What Have You Fettled Today?

[ktmbiker58]

Fettling Mr Evil the MTB today - I use a Garmin Montana 700i GPS unit which not only has 1:25000 OS mapping but also has Garmin InReach functionality. I always ride alone and in a lot of my off-road places there is no mobile signal so being able to message and, in an emergency, action International Rescue to come and collect whats left of me is reassuring for the manageress.

The handlebar mount was always a bit of a nuisance since the U bolt is intended for 31.8mm bars and Mr Evil has 35mm bars so I always had to have the mount off to one side near the levers, however, in a lightbulb moment this morning I found the slotted cutouts in the mount were wide enough for me to bolt it to a pair of the front mounts on the stem, so after locating some longer bolts and a pair of spacers I now have a perfect mounting position.

 

[HLaB]

A bit of an annoying fettle today. I went round one of the blind S bends on the Stevenage cycle path network going slowly and sticking to the left hand side of the path. However, some muppet came round at straight lining through the bends at speed. We avoided each other but he was immediately followed by his mate (also straight lining at speed) and whilst I avoided him also, I was near stationary at that point, and I kicked my front mudguard in keeping balance. The mudguard which has been fine for 5years needed balancing tonight to stop it rubbing.

 

[Webbo2]

On our Wednesday club ride, one rider was walking their bike to meeting place. It turned out their chain had come off and jammed between the cassette and frame. I was able to suggest a remedy to this by taking the wheel and replacing it. The rider then mentioned she couldn’t get bottom gear, clicking up the sprockets this indeed was the case. I then gave the barrel adjuster on the rear mech a couple of twists somehow twisting it the right way on my first attempt. Low and behold all sprockets could accessed.
My fellow club member was very grateful and much impressed as was I because when I do this on my own bikes it usually goes tits up.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

For the princely sum of £7 (£5 charge + £2 tip”) they fettled the derailleur clutch; removed the derailleur - straightened the hanger, re-fitted hanger and indexed the gears.

That seems incredibly cheap.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

The Trek District 4's rear dynamo light stopped working, again.
One of the connections had sheared, again.

Cable is run along the underside of the rear mudguard, and then through said mudguard just underneath the light which is fitted to the rear rack.

Sure, this cable routing looks neat and inconspicuous, but mudguards flex.

I had "bodged" it once already and reinforced/supported the cable with a generous length of electrical tape, which seemed to be holding up okay. But when the bike was repaired after it's unfortunate rear-ending by a motorist, my bodge was undone.

This time, I've slightly improved upon the bodge by using a sturdy piece of insulation cut from some RG58 cable which I've sleeved over the dynamo wire. Hopefully that will last more than a couple of months. Dare say I will end up re-running the dynamo cable at some point so it does not circumnavigate the mudguard.

Whilst I was there, I loosened all the cockpit bolts, adjusted the preload on the headset and re-torqued all the cockpit bolts to spec. Hoping that cures an occasional but definite clicking sound that could be heard riding over bumps. My test ride didn't re-produce it, so fingers crossed that's got it.

 

[HLaB]

A bit of train fettling. My headset since a 3.5h drenching the other week has been right juttery. Packed it with grease and put it exactly to torque and it was still juttery. I'm suspecting as the bike was built pre torque wrench, the headset bolt was overtightened at that point and just needed a few more lbs 🤞

 

[sevenfourate]

Nothing. Yet.

But what could possibly go wrong…….🙄

 

[sevenfourate]

^^^Nothing so far is the answer…..

 

[sevenfourate]

Around 4 hours work (6 inc breaks 🤣) later on……..

 

[Paulus]

• Today at 14:23

Went out on the old Falcon to the shops earlier on. Got about 200 yards changed onto first gear and the chain came off the rear freewheel and got jammed between the freewheel and the hub. Carried the bike home and got a spare bike out to go to the shops.
The repair meant I had to split the chain, take the rear mech off to release the wheel, then take the freewheel off to release the chain stuck behind it.
Then I decided to do the wheel bearings as the wheel was out. Dear 'o dear.
This should be in the 'what have you fettled today' thread. 🤦

Posted earlier in the retirement thread.

 

[Tom B]

Delayed fettling report.....

We was off to France for a few weeks at the beginning of the month so decided to give the bike a fettle given it had been in a maintenance holiday. I'd been running an old dog of a rear wheel after the free hub failed on my better wheel. Despite buying bout 10 different free hub bodies I hadn't got around to finding the right body for the wheel.

Fettling and cleaning commenced and I noted the chain and cassette were very worn, so set about changing them. As soon as I whipped off the wheel I could see the free hub body on the wheel was also worn and wobbling about.

Luckily one of the wrong free hub bodies i still had was the right body for this hub :-) buoyed by this success I dug out the favoured wheel and managed to make another body up for that one using a new body and a spare new seal I'd ordered from SJS.

I changed (replaced) a couple of broken spokes that I'd been riding around on for a few months, cleaned out the axles, replaced the bearings, changed some brake pads, removed the kids from the grease tub & knife box, refitted some new cassettes chains and put the bike one side. That 15 min job had taken about 3-4hours!

Once in France I noticed the rear shift cable felt like it was about to break to changed that at the campsite it turned out that the shifter was gummed up more than the cable freyed.

Once around. the campsite resulted in another broken spoke so that was cut out.

Went out for a ride and upon return noticed significant play and wobble in one of the pedals, annoyingly that was one of the few spares I didn't have, even more annoyingly I've had a box of spare pedals in the boot of the car for about 3years. I took them out to put the camping stuff in. Luckily the pedal hung on for the rest of the hols.

 

[FishFright]

Dragged the Longstaff tourer out of semi retirement, gave it a fettle and a wash then took it for a pint or 2 . I might even take it camping again soonish.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Finally traced the squeaky v-Brakes on the current bike to the type of brake blocks I was using. Swapped to XLC and they are finally quiet.
Another bike ready for the shop.
Strangely the rear blocks didn't squeak, so I haven't changed them.
More braking news will follow...

 

[sevenfourate]

Titanium bolts starting to go on.

Mainly to break up the ‘All Black’ colouration in certain areas. But if you can save weight and look great doing it…….😎

 

[Tom B]

New like for like replacement saddle.

I'd bought the replacement about 3 years ago, but I was riddled with parsimony and didn't change it immediately because the old one was still comfortable despite being tatty so didn't want to waste that remaining value.

Now the stitching has split it's got a bit nippy in the places I'd rather not be nipped and it's soaking up rain and squeezing it out on my backside.

If the replacement lasts 30'000 miles too I'll be happy with that.... 0.06p/mile