1 1/8" rather than 1" which the steerer tube is. This is not a massive problem as the stem is 1 1/8" and there is a spacer sleeve installed, except the sleeve is a sort of top hat shape, with a small integral ring / stop at the bottom and because of the depth of the new hanger I really need a plain sleeve. More looking through parts draws and I find what I want, but everything is a snug fit, so hammers, drifts and a little brute force later it all looks good, even with a black hanger. Done.
Next job install the brake cable and adjust the canti's. Sorted.
Last job, clean up a Wright W3N saddle that arrived today. Fortunately we are a horse riding household, so out came all the leather cleaning kit. The saddle looked fine but multiple applications of saddle soap proved it to be absolutely filthy. So, dubbin worked into the underneath with a tooth brush and the top is now drying off slightly before I start work on it.
The longer drop hanger is black and I wanted silver, it is also 1 1/8" rather than 1" which the steerer tube is. This is not a massive problem as the stem is 1 1/8" and there is a spacer sleeve installed, except the sleeve is a sort of top hat shape, with a small integral ring / stop at the bottom and because of the depth of the new hanger I really need a plain sleeve. More looking through parts draws and I find what I want, but everything is a snug fit, so hammers, drifts and a little brute force later it all looks good, even with a black hanger. Done.
Next job install the brake cable and adjust the canti's. Sorted.
Last job, clean up a Wright W3N saddle that arrived today. Fortunately we are a horse riding household, so out came all the leather cleaning kit. The saddle looked fine but multiple applications of saddle soap proved it to be absolutely filthy. So, dubbin worked into the underneath with a tooth brush and the top is now drying off slightly before I start work on it.
NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
Fettled the Road Comp ready for a New Year's Day ride tomorrow, including sorting out the misaligned and intermittently rubbing front brakes (so easy I've no idea why I didn't do it straight away), lubed the chain and swapped the old metal Planet X bottle cages for the composite Elite Pria Pave ones I took off the Pro Carbon when I got the carbon bottle cages for that bike - something else that I should have done weeks ago, but I'm sure that the reduction in weight will make all the difference... 
Salad Dodger
Legendary Member
- Location
- Kent Coast
It's bloody frightening when your rear wheel falls out of drop outs. Especially if you are trying to ride across the A21 at the time.......
But as regards fettling, today Percy the Panda (my daughter's car) urgently needed a new back tyre, the old one being both borderline illegal and deflated courtesy of a large screw through the tread. Seeing as how she needed to drive for about 2 hours to go to a party tonight, and that the car has one of those godawful space saver spare wheels, I had to take the wheel off and get it round to a local tyre place, where a new tyre was fitted, then back home to refit Percy's new paw.........
But at least my daughter paid the bill, even though she did jib at it being as much as £38.
gavroche
Getting old but not past it
- Location
- North Wales
I made a drop-down arm from the ceiling to hold my tablet at eye level for when I use the bike on rollers.
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
Following a fall by one of the members of my group this morning, I've put the studded tyres onto my 20" bike.
Should have done it earlier, but I think I delay fitting them in an effort to mentally shorten the winter.
Should have done it earlier, but I think I delay fitting them in an effort to mentally shorten the winter.
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
Some Carreras still have a cheapo freewheel and they tend to break axles.
That might not have caused the wheel to fall out, but it could explain why the quick release didn't feel right when you reassembled it.
There may have been some play in the wheel, but sometimes there isn't when it's all pulled together by the quick release.
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Came off the giant road bike on ice today at 8 miles .Moved the brake lever a tad which was just shoved back on the road . Bike behave ok for the next 24 miles . But got back and bike got full wash and inspection and brake lever shifter lined up and tighten . Thankfully no further damage found
