Feeling Rather Proud Of Myself

[andyfraser]

Today I replaced my first cassette and chain and I'm feeling rather proud of myself.

I found a very good bike shop on the other side of town and was able to get the 1mm spacer I needed. That got the cassette sorted. I fitted a SRAM chain with a power link. It went on very easily. A slight tweak to the gear indexing and that was that.

I know a lot of people here do this all the time but there's a feeling of accomplishment when you do something the first time.

 

[busman]

Well done you.

 

[Racing roadkill]

It gets addictive. You'll be spending all your time replacing stuff that doesn't need changing soon, if you're not careful.

 

[Lilliburlero]

I know a lot of people here do this all the time but there's a feeling of accomplishment when you do something the first time

I changed a set of pedals on my road bike a few weeks ago. I was strutting around as though I was Isambard Kingdom Brunel.... sad but true

 

[User33236]

Good start

I eneded up going from that type of starting point and doing a 10 week night class (run by a local 6th form college so was nice and cheap!) and as RR says it gets addictive lol.

 

[andyfraser]

It definitely gets addictive. My hybrid will need a new chain in a few months and I'm toying with the idea of fitting a 12 - 28 cassette at the same time. I call it needing to justify the cost of the tools I bought for today.

 

[philtalksbx]

You'll know you are hooked when you look in your toolbox at all the "special" tools you have accumulated, and then justify more tinkering on the back of needing to use them. I know, I have that shed!

 

[User33236]

You'll know you are hooked when you look in your toolbox at all the "special" tools you have accumulated, and then justify more tinkering on the back of needing to use them. I know, I have that shed!

I've managed to accumulate quite a few tools by working of friends bikes where they see that buying the tools and getting me to do it is still far cheaper that paying their LBS . Only problem is they aren't necessarily any good on my bikes but do mean I can work on bikes for even more friends lol.

 

[busman]

I've just replaced my original brake levers to tiagra 10 speed sti's. Such a great feeling when I'd finished and all the gears worked.

 

[andyfraser]

That's the thing isn't it. A lot of these things are fairly easy to do but will everything actually work when I'm finished? It feels great when everything works as expected.

 

[Milkfloat]

Today I replaced my first cassette and chain and I'm feeling rather proud of myself.

Any loss of blood? It does not count unless you skinned your knuckles on the cassette.

 

[andyfraser]

Any loss of blood? It does not count unless you skinned your knuckles on the cassette.

No surprisingly! It all went very smoothly. Maybe I'm more mechanically minded than I thought.

 

[Mummy3monkeys]

I'm suitably impressed, it is great when you can do that sort of stuff for yourself

 

[andyfraser]

I'm suitably impressed, it is great when you can do that sort of stuff for yourself

Yep.

My nearest bike shop is terrible. I won't use them for anything now. Halfords is next nearest. They're ok but I don't fully trust them for services. The third nearest is quite a way and it's a pain to get to and from without a bike or car. So the plan is to do as much as I can myself.

 

[andyfraser]

Part 2

First proper ride in today on the road bike since doing the work. It wouldn't change onto the smallest sprocket reliably, even though everything was perfect at the weekend. I had a quick play at tea break but realised I'd be better off re-indexing so put that off until lunch time. It took me less that 10 minutes and everything is great now. That's a personal best! I'm starting to get better at this (famous last words).