Today I did something to my bike thread...

cletus · 29-06-2022 11:11am

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 · 29-06-2022 2:24pm

"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 · 29-06-2022 2:50pm

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 · 18-07-2022 6:51pm

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 · 18-07-2022 7:04pm

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 · 19-07-2022 8:09am

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 · 22-08-2022 10:58pm

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.

Screenshot_2022-08-22-22-17-05-892_com.miui.gallery.jpg

cletus · 23-08-2022 6:30am

Can I ask, what is a cold cleaner?

traco · 23-08-2022 7:32am

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 · 23-08-2022 7:53am

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 · 23-08-2022 7:57am

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

traco · 23-08-2022 12:42pm

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 · 23-08-2022 12:58pm

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.

traco · 23-08-2022 6:58pm

So new cassette on rear, think I'm losing the 16T cog so probably not that big a deal. New 53 chainring on.

New jockey wheels fitted, lower one was well and truly passed its best before. All cables run but struggling with rear brake. Suspect that it may have originally had an outer shield all the way through the top tube but that got changed to guides at some point. Rear exit one is stuck and no joy fishing it yet as it's a tiny hole in it. Tried a pull with a pliers but no movement. It's a Planet X Nanolight 920g frame in case anyone knows anything interesting.

Left it at that for the day so I can think about it. I might drill through it so i can crush it down and pull it out but open to suggestions. Next job after the cable challenge is to torque all bolts to spec and set up mechs and brakes. Another few hours in n it.

Few pics. Old and new 53T chainring. **** bearing in lower jockey wheel and crack and the offending metal ferrule thingy and one I found online.

Screenshot_2022-08-23-18-35-30-324_org.mozilla.firefox.jpg

traco · 24-08-2022 7:39pm

Some more progress. All cables run, brakes set up and mechs clamped but will need tweaking.

Wheels back on and reused old bar tape for the moment. Have new tape but will fit that when I'm sure everything is 100% in case I need to pull it off again.

5.5mm drill bit sorted that stuck ferrule. Just bit nicely and slowly started to spin so backed it out. That made cable run a doddle and the new SRAM ones are stepped and fit nicely.

Threw on the chain but it seems long so a compare to the original confirmed it is. I will need to read up on that procedure to figure out what I need to do.

Few pics and it's looking more like a bike again. Hopefully a test ride tomorrow all going well.

cletus · 24-08-2022 8:01pm

Great stuff, love to see the work other people are doing on here

traco · 25-08-2022 11:03am

Death by zoom meeting this morning!

Wonder would I get away with taking the laptop out and turning off mic and camera to finish the job??

traco · 25-08-2022 7:04pm

All back together but still not 100%, only 95. Shifts are much smoother and drivetrain is a lot quieter which is great. The problem however is that it won't hold on the large cog on the rear cassette. It shifts in perfect but pops back out. I think the issue is the ratchet in the shifter. Had a look from the side and it goes in but just won't latch and hold. It may have been working before as the cables and mech were sticky with dirt etc so the rear mech spring wasn't able to load the ratchet mechanism as much.

That aside, shifting is much smoother and braking is night and day. Levers are so much lighter. Looking at them as much as you can they were very black and dirty so would have been a lot of drag.

Plan is to knock up some miles now, have a look for a spare lever to use as a donar for when I pull the dicky one apart.

So thoughts on the job. Not that difficult, little fiddly in places but it is time consuming. I suppose it took me around 7 hours in total. No idea what a shop would have charged but I now know the bike intimately which can't be a bad thing.

I'll double check part but I think it was around 120 and then my time. I have access to a lot of tools so that makes things easier for me.

Anyway here it is ready for road, so if you pass a fat bloke on that bike say hello as you fly by!

magicbastarder · 25-08-2022 8:00pm

are you sure the limit screw is set correctly? perhaps it's not letting the derailleur settle into the correct position.

traco · 25-08-2022 8:42pm

Pretty positive that's fine, it pops on perfect and the ratchet engages. It will sit and spin on that cog nice an quiet but once I release the shift lever the ratchet doesn't lock in and it drops back one.

Elvis Hammond · 25-08-2022 9:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522166#Comment_119522166

When you shift to the smallest gear at the back, did you make sure that's the last click on the lever?

traco · 25-08-2022 9:15pm

I've never had a bike like this so I just weighed it on the luggage scales and it's 8.1kg which I think is fairly light.

traco · 25-08-2022 9:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522274#Comment_119522274

Yep, checked that as first time test it hopped off between sprocket and frame so pretty sure it's right now.

It's clicking like it's trying to lock in but just not abe to hold. Not sure how to explain it better.

26-08-2022 11:36am

Deep clean and degrease done this morning. Added a new chain and removed one of the spacers in the stack to make it a bit faster. Two spacers left and will remove gradually over time as long as the back doesn't complain.

Bought the bike last October and still looking and feeling fresh after doing about 9k on it since then. It took wrecking my first bike to realise how important it is to maintain a bike.

Planet X · 29-08-2022 2:31pm

RIM BRAKES.

Never really understood the adjustments even when I Club / Vets raced. Always releasing the cable and centering to compensate for whatever.

YT yesterday and I’ve picked up about shoe’ing in the pads, individual calliper arm adjustments and barrel adjusters (rear mech also). Barrel adjusters we’re always seized with gunk so stripped everything and greased.

cletus · 09-09-2022 5:02pm

Barrel adjuster was completely seized. Got it apart after a bit of finagling, will clean the threads, regrease and reassemble later, then pop it back on the bike on Monday

cletus · 23-09-2022 4:51pm

I wasn't particularly happy with the bar tape on the new bike, and I wasn't overly happy with the wrapping, seemed a bit loose. This proved true on the ride last weekend, so I ordered some new fizik bondcush. I thought I was ordering the same as the orange tape on my other bike (except in black), but it turns out I ordered soft instead of classic.

It has a more foamy feel, but still feels tougher than what I took off

Gerry · 24-09-2022 7:23am

replaced the lower pivot bearings on my full suss mountain bike. was going to leave them to shop but I left it too late before the carrick enduro. And I've done it before, this was a bit easier as all the bearings are into an aluminium link.

Can't find pictures of the extractor but it basically consisted of a sleeve anchor / expanding bolt.

Took my time making up the press, wanted something foolproof and reusable. used an old bearing plus a nut which locates centre of the bearing.

Satisfying job over a few evenings. Will probably need to do it yearly even just to allow proper cleaning of what is a proper dirt trap.

Upper link next but not as urgent, feels fine and doesnt get same amount of mud attack.

devonp · 09-10-2022 2:53pm

put the good one into the attic...along with the summer gear and took down the autumn/winter stuff 😕

cletus · 13-10-2022 3:21pm

Just fitted the raceblades to my bike. They are surprisingly neat and unobtrusive

Seth Brundle · 13-10-2022 3:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119739709#Comment_119739709

Given how easy it is to take them off (and re-fit when needed) and it's not raining today...

cletus · 13-10-2022 4:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119739825#Comment_119739825

Yeah, they really are ideal for the puropses of this bike

hesker · 13-10-2022 4:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119739709#Comment_119739709

Pics?

cletus · 13-10-2022 4:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119740032#Comment_119740032

Just took a quick one there before I left the classroom. Dunno how clear it is...

Seth Brundle · 13-10-2022 4:54pm

Quite discreet alright!

hesker · 13-10-2022 5:35pm

Looks great. Nice clean chainset too

DaveyDave · 13-10-2022 6:08pm

I wish the clip on Raceblades had the piece behind the seat tube just to save the feet and chainring getting wet. If I get caught without shoe covers on my ebike with full cover clip on mudguards my shoes are pretty much immaculate.

cletus · 13-10-2022 9:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119740413#Comment_119740413

I bought the raceblade long, and it has a short piece that clip on just behind the seat tube

Cabaal · 14-10-2022 6:39am

Added LED strips to my Bakfiets during the week, hard for people to claim they can't see it at night now

😁

cletus · 14-10-2022 7:57am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119740266#Comment_119740266

Speaking of things chainset, I've been contemplating getting a cheap chainring guard for this bike, too.

I wear shorts in work from April to September (well, April, May and September), but I'm in tracksuits/jeans the rest of the year. Currently my solution is to tuck the leg of my trousers into my sock, but if anyone has recommendations for a chainring guard, let me know

hesker · 14-10-2022 8:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119742221#Comment_119742221

https://ie.sportsdirect.com/muddyfox-trouser-clips-937838?cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=17603104950&cq_term=&cq_plac=&cq_net=g&cq_plt=gp&gclid=CjwKCAjwkaSaBhA4EiwALBgQaBzAk_o9BK6eOFRX977G3hE2S0rZG_Yk73kLjqCXv0tTfbnF-lFqsxoCyeQQAvD_BwE#colcode=93783803

….

cletus · 14-10-2022 8:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119742326#Comment_119742326

That was another option I considered, but I'm trying to streamline the use of this bike. Hop on and go

Seth Brundle · 14-10-2022 10:09am

Would sir be interested in some oak?

cletus · 14-10-2022 10:27am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119742702#Comment_119742702

😂😂😂

In general, how are these things attached? Do they just clip on (not the oak one, thank you very much)

hesker · 14-10-2022 10:35am

I’d expect they attach to the crank arm and you might need longer bolts and maybe spacers. Or they might require a purpose built chainring that has threaded holes for attachment.

Weepsie · 25-10-2022 4:44pm

I have a 2nd hand Pinnacle Arkose 3 (2015). One of those bright zesty green ones. It was both not used much, nor looked after brilliantly for the last few years. Components were all in good nick if a little scuffed. Anyway, swapped everything on it for an old Ultegra Hydraulic groupset I had earlier in the year (by I, LBS). I never bothered looking at headset though, and lately it's been a bit rickety.

OPened it up, and it was in a sorry, sorry state. Cleaned it out, could the cage open and cleaned the bearings individually. Lost one, had a spare. Regreased it all. Reassembled. Realised I made an arse of the handlebars going back on, went back and fixed and now it's much, much better. It's a short term fix for sure as they don't have much life left, but a very satisfying job.

Mundo7976 · 28-10-2022 6:30pm

My frankenstein is complete. Not the most pretty thing but functional & will work over the winter months. A bit twitchy up front, might be down to needing new bearings though. Pleased enough with the outcome.

28-10-2022 6:59pm

Are the new cranks a bit/much longer than the ones you took off? Hard to say for sure from the picture, how much space is there to the floor when the pedal is at 6'O clock?

Mundo7976 · 28-10-2022 7:16pm

Must be camera trickery, they're both the same length 🤷🏻‍♂️

CramCycle · 28-10-2022 7:36pm

Doing the same myself to a cheap planet X bike I picked up. Turns out the seat post is fused though and it's sitting a few inches to low. Planning to turn it upside down and feed ammonia through the bottle cage bolts

Today I did something to my bike thread...

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