Today I did something to my bike thread...

kirving

Well a couple of weeks ago now. But did a few bits to the mountain bike before I took it to Madeira

Almost all new frame bearings on the rear. A few were painful to extract but got there in the end. Via bad documentation and an unclear online shops, and my own oversight I ordered a full set for the 2109 bike, while mine is a 2018. Two bearings lef to do.

Upgraded to Shimano XT 4-pot front and rear (very glad I did when I saw the descents), and as they came in a set, I didn't even need to bleed them first time which was nice.

But of course my older SLX brakes used a different Shimano I-Spec connection to clamp in the shifter. I didn't have time to order a new one, so I borrowed an x11 XTR shifter from a friend, and stole my brothers front 3x shifter for the trip.

New headset which was grand to do.

New shifter cables.

New press fit BB.

Full service.

New Magic Mary and Hans Dampf tyres.

Cut the hydraulic brake hose clean in two in a crash, and was lucky to get another over there.

Bought tubeless valves after a flat away but need to get sealant still.

Have the front fork service kit still here to do, but need to buy a rear service kit, and think about upgrading to a 1x12, as the front 2x chainring is worn anyway.

ednwireland

1x12 added

Squidgy Black

Made the daft decision to change my bar tape on my lunch break.

Can I just say a) f*ck decathlon bar tape, what an absolute nightmare to try and remove and b) the figure 8 method absolutely isn’t worth the effort (or maybe I just can’t follow basic instructions), give me the little poxy strip every time.

Mr. Cats

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119035014#Comment_119035014

In the same vein, what do people do with old chains and cassettes? Is there any chance to recycle them? Just put ‘em in green bin?

Breezer

Today I reseated the damn tubeless tyre that’s been slowly leaking air since I first put it on a year ago. I also swore a number of times.

Breezer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119151519#Comment_119151519

I’m sure it depends on your area, but I don’t think the recycling companies accept metal in the green bin. Some of the bring centres do: Ballyogan in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown is one I know of.

magicbastarder

i chuck metal items in a box in the garage and once every year or two drop them into the local metal recycling place.

Mr. Cats

Thanks - must remember to bag them up for the next time I bring the jungle cuttings to Ballyogan after the annual garden clean up 😂😂

magicbastarder

i ended up on a web chat with greyhound to ask if they pull ferrous metals out of the black bin waste using magnets, and they said 'no metals at all are allowed in the black bin' but acknowledged then that yes, some metals are allowed.

i suspect the person i was talking to didn't know the answer to my question, but it's possible that chucking worn chains in the bin will see them being recycled, but obviously we can't tell.

Mr. Cats

It’s a shame there’s no bike related re-use of them. Would be great if they could be reconditioned in some way say for use on beater bikes etc

Large bottle small glass

Metal prices in general have been very high of late, peaking around March.

Normally such peaks lead to metal collections for clubs, particularly so in rural areas. The ones I've contributed to typically raise 10k plus, with the main material being from farms.

Watching the collections from individual yards is a bit like watching Reeling in the Years live😊

magicbastarder

yeah, i was pleasantly surprised last time i dropped stuff off at the metal yard; i was expecting the amount i was going to get to be so low as not worth collecting, but i got somewhere between 5 and 10 quid.

i subsequently saw the yard in a story about garda raids on scrapyards handling stolen catalytic converters.

DaveyDave

Fit new wheels and accompanying brake pads. Looking forward to getting a quick spin in tomorrow, busy weekend ahead go figure!

Marginal gains over my Zondas and probably overkill for the bike but I just finished 6 of the toughest weeks ever in my job and my bonus conveniently arrived towards the end of it so feck it.

Alanbt

Love those wheels. Have a set for a dream build, frame won’t arrive for a good while yet tho.

DaveyDave

Swapped the cassette on the ebike. I was using a 32t while the good bike was on the turbo as the stock 42t is too large. Gears above 32t are useless for my flat commute and the jumps between gears feel too big when above 25kph with no assistance, sometimes shifting up is just slightly above the effort I want to be at. Gear changes are very clunky with any sort of load which is hard to avoid sometimes.

Slapped on the 25t from the turbo. Have to give it a good crank when taking off but can get up to a good speed in first gear so less gear changes under load, a fully usable number of gears and a tighter ratio when unassisted.

magicbastarder

what cog would you be in when taking off from the lights?

DaveyDave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119236946#Comment_119236946

Usually 32t, obviously I could just take off at a lower gear like 28t but I think it was just muscle memory as I'm used to 32t, plus I'll naturally take the easier gear if it's there. 25t is better suited for my flat commute though and it's no more effort than 32t on a normal bike.

cletus

It would seem that my new bike will finally be delivered next week (fingers crossed)

Consequently, I put new pedals on my old bike, in anticipation of it becoming my "jump on and cycle to the shops/the parents/wherever, without needing special shoes" bike

There must be a neater name for it, although I assume normal people who only own one bike would call it a "bike"

ARX

"beater" or "hack" (I call my mine my "Aungier St bike" as I can lock it up there for a couple of hours without worrying whether it'll be stolen).

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119267029#Comment_119267029

I was thinking about that, but my bike is probably better than a beater. It's been my main bike (albeit a cheap one, as it got me into cycling).

My classroom bike is probably closer to a hack, but even that's too nice for that term😀

cletus

Today I put the Panaracer tyres on the Giant, simultaneously doing my first tubeless setup.

Normally I'd be thinking about different colour bartape etc, but for the moment, I think the tan sidewalls are enough

Luxman

I bought some new disc pads and was ready to install them, when I removed the old ones I realised there was some life left in them, so I gave them a light sanding. The lever does pull in quick a bit more now but the grip on the brakes has been renewed somewhat. I was left however with them rubbing so off the wheel came and I chanced my arm, I have already centered them by loosening/retighten the calliper but they still made a noise, and pushed the piston back to their ideal position and hey presto, no more brake rub. My first little maintenance session on disc brakes. I them decided to remove the 3M tape I had applied a year ago and it was getting grubby round the edges. Nicked my daughters hairdryer but still a nervy experience. Im bracing myself to do the other fork soon

smacl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119355460#Comment_119355460

I keep a set of the 75% worn out pads in my saddle bag to allow a roadside change for when I hear that horrendous screech that tells me I've neglected my pads and they've worn all the way through. I find fitting new pads is a bit of work, pushing pistons back and typically needing a mini-bleed to adjust properly, but older worn ones pop in-handy enough. New pads sitting on my desk at the moment waiting to be installed.

traco

Pulled drivetrain apart. It was definitely time for an overhaul. Jockey wheels cracked but have a new set. Also have a new chain ring as I thought some of the teeth looked dodgy. However now that it's clean it looks a lot better.

All items cleaned it is a solvent free cold cleaner and rinsed off in in hot water with some all purpose cleaner. Same with mechs and they were rinsed under hot water, blown dry with compressed air.

All pivots lubricated and worked in. They all feel nice and smooth now. Will let it soak in for a day or two and wipe any excess off again.

Next step is to run all the new cables and housings, refit everything and set it all back up. Also cleaned the frame really well.

Few pics for ref.

cletus

Can I ask, what is a cold cleaner?

traco

We supply a lot of specialist industrial cleaning chemistry and machines so I have some nice stuff to use. One range is predominantly label free and much more environmentally friendly in as much as any chemicals can be. Also much better from a heath and safety side too so no need for masks and extraction.

Most solvent based cleaners are referred to as cold cleaners. Prime examples would be clutch and brake aerosol cleaners. You also see them is tanks in workshops, garages etc. Due to their high solvent content they have a low flash point and evaporate quickly. This is why they can feel very cold on your hands through gloves etc. They work well but are nasty.

The stuff we have is water based and usually no or low VOC content so no nasty smells or vapours to inhale. As there is little to no flash off you can also leave items to soak. Disposal is typically as an oil and water mix which is lower cost than the more hazardous solvent stuff.

I did think about throwing them in the Ultrasonic cleaner whre I could have heated it also but 20 mins soaking in the little tub and once over with the toothbrush was perfect.

Plan today if I get time is to reassemble and mount the mechs and with a bit of luck get the cables run. Not sure if I will have time as can't stay late after work this evening so will do a but this morning and over lunch.

cletus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119508932#Comment_119508932

Thanks for that. I thought it was a machine I hadn't heard of before 😀

magicbastarder

isn't water a solvent? though i know that's missing the point a bit...

traco

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119508973#Comment_119508973

You are correct, water is a solvent but not great at disolving grease, oils or dirt; hence why we add soap to wash our hands with water.

The older type of chemical cleaners have high volatile organic compounds, you know that kind of chemical smell. Lots have low boiling points and flash off / evaporate at lower temps than water. You hear of people getting headaches using them for long periods of time so should use a respirator for prolonged exposure and extraction. Vapours can gather and be a potential for fire / expolsion if ignited. They also dry out skin etc so you can see teh reason industry is trying to get rid of them.

Quick sambo now and hoefully a brief update.

magicbastarder

i have one or two of them and find them so volatile as to be useless; some aldi or lidl disk brake cleaner in an aerosol can; it cuts through grease but evaporates so quickly that you've barely ad time to clean it off before it 'dries' again.