What Have You Fettled Today?

[DCLane]

Set up my NeilPryde Nazaré for my 13yo to have as a spare race bike in next weekend's Rás na nÓg in Ireland:

• Swapped the 52/36 crankset for a shorter 48/34 one
• Less deep wheels with a 16-27 cassette
• Swapped the saddle
• Stuck new Ultegra pedals on the crankset

Hopefully it should now be OK as a backup race bike and we're route-checking on Friday together. I'll be on kiddy cranks!

 

[HLaB]

Nothing major but I spent much of the afternoon/evening after the track (#STEWART) and Paris - Roubaix cleaning the bike from this morning's mud fest

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

I had to remove the reflector in my daughter's new bike for the same reason, are there any alternatives or would you just leave it if not riding in the dark?

I’m leaving the reflector off at present as she only rides in the day and on National Trust Park roads (she’s 6). I did think of looking to see if I could improvise something until she grows enough to raise the seat, but I need to have a think how to do this. I did think about mounting an old reflector I have to the bridge between the rear seat stays, but need to see if this will interfere with the mudguard and/or brake.

I attached the rear mudguard to the top of the seat tube rather than the seat post by removing the plastic shim which came with it and using a small section of old inner tube making the clasp close enough to tighten the bolt while still protecting the frame.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I have TRIED to fettle a Shimano FD 5801.

This little blighter is affixed to my new bike and it was not set up properly by the LBS so I had a stab myself.

It has the same install/adjustment process as R9000 Dura Ace and R8000 Ultegra as it is the precursor to the just announced 105 R7000 series FD.

Spent 4 hours on the damn thing before giving up - although I think I have identified my Achilles Heel re the adjustment process and I may muster up the enthusiasm to have another punt tomorrow.

 

[si_c]

Cleaned Mrs C's upright town bike and lubed the rear derailleur. Was going to clean mine, but it looks pretty much spot on as it has only done about 60miles since I last cleaned it. So I took the back wheel off instead and gave the shimano hub and freehub a thorough clean and re-grease. The freehub had thick orange/brown muck coming out of it, so much for winter proof. Either way the bearing races were spot on, so packed loads of lithium grease in, and a load of light lubricant into the freehub.

Hopefully that'll keep it going for a bit. The cost of a replacement freehub body is about the same as a whole new hub.

 

[Jenkins]

Thanks to a very wet ride to work this morning, I got home this afternoon and cleaned and lubed the chain on the Van Nicholas. Then did the same to the Spa Elan as a result of it picking up a lot of dirt on yesterday's commute. And then the Giant flatbar. And the 13 flatbar. And finally the Vooodoo 29er!

 

[ADarkDraconis]

I had to remove the reflector in my daughter's new bike for the same reason, are there any alternatives or would you just leave it if not riding in the dark?

I’m leaving the reflector off at present as she only rides in the day and on National Trust Park roads (she’s 6). I did think of looking to see if I could improvise something until she grows enough to raise the seat, but I need to have a think how to do this. I did think about mounting an old reflector I have to the bridge between the rear seat stays, but need to see if this will interfere with the mudguard and/or brake.

I have a saddlebag under my seat so the rear reflector had to come off the seat post on my bike. I attached it to a seat stay instead, the LBS had spare little clamp for it that fit that they just gave me when I asked if I could purchase such an adaptor, it worked out really well!

 

[Reynard]

Gave my Wiggins a good wipe down, cleaned wheel rims and checked brake pads for grit, cleaned chainrings, cassette, jockey wheels and chain, and oiled chain.

 

[C R]

Thanks @RealLeeHimself and @ADarkDraconis, will investigate using the seat stays. My Daughters are 11 and 9 and like doing back road circuits with me, though always in daylight, so probably trying to be road legal would be good.

 

[ADarkDraconis]

New saddle was taken for a test ride last night! Still have some fettling to do, I had to slide it back farther when I got home as I found myself sitting on the very back at times. I don't think it goes as far back as my old one so I had to raise it a smidge as well. But for overall comfort it is night and day compared with my old one!!! No inner thigh pain at all so I call it a win! The real test will be my commute on Wednesday over different terrain.

However, since I raised it a smidge to compensate for it not being as far back, now when I swing my leg over to get on I feel it is just a bit painful for my bad hip to raise that high to get my leg over. I will fuss with it more but if I can't get it right at my previous height I may have to retrain myself after right-leg swinging for 26 years to mount it from the other side and use my left leg.

 

[Illaveago]

New saddle was taken for a test ride last night! Still have some fettling to do, I had to slide it back farther when I got home as I found myself sitting on the very back at times. I don't think it goes as far back as my old one so I had to raise it a smidge as well. But for overall comfort it is night and day compared with my old one!!! No inner thigh pain at all so I call it a win! The real test will be my commute on Wednesday over different terrain.

However, since I raised it a smidge to compensate for it not being as far back, now when I swing my leg over to get on I feel it is just a bit painful for my bad hip to raise that high to get my leg over. I will fuss with it more but if I can't get it right at my previous height I may have to retrain myself after right-leg swinging for 26 years to mount it from the other side and use my left leg.

If you lean your bike over slightly you might not need to raise your leg so high .

 

[si_c]

If you lean your bike over slightly you might not need to raise your leg so high .

^^ This. My saddle is quite high, so I find it much easier to straddle the bike and mount it more like I would a step-through than throwing my leg over.

 

[ADarkDraconis]

If you lean your bike over slightly you might not need to raise your leg so high .

^^ This. My saddle is quite high, so I find it much easier to straddle the bike and mount it more like I would a step-through than throwing my leg over.

Thanks, folks! Don't know why I didn't think of this, haha! Since I have short legs this would've made my life much easier for years! We are creatures of habit, aren't we?

 

[C R]

New saddle was taken for a test ride last night! Still have some fettling to do, I had to slide it back farther when I got home as I found myself sitting on the very back at times. I don't think it goes as far back as my old one so I had to raise it a smidge as well. But for overall comfort it is night and day compared with my old one!!! No inner thigh pain at all so I call it a win! The real test will be my commute on Wednesday over different terrain.

However, since I raised it a smidge to compensate for it not being as far back, now when I swing my leg over to get on I feel it is just a bit painful for my bad hip to raise that high to get my leg over. I will fuss with it more but if I can't get it right at my previous height I may have to retrain myself after right-leg swinging for 26 years to mount it from the other side and use my left leg.

I had the problem with my saddle feeling never quite far back enough, tilting it back slightly fixed the problem.

 

[Illaveago]

I thought I would have a go at rubbing down some plaster in I had put in next to our loft access. I opened the hatch, lowered the ladder climbed up and taped a dustbin bag to the ceiling with just enough room to allow me to reach in and sand the rough surface with a block, a bit like looking at toast under a grill. After struggling sanding the rough surface smooth I dusted it off and sealed up the bag, it must have been 1 lb of dust in there. My wife was full of encouragement, " That is why you should have put it in smooth in the first place ! "