What Have You Fettled Today?

[sevenfourate]

I need another test ride... I will see what happens on that and then explain!

Dont leave us hanging Colin ! I'm not sure we can bear(ing) it any longer.......

 

[ColinJ]

Dont leave us hanging Colin ! I'm not sure we can bear(ing) it any longer.......

Ha ha!

Ok, well... I am waiting for the replacement bearing to arrive so I went for another ride using the spare wheel, and the ticking/clicking came back mid-ride! It was doing my head in!

I looked at the bike last night and think that I know what happened. Coincidence is involved...

The bearing in the original wheel had definitely come loose, got damaged, and was causing some of the original ticking. Swapping wheels had sorted that problem out.

Something happened on yesterday's ride though which made ticking/clicking return!

Wind back a few weeks... The bike's transmission had been getting noisy. I eventually traced that to a badly bent B-screw in the rear derailleur. I had a minor accident last year which bent the mech. I had straightened it as much as possible but didn't want to pull any harder on it for fear of breaking it. It is possible that it was already damaged when donated by my cousin since it came off his mountain bike when he upgraded to a new groupset.

It took a lot of effort to remove the damaged screw. It was badly bent and jammed. In the end I had to break the end off and force the rest out. That damaged the thread in the mech.

After some fiddling about, I bodged a solution - I used a larger self-tapping wood screw! To my suprise, that worked perfectly.

Fast forward to yesterday... Last night I discovered that the bodged B-screw had fallen out mid-ride!

I tried the bike turned upside down on my kitchen floor... Ticking/clicking! I replaced the screw with a bigger one... Nice silent operation!

Hopefully, another ride will confirm that I'd had 2 problems, both causing the same type of noise. If not, I have an expanse of kitchen wall ideal for frustrated head-banging!

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

Tiny tools… making shiny stuff for the wife out of shim stock. That vice is only 2” wide.

 

[Punkawallah]

Cleaned, lubed and adjusted the ‘hack’, wire wooled and painted odd bare patches.

 

[ColinJ]

ColinJ headbutts kitchen wall after yet more ticks and clicks, part #37!!!

Blimey... The test ride today did not go according to plan!

The gear shifting was better after replacement of the missing B-screw, and there was no more rumble from the mech being too close to the cassette, but the ticks and clicks were still happening.

At one point the rear hub appeared to seize, but I quickly realised that the pedalling force of my mighty legs had torn the rear wheel out of the dropouts. Or maybe I just hadn't tightened the QR enough...

I am back to thinking that the cheapo BB is failing after only 2 months, but lets just think of other possibilities...

Observations:

• It isn't caused by the saddle or seatpost because the noise happens whether I am sitting or standing.
• The sound happens on the left pedal stroke, once per pedal rev. I unclipped my left foot and pedalled just with right. No noises. I swapped to pedalling just with the left - the noises came back.
• I can't tell for sure where the sound is coming from. The problem is that it seems to only happen under load. Spinning the cranks with the bike on a stand is quiet.

It could be the non-drive side BB bearing, or that pedal, or the crank...?

I have had those kind of noises from old SPD pedals before, but I thought these pedals were not that old. I can quickly check though. I have almost new SPD pedals on my MTB. I will swap the left pedals and nip out for another test.

If the pedal is not the cause then I will whip the crankset off and see if I can feel/hear any problems with the BB bearing when turning it with a finger.

If I still haven't found the problem then I will spend the weekend headbutting the kitchen wall until inspiration or concussion strikes!

 

[ColinJ]

I have had those kind of noises from old SPD pedals before, but I thought these pedals were not that old. I can quickly check though. I have almost new SPD pedals on my MTB. I will swap the left pedals and nip out for another test.

Okay, it is not the pedal! The noise is still there with another pedal which has done less than 200 km of rides.

I will whip the cranks off tomorrow and see if that reveals the source of the problem.

 

[ColinJ]

I don't have a partner, but if I did our evening could go like this...

 

[Gunk]

I don't have a partner, but if I did our evening could go like this...

View attachment 764300

That’s me!

 

[Andy in Germany]

ColinJ headbutts kitchen wall after yet more ticks and clicks, part #37!!!

Blimey... The test ride today did not go according to plan!

The gear shifting was better after replacement of the missing B-screw, and there was no more rumble from the mech being too close to the cassette, but the ticks and clicks were still happening.

At one point the rear hub appeared to seize, but I quickly realised that the pedalling force of my mighty legs had torn the rear wheel out of the dropouts. Or maybe I just hadn't tightened the QR enough...

I am back to thinking that the cheapo BB is failing after only 2 months, but lets just think of other possibilities...

Observations:

• It isn't caused by the saddle or seatpost because the noise happens whether I am sitting or standing.
• The sound happens on the left pedal stroke, once per pedal rev. I unclipped my left foot and pedalled just with right. No noises. I swapped to pedalling just with the left - the noises came back.
• I can't tell for sure where the sound is coming from. The problem is that it seems to only happen under load. Spinning the cranks with the bike on a stand is quiet.

It could be the non-drive side BB bearing, or that pedal, or the crank...?

I have had those kind of noises from old SPD pedals before, but I thought these pedals were not that old. I can quickly check though. I have almost new SPD pedals on my MTB. I will swap the left pedals and nip out for another test.

If the pedal is not the cause then I will whip the crankset off and see if I can feel/hear any problems with the BB bearing when turning it with a finger.

If I still haven't found the problem then I will spend the weekend headbutting the kitchen wall until inspiration or concussion strikes!

The Meisterin at work lives for this stuff: she'll work on a bike and eliminate issues until the problem is revealed several times a day when almost everyone else has given up.
I on the other hand get bored fairly quickly, which is why I'm primarily working with the clients, and she's working with the technical stuff.

 

[Punkawallah]

ColinJ headbutts kitchen wall after yet more ticks and clicks, part #37!!!

Blimey... The test ride today did not go according to plan!

The gear shifting was better after replacement of the missing B-screw, and there was no more rumble from the mech being too close to the cassette, but the ticks and clicks were still happening.

At one point the rear hub appeared to seize, but I quickly realised that the pedalling force of my mighty legs had torn the rear wheel out of the dropouts. Or maybe I just hadn't tightened the QR enough...

I am back to thinking that the cheapo BB is failing after only 2 months, but lets just think of other possibilities...

Observations:

• It isn't caused by the saddle or seatpost because the noise happens whether I am sitting or standing.
• The sound happens on the left pedal stroke, once per pedal rev. I unclipped my left foot and pedalled just with right. No noises. I swapped to pedalling just with the left - the noises came back.
• I can't tell for sure where the sound is coming from. The problem is that it seems to only happen under load. Spinning the cranks with the bike on a stand is quiet.

It could be the non-drive side BB bearing, or that pedal, or the crank...?

I have had those kind of noises from old SPD pedals before, but I thought these pedals were not that old. I can quickly check though. I have almost new SPD pedals on my MTB. I will swap the left pedals and nip out for another test.

If the pedal is not the cause then I will whip the crankset off and see if I can feel/hear any problems with the BB bearing when turning it with a finger.

If I still haven't found the problem then I will spend the weekend headbutting the kitchen wall until inspiration or concussion strikes!

A man after my own heart. If you can’t find it, swap parts out until you do find it :-)

 

[ColinJ]

A man after my own heart. If you can’t find it, swap parts out until you do find it :-)

I really suspect the BB but that is the hardest thing to just swap out!

I was looking at advice online and somebody suggested a test that I haven't tried before - apply both brakes to stop the bike moving, then press down hard on one of the pedals. When I did that on the left pedal I could get that clicking noise. I had to have the left crank at about 45 degrees down from the horizontal and it didn't click every time. That was very similar to the behaviour when riding. It is supposed to confirm BB problems.

I don't have the tool for fitting/removing this BB. I think I might get the LBS mechanic to have a look!

If it does turn out to be a cheap BB bearing failing after just 2 months, the decision then is whether to replace the whole BB with a better one, or replace the bearings themselves. The BB shells look well made so I would be tempted just to replace the bearings.

I thought at the time I bought the BSA30 BB that the outboard bearings are very small and might wear quickly. There wasn't any choice though to be able to use the power meter cranks on this bike with its standard old-fashioned BSA BB shell.

 

[sevenfourate]

Twiddled with a few bits on the Bergamont Gravel. And changed a couple of decals I’d added for a splash of colour: to some others I like more .

‘Resurrected’ the Trek Hybrid - that’s not been ridden since October (?). Inc tweaking brakes, lubricated the chain, swapped out / renewed 4 x Caliper flat-mount bolts (I’d started to round one front off in trying to centre the front Caliper); followed by getting the tyres to the correct pressure - and a good clean to get rid of the dust. And spiders webs 🤣

Pretty much the same with the FIT 22” BMX. Just a simple tyres, chain and brakes check / tweak - and that’s 100.% good to go now too 👌

I just need to sort the slightly slowly retracting back brake lever (Sticky piston in the Caliper ?) on the TREK Marlin 7 MTB; and the whole fleet (5 ridden bikes) will be 100% at the same time. WHOOO !!!

 

[DCLane]

If it does turn out to be a cheap BB bearing failing after just 2 months, the decision then is whether to replace the whole BB with a better one, or replace the bearings themselves. The BB shells look well made so I would be tempted just to replace the bearings.

I thought at the time I bought the BSA30 BB that the outboard bearings are very small and might wear quickly. There wasn't any choice though to be able to use the power meter cranks on this bike with its standard old-fashioned BSA BB shell.

It's worth looking at a threaded BB30 bottom bracket rather than a press-fit. I've got a Token Ninja in the NeilPryde Nazaré and all the previous creaking and issues have gone.

 

[DCLane]

Collected the finished Ridley Fenix SL from the LBS this afternoon; they've added cables, which I don't have the dexterity currently to fit through aero bars, plus a chain and black/Ridley yellow bar tape. I've then lowered the stem a little but raised the bars to match the Merida Cyclo-Cross current set-up with my injured hand - and will adjust it down as I (hopefully) continue to get better. Also, the green skewers are now silver/black titanium to match the frame, plus a Garmin mount's now on. All finished for now and it weighs 7.65kg, which is with the heavy winter wheelset and heavier tyres - that should drop 300-500g with a lighter wheelset:

Edited after a brief check on saddle height, with updated photo. It's gone up about 2" and the saddle angle may shift up a bit.

In the future I'm planning to swap out the new bottom bracket and fit a BB86 SL-K Light carbon crankset or a Dura-Ace 9100 crankset but that can wait.

As a family we've gone from zero Ridley's to four in four years; this Fenix SL plus Son no. 2 has a Noah Fast, a Helium and a Fenix.

 

[ColinJ]

It's worth looking at a threaded BB30 bottom bracket rather than a press-fit.

You missed the bit where I explained that the frame doesn't take BB30 BBs! It is designed for old-fashioned square taper or Hollowtech.

My BSA30 BB fittings have standard threads, just enough room for the 30mm axle to fit through, and then squeeze the bearings in outside the frame's BB shell. The problem is that there is not enough space for decent sized ball bearings. I realised from the start that these little ball bearings would have a limited lifetime but I was hoping for 1-2 years, not 1-2 months!! I reckon that the quality of the original bearings is poor, and am hoping that better quality replacements would last 10+ times as long!