What have you fettled today?

[interzen]

Just put a new 9-speed chain on the orange Genesis - seems that the old 1/8" chain and the bling new Surly chainring weren't exactly getting along.

[TimO]

I just fettled the front garden clear of weeds, and made a start on the back garden, although that's going to take several goes.  At least I can get to the shed now, although I wouldn't want to take a bike that way, the tyres would end up full of bramble thorns!

[clarion]

I removed the S2C from my commuting bike and fitted the spare S3X.  Slightly botched shortening the chain, but it's OK.  Refitted the propstand.  It seemed to fit better this time.  Oh - and I managed to put the rear brake back on.

[Chris S]

Under Expert Tuition - I built a wheel. My first evah!  .

In other news - I need to learn to tell the difference between 32 and 36, and read labels on items I buy  .

[fuzzy]

Yesterday.

After the 5th in as many months unauthorised emptying of the garage located chest freezer at the outlaws, I molished and hung a new garden gate complete with 2 bolts and a latch thingy. To reinforce the gate security I bodged two pairs of gravel board brackets into 'cups' which were mounted on the walls inside the gate. Thes cups were fitted with two planks of wood between them as a further hindrance to burgling scumbags trying to force the gate.

Next is to get a more secure door on the garage.

[bumper]

Just cleaned the egr valve on my van.

It was full! 

The carb cleaner ate through doubled nitrile gloves and I'll now have black fingernails for a couple of weeks!!


On the the plus side the van is running nicely now

[phantasmagoriana]

De-fettled stuff I don't need (including both racks) from the hybrid, in an attempt to shed some weight from it in preparation for KTTR next weekend. I've got it down to, er, 15kg. Oh well, at least I've got very low gears!

[Cudzoziemiec]

Moved the bars up a little so the forward-facing bits before it goes into the drops (what do you call that section?) is horizontal. A short test ride indicates this will be more comfortable - I felt like my hands were sliding forwards whenever I used them before - but possibly at the cost of braking from the drops. Hmm, I'll have to defer judgement till a longer ride or ten.

[mcshroom]

I'm about to fettle the cassette off of the raleigh which now is missing half of the 5th cog
I've never managed to shear a rear sprocket before (obviously don't know my own strength )

At least that explains why 5th gear was skipping on the way in this morning

[Andrew Br]

I've flipped the stem of the tourer so that it's much less vertical almost horizontal.
A quick ride up and down the road suggests that the position feels very comfortable although I'm aware that the the test will come after 50+ miles.

[simonp]

We fettled Google’s arse.

(I say ‘we', but I just held the head end).

[SandyV]

The swimming pool!  New hose, cleared leaves and skimmer box build up, and added chemicals so it can look after itself for 2 weeks. I feel quite handy (not usual for me)

[fuzzy]

Today, as I rode to work, I fettled a suddenly flat tyre.

[clarion]

I rapidly fettled TGL's bike for commuting duty.  Tyres pumped up, brakes adjusted, mudguard sworn at until it was clear all the way round (it's very close clearance).

Then, after I'd ridden down the road, I raised the saddle about an inch.  I thought TGL had longer legs than me, but maybe not.  Or maybe his position isn't very good.  We'll have a look when I give it back to him.

The chain needs some love.  I'll give it credit for sticking to its line, which is something I normally find a very admirable quality for a chain.  But this is a derailleur drivetrain, and it needs to be degunked a bit and oiled so it changes smoothly.

I shall be using this bike for touring at the weekend, and it will be carrying a heavier load than it has before (at least in our household), so it will be interesting to see how it handles.  I shall be sans barbag, so it may be a bit back heavy.  We'll see.

[hatler]

Last night a problem solving session resulted in a further fettle. Annoyed with myself on this one.

Replaced middle chainring on Sunday (on the Sunday) and didn't have time for a full road test.

Big ring no longer selectable.

Last night I set about sorting it. Adjust stops, re-tension cable, all to no avail.

Doh !   New ring is 42t whereas old one was 40t. The slight increase in diameter of the ring meant that the front mech was catching it before it could go far enough to get the chain onto the big ring.

Had to raise the mech up the seat tube a tads to get it all working, but the mech is now quite a bit higher in comparison to the big ring than all the books recommend.

Should I be worried ?

[tiermat]

One of the MagicLightUK lenses into the chinese copy Magiclight that I bought last week, not just have to do the other one and fit the brackets to both.

it was surprisingly easy job and the seal seems fine, these lenses being about the same thickness at the outer edge as the original.  Much cheaper and easier than ordering them from the US.

[Torslanda]

Last night a problem solving session resulted in a further fettle. Annoyed with myself on this one.

Replaced middle chainring on Sunday (on the Sunday) and didn't have time for a full road test.

<snip>

Doh !  New ring is 42t whereas old one was 40t.

Had to raise the mech up the seat tube a tads to get it all working, but the mech is now quite a bit higher in comparison to the big ring than all the books recommend.

Should I be worried ?

I'm kind of mystified as to why that should be. Is your chainset 30 inner, 50 outer? If it is that would imply that the biggest gap that can be accommodated on the front mech is a step of 10 with a max overall capacity of 20. Hence 28/38/48 would work as would 30/40/50 and 32/42/52 but your (I'm guessing) 30/42/50 is too big a step in the middle.

Doubtless there'll be a real tech head along shortly to tell me I'm talking bollocks <Grumpy on> It's what usually happens <Grumpy off>

Meanwhile: Last night (Tuesday) a friend of the eldest appears at the door and asks Mrs Torslanda, she of the horned helmet and heavy metal breastplate, 'Is your husband in' (The kid's 11!) It turns out he has a decrepit heap BMX in need of a fettle, The chain is broke, there's a flat tyre, it's got no brakes - all the usual stuff.

Polite kids being rare around here (Kin'ell! You should here the way they treat the staff in the local takeaways!) he'd asked so politely I just couldn't say no. Break out the tools. Lose a link, mend a puncture - and like that!

Tonight (Wednesday) he's back. With a lever (broke) and a brake cable. He'd fed it thru the eyelets, bless him, but it still had both its nipples. I thought 'I can't let him ride this' and gentle questioning told me he had BOTH brakes. I pulled a junker off the heap at the bottom of the garden and set to work. An hour later and he owns a working BMX with TWO - count 'em! - brakes, a grip on either side of the bars - Luxury! and the puncture fettled properly. And I've cannibalised a junker so it's cost me precisely bugger all!

A short while later he's back. his mum wants to know what wine we like! I think I'm going to have to start charging people . . .

[hatler]

Last night a problem solving session resulted in a further fettle. Annoyed with myself on this one.

Replaced middle chainring on Sunday (on the Sunday) and didn't have time for a full road test.

<snip>

Doh !  New ring is 42t whereas old one was 40t.

Had to raise the mech up the seat tube a tads to get it all working, but the mech is now quite a bit higher in comparison to the big ring than all the books recommend.

Should I be worried ?

I'm kind of mystified as to why that should be. Is your chainset 30 inner, 50 outer? If it is that would imply that the biggest gap that can be accommodated on the front mech is a step of 10 with a max overall capacity of 20. Hence 28/38/48 would work as would 30/40/50 and 32/42/52 but your (I'm guessing) 30/42/50 is too big a step in the middle.

Yup, it was a 30/40/50 Shimano 105 and is now 30/42/50. I too am surprised at how close the tolerances are.

I had a 30/39/52 chainset all ready to go if this fettle had failed, so even with this I would have had to raise the mech.

A very frustrating Monday evening spent on a 'simple' job.

And nice work on the BMX by the way.

[Wowbagger]

Some ham sandwiches.

[Torslanda]

Thanks, Hatler. It helps the old self esteem.

Silly question. Is the alternative chainset the same bolt pattern? If it is then rob the middle from that to make a 30/39/50?

[tiermat]

Thanks, Hatler. It helps the old self esteem.

Silly question. Is the alternative chainset the same bolt pattern? If it is then rob the middle from that to make a 30/39/50?

Surely you end up with the same problem, just moved one across then?  FWIW the Inbred has a 22/32/44 chainset on it and uses a Ultegra 6600 triple front mech.  Works fine when chain and chainset clean, but is reluctant to change to the outer ring when gunked up (which usually after one ride).  I have no problem on the Holdsworth which is the same groupset, but with a Ultegra 6600 triple chainset.

[hatler]

Thanks, Hatler. It helps the old self esteem.

Silly question. Is the alternative chainset the same bolt pattern? If it is then rob the middle from that to make a 30/39/50?

Not a silly question at all. It is, and I did consider that, but didn't fancy despoiling a virgin chainset. And, by the time the old chainset had been fettled it seemed easier to sort out the 'slight' adjustment problem rather than go through two further dismantlements and one remantlement.

[hatler]

Thanks, Hatler. It helps the old self esteem.

Silly question. Is the alternative chainset the same bolt pattern? If it is then rob the middle from that to make a 30/39/50?

Surely you end up with the same problem, just moved one across then?  FWIW the Inbred has a 22/32/44 chainset on it and uses a Ultegra 6600 triple front mech.  Works fine when chain and chainset clean, but is reluctant to change to the outer ring when gunked up (which usually after one ride).  I have no problem on the Holdsworth which is the same groupset, but with a Ultegra 6600 triple chainset.

Indeed. The mech would have needed raising slightly to accommodate the larger big ring.

[jogler]

A lawn & a Volvo

One is short & green
The other is very very clean

[Torslanda]

I can't remeber the last time I cleaned a car properly, it's too easy to let the Lithuanian Mafia car wash do it.