What Have You Fettled Today?

[sevenfourate]

Having joined in @sevenfourate thread about comfort on flat bar bikes I took some time to review my three bikes and how they treat my hands.

The Spa is the most comfortable, but the cheapy grips are sticky, so today I cycled to St John St Cycles and bought and fitted a pair of Ergon grips. So much better. I also took 2cm off each end of the bars, which may have been a mistake...

The Temple, when I think about it, has bars that are too swept-back at 45 deg., so I've ordered another 30 degree bar.

I'm out on the Genesis ebike tomorrow, and will, no doubt, come home with another shopping list

Apologies ! 🤣 And of course ‘good luck’ 😜

PLEASE report back with your thoughts, ideas behind your changes. And how it all works out.

Many-many seemed interested, had experienced pain / numbness etc; and it became quite a hot topic. No doubt indicating how many of us have or do suffer to some degree at times…..

 

[ColinJ]

Inner bar ends to give me a different hand position option. And get more like shoulder width apart - not like the (very) wide I have been:

This got me thinking about handlebar width again. I remember commenting about how incredibly wide that handlebar looked to me when you bought the bike.

I am used to a width of 420-460 mm on my roadbikes. I bought my mountain bike about 25 years ago and thought that its handlebar felt quite wide compared to those narrow road bars. It is only 550 mm wide and has no rise!

So, I just did a quick search and found this interesting video...



That has got me wondering what my MTB would feel like with a wider/higher bar. Maybe around 700 mm might suit me? I will have to check to see if there is enough slack in the hydraulic brake pipes and gear cables to reach to the resulting wider positions. I wouldn't do it if I had to replace the control piping/cabling as well.

 

[sevenfourate]

This got me thinking about handlebar width again. I remember commenting about how incredibly wide that handlebar looked to me when you bought the bike.

I am used to a width of 420-460 mm on my roadbikes. I bought my mountain bike about 25 years ago and thought that its handlebar felt quite wide compared to those narrow road bars. It is only 550 mm wide and has no rise!

So, I just did a quick search and found this interesting video...



That has got me wondering what my MTB would feel like with a wider/higher bar. Maybe around 700 mm might suit me? I will have to check to see if there is enough slack in the hydraulic brake pipes and gear cables to reach to the resulting wider positions. I wouldn't do it if I had to replace the control piping/cabling as well.

I suspect my problems have ‘evolved’. I’m from a BMX then MTB background. And am used to the notion that wide bars give leverage and control.

That’s what felt natural when I started ‘road riding’ again a couple of years ago now. My Trek had 600mm from new. They felt pathetically narrow. At face value…..🙄

And even that (The 720mm wide on my Carrera) was probably ok when I was doing short 5-10 mile jaunts around Town.

I’m now regularly doing 30-50 mile / 2-3 hour rides, sat still and on very wide bars. Not surprising something has to give.

Good luck yourself @ColinJ - I’m now off to watch your video link. Cheers !!

 

[ColinJ]

It just struck me that if you didn't fit grips you could buy a stupidly wide bar and ride the bike with the controls right out towards the ends and see what it felt like, then move both sets in by (say) 25 mm and repeat. Keep doing that until you found the best position, then cut the bar to suit and fit grips.

 

[richardfm]

I've been working on a friend's bike.
Today was assessing it, cleaning and freeing off a stuck brake piston. It needs a new chain, cassette and brake pads. Then the brakes need bleeding, it should be back on the road later this week.

 

[DCLane]

Adjusted the cable routing for the rear brake on the Peugeot 653 as it was pulling the caliper to one side. Also trued the front wheel. Both were minor adjustments identified during a short test ride a couple of weeks ago.

 

[EckyH]

Worked on the disc-braked Ridley X-Ride, replaced the Tufo Swampero with Vittoria Ridearmor and replaced the saddle.

E.

 

[KuroSan]

Having a look over the Boardman frame and trying to figure out what paint scheme I'm going to go with, I've discovered one of the allen bolts that holds the cable guides on the downtube is seized and will probably need drilling out so I'll be doing that tonight.
Might also have a re-jig of this rear rack so I can stop the trailer hitch attachment from slowly drooping downwards....

It just struck me that if you didn't fit grips you could buy a stupidly wide bar and ride the bike with the controls right out towards the ends and see what it felt like, then move both sets in by (say) 25 mm and repeat. Keep doing that until you found the best position, then cut the bar to suit and fit grips.

This is how I've always setup my bars, I've found that just having a set width you stick to doesn't always work, especially with riser bars, so I'll run with no grips for a day and see where my hands end up naturally settling into.

 

[Sharky]

Used my special Tri spoke for the first time last week, in about 4 years. It's lethal in a cross wind, so have been over cautious. But last week was a low wind, so took a chance.

So it pumped up and kept its pressure for the "10", but a few days later, it was completely flat.

So today found a minute hole in the tube and patched it. Seems to be holding for tomorrow nights 10.

To preempt any further flats, have ordered a couple of new inners, with 80mm valves.

 

[Shearwater Missile]

Fitted a new Shimano Tiagra 10speed chain to my Wilier. The stock chain has just shown .75% wear at 2260 miles, FSA chain. I usually fit KMC chains but on a whim I went for Shimano but I did fit a quick link. My new chain pliers came into their own.

 

[Elybazza61]

Swapped cx chainset back to the old 105 with a 36t chainring on the trainer Bianchi.

 

[cyberknight]

Its taken 3 attempts to get the disc brake so it doesnt rub on the commuter when standing on hills, i reckon its back to its original position now which was rubbing on sunday but is fine now

 

[Andy in Germany]

First trial run for an exam, to get used to what I'm supposed to do. The task was to remove the handlebars and headset, tyres, inner tubes and rim tape, gear cables and outer cables for front and read derailleurs, chain, cassette, and middle chain wheel, pedals, front and rear brake pads and discs,

Then I had to put them all back on again so the bike worked.

In theory this should take 90 minutes, but as it was the first time (and I was dealing with clients and customers) it took a fair bit longer.

Still it was a good experience and I will be doing a number of things differently next time.

 

[richardfm]

Fitted mudguards to a friend's bike and discovered my brake bleed kit doesn't have fittings for his Tektro brakes.

 

[Punkawallah]

Cleaned and re-greased the wheels off the Hack, then performed the ‘Dance of the Two Spanners’ to set the cup and cones. It was a particularly.moving performance, that brought the audience to a standing ovation.