Today I did something to my bike thread...

oinkely · 19-08-2025 08:44AM

yep, looks very like that alright.

cletus · 19-08-2025 04:00PM

Today I finished the tubeless setup on my eldest fella's mate's bike.

They had started it out in the front garden, but wanted a hand with the tape and getting the tyres to seat

Bluejohn1 · 25-08-2025 10:25PM

New wheels arrived (Elite Edge Gravel). Regret not just putting the new tyres on. Forgot how much of a ball ache gravelkings can be seat on the rim. Air compressor and air shot both struggled, soapy water eventually helped with an air shot.

Cant wait to give them a spin on the weekend.

CantGetNoSleep · 26-08-2025 06:22AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123754701#Comment_123754701

I've just received the new Elite Gravel Aero+ yesterday. Made a bit of a mess fitting the tubeless tape so thinking of reordering it before I fit the tires

oinkely · 26-08-2025 10:20AM

Project upgrade on the everyday bike completed. Claris 8 speed with cable discs to 105 11 speed with hydraulic discs.

Had to take the levers off the bars and elevate them above the bike before bleeding them a second time - now working like a treat. Reused the old bar tape, found a magnet skinny enough for the crank arm cadence sensor, tidied up the cable ties for the brake hoses and added a pair of sexy green issi spd pedals instead of the single sided spd shimano cage ones that were on it.

Can't wait to get out on it but with the kids back to school this week it might be the weekend before it gets a trip.

Also made a little change to the old race bike - alu giant TCR from 2000 with dura ace 9 speed on it. The 53/39 with 11-25 cassette was not enough easy gears so picked up a 7800 105 50/34 crankset and BB to try it out. Realised after i picked it up that it was 165 rather than 172.5 which i currently use. I had a duathlon in Newcastle on Saturday so made the swap for the race. No changes at all other than the BB and chain set, didn't shorten the chain, or move the front derailleur, and all seems to be working perfectly.

So 11 speed cranks with 9 speed everything else.

And the shorter cranks and easier climbing gear were fantastic, found i was holding 105 rpm a lot of the time and despite a tough effort on the bike course i had good legs for the last run too, managing to pass a few people in the 3.5 km.

Bluejohn1 · 26-08-2025 01:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123755031#Comment_123755031

I was lookin at those, but worried about clearance. These Gravelking 43s measure about 45 on both the old Scribe and Elite wheels.

triggermortis · 15-09-2025 03:47PM

Today I cleaned my winter bike after yesterday's wet outing and hopefully put the 105 cassette back on properly this time! Last time I deep cleaned it I removed the cassette and ever since it hasn't shifted quite right (12 speed di2 105) and today I realized some of the spacers are different sizes. Hopefully that's sorted now as its too wet and miserable to go test it..

_CreeD_ · 21-09-2025 08:58PM

I finished up replacing the tyres on my eMTB (27.5 x 2.6). It came with Schwalbe Smart Sams and I migrated to Vitoria Mezcals as it's mostly used on road - I like MTB geometry and find it the most comfortable. I can definitely feel the improvement in roll resistance and not as a big a factor but they also run quieter, they're also supposed to be much more puncture resistant. That's made all the more important because this whole exercise was the most frustrating and physically painful thing I've ever had to do with a bike. They're Tubeless Ready but shipped with a tube. It took a good 3 hours to remove EACH tyre, leaving me with blistered hands, broken levers and even bent metal tools I had to resort to (and yes the rims are now too scratched to ever be kept as actual Tubeless). I tried heating the tyres, lubricating, standing on them and pulling the rims, using hand C-Clamps etc. It was nuts. I've read stories of other Smart Sam users taking them to LBS to remove and the worst took 3 engineers with C-Clamps to eventually get off. This is just stupid, I've been riding around since I bought this bike back in May thinking I was covered by having some good tyre levers (and a Tyre Glider) alongside a repair kit and spare tube but there is no way I could have taken these off on the road.

For the love of god if you ship TLR then make it actually tubeless so even if there is that much pain involved when you do remove a tyre you should rarely have to do it. Keeping a tube in there means you have that additional removal hassle AND still the greater puncture impact.

I think when I take it in for it's first service in the next month or 2 I'll keep the new Mezcals but get the shop to make it Tubeless with new rims.

cletus · 07-10-2025 09:07AM

Before

After

Didn't need loads, but more than I could get with the old seatpost

MojoMaker · 09-10-2025 11:39AM

Deda chrome gear is nice alright, that really suits it.

MojoMaker · 09-10-2025 11:40AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123818892#Comment_123818892

I've had this. Almost punched myself in the face out of frustration before learning that yes indeed the spacers are slightly different sizes.

CramCycle · 12-10-2025 02:49PM

Just installed GRX DI2 1X. Well I have to say, for once, you could easily do that with a few beers on board. It was beautifully simple. Only complication was that the 12 speed casette was microspline so I had to order a new freehub. Also, so easy to swap out, beautifully simple.

Kids today have things so easy, I genuinely don't trust I have done it right it was so simple

cletus · 15-11-2025 05:16PM

When you go to change the chain on the bike, and you realise it might necessitate a few extra steps...

Clean(er) and new chain in place

smacl · 03-12-2025 07:23AM

Replaced my old Nukeproof pedals which had developed some serious play with a set of Crankbrothers Stamp pedals. Feels so much better riding, one of the advantages of replacing a long overdue worn out set. Also replaced cable inners and outers on my daughters old bike for her Christmas break coming back from London. Hoping to get a few leisurely spins in with her. Amazing how little TLC old bikes need to keep running smoothly.

fat bloke · 04-12-2025 01:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123990400#Comment_123990400

Chroosht almighty lad….

cletus · 04-12-2025 02:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124041591#Comment_124041591

It's a gravel bike. It's meant to be dirty 😂😂😂

fat bloke · 04-12-2025 02:53PM

Well, I would diplomatically counter and certainly agree that it's meant to "get" dirty. 😁

(But then you are supposed to clean it!!!)

cletus · 04-12-2025 02:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124041816#Comment_124041816

Well, I could do that, but it'll only get dirty again the next time I take it out...

smacl · 04-12-2025 04:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124041826#Comment_124041826

My bike looks like that most of the time. This time of year if you're doing any amount of off road, best way of cleaning it is getting caught out in a downpour, not much point otherwise :)

cletus · 06-12-2025 12:07PM

Today's spin turned into a bit of a muck fest

Just for @fat bloke I cleaned it down before I put it away 😀

cletus · 13-12-2025 05:38PM

So, as I said in a different thread, I thought the rear wheel might need a sealant top up, and I figured if I was doing that I might as well install the new Schwalbe Clik Valves I bought recently.

They installed easily, handy to use, and while I didn't time it, they do seem to inflate a tyre quicker than the old presta valves. However...

That is a clout nail. The sort used for felt roofs on garden sheds. No idea when or where I picked it up. I pulled it out, and the hole was too big for the sealant to seal. Plugged it, and it seems to be holding, but it's just cemented for me that I need a new tyre (or pair of them) soon. You can see a flat spot on the threads just below the nail

cletus · 07-01-2026 07:46PM

Having used the Clik valves for a few weeks now, I'm a convert. I plan on putting them on all bikes, including the wife's bike. To that end, I converted the JoeBlow track pump I bought to be a permanent Clik inflator head

gn3dr · 08-01-2026 10:23AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124126650#Comment_124126650

Interesting valve adapters. Reading the blurb it seems they are backwards compatible too in case you are stuck out on the road with your CO2 or mini pump, which was my first question. I can't help thinking though the the "problem" they are trying to solve could be solved by the manufacturers not threading the outside of the valve ?

I personally hate the look of valves that are threaded all the way out. The thread makes it much harder to get a seal with a pump. ( and also eats the rubber seal of the pump head)

cletus · 08-01-2026 11:18AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124128285#Comment_124128285

I find the issue with presta is more the bending of the inner pin, particularly when taking the inflator head off.

This Clik valve system is pretty foolproof, in terms of engaging and disengaging the inflator head.

Bluejohn1 · 24-01-2026 06:11PM

Got everything moved over. Think it came out well. Shite day so haven't been able to give it a proper spin.

cletus · 24-01-2026 06:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124176184#Comment_124176184

Beautiful. Well wear.

slideshow bob · 25-01-2026 09:51PM

At last got around to changing brake cables and pads on my trusty rim brake cyclo-cross I use for commuting, and touring in summer. Brake pull has been heavy for a few weeks, and brake pads very worn.

Thankfully I spotted a sidewall bulge, so replaced the front tyre with a Vredstein gifted from a buddy a few months back. Never used this type of tyre before - hope it's grippy. Happy to sort that bulge out preventatively with all the rain forecast this week. Nominal 28mm, but measures 25mm fitted.

cletus · 31-01-2026 11:37AM

A small procedure meant some stitches, so no cycling for 2 weeks (well, we'll see)

These arrived today, so at least I've something to do this weekend in lieu of getting out on the bike

cletus · 01-02-2026 06:28PM

Fitted.

It's not the same as going for a spin...

smacl · 03-02-2026 08:31AM

Yesterday, the gods apparently didn't want me to go cycling. Planned on a shortish lunch spin following a bad flu over January and was met with a flat rear tyre. Not a problem, swapped out the GKS that had been givin me lots of issues with a new Schwalbe G-One R Pro and got on my way. Headed up to Cunard and found the rear shifting was getting dodgy, so back down towards Glenasmole and tried the gravel climb off the Castlekelly road when the rear shifter cable died entirely. I managed to bodge it into a position that left me in the middle of the block leaving me with the big or small front rings as my gear choices for the cycle home.

Opened up the old Ultegra 6800 shifter yesterday evening to find bits of frayed and snapped cable inside. Managed to extract the bits, fit new cable inner and outers and all is good again. Will re-tape the bars after work today and may also fit a new G-One to the front wheel. The bike is clear feeling a bit under loved and looking for some much needed (and well deserved) attention.

Today I did something to my bike thread...

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