What Have You Fettled Today?

[GeekDadZoid]

Excuse the mess! Currently sorting a load of equipment for work and doing my bike repairs in my office so its got a bit messy.

Todays job was to finally fit the new calipers that @DCBassman kindly gave me at the same time as fitting the SKS Chromoplastic mudguards as pointed out by @figbat on the bargain thread. Brakes went on no bother, clearance for the mudguards was minimal, but I have got there. I was expecting the chainstay area to be the main issue but actually it was the front fork which caused me the most headaches.

Need to tweak the rear of of the rear one once I get it on the ground in the daylight and trim the brakes.

 

[DCBassman]

Fitted a new screen to an iPhone 6.
Won't be doing that again.

 

[Chislenko]

Today was a senior moment. Mrs.C wanted a bottle holder on her bike.

I had a spare in the garage, went in my bike spares draw and found two Allen bolts.

Put the bottle cage in place then spent ten minutes cursing why the bolts wouldn't screw in.

I was only trying to screw the bolts into existing Allen bolts that were already in the frame!!!!

Anyway she now has a bottle cage and as no-one was there to observe I haven't been carted off to an old people's home....yet!

 

[FrankCrank]

Fitted a new screen to an iPhone 6.
Won't be doing that again.

Blimey, iphone 6 eh. Latest one is iphone 13 - yours must be a valuable antique now . Goodness knows what they'll call the next one.

 

[HLaB]

My left shifter seems to be sticking about the mid point but it shifts freely either side so I lazily got a tin of GT-85 and with a straw sprayed it into every part of the shifter and front mech that moved. If its still problematic tomorrow I'll have to take things apart :-/

 

[gavroche]

Whilst cleaning my Allez, I happened to check the wear and tear on the chain and realized it needs replacing so I ordered a new one from Chain reaction. It is coming next Thursday. £18.99 including delivery charge.
I did noticed last time I went out ( last Thursday) that gear changing wasn't very smooth so that could explain it. At present, I have a 11-30 cassette and will probably change it to a 11-32 when stocks are coming in again. Would it still run on 11-36 though?

 

[Salad Dodger]

Put a new inner tube in the front of my MTB, so I could sell it as fully rideable. First to see it bought it at lunchtime, so now I can rearrange the contents of the garage as the bike is no longer taking up wall space.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Fixed a leak around the hose (under hard braking) on my front hydraulic brake lever. The compression nut just needed loosening off, then retightening and all good. Then bled both front and rear brakes. First time in 23 months with no maintenance other than replacing pads. Not too much of a maintenance headache. Whole procedure took 30 mins followed by test ride. All good.

 

[biggs682]

Just fitted some new greentyres ie solid tyres to a friends wheelchair went on a lot easier than expected

 

[GeekDadZoid]

Excuse the mess! Currently sorting a load of equipment for work and doing my bike repairs in my office so its got a bit messy.

Todays job was to finally fit the new calipers that @DCBassman kindly gave me at the same time as fitting the SKS Chromoplastic mudguards as pointed out by @figbat on the bargain thread. Brakes went on no bother, clearance for the mudguards was minimal, but I have got there. I was expecting the chainstay area to be the main issue but actually it was the front fork which caused me the most headaches.

Need to tweak the rear of of the rear one once I get it on the ground in the daylight and trim the brakes.

Brakes dialed in and ready to roll in the morning. Still not 100% happy on the rear guard but going to ride it first before I faff, I think I can get it a little closer.

 

[ColinJ]

Whilst cleaning my Allez, I happened to check the wear and tear on the chain and realized it needs replacing so I ordered a new one from Chain reaction. It is coming next Thursday. £18.99 including delivery charge.
I did noticed last time I went out ( last Thursday) that gear changing wasn't very smooth so that could explain it. At present, I have a 11-30 cassette and will probably change it to a 11-32 when stocks are coming in again. Would it still run on 11-36 though?

I usually find that rough gear changing is due to friction in the cable, assuming that the gears are adjusted properly. Try taking the chain off and pull and release the cable by hand and watch the derailleur move in and out. It should move smoothly. If the cable is gunked up then you will probably be able to see that the derailleur moves in fits and starts. If that is the problem then you might get away with just cleaning and lubing the cable. If not, try replacing the loop of outer cable that goes to the derailleur.

As for the 11-36... If you set the chain length just long enough for a 30 then it will be a bit short for a 32 and a lot short for a 36! I always make my chain just long enough to cope with the biggest ring to biggest sprocket combination. Obviously by that definition, if you then made the biggest sprocket bigger, then the chain would be too short.

PS So leave some spare length in the new chain. It would be easier to shorten it later if you had to, than it would be to make it longer again!

 

[Landsurfer]

Fed up with the water in my instrument binnacle on the RE Himalayan ... Condensation is rife on these bikes.
This where my instruments spend lots of time ... stripped down on the radiator !!!

Thursday morning, about 1100hrs, Ribblehead Viaduct in the North York Moors, bright sunshine, bloody freezing, waterlogged instruments...

 

[gavroche]

I usually find that rough gear changing is due to friction in the cable, assuming that the gears are adjusted properly. Try taking the chain off and pull and release the cable by hand and watch the derailleur move in and out. It should move smoothly. If the cable is gunked up then you will probably be able to see that the derailleur moves in fits and starts. If that is the problem then you might get away with just cleaning and lubing the cable. If not, try replacing the loop of outer cable that goes to the derailleur.

As for the 11-36... If you set the chain length just long enough for a 30 then it will be a bit short for a 32 and a lot short for a 36! I always make my chain just long enough to cope with the biggest ring to biggest sprocket combination. Obviously by that definition, if you then made the biggest sprocket bigger, then the chain would be too short.

PS So leave some spare length in the new chain. It would be easier to shorten it later if you had to, than it would be to make it longer again!

Thanks for all the advice.
At the moment, it is nearly impossible to buy a new cassette anywhere so that will be for a future purchase, if things ever get back to normal.

 

[Gunk]

Fed up with the water in my instrument binnacle on the RE Himalayan ... Condensation is rife on these bikes.
This where my instruments spend lots of time ... stripped down on the radiator !!!


View attachment 614806

Thursday morning, about 1100hrs, Ribblehead Viaduct in the North York Moors, bright sunshine, bloody freezing, waterlogged instruments...

View attachment 614807

any idea what’s causing it? I’ve never had that issue with any motorcycle modern or old

 

[cyberknight]

new chain on the commuter as after 3 months its at 100 % , very odd but it was "new " from the lbs that i have had issues with .
new bearings for the rear wheel on the ribble but i reckon the freehub needs replacing as the drive side cup is rough inside .
Took the mudgaurds off the boardman rebuild as i cant get on with the old sks ones as they are past it and rattle and rub so they need replacing even after i have bodged and screwed them to keep them working .