What Have You Fettled Today?

[Ming the Merciless]

Took a wheel to bits, and then re-laced it. I'll do it again tomorrow and several more times after that. For the exam next year I have to build the wheel and straighten it in 90 minutes, so I'll be doing it a lot in the next months.

Tip, go for a low spoke count wheel, not 36 spokes 😉

 

[Big John]

Not for the first time I find myself in the ironic position of knowing names for things in German but not English. Is a Nipple Driver like a funny screwdriver with a metal bit sticking out the end to hold the nipples? If so, that's the silver thing in both pictures. I must admit though I have seen better versions of this tool, so I'll try and get one.

That's the one....a wiggly screwdriver. The one showing in your photo just looks like a screwdriver. Maybe it's the angle it's taken at. They never covered theory when I did a wheel building course. I reckon since I've retired, over six years ago now, I've built well over 100 wheels as well as truing jobs and spoke replacements for the bike project I work at. I do them all at home because my kit is better than what they've got. Tools don't last five minutes in that place. The more you build the better you get 👍

 

[Andy in Germany]

Tip, go for a low spoke count wheel, not 36 spokes 😉

I have to make a 36 spoke wheel in the exam, so it makes sense to start there...

 

[Andy in Germany]

Is this the German version of Cytec 2?

I don't know. What's Cytec 2?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I have to make a 36 spoke wheel in the exam, so it makes sense to start there...

My wheels are 36 spoke, 3 cross. I build my own wheels.

 

[Elybazza61]

I don't know. What's Cytec 2?

https://cytech.training/

I've done the online Cytech 1 but not 2 as it's expensive and was never going to be a mechanic were I worked so didn't get asked to do it there.

 

[Gunk]

https://cytech.training/

I've done the online Cytech 1 but not 2 as it's expensive and was never going to be a mechanic were I worked so didn't get asked to do it there.

Me too, 1 is basically all you need

 

[ColinJ]

I have them in size 32 C, inflated to 5.5 bar (80 psi) rear and 5.0 bar (73 psi) front.

Wow, very high pressures, unless you weigh 100kg.

I think that I might reduce the pressures by about 0.3 bar for my next ride and see how I get on.

I have now reduced them by 0.5 bar to 4.5 bar front and 5.0 bar rear. I will report back after a test ride. If I feel that further pressure reductions are possible without excessive rolling resistance or snakebite risk I will try again, say, 0.2 bar lower.

I checked the gear shifting. It isn't quite right. I am struggling to get the upshifts and downshifts to both work properly. One or the other - no problem. I think that is probably due to friction in the gear cable

Ideally, I would put new gear cable outers on but I don't have any handy so I have made do with lubing the cables.

I also lubed the pivots on the derailleur and tweaked the barrel adjuster. I got shifting performance to about 95% (tested with the bike upside down), but I am hoping that this will improve out on the road as the lube works its way in.

 

[ColinJ]

I have now reduced them by 0.5 bar to 4.5 bar front and 5.0 bar rear. I will report back after a test ride. If I feel that further pressure reductions are possible without excessive rolling resistance or snakebite risk I will try again, say, 0.2 bar lower.

Yes, @Ming the Merciless, that was an improvement. The tyres were extremely comfortable on some rough roads, and they still rolled well. I will stick with those pressures now.

Ideally, I would put new gear cable outers on but I don't have any handy so I have made do with lubing the cables.

I also lubed the pivots on the derailleur and tweaked the barrel adjuster. I got shifting performance to about 95% (tested with the bike upside down), but I am hoping that this will improve out on the road as the lube works its way in.

With the bike the right way up, the gear shifting was excellent.

I braked hard a few times to bed in the new front pads and the brake then worked well, and was quieter than with the old pads.