What Have You Fettled Today?

[Fifelad]

My life is complete, tackled the potential horror of replacing the internal rear gear cable on the Cube, and indexed with minimum swearing, and nice new bar tape.

 

[Serge]

I had a go at indexing the gears on the mongrel, which have been a bit chattery lately. It seemed to go very smoothly - suspiciously smoothly - on the workstand, so I'll be interested to get it out on the road again.

However, while I was close-up to the rear wheel I started cleaning the nooks and crannies, then decided to remove it from the bike and give it a good clean-up. Afterwards I couldn't get it to sit centrally and move through the gears, and eventually realised I'd loosened some of the nuts etc. on the threaded axle. Good opportunity to degrease and clean those before tightening up, I thought, until a ball bearing dropped out.

Rear wheel now at the LBS getting properly serviced.

That sounds like my sort of fettling.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I replaced both gear cables on my Vivente commuter bike about 2 weeks ago, and shifting is reasonably good. I even managed to thread the cables through the brifters with a minimum of fuss and NO foul language (normally one of the 2 brifters resists having the gear cable threaded through it), and minimal derailleur adjustment was needed after the installation, because I'm getting better at judging how tight the cables need to be when installed.

Some follow-up adjustments will no doubt be needed sometime in the next few months. I had to replace them because they'd frayed right in the bottom bracket gear cable guide, which seems to be the most common point of fraying.

 

[GuyBoden]

New bearings for front and back wheels and then re-greased.
Cone and lock nuts adjusted properly. Tighten one side in the vice, then adjust and tighten the other side.
New disc pads fitted.
Cleaned brake disc and bleed the hydraulic system both front and rear.
New 34T - 11T Cassette fitted.
New Deore rear dérailleur fitted.
New Chain fitted.
New Gears indexed for new dérailleur.

Short test ride.

 

[Vantage]

Busy day...

The last remaining parts of the Vantage were swapped out today. The 6 1/2 year old 2200 STI units have done 11,500 ish miles and pretty much every single shift was perfect or close to it.
SunRace triple 9spd downtube levers were stuck on today. The last time I had downtube levers was on my Raleigh Flyer about 28 years ago. This should be fun! Those were mated to a Deore rear mech that didn't have a cable adjuster MR SHIMANO!!! {which I've solved) and a Claris front mech. A new 11-34T cassette and KMC grey (odd colour) chain have also been fitted.
The brown hooded Dia-Compe 287V brake levers were finally fitted which was good fun (sort of) and the bars have been wrapped in nice new brown tape...I now have light action brakes that don't require cable killing problem solver travel adaptors.
Admittedly whilst I enjoyed my fettling today, there was some mild (ok I lied) swearing at the rear mech and KMC quick link.

I'll test it tomorrow coz right now I'm falling asleep

 

[Salty seadog]

It is keeping time with my quartz watch at the moment .

It's not a race is it?

 

[DCLane]

I've been working on the Focus Culebro frameset 'with bits' that I picked up recently. Essentially it was a full bike minus wheels but having issues. This evening I've fitted a new rear gear cable outer in 3 parts, meaning that the gears now work since the original was split. 38mm semi-deep Merida wheels which match, new Ultegra chain and a cassette fitted leaving the bike looking like this:

It leaves me with a question for the CC folk: can you mix blue and black cable outers?

The previous owner had black brake outers and blue gear outers. I'd prefer not to change the brake ones ...

Oh, and I swapped the 138mm Paradigm saddle on my Wilier for a 128mm Paradigm as it's more comfortable. Note that this information, combined with the above reluctance to fit new cables, does not mean that I'm a tight ...

 

[Elysian_Roads]

Looks good @DCLane, so a vote from me to keep it as it is. Though have to ask, is it a trick of the light and the two blue cables by the bars are the actually same shade? Or are they slightly different?

 

[DCLane]

Looks good @DCLane, so a vote from me to keep it as it is. Though have to ask, is it a trick of the light and the two blue cables by the bars are the actually same shade? Or are they slightly different?

They're very slightly different - but I'm hoping once bar tape is added it won't be obvious as I've run out of gear cable outer.

There's a good chance the bike'll be up for sale soon, so I want to keep costs to a minimum where possible.

 

[cosmicbike]

Fitted Marathon Plus Touring tyres to the tandem, 30 minutes. Time spent modifying front mudguard mount so it didn't rub, 2 hours

 

[Elysian_Roads]

They're very slightly different - but I'm hoping once bar tape is added it won't be obvious as I've run out of gear cable outer.

There's a good chance the bike'll be up for sale soon, so I want to keep costs to a minimum where possible.

I would go for blue bar tape if you have it but black would work.

 

[DCLane]

I would go for blue bar tape if you have it but black would work.

Since I've a pile of different blue bar tape and no black it'll be blue - and the closest matching shade. Thanks.

 

[Reynard]

I've been working on the Focus Culebro frameset 'with bits' that I picked up recently. Essentially it was a full bike minus wheels but having issues. This evening I've fitted a new rear gear cable outer in 3 parts, meaning that the gears now work since the original was split. 38mm semi-deep Merida wheels which match, new Ultegra chain and a cassette fitted leaving the bike looking like this:

View attachment 415117

It leaves me with a question for the CC folk: can you mix blue and black cable outers?

View attachment 415116

The previous owner had black brake outers and blue gear outers. I'd prefer not to change the brake ones ...

Oh, and I swapped the 138mm Paradigm saddle on my Wilier for a 128mm Paradigm as it's more comfortable. Note that this information, combined with the above reluctance to fit new cables, does not mean that I'm a tight ...

Looks fabby!

You know it does want Sparco Blue bar tape now...

 

[Elysian_Roads]

Do these come with cleats, @Reynard?

 

[Reynard]

View attachment 415129
Do these come with cleats, @Reynard?

I do have a blue Sparco Monza jacket, though. I just love the colour, even if it's a tad loud.