What Have You Fettled Today?

[3narf]

This! https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/oh-ffs.270761/

All sorted, set up and ready to go. I got it given by a neighbour so it only owes me for the chain and seat.

 

[Gunk]

I swapped over bottle cages, decided that a titanium bike deserved titanium cages.

 

[philtalksbx]

Curiosity has turned to the dark art of wheel building so I though I'd have a go. The first try has been to put a new rim on an old wheel - so I bought a Mavic OpenPro in 36 hole format to replace the very past it CXP11 rim on a front wheel in the garage. Whilst Wiggle were doing their thing I dismantled the old one, cleaned up all the spokes (boring and repetitive) and then sorted out the slightly crunchy Shimano 300 hub. Shiny spokes and a smooth hub were joined by some very smart rims last night.

With a combination of some YouTube videos and Roger Musson's excellent book (I built his stand in the the first lockdown to true some wheels) I set to with the lacing. That seemed to go OK and with a bit of fiddling everything went where it was supposed to go. I'm now in the tuning phase and that will probably take a few more hours, but I'm enjoying the process and I'm sure will get better and faster in time. First ride later today I hope.

 

[fossyant]

Had a bit of a slidey skid on my spikey tyres a few days ago so just replaced a few lost studs.

Got the knack now.

I bought the replacements 'with' the inserter tool. TBH, only replaced two studs on 4 tyres, and that was when I'd just got the tyres. I have two types of studs.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Curiosity has turned to the dark art of wheel building so I though I'd have a go. The first try has been to put a new rim on an old wheel - so I bought a Mavic OpenPro in 36 hole format to replace the very past it CXP11 rim on a front wheel in the garage. Whilst Wiggle were doing their thing I dismantled the old one, cleaned up all the spokes (boring and repetitive) and then sorted out the slightly crunchy Shimano 300 hub. Shiny spokes and a smooth hub were joined by some very smart rims last night.

With a combination of some YouTube videos and Roger Musson's excellent book (I built his stand in the the first lockdown to true some wheels) I set to with the lacing. That seemed to go OK and with a bit of fiddling everything went where it was supposed to go. I'm now in the tuning phase and that will probably take a few more hours, but I'm enjoying the process and I'm sure will get better and faster in time. First ride later today I hope.
View attachment 570928

Wheel building is great and if done with patience the wheels will stay true a long time. Plus gives you a lot of confidence if the wheels take a bit hit, that you will be able to sort it on the road.

 

[Gravity Aided]

My single speed has finally had a front brake found for it, although I did have to drill the fork so a recessed barrel nut would fit. This bike was originally a ten-speed with a claw derailleur mount and slotted rear dropouts. So I took it to single speed, and it works much better in that guise.

Soon to recieve fenders.

 

[philtalksbx]

Wheel building is great and if done with patience the wheels will stay true a long time. Plus gives you a lot of confidence if the wheels take a bit hit, that you will be able to sort it on the road.

Noted re patience - for the newbies, when do you stop chasing perfection? Is there a view on "good enough"

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Noted re patience - for the newbies, when do you stop chasing perfection? Is there a view on "good enough"

Yes when you hit your own limit on diminishing returns.

 

[Gunk]

Noted re patience - for the newbies, when do you stop chasing perfection? Is there a view on "good enough"

I did my first wheel build last year and it went really well, very satisfied with the results.

 

[Gunk]

Wheels have long been a mystery to me. Wheel building is skill I'd love to have. I have a couple of wheels lined up for practice by replacing rims. But the voice of sanity keeps whispering - it's a skill that will take a lot of time and some new equipment to acquire, and that you'll use maybe once a year, if that. And you are completely cack-handed and will be rubbish at it.

Maybe I should have a bash at learning to true them first.

I did mine with some old wheels, and a spoke spanner, trued them by fitting them to a bike and using a cable tie attached to the frame as a guide, all a bit crude but they both came out well.

 

[philtalksbx]

Don't worry DT, on todays evidence its possible to get pretty good results with minimum experience. It's the fine tuning that gets you and Ming is right on diminishing returns on today's efforts. I got mine OK sideways, also round, slapped it on the bike and felt great looking down at something I'd made. The dish is a bit off but that's for another day. Celebratory beer I think.

 

[Big John]

Doing up a road bike I knocked up for use on the rollers/turbo. Had the bits for years but a few years ago got round to putting it all together. Now the bike is showing signs of distress from all the salty sweat it gets showered in whenever I use the rollers/turbo. I do extensively clean it after each session but that sweat gets everywhere and the poor thing was crying out for some TLC so I stripped it yesterday except for the stem, which wouldn't budge. It's a one inch threaded set of forks and I'm sure you all know how stuck a stem can get. Last night I turned it upside down and drowned the forks with easing oil. Today I got it in the stand with the front wheel in so I could hold the forks in place. Got an old, strong Allen key in the top with a metal pipe for extra leverage. After nearly rupturing myself it finally went with a crack. Hurrah. With a little help from an industrial size hammer and wooden block I finally got the stem out. That's enough for today. I think I need a lie down 🍺

 

[Gunk]

Doing up a road bike I knocked up for use on the rollers/turbo. Had the bits for years but a few years ago got round to putting it all together. Now the bike is showing signs of distress from all the salty sweat it gets showered in whenever I use the rollers/turbo. I do extensively clean it after each session but that sweat gets everywhere and the poor thing was crying out for some TLC so I stripped it yesterday except for the stem, which wouldn't budge. It's a one inch threaded set of forks and I'm sure you all know how stuck a stem can get. Last night I turned it upside down and drowned the forks with easing oil. Today I got it in the stand with the front wheel in so I could hold the forks in place. Got an old, strong Allen key in the top with a metal pipe for extra leverage. After nearly rupturing myself it finally went with a crack. Hurrah. With a little help from an industrial size hammer and wooden block I finally got the stem out. That's enough for today. I think I need a lie down 🍺

Easiest method is to put the stem in a vice and use the bike frame for leverage, never fails!

 

[stoatsngroats]

Just fitted a Brompton mud flap to my SKS speed rocker mudguard set, as I’d noticed that I was getting some foot and BB/Cr splash.
It was easy, and as the flap is quite big, but floppy, no issues when ‘puddling’!
Images to follow if anyone’s interested.
£4 from Brilliant Bikes for the flap, 2 holes to make in the front guard, and all went swimmingly 😂

 

[Gunk]

Just fitted a Brompton mud flap to my SKS speed rocker mudguard set, as I’d noticed that I was getting some foot and BB/Cr splash.
It was easy, and as the flap is quite big, but floppy, no issues when ‘puddling’!
Images to follow if anyone’s interested.
£4 from Brilliant Bikes for the flap, 2 holes to make in the front guard, and all went swimmingly 😂

I've used a Brompton mudflap on a couple of projects, cheap and work very well