Back in the saddle, finally.

hisoka

After about 10 hours of work on the bike, Charlie, over the weekend I finally can ride again.

Basically my rear deraileur had snapped (not the hanger the entire mech arm) and gone into the wheel, shattered the chain and stripped/frayed the gear cable. So I had to get a new deraileur, new gear cable + outers, new chain and a few new spokes.

So off I go, buy all the new parts and cry softly at the lack of money left in my wallet afterwards. Lay them all out on the bed with the bike next to it. Then I work out I don't actually know how to do this task I have set myself. Internet research shows me the basics of what to do and so I decide "I can do this" at 10am Saturday morning. Come 6pm I stop for the day, only the wheel left to true and a big grin of feeling awesome on my face.

Next day 2 hours fo wheel truing occurs till finally it is, to my eye, fine. So yesterday I tentatively cycle into work, and all feels ok though I have been off the bike for two weeks so am much slower and careful. But today I feel a strange feeling of a clicking on the pedals, don't hear it but feel it through the shoes that there is a slightly clicking, regular when I put pressure through the cranks. I am a bit worried about that, but since I didn't change the cassette wondering if it might be just wear of the cassette feeling odd on the new chain.

But mostly glad to be riding again

lost_in_thought

Nice one! That's some high-end fettling!

sarajoy

Could be the bearings in your pedal? I had that once ages ago on the old bike, you feel it through your foot, don't you?

Also, did you wrap your new butterfly bars in nice Brooks leather in the end?

hisoka

High end fettling indeed! Thanks for that

I'm impressed with myself now, until I find out something totally wrong and the bike explodes (tricky but if anyone can do it that is me) hehe

It might be the bearings, I did sort of come to a crashing halt when the rear mech had it's terminal breakdown. I do feel it through my foot so will have to give that a check next, I go through so many pedals I need to get something heavier duty I think.

Unfortunately with the buying of the needed gear I had to cancel my order of the leather goodness (that sounds dodgy, so I like it ) for this month. Still riding with naked handlebars, which is rather odd feeling and cold but actually not as bad as I thought it would be.

Gussio

It is a wonderfully satisfying feeling to be riding a bike that you have put together and maintained yourself

Alignment of rear mech might be slightly out, which is easily rectified with a bit of trial and error with the barrel adjuster. If it is more of a creak, perhaps removing and fastidiously cleaning the threads on your bottom bracket?

hisoka

Might well have to give the indexing another check on the back.