What have you fettled today?

[Andrew Br]

I connected my new-to-me dynohub wheel and my newish Phillips light. After a bit of confusion as to which wire was which (the Phillips instructions weren't simple enough for the likes of me, but the internet had the answer) there was light!

I'm not going to fit it to the bike just yet, though - it will probably go on for the Carlisle-Newcastle night ride.

If it's the same Philips dyno light that I have, you're going to be very pleased.
I prefer it to my Supernova E3  .

Sadly, I think that I'm going to have to miss the Carlisle ride; I start a new job on 1st. September and I'm not sure how that is going to pan out wrt being able to do night rides albeit I have signed up for the CC Dun Run Lite ride on 03-10-14.

I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for it though.
If I'm there, hopefully the 4-5W drag from the dyno-hub will give the rest of us a chance to keep up on the hills.
Have you tightened your chain ? 

[Deano]

Built a rear wheel, sorted out the chainline, agonised over the brakes, and generally put together my (formerly interzen's) 1x1.

Too late for riding any farther than up and down the road, or for pics, but wait until tomorrow.

[Kim]

Shiny new brake cables on the Streetmachine, as the previous ones were in need of a bilge pump.

Then turned my attention to the rear (parking) brake on the trike.  It was also overdue for a new cable, so I took the opportunity to do a little voodoo ergonomics and see how barakta gets on with a grip shifter on the wrong side as a way of activating it (the advantage being that it's a lot less fiddly than the previous lever + velcro strap arrangement).  In the process I moved the assistance/regen level button unit over to the remaining unpopulated space on the lower crevices of the right hand bar, on the basis that at least it will be accessible by working fingers.  We'll see how it goes.

[fuzzy]

New bottom bracket and chain onto the 'Dale R800. Changed the BB due to an intermitant clunk when putting the power down. Clunk has completely failed to fuck off

[Dibdib]

Irritating post-FNRttC clicking noise coming from somewhere between my feet. After a little poking and prodding, it seems to have gone away - I managed to isolate it to the right pedal, and a tweak of cleat bolts and a regreasing of the pedal threads seems to have done the trick.

[BrianI]

Fettled a replacement "ear" for my Polar Lights Robby the Robot model kit I'm building to replace the shoddy kit part:

Kit "ears" sink hole and mismoulded plastic ahoy:


Fettled a ball point pen into shape:


Made a mould using Sylmasta Casting Kit* silicon rubber:


Then, once the mould had cured cast a new ear using the resin from the casting kit:


 

* this is the casting kit I used: http://www.sylmasta.com/acatalog/Sylmasta-Casting-Kit-01---FREE-25ml-Clear-Epoxy-906.html#SID=6

[Gattopardo]

Cleaned the mountain bike, replaced the rear tube that exploded.

Still needed to get a chain.

[air dancer]

Replaced all the bearings in a pair of Campag wheels, including the awkward ones in the free hub body.

Now I've got to summon the willpower to stop spinning the bloody things every time I pass them.

[mcshroom]

Done battle with the invading triffid brambles coming over, under and round the wall from next door this evening. 8 garden bags full of the stuff with more to add tomorrow

[Vince]

Reattached the handle to the fridge door which had been bodged by the kitchen fitter handyman 12 years ago. He had driven wood screws into the door, cut the heads off and then araldited the handle over them. My repair required drilling out the knackered threads and re-tapping. Then removing the door fascia from the fridge to bolt through.

[Marco Stefano]

Back wheel on my Cheviot developed a tick overnight on Saturday (by itself in the garage - how do they do that?), when both pedalling and freewheeling and roadspeed-related, but not when under load (i.e. with rear wheel raised and spun, or with weight right over front wheel - no noise.

Spokes and flanges look fine. Bearings looked fine but I cleaned and regreased anyway, and also put a drop of GT85 on each nipple, as I read that here somewhere. No test due to it peeing down; we'll see.

[cycleman]

Fitted the little rear lights that Kim got me on to the trice mudguard s .when Apollo return's my camera from stoke lodge    I will take photos

[Canardly]

Sprayed the tent with nikwax UV protector and waterproofer. Oh and cleaned out all the detritus I have accumulated this year.

[Andrij]

Put new socks and shoes on the Moulton.  May take it out for a spin later to see if I can notice a difference between the aged Stelvios and the new Duranos.

[arabella]

Taken another link of out my chain, as yet another link has gone.  That's the 3rd one.  Not sure if it's 'cos it's a 9-speed chain (everything else has fewer than 9 speeds) or 'cos it's a carp chain.
I balked at retruing a very pringled wheel.  today's little jaunt happened to be the reverse of some sportive, cue peoples shiny bikes etc not paying any attention and being all over the road etc.  One of whom failed to heed the yells etc.
But seeing as I've now stopt seething I'll stop there.

[Paul]

Taken another link of out my chain, as yet another link has gone.  That's the 3rd one.  Not sure if it's 'cos it's a 9-speed chain (everything else has fewer than 9 speeds) or 'cos it's a carp chain.

Either way, if the links are breaking/failing, I'd dump the chain. I've not had a chain break mid ride, but I imagine it's not nice.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Plastered my kitchen ceiling..



..just need the kitchen now. And a floor. And walls.

But anyway I think i have earned an outing on the bike tomorrow.

[Canardly]

Cor I wish I could do that. Looks sluverly.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Cor I wish I could do that. Looks sluverly.

Thank you, have had quite a lot of practice but it is still hard work.  Definitely a bike ride today..

[Tim Hall]

Friday night, I watched while my friend Dave finished off the rear wheel for my fixer. I did turn the spoke key a bit, but it was mainly all his work. Nice job and, hurrah!, the fixer is back on the road  at long last.

Saturday, managed to  undo the lock nut on the pink magenta bike head set.  This had been seized solid, and I'm hoping the application of ammonia did the trick (dissolving aluminium oxide, like Sheldon says). Either that or I'm stronger than last time I tried.  The plan is to use ammonia to free the quill stem too, but Jobst Brandt says it's unlikely.

[CommuteTooFar]

I finally removed the worn chain ring from Orange bike.  Fitted a new one.  New chain. New wheel with different hub. Old wheel is spare. Test ride resulted in failure. The chain alignment looks right but the chain falls off the rear sprocket. Then I went in for dinner.  Next weeks job, sort out alignment.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

The plan is to use ammonia to free the quill stem too, but Jobst Brandt says it's unlikely.

Bah! What does he know?  have you tried the bigger hammer?

[Ashaman42]

Cleaned my new to me frame and forks and started moving things off the camping bike, giving them a quick (and halfhearted) clean and putting them on the new frame.

The brake and gear cables need replacing as the outers are split and rusting, trip to Halfords tomorrow.

Moved the handlebars over, the steerer tube is a different length. Given the spacers I have the steerer tube is ~9mm below the top of the stem, the stem itself being 40mm deep. I know the steerer needs to sit a bit lower to allow the topcap to pull it all together but is 9mm too far?

Should I try and pick up a shorter spacer to replace one of the curent ones? Current spacers are about 10mm deep and I have two of them in place under the stem (and nothing above).

[madcow]

On Friday, I swapped a 110mm stem for a 120mm stem on my Sabbath. Went for a ride yesterday and the difference was noticeable. I am now sitting in the right place on the newish B17,whereas previously my sit bones were just about on the metal plate at the back of the saddle.
 It still needs more miles to get comfy , but this is a big improvement.
The stem I bought was on e-bay for £2 plus postage. I reckoned on buying a cheapie to test rather than spend £20 or £30 on brand new item and find it was not what was needed.

[Mr Larrington]

Armed only with my trusty Swiss Army Knife I have swapped the BRITISH plug on my wee kettle for a USAnian one, which means I no longer have to juggle five wossnames into a 4-gang (kettle, Babbage-Engine, phone charger, USB wall wart, anbarism for USB hub).

Ancient phone is compatible with USA but not USB ha-ha; iPad will only charge from wall-wart or Babbage-Engine's USB 3.0 port, latter is already in use by external hard drive.  In case you were wondering.