What Have You Fettled Today?

[Reynard]

Nice, bike maintenance and repairs are fairly easy for the most part, once you know what you need to do.

And learning how everything fits together. Books are useful, but nothing beats getting hands on and seeing the bits laid out in front of you.

P.S. I'm not inept mechanically, just a novice at bikes. And I really appreciate the help and support xxx

 

[the_craig]

Finally got round to fitting my Ultegra 6800 brake calipers today (Thanks once again @RegG)

Was hoping to swap over my dead Tektro calipers without having to change cables but had to bite the bullet. So a wee trip to the LBS for some jagwire inners and outers. And since I was doing the brakes, may as well do the gear cables. So I’ve now got a new rear wheel upgraded to a freehub with a new 7 speed cassette, new chain, new cables and fresh bartape.

I’m looking forward to getting out to play again.

 

[C R]

And learning how everything fits together. Books are useful, but nothing beats getting hands on and seeing the bits laid out in front of you.

P.S. I'm not inept mechanically, just a novice at bikes. And I really appreciate the help and support xxx

This in spades, doing is the best way of learning, at least for me. Nowadays youtube helps a lot too, as you can actually see what is going on, rather than trying to imagine what someone has described in writing.

 

[Reynard]

Although a good exploded diagram a la Haynes Manual works well for me too

 

[Elysian_Roads]

Although a good exploded diagram a la Haynes Manual works well for me too

Never did get too carried away but it was great to be able to do small jobs on the car, with a basic tool kit and the trusty Haynes manual. Pleasantly surprised to find they still do them for real vehicles. Didn't need one for the Death Star as it came with a maintenance package.......

 

[Reynard]

Never did get too carried away but it was great to be able to do small jobs on the car, with a basic tool kit and the trusty Haynes manual. Pleasantly surprised to find they still do them for real vehicles. Didn't need one for the Death Star as it came with a maintenance package.......

I used to collect the Haynes manuals, back in the day where they were like 10p on boot sales and I was a skint undergrad... Originally started buying them for the uni motor club after our garage got broken into and the ones we had got nicked along with a load of other stuff. But TPTB at the club didn't want them. And so now I have a whole load. You don't see them so often now, and most cars now want a computer plugging into them to find out what the problem is.

P.S. I also have the Starship Enterprise one

 

[Elysian_Roads]

P.S. I also have the Starship Enterprise one

Is that "the project in the loft?????"

 

[Reynard]

P.S. I also have the Starship Enterprise one

Is that "the project in the loft?????"

I wish No, this is:

I rescued it when I was 13 (didn't sell at a jumble sale and was heading for the skip), rode it for a couple of years until it got too small, and it's been sitting on the loft ever since as I hadn't had the heart to move it on. It's a Hercules, about 1960-ish I think...

 

[Elysian_Roads]

That's a nice project. A fair bit of chrome on it. Bulk buying Autosol?

 

[Reynard]

Thanks. Yeah, probably.

And I'll need to figure out how to remove the horrible DIY paint job without damaging the original paint job underneath. Though of course, I'm saying that without knowing whether the original paint is redeemable or not. Mechanically it's sound, if rather dirty, though I've got rod brakes and cottered cranks to learn about.

 

[Elysian_Roads]

Ah, the DIY paint job. I plead guilty to executing one of those when younger..... . However, I never had to undo my handiwork, so can't tell you how painful the restoration might be.

 

[Reynard]

The DIY paint job is flaking off in places, so I'm just hoping I can just scrape it away carefully and see what's underneath. If the original paintwork looks ok for the most part (there are places where the paint's been scuffed back to bare metal) then I might just give it a few coats of lacquer to preserve it. Apparently there should be some rather nice decals on the seat tube.

If it doesn't look good, then yeah, guess it's a take it back to bare metal, then prime and respray. I've no hope in hell of replicating the original two-tone finish, so will probably pick a sympathetic shade if that's the case. They made this particular model (Ranger) over a number of years, and prior to the fancier paint jobs, it came in either burgundy, dark green or navy blue.

 

[raleighnut]

I wish No, this is:

View attachment 406917

I rescued it when I was 13 (didn't sell at a jumble sale and was heading for the skip), rode it for a couple of years until it got too small, and it's been sitting on the loft ever since as I hadn't had the heart to move it on. It's a Hercules, about 1960-ish I think...

Nice

 

[Reynard]

Cone spanners come in different sizes. Ooops. Should've made a note of what size I needed.

Good giggle about it with the chap in the LBS though.

 

[C R]

Cone spanners come in different sizes. Ooops. Should've made a note of what size I needed.

Good giggle about it with the chap in the LBS though.

The ones I have cover four sizes, 13/14/15/17 I think, cheapo ones from amazon, but do the job:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cyclo-CYC3...&qid=1525276292&sr=8-1&keywords=cone+spanners