Today I did something to my bike thread...

Alanstrainor · 22-03-2018 11:04pm

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I've ordered a new chain/cassette/master link pliers and cassette removal tool. It'll be my first replacement of the lot on this bike. The chain definitely needs replacement, and maybe the cassette. I have about 3000km on the bike so far. I think I'll take everything off and replace the chain at very least.

Right, so I replaced my chain only. Comparing the new cassette and the old side by side there wasn't a huge difference. I'm going to see how I fair for the next while.

The job was easy... until I made a mistake. I had it all done, and the cogs/gears cleaned and chain attached. Started to move the pedals around and it sounded like a cement mixer. Added some lube with little effect. Realised that I had threaded the chain through the rear mech incorrectly and it was rubbing. Not to worry, unclip the quick-link chain and thread it through. But I lost one side of the link... had to use the old one... I'll search the floor of the garage in more detail over the weekend! Raging.

Anyway. All good now, hopefully my cycle tomorrow will go without issue.

Boscoirl · 22-03-2018 11:05pm

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Right, so I replaced my chain only. Comparing the new cassette and the old side by side there wasn't a huge difference. I'm going to see how I fair for the next while.

The job was easy... until I made a mistake. I had it all done, and the cogs/gears cleaned and chain attached. Started to move the pedals around and it sounded like a cement mixer. Added some lube with little effect. Realised that I had threaded the chain through the rear mech incorrectly and it was rubbing. Not to worry, unclip the quick-link chain and thread it through. But I lost one side of the link... had to use the old one... I'll search the floor of the garage in more detail over the weekend! Raging.

Anyway. All good now, hopefully my cycle tomorrow will go without issue.

. Been there done that

on both counts

coach22 · 22-03-2018 11:18pm

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Right, so I replaced my chain only. Comparing the new cassette and the old side by side there wasn't a huge difference. I'm going to see how I fair for the next while.

doubt you needed to replace the cassette after 3,000 kms. Handy to have a spare one anyway. I read before that you usually go through 3 chains before needing to replace a cassette

Hungrycol · 23-03-2018 2:48pm

Get yourself a chain measuring tool. If your chain is worn could will likely need to replace the cassette too. Yes you can also use a tape measure but a chain checker is quicker and more accurate. I use KMC chains from CRC, good variety and found them to be the best with my Shimano system.

Also get yourself a chainwasher machine thingy and some petrol (don't use in your garden cos you'll kill the grass

). It's a brilliant quick fix but remember to lube the chain well after cos the petrol it will really strip the chain.

magicbastarder · 23-03-2018 4:16pm

last time i had to completely rinse a chain clean, i just dropped it into a nearly empty 2.5l container of white spirits and shook it gently. a little cheaper than the above; but as you say, it will strip pretty much all lube off the chain.

ford2600 · 23-03-2018 4:31pm

People always wonder why chains don't last.

Here is what KMC say about cleaning chain; if you look it up Campagnola say similar. The people pushing degreasers and chain cleaners are the people selling them...

Clean your chain after every ride, especially after riding in the wet.
Always use a piece of dry cloth to clean the chain.
Do not forget the sprockets, front changer and derailleur pulleys.
To remove mud or sand, use the bristle brush (which comes with every 120ml packing of KMC’s chain lube Pro), use light soapy warm water, if necessary.
Do not use acidic or alkali based detergents (such as rust cleaners), these can damage the chain and may cause breakage.
Do not dip your chain in (aggressive) degreasers - they remove the remaining grease from the chain’s bearings, and may cause cracks. They are also bad for our environment.
If the chain is really dirty and difficult to clean, besides using a brush for the inside, try putting some solvent on a cloth and use it to clean the chain’s exterior.
Try to avoid a so-called ‘chain washing machine’ in combination with solvent. This will instantly ruin your chain.
Some lubricant brands advise you to completely degrease the chain, KMC does not recommend this.

magicbastarder · 23-03-2018 4:34pm

i should point out that when i cleaned the chain as per the above, if you'd thrown spuds at it, they'd have stuck. would have taken hours to clean it in the normal fashion. i got another 2.5k out of it after cleaning it, before my chain wear tool indicated .75% wear.

Hungrycol · 23-03-2018 4:44pm

ford2600 wrote: »

People always wonder why chains don't last.

Here is what KMC say about cleaning chain; if you look it up Campagnola say similar. The people pushing degreasers and chain cleaners are the people selling them...

Clean your chain after every ride, especially after riding in the wet.
Always use a piece of dry cloth to clean the chain.
Do not forget the sprockets, front changer and derailleur pulleys.
To remove mud or sand, use the bristle brush (which comes with every 120ml packing of KMC’s chain lube Pro), use light soapy warm water, if necessary.
Do not use acidic or alkali based detergents (such as rust cleaners), these can damage the chain and may cause breakage.
Do not dip your chain in (aggressive) degreasers - they remove the remaining grease from the chain’s bearings, and may cause cracks. They are also bad for our environment.
If the chain is really dirty and difficult to clean, besides using a brush for the inside, try putting some solvent on a cloth and use it to clean the chain’s exterior.
Try to avoid a so-called ‘chain washing machine’ in combination with solvent. This will instantly ruin your chain.
Some lubricant brands advise you to completely degrease the chain, KMC does not recommend this.

In other news, KMC sell chains.

dahat · 23-03-2018 7:06pm

I was regularly de greasing 105 & Ultegra chains with Shimano Degreaser on the park tool cleaner but after going through 4 chains in 12 months I'm changing the way I clean them.

I may have been advised by a poster here to do so!!!

CrowdedHouse · 28-03-2018 11:41am

I changed the seat post clamp on my bike.

I rounded the bolt through over enthusiastic use of a mini tool during roadside adjustments.

For something that seemed to round fairly easy it put up a good fight this morning....and the remains of the bolt head is stuck solid to the bit

A simple job escalates - drill and bits - bike stand - rags - black bags to cover mechs chain etc - torque spanner & bits - carbon paste - bike and seat clamp janey!

brownian · 29-03-2018 8:39pm

Simple jobs do that. Ah, it'll take ten minutes...2 hours later...off to cRC for replacement bits...

Tigerandahalf · 30-03-2018 7:44am

I bought mudflaps recently to extend the protection of the mudguards on my 27.5 bike.
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/mudguards/4245-mm-sks-long-mudflap/

Unfortunately the little plastic nut and screw they provided are useless and not long enough to thread through the drilled hole on the mudguard.

The mudflap slips nicely over the end of the mudguard and you would probably get away with no fix but I probably will get a black bolt /nut to secure. My feet should be completely dry now.

It is very hard to get a full mudguard for these wheels. My back mudguard covers me fine but if I am towing a trailer it gets a lot of backsplash as the mudguard is not fully down over the wheel. I have already 2 homemade extensions put on to both ends of the rear mudguard to increase the protection of the front deraileur and extend the end of the mudguard.

The mudflap won't work for the rear mudguard as the latter has a rise on the end of it and the mudflap won't fit over it. Even if it did it won't extend down far enough, just sticking out at the back.

magicbastarder · 30-03-2018 3:49pm

chopped down the bars on my wife's hybrid. it's a L or XL frame, but even so, the bars were just short of 70cm wide.
one of the benefits of having a chop saw is it made the job of cutting them very easy. my shed is now covered in slivery aluminium shavings now.

overall, it was easier than i expected, as they were clamp-on grips rather than friction fit ones. popped them off and on again with no fuss.

CrowdedHouse · 05-04-2018 1:29pm

Changed my handlebars for slightly wider ones.

Folks - bar tape can be trying at times, not helped by the fact that I didn't check what I actually bought a few months ago. I got Fizik stuff with logos on it, meant to get plain. I don't like the look of it but I may as well get some use out of it as I had nothing else and I'm not throwing it away.

In other news the mechanic that put it together must be strong cos the left shifter was welded on and I was quite anxious trying to open it following a recent rounded bolt incident !

Cee-Jay-Cee · 12-04-2018 9:28pm

I bought a Merida Ride 100 for €160...the bike is brand spanking new (was owned by a lad who thought he was going to make great use of it, rode it to the end of his road (150m) felt wobbly, thought this isn't for me and parked it under his stairs for a year, advertised it on a FB buy&sell page for €280...sold it to me for €160!"!)

Anyway the stock brakes were lethal, non-existant even in the dry,pull the lever and nothing happened. I changed the cheap pads to Ultegra and it wasn't much better so I kept an eye on ebay and bagged a set of lightly used 4700 Tiagra brakes for €20 and fitted them to it...OMG what a massive difference, they stop as good as the Ultegra 6800 brakes on my 'goodbike'

While I was at it I fitted a carbon seatpost and a Fizik Arione saddle.

12-04-2018 10:39pm

What do they go for new? 600ish? and sub 10kg with stock parts. I'd ditch the fsa cranks too purely on looks hate the f'n things. Nice looking bike if it's the green and black one I'm looking at.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 12-04-2018 10:47pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What do they go for new? 600ish? and sub 10kg with stock parts. I'd ditch the fsa cranks too purely on looks hate the f'n things. Nice looking bike if it's the green and black one I'm looking at.

Yeah that’s right, it’s Matt black and green. I don’t mind the FSA Tempo crank to be honest, they’re better looking than some of the cranks on budget bikes, I know they’re a fairly basic crankset but they’ll do for now. The bikes were €6-700 new in 2016.

CrowdedHouse · 17-05-2018 3:01pm

Upgraded the Di2 battery in my bike to try synchro shift. As the battery is in the downtube I had to take out and replace the bottom bracket. A fiddly rather than difficult job, slightly awkward to reconnect the battery as there seemed to be very little slack on the battery lead.
Everything seems to be working as it should, gave the bike a bit and a clean and tidied away 1001 bits and pieces!

triggermortis · 18-05-2018 5:35pm

My son fell off his bmx yesterday and in the process snapped off a brake lever. He didn’t notice as he was too busy being winded and crying (he’s only 9) so today I got a new one and replaced it. As it came as a pair I decided to change both.
A much bigger job than I initially thought- but got it done. Who’d have thought a bmx was more hassle than a road bike?

Macy0161 · 19-05-2018 10:01am

Fitted a dropper post to the MTB. Most of the process was simple enough actually, until getting the cable tension at the lever. Seems to be working ok, but only had time to test in the drive!

It's the brand xl, and I can see the lever being a fairly quick upgrade to be honest (which was well flagged in reviews to be fair)

magicbastarder · 27-05-2018 6:18pm

cleaned the bike, and did a really good job of degreasing and cleaning the chain. it was only then i thought 'i haven't checked for chain wear in a while'.
.75%
doh.

MicktheMan · 27-05-2018 6:58pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

cleaned the bike, and did a really good job of degreasing and cleaning the chain. it was only then i thought 'i haven't checked for chain wear in a while'.
.75%
doh.

It's good to know I'm not the only one:o:)

triggermortis · 20-06-2018 6:40pm

Just put a new rear gear cable (inner and outer) on the commuting bike. Decided to go for OEM kit from shimano and so glad I did. Previous set ups have taken me a while in the past, but this total job was 25 mins including redoing the bar tape and a quick spin up and down the road. All good so far but will see if my random changes are now cured.
Also charged the Di2 battery on the good bike, as haven’t been near that for months (the battery, not the bike!)

ILIKEFOOD · 21-06-2018 11:54am

I wrecked the headset on not one but two of my bikes swopping the stem...one being the notoriously difficult to source Canyon headset (unless you want to pay top dollar to canyon for the replacement)

So that's what I did today to my bikes...

Always learning!

LollipopJimmy · 23-06-2018 5:16pm

Arranged for the fitting of this pretty lot...

Looking forward to trying this Di2 craic

LollipopJimmy · 28-06-2018 2:15pm

Work almost complete on the fitting of Di2 but it'll be Saturday before I get it back

Weepsie · 28-06-2018 2:16pm

Make sure it's fully charged! that'd be a kick in the proverbials!

CrowdedHouse · 28-06-2018 2:18pm

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

Work almost complete on the fitting of Di2 but it'll be Saturday before I get it back

I hope you're not paying by the hour!

LollipopJimmy · 28-06-2018 3:37pm

Weepsie wrote: »

Make sure it's fully charged! that'd be a kick in the proverbials!

The guy fitting it doesn't actually work in the shop I bought it, they hadn't fit Di2 before so they brought in a pal from another shop to do it as a nixxer, he went to set it up yesterday and the battery was flat! So he can't get back until tomorrow night.

CrowdedHouse wrote: »

I hope you're not paying by the hour!

Price agreed for supply and fit

HugoMyBoss · 29-06-2018 2:14pm

Today I decided to buy some spare tubes for my Canyon but ran into difficulty when selecting sizes, wheels 700, tyres 25mm and want presta valve.

Does the valve size matter much, 36/42/51?

There are a few wheel width ranges, 18 - 25, 19 - 25, 20 - 25 etc. Nearest range to 25 best?

Thanks.

Today I did something to my bike thread...

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