Thread To Tell Everyone What Fettling You've Just Done

pinno

I have used muc-off. I just find it a bit pricey. I tend to chuck all my transmission bits (bar the chainrings) into a plastic punnet with a lid and clean it all in petrol. It would simply be handy for those very filthy post winter rides* when you don't/cba spending too much time on it.

*Oooer missus.

asprilla

I use Pedro's citrus dereaser and find it excellent. I even use it as a pre-wash for any clothes with oil or grease on them and it works really well.

greenamex2

Did the "press your brake lever with the wheel out to reduce the hydraulic brake lever travel" trick.

Worked really well, very little travel now.

Except I was to lazy to remove the rear wheel (long story, more complicated than it sounds, axle mounted pannier rack) so removed the pads instead, mangling the retaining pin in the process. Ordered new pins at £5.99 each because nobody charging the list price with or without a discount had any in stock.

UndercoverElephant

Rear wheel keeps having a pop-out from the dropout on the Pinnacle. It was recalled over this when I was buying it, so it's more than a little annoying that it still happens. I set the wheel square before each ride and it's lovely - I get to work (after applying much awesome) and the disc is rubbing against the pads again. Trying a different (more serrated) quick-release to see if that helps.

Driving me nuts!

veronese68

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Trying a different (more serrated) quick-release to see if that helps.

What sort of QR are you using? Shimano ones are usually recommended as having the highest clamping pressure. I ditched the Novatec ones on my bike and went Shimano, never had a problem.

asprilla

Use closed cam skewers rather than the ubiquitous open cam designs. Closed cam (like both shimano and campag QRs) are heavier but you get a much, much higher clamping force.

On metal bikes I love Campag Record QRs circa 1980.

prawny

I had this on both my Saracens, and a Voodoo mountain bike, switched to shimano skewers and all sorted.

UndercoverElephant

It was indeed a Novatec skewer - have replaced it with whatever was in my desk drawer - also open cam, but much notchier and it does seem more secure already. If I have the same when I get home tonight, I'm pretty sure I have a Shimano skewer in my spares drawer which I'll try next. They don't come in red, though. That's a shame.

veronese68

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I'm pretty sure I have a Shimano skewer in my spares drawer which I'll try next.

Make sure it's for 135mm spacing.
If the bikes were recalled for this I'm amazed they didn't fit better QRs. If yours is not 135mm is it worth asking Evans to supply one FOC?

UndercoverElephant

Veronese68 wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I'm pretty sure I have a Shimano skewer in my spares drawer which I'll try next.

Make sure it's for 135mm spacing.
If the bikes were recalled for this I'm amazed they didn't fit better QRs. If yours is not 135mm is it worth asking Evans to supply one FOC?

True enough, it'll be road spacing. I'll see how I get on with the one from my desk, which looks very like a rip-off of the Hope ones, otherwise I'll get in touch with Evans. The recall was to replace the mech hanger with a different one. The wheels that came with the bike just seemed to have the unbranded external cam type one, but they're long-gone.

keef66

I have some spare MTB ones in the drawer. And no use for them since the MTB was stolen complete with it's security skewers. :roll:

Not sure if Shimano though; I'll have a look. If you need one just shout. I think you're local to me? Newmarket / Cambridge area.

UndercoverElephant

keef66 wrote:

I have some spare MTB ones in the drawer. And no use for them since the MTB was stolen complete with it's security skewers. :roll:

Not sure if Shimano though; I'll have a look. If you need one just shout. I think you're local to me? Newmarket / Cambridge area.

Thanks for the offer, but I think you've mistaken me for our other token Scotsman, Meanredspider - he's that way at times.

Not that either of us are actually Scottish.

milemuncher1

I finally got the cranks off of the old Boardman Pro Carbon. The self extractor bolt stuck, then the head rounded off. Cue, massive barsteward of a job. After a lot of swearing, a little bit of dremeling, and a good firm whack with a drift, I got the old cranks off. I've done this job with a previous bike, and the self extractor worked, it was much easier. My next job is to put a wheels manufacturing HT II threaded BB adaptor in ( again, something I've done before ) and life becomes much easier, re: swapping and changing cranksets.

asprilla

New wheels arrived so I fitted Schwalbe Pro Ones. Thumbs only slightly sore.

Can I get them inflated? Can I fuck. Called it a night after resorting to and failing with 5 co2 cannisters.

pinno

Asprilla wrote:

New wheels arrived so I fitted Schwalbe Pro Ones. Thumbs only slightly sore.

Can I get them inflated? Can I fark. Called it a night after resorting to and failing with 5 co2 cannisters.

I get that sometimes. Have you made sure the top of the Presta valve actually moves once you have unscrewed it? It could mean just toggling it up an down a few times. Some have removable cores.



That black little rubber bit you can see at the bottom sometimes seizes but it will move if you press down on the top of the (loosened) valve.
Oh, and try a pump, it's cheaper!.

asprilla

Air is going in its just they are tubeless and I'm not getting the volume / pressure to seat them correctly.

I tried with the track pump too but the volume / pressure isn't remotely close enough.

I even lubricated them with fairy liquid.

greenamex2

Know anybody with a compressor?

asprilla

greenamex2 wrote:

Know anybody with a compressor?

Was thinking of popping over to my not so local but very good bike shop and bringing them a fiver.

pinno

Tubeless?! Unknown territory for me. I have a set of wheels that are tubeless compatible but never taken the plunge

asprilla

Pinno wrote:

Tubeless?! Unknown territory for me. I have a set of wheels that are tubeless compatible but never taken the plunge

I last used them six years ago. The tyres weren't great and then the wheels were destroyed by a pothole in Richmond Park.

Things have come on in recent years so I'm trying them again.

veronese68

Tried to fit the tyres on my new MTB wheels as tubeless, no way they would seal even using a compressor as the folding bead was so misshapen from storage. I suspect it would work now as they have been fitted with a tube for a while and are now vaguely round. Haven't bothered trying yet so can't confirm.
Haven't tried on the Kinesis but I'm tempted.

greenamex2

Planning to try tubeless next month...will update how it goes.

asprilla

Veronese68 wrote:

Tried to fit the tyres on my new MTB wheels as tubeless, no way they would seal even using a compressor as the folding bead was so misshapen from storage. I suspect it would work now as they have been fitted with a tube for a while and are now vaguely round. Haven't bothered trying yet so can't confirm.
Haven't tried on the Kinesis but I'm tempted.

I've tried removing the valve cores this morning but no joy. I suspect it's the folds in the bead. I'm going to put tubes in this evening and leave them for a week or so.

asprilla

Set out to fettle the squeaky rear disc on the CX.

Five pairs of disposable gloves later and I've:

- changed the chain rings
- adjusted front mech accordingly
- stripped and cleaned drive train
- adjusted saddle and cockpit positions
- removed rack
- changed there's and tubes
- fitted proper lights
- cleaned rear rotor

Rear brake still squeaks (you can't really check these things on a stand) so I think the rotor is warped.

greenamex2

Asprilla wrote:

Set out to fettle the squeaky rear disc on the CX.

Five pairs of disposable gloves later and I've:

- changed the chain rings
- adjusted front mech accordingly
- stripped and cleaned drive train
- adjusted saddle and cockpit positions
- removed rack
- changed there's and tubes
- fitted proper lights
- cleaned rear rotor

Rear brake still squeaks (you can't really check these things on a stand) so I think the rotor is warped.

Have you centered the caliper to the disc?

asprilla

I believe so. Slackened off the bolts, squeezed lever and tightened the bolts.

Performance is pretty poor from the rear brake so it could be contamination but not sure what from, unless I have a fluid leak. Pads have less than 100 road miles on them.

greenamex2

Asprilla wrote:

I believe so. Slackened off the bolts, squeezed lever and tightened the bolts.

Performance is pretty poor from the rear brake so it could be contamination but not sure what from, unless I have a fluid leak. Pads have less than 100 road miles on them.

Might be worth manually centering the caliper and seeing if that helps...did on mine.

itboffin

changed over my rear 180mm to a 160mm basically swapped front and back now I have the right adapters

timothyw

Had to replace a chain mid commute on the way home yesterday. Fortunately Halfords was just a few hundred metres away, and they let me borrow their chain tool... once they found it!

pinno

itboffin wrote:

changed over my rear 180mm to a 160mm basically swapped front and back now I have the right adapters

How's that 364:1 diet going itboffin?