Today I did something to my bike thread...

I did something pretty crazy to my bike this afternoon...... I cleaned it.

Nice idea for a thread.

I fixed at puncture and changed my tires back from Vittoria Open Corsa Evo SC to Conti GP 4000S. Stupid expensive experiment, not happy with the Vittoria durability at all. Looked good tho with the tan side walls :pac:

Dubba wrote: »

Nice idea for a thread.

I fixed at puncture and changed my tires back from Vittoria Open Corsa Evo SC to Conti GP 4000S. Stupid expensive experiment, not happy with the Vittoria durability at all. Looked good tho with the tan side walls :pac:

I upgraded from the Vittoria open corsas sc's to Veloflex masters specifically because of both the look of the tan sidewalls and the superior grip and feel compared to the gp's both of which the sc's provided, but with the Italian flag too :-)

Dubba wrote: »

Only one sensible option to that dilemma... new wheels

http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;navigation=1;product=30630;page=1;menu=1000,4,123,30;mid=401;pgc=0

Very reasonable commuter wheels if you're not expecting much crosswinds and they're not too heavy either.

Installed headset and forks onto frame today:


The purists may not like my choice of group set: Dura Ace 7400


Wheels:Mavic Mach 2 CD2 laced to DA 7400 hubs Vittoria tubs

Frame: Colnago made with Columbus Thron Super tubing. Not much info around re tubes. From what I can gather its a mid range tube set. Slighter wider in diameter than say my Master frame.
Groupset: DA 7400 family. Mainly early 90's. The groupset and wheels all came from the same bike so everything has equal wear, which thankfully isnt much,especially when you consider it's age.

I replaced the headset on my Focus Variado last night.

The bike is 2 years old with approx 5,000kms clocked up. The headset was making noises and closer inspection revealed lots of movement on the lower bearing. As it's nearly always used in dry conditions and stored indoors, I didn't think it would need changing at this early stage. Anyway, I emailed Wiggle (original suppliers) and they gave me the details for the FSA equivalent. I emailed Focus and they confirmed this model would work (I didn't want to get another original part because I wasn't too impressed with the life of the first one).

I actually ordered the headset from CRC because they were much cheaper that Wiggle; it's an "FSA Orbit ZS-3 Black Aheadset". When it arrived, I stuck it on a shelf where it sat for a few months. I wanted to do the job myself but understood if I got it wrong, the bike would be disabled awaiting a fix from the professionals ...

So, suitably you-tubed, I tackled this last night. Removing the old one was ok, but I was surprised to see lots of ball bearings - the old headset cap said “Cartridge Inside” … Installing the new headset went ok up to the point where I needed to put the new cups into the frame. I had a clamp - the type normally used for woodworking - but it simply couldn't persuade the cups to go in square. In the end, I gave up and used a hammer with a flat piece of steel to prevent impact damage and to cushion the blow. It worked, and the 2 cups went in cleanly. Reassembly was also reasonably straightforward, and I noticed that the new bearings were actually cartridge and that the FSA bearing was much better sealed that the original.

It was too late (and wet!) to go for a test run afterwards but I’m confident that it’ll all hold together when I next hit the road (pun not intended)

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

Today I got my 7sp Raleigh ready to take over full time commuting duties.

Nice one Dermot. Are you putting mudguard on that beaty?

Seweryn wrote: »

Nice one Dermot. Are you putting mudguard on that beaty?

I've a rear "clamp onto the seatpost" jobbie which I'll use for the next few days but will put a proper set on later in the week. I like the look of the race blades but this yoke has eyelets for a proper set so will see if I can get something similar in looks.

So... new bottom bracket bearings again, new chain, new cassette, new pedal axles with bearings, new jockey wheels... Good to go for another month or two .

Not on my bike but changed the front brake calliper on my girlfriend's commuter. Nothing fancy, just a standard Shimano long reach model. The old one just worn out - spring not pulling back properly, arms very wobbly and the wear on the pads was just random at best and she was complaining about a spongy feel on the front brake. The new one seems to be the business, though noticeably heavier than the old one.

ford2600 wrote: »

Would you not try a high end bottom bracket such as Chris King with the all weather mileage your doing?

I have the BB30 system, which is actually less durable, however on my last holiday break abroad I sourced some high quality Japanese bearings for the BB30 (I got them in a bearing specialist shop) and I have them now fitted. The only drawback is they have tight seals (more torque is lost, but you wouldn't notice it), but that is also positive sign. I will report here how long they last in comparison, but I am pretty confident, they will last a lot longer than the standard BB30 bearings that you get in a bike shop.

Seweryn wrote: »

Since I started cycling regularly I put the same set on and never took it off the bike. Can't imagine cycling without them, unless I go on holidays abroad.
I had to replace them twice, as they do not last the mileage I cover, but other than that they are one of the most important piece of equipment I have attached to my bike.

Have had them on my bike since September. They work. But they are flimsy, slightly awkward to set up, move enough to cause tyre rub frequently, and pack with mud when there's mud around. I'm awaiting a delivery of raceblades, which i had on another bike for years with not so much as a peep. They might not cover the brake pivot, but they are durable.

How much did they charge for a job like that?

New front tyre (GP4000s)
New Chain (some SRAM jobbie, 991 something)
New cassette (HG50)
New shifter cable rear inner and outer (K'ble something)
New bar tape (Lizard Skins DSP 2.5mm black)
Borrowed TT bars added (profile design, don't know the model but they feel comfy)

Replaced old worn out Continental Competition 22mm tub on my back wheel, the tufo sealant in it had been working overtime the last few weeks.
One hole in particular it plugged at the start line of a race, saved the day.

Also one of the pedals on my commuter\training bike gave up, so the obvious solution was to move the Keo Carbons from the race bike and replace with Keo Blade Carbon Ti axles

Also upgraded the standard FSA BB30 bearings with these ceramic ones from eBay. 2 x ceramic BB30 bearings delivered for < €40 !!!!
I can't vouch for their duability yet, but they are super smooth and yes I can notice a massive difference between them and my old standard FSA bearings.

That said my old ones were totally buggered, one of the bearings came apart as I was removing it, bearings everywhere!!
As I was picking up the pieces I noticed some bits of what I thought was grit in the bearing, on closer inspection it turned out of few of the ball bearings had disintegrated :eek:
I counted the out the ball bearings and there was 3 of the balls that were totally crushed !!! And some of the others seemed to be worn very unevenly.

Also went a long way to explaining the occasional but extremely unpleasant, crunchy/cracky sound that had recently started. Even thought the frame might have been cracked.

Got weird ticking/creaking noise fixed in LBS. First two shops I went to automatically said I needed a new bottom bracket (only 2,000km on bike). Third shop the guy said bring it down, he popped off the pedals, cleaned some dirt from inside and I was sorted for a fiver. Would like to be able to sort problems like that myself in future, but the guy said I'd need a decent torque wrench before taking that part of the bike apart - was he correct? Do torque wrenches of reasonable quality exist for under 50 quid?

Today I cleaned dog sh1t from outa the SS MTB's tires.
But with no outside tap at the house where I currently rent during the week where was I to clean them????

With the anti-cyclist whinging house-mate at work his shower obviously got the nod!:D