Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
What Have You Fettled Today?
- Thread starter threebikesmcginty
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Rottenburg am Neckar
Stupid question (maybe) in that case... But is the chain the right length?
Fair question; both replacement chains were shortened to the correct length to keep them in tension.
Jenkins
Legendary Member
- Location
- Felixstowe
The project to convert the Spa Elan from Shimano 2x to SRAM 1x has finally begun (sort of). I've fitted the brake discs and cassette to the new set of wheels and added rim tape.
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Rottenburg am Neckar
I'm wondering that. With an identical bike in the store I'm wondering if that would be the last resort. It isn't obvious in the picture but this bike has been through a right battle, and the previous owner seems to have fettled it with all kinds of found bits and pieces to keep it going before dumping it on us.
The only problem with the bent frame theory of course is that the old chain and gears worked, they were just a bit rough because they were so worn down.
roubaixtuesday
self serving virtue signaller
Changed the winter tyres off the mountain bike, and with some inevitability, one of them (very, very slowly) deflated with the summer tyres on.
Minutely examine the summer tyre to no effect, so assume I'm an idiot and have somehow damaged the tube, find a tiny pinhole in it, patch the hole, leave tyre pumped up overnight before planning to refit this morning just in case.
It then occurs to me whilst lying abed that the puncture may have been caused by something in the winter tyre, so get up this morning, check the tyre is still inflated (it is) then minutely check both winter tyres. BAZINGA! A thorn is discovered and removed. Is there anything more satisfying than the removal of a hard to find sharp from a tyre?
The winter tyres were last pumped up about 2 months ago, and last used two weeks ago, with no discernible loss of pressure. So the thorn pinhole was perfectly self-sealed.
Minutely examine the summer tyre to no effect, so assume I'm an idiot and have somehow damaged the tube, find a tiny pinhole in it, patch the hole, leave tyre pumped up overnight before planning to refit this morning just in case.
It then occurs to me whilst lying abed that the puncture may have been caused by something in the winter tyre, so get up this morning, check the tyre is still inflated (it is) then minutely check both winter tyres. BAZINGA! A thorn is discovered and removed. Is there anything more satisfying than the removal of a hard to find sharp from a tyre?
The winter tyres were last pumped up about 2 months ago, and last used two weeks ago, with no discernible loss of pressure. So the thorn pinhole was perfectly self-sealed.
Good news for all cyclists, Easy jet are happy to fly the above without excess baggage costs😂 even allowing for the double cardboard box and in a Decathlon bike bag.😲
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I just bled the rear brake on my MTB. It seems to be good now, but I won't really trust it until I have done a test ride tomorrow.
I discovered that the second shifter had started sticking just as the one on the right had done. I solved that the same way, by squirting some GT-85 in through the cable access port.
I realised that the bike didn't have a Garmin mount so I searched my boxes of bits and found an up-front mount which I fill fit after I have finished my pot of coffee.
I adjusted the angles of the controls to be roughly 45 degrees down from straight ahead, a much more comfortable angle for my wrists and forearms.
What else...?
Er, I sat on the bike to see how much fork sag there was. It didn't seem to be too bad so I don't think that I will need to add pressure for a while.
I don't like the look of my Crud catcher but I had better put it back on to save me drinking all sorts of nasties from the exposed tops of my cycling bottles. I'll stick the rear guard on too because I think that the first few rides on the fettled bike could well be pretty damp.
I'll lube the chain tomorrow and clean the bike after my test ride. I might even take some photos for y'all!
I discovered that the second shifter had started sticking just as the one on the right had done. I solved that the same way, by squirting some GT-85 in through the cable access port.
I realised that the bike didn't have a Garmin mount so I searched my boxes of bits and found an up-front mount which I fill fit after I have finished my pot of coffee.
I adjusted the angles of the controls to be roughly 45 degrees down from straight ahead, a much more comfortable angle for my wrists and forearms.
What else...?
Er, I sat on the bike to see how much fork sag there was. It didn't seem to be too bad so I don't think that I will need to add pressure for a while.
I don't like the look of my Crud catcher but I had better put it back on to save me drinking all sorts of nasties from the exposed tops of my cycling bottles. I'll stick the rear guard on too because I think that the first few rides on the fettled bike could well be pretty damp.
I'll lube the chain tomorrow and clean the bike after my test ride. I might even take some photos for y'all!
Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Don’t do first test on a steep downhill!
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I'd rather try and ride my bike across the Atlantic than fly with those no hopers.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Well, I know that the more important FRONT brake works well!
Both brakes are working well on the 'shove bike forward on tiled kitchen floor, with brakes applied' test, but yes - that isn't really the equivalent of doing 40+ km/hr down a steep, offroad Pennine descent!
Garmin mount and Crudguards now fitted too.
Apart from "Oh no, it's raining and I don't want to get my nicely fettled bike dirty" I have run out of excuses not to ride it!
fritz katzenjammer
Der Ubergrosserbudgie
Does this count? It needed a bath really badly...
And this got some bar tape and half clips on the pedals
And this got some bar tape and half clips on the pedals
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Rottenburg am Neckar
I had to take one of these apart; this is the practice version...
Unfortunately it didn't help: the innards worked well, but inside the casing it felt like the rubber seals were dragging on the outside; the wheel will barely turn.
sevenfourate
Devotee of OCD
- Location
- Lowestoft, Suffolk
Had some pretty minor brake disc rub. Took it into a local ‘renowned’ shop / bicycle mechanic to sort and told them I thought the disc wanted a slight tweak to get straight(er) as centralising the Caliper via bolts / slots in Caliper brackets wasn’t working - but I could also see barely any disc run-out by eye ? Came back and it sounded literally exactly the same as when it went in to me 🤷♂️ After then emailing him to get his thoughts - I got told “….this job doesn’t sound like it’s for me; and to pop in for a refund” 🤬
So I bought a disc straightening tool / lever; and Caliper centralising shim / tool - to give it a go myself…..😳
After watching some YouTube vids - off I went: Turned bike upside down. And after loosening the front Caliper; and pushing the pistons back, I inserted the shim tool either side of the disc and between the pads. Pulled the brake lever a few times, then held it on and retightened the Caliper bolts.
After that I numbered up the 12 arms on the disc; and spun the wheel around a few times to see where I still had rub - and which way the disc wanted tweaking. I then had a couple of goes at tweaking the disc straight(er) by using the now numbered arms of the disc as reference points. Spinning the wheel and pulling and releasing the brake frequently to make sure nothing was amiss. Not many minutes later - one very freely spinning front wheel. And zero brake rub. Boom ! Well chuffed…..😎
Then moved to the rear wheel. Centralised Caliper as previous. Labelled up disc arms
- but then whatever I tried with the bike upside down - ie: using white paper on the floor, a torch and a phone to attempt to backlight the Caliper…..and after calling down my Son with 30 year newer eyes - I just couldn’t clearly see through / in the Caliper clearly enough to see where / when in the wheel rotation the disc was rubbing. Thought I could (Not easily) but was making things worse at times: so I was clearly bending the wrong way imo as I couldn’t see properly and was somewhat second ‘guessing’ as such.
So gave up somewhat deflated - before I did any irreversible damage; and will try to book into other local shop this weekend 🤦♂️🙁
So I bought a disc straightening tool / lever; and Caliper centralising shim / tool - to give it a go myself…..😳
After watching some YouTube vids - off I went: Turned bike upside down. And after loosening the front Caliper; and pushing the pistons back, I inserted the shim tool either side of the disc and between the pads. Pulled the brake lever a few times, then held it on and retightened the Caliper bolts.
After that I numbered up the 12 arms on the disc; and spun the wheel around a few times to see where I still had rub - and which way the disc wanted tweaking. I then had a couple of goes at tweaking the disc straight(er) by using the now numbered arms of the disc as reference points. Spinning the wheel and pulling and releasing the brake frequently to make sure nothing was amiss. Not many minutes later - one very freely spinning front wheel. And zero brake rub. Boom ! Well chuffed…..😎
Then moved to the rear wheel. Centralised Caliper as previous. Labelled up disc arms
- but then whatever I tried with the bike upside down - ie: using white paper on the floor, a torch and a phone to attempt to backlight the Caliper…..and after calling down my Son with 30 year newer eyes - I just couldn’t clearly see through / in the Caliper clearly enough to see where / when in the wheel rotation the disc was rubbing. Thought I could (Not easily) but was making things worse at times: so I was clearly bending the wrong way imo as I couldn’t see properly and was somewhat second ‘guessing’ as such.
So gave up somewhat deflated - before I did any irreversible damage; and will try to book into other local shop this weekend 🤦♂️🙁
Never had any issues with Easyjet, perhaps it the airport you use never had any problems flying from Glasgow. Has some hiccups with British Airways and Lufthansa in the past but that was on return flights.
