What Have You Fettled Today?

[13 rider]

Fitted my old rear wheel with an 11 28 Cassette on it and tried it with my current chain from an 11 25 set up to see if it would be ok . A quick 6 mile test run and surprisingly it worked fine .
I might need the lower gears when holidaying in Cornwall in July so thought Id try it to save swapping cassettes and getting a new chain

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I just replaced the chain rings, chain, cassette and pulleys on my commuter bike. Given that only a few weeks ago I replaced its gear and brake cables, brake pads and handlebar tape, it's looking pretty good now, and won't need any major maintenance for quite a while.
As usual, I started putting the various bolts on the chain rings (for triple crankset) in the wrong order, and partway through had to undo these and start again, not the first time I've done that. Then I had to remind myself where the guide pulley goes vs the tension pulley, and after checking a web page on the topic, realised it's pretty obvious when you think about their functions.

 

[slowmotion]

I replaced a four year old cassette and put on a new chain. Thereafter, my enthusiasm for bike maintenance started to fade. Yes, the rear gear cable is frayed, the brakes look like poo......but WTF, it goes.

 

[ColinJ]

When I built my singlespeed bike last year I soon discovered that the chain tensioner that I bought did not work very well in the original configuration, which was to pull the bottom run of chain down to tension it. It meant that the chain only engaged a few teeth on the sprocket and was being helped to peel off it. The chain came off nearly ride.

I took the tensioner to pieces and rearranged the spring to lift the tension arm up rather than pull it down and that solved the problem. I rode another 750 trouble-free miles on the bike before the chain started to stretch and it fell off again. The arm spring tension was not high enough to reliably tension the longer chain on bumpy roads.

It struck me that the tension arm would be better to be fixed in the desired position rather using a spring to hold it there so I took the spring off and inserted a few washers in its place. With those washers fitted it was possible to do the mounting bolt up very tight, tight enough I hope to hold up the chain tensioner in position even with the chain trying to flap up and down on bumpy roads. I will need to adjust the tensioner from time to time to take up more chain slack as it wears further.

I have kept the spring so I can put it back on if my bodge proves unreliable.

Now for a few short test rides. I want to be sure that the tensioner works properly before venturing far on the bike again.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Yesterday I fitted a Hope carbon seat post to the best bike.
This morning the mudguard bridge broke, classic pingf*ck, within metres of setting off for a ride so I whipped the back wheel off, whipped the three allen bolts out and left the mudguard on the doorstep.
I'm just about to remove the front one and put a new Hope seat post collar on.

 

[ColinJ]

I have kept the spring so I can put it back on if my bodge proves unreliable.

Now for a few short test rides. I want to be sure that the tensioner works properly before venturing far on the bike again.

I've just done a couple of miles on the singlespeed bike to the shops and back and I am very pleased with my initial findings.

The bike is significantly quieter now that I don't have to listen to the tensioner and chain bouncing up and down on our bumpy local roads.

The chain is engaging the sprocket more positively now - the sprocket is not singlespeed-specific, but is taken from an old cassette. That means that it was designed to allow the chain to slip easily onto it and off it when changing gear, which isn't what one wants on singlespeed. I used to hear the chain trying to climb up the teeth on the sprocket and then slip back down again. It was worrying when I was standing up for climbs - the last thing one wants when standing and forcing the cranks round is for the chain to slip off or break! Now the chain stays where it should do, down in the 'valleys' between the teeth. I tackled a short 8% climb and felt a lot happier standing for the climb than I did riding the pre-bodged bike up it.

 

[cyberknight]

Washed + cleaned car
mowed the lawns
post creted the washing line + kids swing ground anchors
fixed faulty qr cam on rear brake lever
eco egg hard floor cleaner on kitchen floor tiles

Going back to work for a rest

 

[Gravity Aided]

4 weeks later, the PB blaster finally loosened the seat post on my Schwinn Sidewinder(1995) enough for me to apply a pipe wrench and mallet, and remove the offending seat post. I've since been working on getting the gears and shifters to play nicely, and repairing or removing the more dodgy bits. May be a bit of a task, as it appears to be mostly dodgy bits.

 

[daysnways]

fitted a chain, used a zip tie configuration to help raise the rear mech and chain into a manageable position as the widget that came with the chainbreaker is too small, and useless, this was after 15 minutes of sweating and swearing!

Fitted new bar tape, no issue, but getting the one, screw in bar end plug back in was a nightmare, before i found my rubber mallet i tried hitting it with several items including my hand, no, gaffertape roll, still no,...a book,..er no no...

just another typical case of me making 20 minutes worth of work into at least an hour of blood, sweat and tears!

 

[Tom B]

Nothing bike related, but certainly cycling related.

I took the garden shears for a ride today and spent two hours cutting back the bushes on one of my regular cycle path routes. It's not perfect but it's better. The 8-10ft wide path had become a 2ft wide path in places. Local council did nothing.

 

[PeteXXX]

Trek Fuel fettled all over in preparation for a blast round Swinley Forest tomorrow

 

[Bodhbh]

I made and fitted my 2nd mudflap from a mousemat. The first one was plain green, this one has a picture of a sheep on it.

 

[arch684]

Removed the stock wheels from my giant contend and fitted the new hand built mavic open pro with miche hubs

 

[postman]

I just replaced the chain rings, chain, cassette and pulleys on my commuter bike. Given that only a few weeks ago I replaced its gear and brake cables, brake pads and handlebar tape,

Sounds like Triggers brush from Fools and Horses.

 

[fossyant]

A real dinky fettle yesterday.

The bouncy bike has a dropper seatpost, and I'd not ridden it for a while. The post wasn't behaving after having been stood for a few months when I went out a couple of weeks ago. Before setting off it returned to working properly after raising the post up and down a few times as this equalised the air pressure before I went out.

The down side is it left some hydraulic fluid on the post, and did it again after the ride. Oh oh - seal failure ???

Went in the garage yesterday, wiped the post first, cycled the dropper a few times, no oil loss or sticking. Checked everything was tight. I think it just needs using if stood for any time. Applied some silicone lube.