What Have You Fettled Today?

[ColinJ]

Not exactly 'fettling', but I use my phone on my bike rides so I will mention the weird problem I just fixed!

My phone battery charge had been getting very low and I couldn't understand why.

At home I charge the phone wirelessly. I noticed that the charge was low so I put it on the charging platform and walked away, hearing the usual charging chiming sound as I did so.

I went back and picked up the phone about 30 minutes later, then went to the shops. Half an hour later I got home and noticed that the charge level was a couple of percent lower than when I had started charging it. Strange!

I did the same thing again, but this time I checked the charge when I took it off the charger. 1 percent lower!

It took me another attempt to notice that although the phone was chiming to indicate a connection to the charger, the charger's charging led was not coming on.

I was thinking that the charger must be broken, but then I noticed that the USB plug on the lead to the charger was about 1 mm short of being fully inserted.

I pushed the plug fully in and tried again. The charger started working!

Either one or more pins in the plug were not making contact at all, or they were making a poor contact which didn't allow enough current in to charge the phone.

So now I will able to stop mid-ride and see if anything has been added to the internet since I set off!

 

[avecReynolds531]

1. Trued a wheel as it was very slightly out - via the simple/ lazy option of turning the bike upside down & using brake blocks as the guide. This would lead to a lucky break...

2. Picked out shards, debris, etc from tyres.

3. A B17 moved forward & seatpin reset to the previous height.

4. There had been a mystery intermittent, quiet buzzing/ rattle from the rear mudguard - not something I could work out, but not a hassle at all. While checking how true the wheel was after the spoke key, random gear changes from 5th to 4th to 3rd (no idea why I did that) would show what it was...

The cable run of the derailleur is a diagonal path (left/back to front/right) through the parallelogram cage. In the 4th & 5th sprockets, the cable was in contact with the mudguard spar, causing the noise. By the 3rd gear, it had been pulled clear - no more rattle.
(I'd forgotten about the cable tie that had been placed last year to try to keep the cable run straighter from the chainstay - no matter.)

It wasn't a trouble to set the spar away & re-centre the mudguard - all good.

 

[HLaB]

Does it count as a fettle where today was my roughly fortnightly deeper clean of the chain (in between its just a wipe) but every so often I use muc off chain cleaner (other brands are likely available) before a wipe (back spinning through a babywipe, well he is my baby, and then backspinning through a dry cloth)

The chain is now 2,600miles old.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Inserted a spike in the ground for a new garden clothes airer. That was hard work. Had to use an iron spike to make initial hole, pour water into the hole to soften the rock hard ground, then pound spike in using block of wood to protect.

 

[Elybazza61]

Decided to give the Stayer OG a clean after this mornings ride as it's looking a bit grubby.

What was supposed to be a quick swab down ended up with wheels and rear mech off and lots of proper cleaning; haven't even finished as I need to get some of the protective film off as now it's been cleaned I can see it's getting a bit tatty.

Will probably finish it tomorrow now.

 

[Punkawallah]

Not fettled as yet, but on the slips. A Carlton Mass Start from the early 50’s according to the frame number and head tube decoration. The owner, who didn’t want it to go to the tip, reckons it was upgraded & re-painted in the 80’s, and has been in his work shed since the 2000’s. After discovering the seat post, headset and bottom bracket could be undone, the tyres held air and the front brake worked so I threw some spray oil on the chain and pedalled it back from the shop. On the pavement, I’ll add. Even in its sorry state the hubs rolled nicely.
The intention was to use the frame and forks as a vehicle for parts from a previous project that fell apart when the stripped frame turned out to be holed. But once I’ve cleaned the accumulated crap off I’ll go from there.
“More at 11”.

 

[Jameshow]

Fitted a new bottom bracket. The angry hamster in his wheel has gone away.

View attachment 815653

I need to do my BB!

 

[All uphill]

I have been making improvements to my garage/shed/workshop.

My spare bike bits are no longer in an old filing cabinet; They're neatly stacked on a used IKEA bookshelf, or donated to our local bike recycling project.

The supplies of redecorating materials has been vastly reduced, and I've hung a framed poster on the wall.

Incidentally I've discovered that a pair of Deore XT brake levers I bought cheaply are actually two left levers. Oh well.

 

[Punkawallah]

I have been making improvements to my garage/shed/workshop.

Incidentally I've discovered that a pair of Deore XT brake levers I bought cheaply are actually two left levers. Oh well.

They must have been ‘left-overs’.
I’ll see myself out.

 

[Elybazza61]

Finished the Stayer and did some other tidying bits on it and after that re-wired the Exposure rear light as the shrink wrap was damaged on a repair I did a few years ago.

Then a bit of tidying in the shed and bikes put away nicely with covers on rather than just leaning against one another.

 

[pippy]

Whilst reassembling the mid-1970's(?) Alan Shorter I discovered that, somehow, a part of my link-extractor has gone AWOL and I couldn't re-connect the chain properly as the back-most link-plate wasn't being held rigid enough to allow the rivet to pass without the plate itself bending.

Rather annoying but a short visit to my very friendly local dealership (SE20 Cycles) was on the cards in any case to pick up a few things for the next project so I wheeled the Shorter along with me and the mechanic there sorted out the chain for me.

It will now need to be taken for some shake-down runs to get everything aligned exactly as they should be - I've already noticed that a few small tweaks are required just from the 500 metres run home - but it's not a million miles off as things stand.
Incidentally that 500m was the first time the bike had been ridden for about a decade!

Cue gratuitous snap;

Philip.

 

[Drago]

Indeed. It is playing now.

It'll make you feel much better, better than you could know!

 

[EckyH]

Replaced the broom stick cockpit of the Yedoo Wolfer RS with a gravel handlebar, a shorter stem, new brake levers, new brake cables and housings.
A short test ride showed that the handling is much better now.

E.

 

[rogerzilla]

Took a sick SONdelux out of a wheel and posted it off to Germany (via SJSC) for service.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Put some more air in rear tyre