What Have You Fettled Today?
- Thread starter threebikesmcginty
- Start date
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DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
I tried. It didn't 
I do love a good wheel build 😊 Very therapeutic, as you say 
Today the replacement for the replacement rear mech arrived for the commuter
This time it was complete with no bits missing so on it went 😊 I trimmed the cables and indexed both mechs, completing the overhaul. The brakes still aren't great but I'll ride it around a bit and see if they settle before I bleed it again - it definitely needs another bleed, but giving the air a chance to rise to the levers might make my life a bit easier when I come to do it
I'm really pleased with how it's come out, a very quick spin around the block suggests its riding really nicely too. The wheels *should* be pretty rugged and once the brakes have bedded in it'll stop pretty rapidly too. She's put on a bit of weight bless her but I think it's all for the best...
A chunk of the extra weight is in the new rear wheel, moving from 24 to 32 spokes and a big chunky mountain bike hub has no-doubt added a few hundred grams. This bike only has to get me to work and back - it doesnt have to do it quickly, just reliably
Today the replacement for the replacement rear mech arrived for the commuter
This time it was complete with no bits missing so on it went 😊 I trimmed the cables and indexed both mechs, completing the overhaul. The brakes still aren't great but I'll ride it around a bit and see if they settle before I bleed it again - it definitely needs another bleed, but giving the air a chance to rise to the levers might make my life a bit easier when I come to do it I'm really pleased with how it's come out, a very quick spin around the block suggests its riding really nicely too. The wheels *should* be pretty rugged and once the brakes have bedded in it'll stop pretty rapidly too. She's put on a bit of weight bless her but I think it's all for the best...
A chunk of the extra weight is in the new rear wheel, moving from 24 to 32 spokes and a big chunky mountain bike hub has no-doubt added a few hundred grams. This bike only has to get me to work and back - it doesnt have to do it quickly, just reliably
Bad Machine
In the garage .....
- Location
- East Anglia
Will do, tomorrow morning
They were SKS Bluemells 60mm, 20". The edge fixings were problematic - they are designed to only "accept" the stay rod radially, so if your mounting point(s) are not roughly at the centre of s 20" diam arc, then the plastic moulded edge fixings don't sit on the lip of the mudguard at the expected angle
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figbat
Slippery scientist
- Location
- South Oxfordshire, UK
I'm planning to ride the commuter in to work tomorrow and it hasnt had a proper shakedown, so I decided I best bleed the front brake a little better this evening beforehand It feels a lot better, perhaps still slight room for improvement but I'll see how it rides first and go from there 😊
It feels a lot better, perhaps still slight room for improvement but I'll see how it rides first and go from there 😊
FrankCrank
Old layabout
Here's my latest cobbled together klunker:
Since my other folding bike decided some time back to fold (snap) in the wrong place, been needing a replacement travel bike to chuck in the back of the car. A neighbour was having a clearout, so gave me the old steel frame, and lots of bits rescued from the deceased folder, and all else from my scrap bins. Rides real well, super simple as a one gear, one brake basic runaround. After some more evaluation, may make it a 3-speed, and add a rear brake, but for now it'll do nicely. Would be fair to describe the patina as 'resued from a ditch' - but then again don't have to worry too much about it being stolen
Since my other folding bike decided some time back to fold (snap) in the wrong place, been needing a replacement travel bike to chuck in the back of the car. A neighbour was having a clearout, so gave me the old steel frame, and lots of bits rescued from the deceased folder, and all else from my scrap bins. Rides real well, super simple as a one gear, one brake basic runaround. After some more evaluation, may make it a 3-speed, and add a rear brake, but for now it'll do nicely. Would be fair to describe the patina as 'resued from a ditch' - but then again don't have to worry too much about it being stolen
DCBassman
Guru
- Location
- The lumpy far South West
Fitted new rear tyre to Scott. First experience of folding tyres. Bloody hard to fit! Looks good though, but will eventually have to get another for the front, the mismatch will drive me daft...
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Following on from replacing the freehub bearings on my Boardman FS, a ride last week ended up with a bit of chain suck under a down shift on the front ring. This bent a chain link. Out with the Crank Bros multi tool and fitted a chain link to get home.
Decided it was time for a new chain, but the cassette was worn. So £106 for SRAM 1070 cassette (blingy) and two SRAM chains. O next ride, noticed the bigger 4 sprockets on the smaller chain ring felt 'jumpy' under heavy load (climbing). Checked mech, nothing as all 10 sprockets worked perfectly on the big ring.
Now, the big ring was replaced recently, but the inner steel ring is 4 years old. Again, as others have found, parts are a little hard to get. Same ring was £14 plus £6 postage, or the upgraded alloy ring £21 from Amazon, no post. That arrived last night, so chainset out, BB bearings cleaned and re-greased, and re-assembled.
Decided it was time for a new chain, but the cassette was worn. So £106 for SRAM 1070 cassette (blingy) and two SRAM chains. O next ride, noticed the bigger 4 sprockets on the smaller chain ring felt 'jumpy' under heavy load (climbing). Checked mech, nothing as all 10 sprockets worked perfectly on the big ring.
Now, the big ring was replaced recently, but the inner steel ring is 4 years old. Again, as others have found, parts are a little hard to get. Same ring was £14 plus £6 postage, or the upgraded alloy ring £21 from Amazon, no post. That arrived last night, so chainset out, BB bearings cleaned and re-greased, and re-assembled.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
New chain(s) fitted to recumbent. It is 236 links long. It is adjusted to enable big big and small small ring combinations without breaking the chain or derailleur. It’s not a combination you aim for, but sometimes when tired on an audax at night you may find yourself in that combination going up a hill that’s steeper than you thought. Best that things not break at that moment.
I have spare chain rings and cassette. Going for a ride after lunch to check. Hopefully I’ve caught any wear soon enough not to need replacing them.
I have spare chain rings and cassette. Going for a ride after lunch to check. Hopefully I’ve caught any wear soon enough not to need replacing them.
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
I'm hoping to get my Longstaff trike down to 13.6kg for the Holme Valley Whs hill climb on the 10 October
For most it’s a personal challenge. I’d rather be faster uphill due to fitness not because I knocked weight off the bike. Make sure you aren’t carrying 1.5 litres of water up the hill 😂
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
I reassembled some 105 SPD-SL pedals at lunchtime. They're very easy.
M324 SPDs are the worst, even with the special tool, because of the deeply-recessed inboard race.
Dura-Ace SPD-SL are easy with the right tools (the tiny race deep inside the pedal automatically arranges the balls for you with a few shakes) but are an absolute bear to adjust correctly; the cone and locknut are rather coarse-threaded for the job.
The very easiest are M525, because they use 1/8" bearings - much less fiddly!
M324 SPDs are the worst, even with the special tool, because of the deeply-recessed inboard race.
Dura-Ace SPD-SL are easy with the right tools (the tiny race deep inside the pedal automatically arranges the balls for you with a few shakes) but are an absolute bear to adjust correctly; the cone and locknut are rather coarse-threaded for the job.
The very easiest are M525, because they use 1/8" bearings - much less fiddly!
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
My son snapped his mech hanger just before Sunday's hillclimb - it went whilst he was pootling in 3rd gear and appears to be a manufacturing issue. Turned into a fixie by a spectator he had a go anyway. Even with the chain slipping he put in a reasonable time - going up in a 42x23 ratio.
New mech hanger installed, new rear gear cable as the other had frayed and derailleur put back along with the chain repaired (a KMC X11-SL and had only done 20 miles). All good and ready for Saturday's Halifax Imps hillclimb. Hopefully this time it will be a proper test of the new bike.
New mech hanger installed, new rear gear cable as the other had frayed and derailleur put back along with the chain repaired (a KMC X11-SL and had only done 20 miles). All good and ready for Saturday's Halifax Imps hillclimb. Hopefully this time it will be a proper test of the new bike.
PMarkey
Guru
- Location
- Queensbury,West Yorkshire
My weight loss program consists of taking the carradice off,removing the bottle cages and swapping the Brooks for something less comfortable
I've never done a hill climb before so this one sets my baseline.
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
My weight loss program consists of taking the carradice off,removing the bottle cages and swapping the Brooks for something less comfortable
That's a dangerous start
Son's PlanetX Nanolight hillclimb bike has a single carbon front chainring, Dura-Ace 9000 RH shifter and DA 9000 Di2 LH shifter (70g lighter), carbon crankset, lightweight carbon wheels and tubs, women's carbon bars, carbon seatpost and carbon saddle. He had a budget of £500 so couldn't go with anything specialist.
