Like the flamingo mascot
What Have You Fettled Today?
- Thread starter threebikesmcginty
- Start date
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Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
Never mind the mudflaps @Heltor Chasca - what's with the flamingo?
You mean you don’t have one in your bike?
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
Never mind the mudflaps @Heltor Chasca - what's with the flamingo?
I have one on two of my bikes. Within my Audax club there is a sub-club of ‘Flamingos’. I don’t think anyone really knows how you actually become one. One day. One very lucky day, the Head Flamingo sends you a message to say you are now a flamingo and have permission to wear the coveted Flamingo jersey.
I believe (but it may not be the reason) that I was accepted into the circle on account of an audacious event I spearheaded in Nairobi when I was 21. There was a getaway car, decoys and an enormous team effort that I put together which resulted in a completed mission. The operation I was in charge of from within a Chinese restaurant resulted in the successful kidnap of a...
..*flamingo!
(True story)
*No pink birds were harmed in this stunt. The flamingo was fibreglass.
MahatmaAndhi
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Peterborough, UK
Today, I took my Raleigh folder (IKEA bike), scrapped the mudguards, replaced the six speed freewheel with an eight speed, re-spaced the wheel to get it to fit, new chain, new derailleur and new shifter. However, I ran out of real estate on the handlebars, so they were swapped for my old Marin Pine Mountain bars that were lying in the shed. I also de-stickered it. It didn't have the IKEA ones on there (sadly) but instead, loads of gubbins about 'Stealth Suspension' (so stealthy it doesn't exist!).
It wasn't the best job in the world, but I'm still learning.
It wasn't the best job in the world, but I'm still learning.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Had a fettle of the Bianchi this morning 
Having covered 100 miles on it on Friday I realised the saddle felt a little low. I checked it and raised it ~5mm to match the turbo bike which I've been fine tuning over the winter. I'll check the rest of the fleet later 
Since the continued weight loss means I dont have much of a gut to lean over anymore I decided to drop the stem a little. I had been riding with 25mm of spacers below the stem and 5mm above. I decided since I'm never going to need it as high as it is now and will likely drop it further in the coming months I would chop 10mm off the steerer. I've now got 20mm of spacers under the stem and nothing above it. This combo of bars down and saddle up has made the bike feel even more comfortable, I'm looking forward to taking her out again for a ride
While I was tidying up afterwards I also discovered my spare speed and cadence sensors seem to be multiplying, I genuinely dont know how I got to this point
Having covered 100 miles on it on Friday I realised the saddle felt a little low. I checked it and raised it ~5mm to match the turbo bike which I've been fine tuning over the winter. I'll check the rest of the fleet later Since the continued weight loss means I dont have much of a gut to lean over anymore I decided to drop the stem a little. I had been riding with 25mm of spacers below the stem and 5mm above. I decided since I'm never going to need it as high as it is now and will likely drop it further in the coming months I would chop 10mm off the steerer. I've now got 20mm of spacers under the stem and nothing above it. This combo of bars down and saddle up has made the bike feel even more comfortable, I'm looking forward to taking her out again for a ride
While I was tidying up afterwards I also discovered my spare speed and cadence sensors seem to be multiplying, I genuinely dont know how I got to this point
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Have today managed to fit walking pole bungs onto the metal ends of the stands on both our touring bikes - had to soak them in boiling water for a while to get them soft enough to get on, but they are now really tight, and should help stop them sinking into soft ground as much. Apart from that just spent some time looking at the bikes, and deciding there is absolutely nothing else to do to them before our upcoming 5000km tour. Did a 50km test ride on Friday, and they were both super smooth and quiet after lots of parts replacements and fettling since the last big tour.
Dismantled headset to remedy mysterious creak when turning wheel, to no avail. Much head scratching later, wd40 applied to the cable adjusters on the downtube instantly solved the issue...
lazybloke
Ginger biscuits and cheddar
- Location
- Leafy Surrey
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Had an idiot moment regarding the ergon grips - never had them on a bike before, so that's my excuse... 
Rotating the bars back towards me did help with the hand numbness, but of course, I'd have to move all the levers t'other way to get them back in the right place again. Has to be an easier way than all this faffage, she thinks...
Google to the rescue, there's an adjustment hex nut on each grip. Oh. Dear.
So bars back where they were, and grips adjusted the way I should have done them first time round.
Gave them more tilt, and we'll see how I fare when bike and I go to Cambridge on Tuesday.
Rotating the bars back towards me did help with the hand numbness, but of course, I'd have to move all the levers t'other way to get them back in the right place again. Has to be an easier way than all this faffage, she thinks...
Google to the rescue, there's an adjustment hex nut on each grip. Oh. Dear.
So bars back where they were, and grips adjusted the way I should have done them first time round.
Gave them more tilt, and we'll see how I fare when bike and I go to Cambridge on Tuesday.
Gravity Aided
Legendary Member
- Location
- Land of Lincoln
Tested tires for the Trek 600, to see how large a tire it will take, and my current 25's seem pretty much the limit, maybe 28's. Now considering the Miyata 90 for the full touring 700C bike. Unless a finer candidate comes along.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
In preparation for tomorrow's trip to Cambridge, fitted a bell to Wiggy #2, the Chartres. Need a back-up to yelling at suicidal pedestrians and dithering tourists.
Also, based on my quick jaunt yesterday to visit a friend, raised the saddle another 5mm or so and brought the saddle forward by a similar amount.
Also, based on my quick jaunt yesterday to visit a friend, raised the saddle another 5mm or so and brought the saddle forward by a similar amount.
