What Have You Fettled Today?

[delb0y]

Was baking in the garage, but I was close to the end so I pressed on :-)

What happened a few months back was, now I have the second bike, I thought it would be worthwhile to strip the old Tricross right down to the frame and rebuild it as a learning project. However, at the same time I thought I'd tweak it a little just in case it came out of the project in a rideable condition.

So aside from the educational strip down, the plan was to change the front cogs for something smaller to make the hills easier. Turns out this meant a whole new crankset, which meant a new bottom bracket. It also meant a new front derailleur as the existing one wouldn't be compatible with the smaller chain rings. I wanted to keep the Tiagra shifters, which then meant some jiggery pokery using a Shiftmate to make the cable-pull compatible with the new (mountain bike) derailleur.

I also decided on a honey Brooks and some matching bar-tape.

It's taken a couple of months but it's all ready to test ride now. I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience (notwithstanding all the issues the test ride will throw up!)

and can now realistically ponder on maybe building a bike to my own specifications one day.

 

[Serge]

I've gone from this:

To this:

Via this:

I don't think I'm cut out for this fettling lark.

 

[Illaveago]

Continued from where I left off yesterday . Making a pair of short ally mudguards for my Raleigh . I'm getting a bit faster at doing them.

 

[C R]

Via this:

View attachment 420909

I don't think I'm cut out for this fettling lark.

Only that? I sometimes get worse just putting the bike on the stand!

I would say you are semi pro level at least!

 

[JhnBssll]

Only that? I sometimes get worse just putting the bike on the stand!

I would say you are semi pro level at least!

I don't disagree Not even a bloody knuckle?!

 

[JhnBssll]

A summer cold has resulted in a pleasant couple of evenings of fettling in the garage for me

I started off having a tinker with my old Kona Caldera. It was looking a little forlorn since being built and barely ridden at the end of last year and needed some TLC. I had to replace the spacer behind the cassette with one the correct width as there was very little engagement of the retaining thread which concerned me when fitting it. That's all now sorted so I could give it a little spin round the block (my lungs aren't up to much more at the moment!). This highlighted some interesting shifting quirks going up and down at the back, no play in anything so a bit of fine tuning of limit screws and indexing got it running nicely. It took me a while to get the indexing as oddly there's no barrel on the XTR mech meaning you have to use the barrel on the shifter. This takes an extra second of thought to make sure you're going the right way, then add to the mix it's a rapid rise so it's all backwards and you can imagine my frustration... I got pretty close then went the wrong way again a couple of times I decided I can't get on with the grim second hand saddle so I've ordered a black and red charge spoon which I'll whip on when it arrives I'm really pleased with this build now it's running nicely and can't wait to get it dirty I do need to trim that steerer tube at some point...

Today I had a few parcels arrive including new tires and tubes for the Aksiums which are soon to be going on the commuter. I took the opportunity to clean the wheels and cassette up while fitting the new tires, Gatorskin 32's. I'm running 42's on the commuter at the moment so these should give me a little extra speed on a Monday morning

Last but by no means least I had a little fettle of the Bianchi - it's difficult not to take it down when you see it hanging there First job was fit the final bit of orange Hope bling, the headset spacers They really finish it off nicely I think, funny what a difference a few bits of orange shiny metal make I've still got niggles with the front brake - it started squeeling again between being hung up and taken down again. I have eliminated it (again) for the time being with some hard braking, hopefully as the pads and disc bed together it'll all settle down. I've also put new sensor batteries in so had to pair everything up with the Karoo ready for Saturday's sportive. They all appear to be behaving themselves again, last time I rode it I nearly upset some people on Strava as it attempted to auto upload a mile of me doing ~170kph Fortunately I could see it was misbehaving so I deleted it before I claimed any KOM's

 

[Serge]

I don't disagree Not even a bloody knuckle?!

Don't worry, I've got one of those as well.

I just don't understand why they have to put such pointy things on bikes.

 

[subaqua]

Been too depressed to fettle what was needed to put bike back on road. Till Monday . Then I tweaked the gears , replaced the broken spokes, trued the rear wheel and went to work on the bike . Which cheered me up no end .

 

[MontyVeda]

I stole acquired my brother's Rotring drawing board decades ago, and he subsequently stole the rule off it. Last week I spotted a 2nd hand Rotring board on Ebay, complete with the rule (the only bit i need), so stuck on a max bid of £15 and got it for £4.20

In the thirty years since Rotring made my old board and this newer board, the rebate that the rule fits into has shrunk by maybe a fifth of a millimetre, which left me with two options... router or nail files. I opted for the slow option and took to the old board with the nail files. After many hours of filing, I now have a rule that fits my old drawing board, plus a new board

 

[Serge]

I stole acquired my brother's Rotring drawing board decades ago, and he subsequently stole the rule off it. Last week I spotted a 2nd hand Rotring board on Ebay, complete with the rule (the only bit i need), so stuck on a max bid of £15 and got it for £4.20

In the thirty years since Rotring made my old board and this newer board, the rebate that the rule fits into has shrunk by maybe a fifth of a millimetre, which left me with two options... router or nail files. I opted for the slow option and took to the old board with the nail files. After many hours of filing, I now have a rule that fits my old drawing board, plus a new board

Cool, I used to love using those as a kid.

 

[Reynard]

Wiped off yesterday's road dust from the Wiggins (they were combining and baling and it's impossible *not* to get dusty), cleaned and lubricated the drive train and think I've sorted out the irritating clicking that plagued my ride. (a loose valve seat).

 

[Serge]

Is it wrong that I've only just stripped my bike down to the bare frame but I've already started looking at orange cable outers?

 

[Reynard]

Is it wrong that I've only just stripped my bike down to the bare frame but I've already started looking at orange cable outers?

Maybe. Maybe not.

 

[mikeymustard]

Fettled a saucer with water and placed end of garden for the birds

while commendable I wouldn't say that was fettling unless you made the saucer out of the thigh bone of one of your children (or something)

 

[mikeymustard]

Is it wrong that I've only just stripped my bike down to the bare frame but I've already started looking at orange cable outers?

Yes! You tart!