What have you fettled today?

[interzen]

It's almost a year since the red fixer became the dead red fixer. I wonder if I'll remember how to ride one?

It's a lot like riding a bike...

But with rather less margin for error ...

I fettled the front brake on the orange Genesis earlier on - it no longer shrieks like a shrieky thing when I so much as look at the brake lever.

[delthebike]

My headlight brackets have arrived and I've put the IQ Fly on with the handlebar clamp type. I think tomorrow will see me change the Pompino wheel for the new SON28 wheel, remove and refit a 622-28 Marathon+, and fettle the Seculite on, still to decide if I want the Seculite on the rear rack or mudguard. 
At some point in the future I'll drill the fork and mount the light on the heavy duty crown mount type bracket.

[reddo]

Been fettling the new(er) bike. Shake down ride completed. Ok.. I installed a GPS mount and tinkered with the conspicuity lights.
And slightly raised the seat. 
That required an Allen key so I guess that's "fettling".

[Cudzoziemiec]

Took one bike outside and cleaned it, even to the extent of taking off the front wheel so I could get at the dead leaves and mud that have jammed inside the mudguard under the fork crown.

Took the other bike outside and fitted a new chain and pedals. Not that there was anything wrong with the old pedals, which in fact were pretty new - they'd only been on there since March, but I just figured I'd prefer these. Must be getting fussy. 

[David Martin]

I replaced a spoke. This had to be the most awkward one, being drive side of the rear wheel.
So I had to remove the cassette. All the tools were to hand but the £$%&£&%£ would not budge. I applied brute strength, craftiness, carefull percussive persuasion and eventually, with much swearing I got a result!

(click to show/hide)

oops by davidmamartin, on Flickr

Buy cheap, buy twice.. Oh well, back to my original slightly stronger and thicker ones. And after even more cursing and swearing (because it is rather chilly in the garage right now) it all did what it should, and spokes were fettled in short order.

I may be shopping soon for a new chain whip.

[phantasmagoriana]

Finally removed the troublesome BB from the project frame (that I've had hanging around since, er...May)!

The winning combination turned out to be a very large spanner and one of these. (Yes, I know I could make one much cheaper, but it was convenient. It helped me remove another difficult (though nowhere near as bad), BB the other day too, so it's my new favourite tool!)

I fear no bottom bracket now.

[mcshroom]

I'm glad that sort of tool works as I'll be trying my own Heath Robinson version of one of those tomorrow. How long was the spanner?

[phantasmagoriana]

About 42cm, so pretty long!

[mcshroom]

About 42cm, so pretty long!

Hmm - I may need a bigger spanner

I'm hoping that putting my not inconsiderable weight on my current one will work though

[Chris S]

Fitted a Cyo to the tandem:


2012-10-27 12.28.51 by Pelotonhound, on Flickr

One of the many attentions to detail that drew us to the Longstaff; braze-on cable guides for dyno-lights:


2012-10-27 10.37.50 by Pelotonhound, on Flickr

Also fitted industrial Randonneur grade flaps:


2012-10-27 12.37.09 by Pelotonhound, on Flickr

and a Cateye bracket:

2012-10-27 12.28.20 by Pelotonhound, on Flickr

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Now that is a mudflap I want to draft.

[BrianI]

Fettled the fish tank today.
Removed the internal filter / pump / heater unit with the aid of a bread knife to slice the silicon holding the filter box to the tank glass.

Carefully chopped up the old media from the filter, and placed it into the nice shiny new external canister filter (Eheim Ecco Pro 200)

Hooked up the intake / outlet hoses into the tank, stuck the heater to the tank using suckers, then turned everything back on!  And it all works!   

It's surprising how much room the internal filter box took up in my 70L tank... 

Found hunners of snail eggs in the bottom of the internal filter box, which would explain why my outbreak of snails.....   

[TimO]

I just fettled a green neon illuminator to the downstairs hallway light switch, so I should have a nice green glow when I come in at night, and minimise the amount of fumbling (and occasionally cat standing on) that is involved!

[Diver300]

I fettled a current transformer by cutting the primary out of a small 230 - 15V transformer and replacing it with 10 turns of wire.

I now know that a mixture of compact fluorescent lamps and halogen lamps fed by electronic transformers take current that is mainly harmonics.

[Juan Martín]

With the clocks going back the time has come to change the Royal's tyres for Marathon Pluses for winter duties. I wasn't looking forward to doing this but the tyres went on with much less of a struggle than I had anticipated. However, the temporary reserve rear wheel that is 130mm OLN rather than 127 proved to be an absolute pig to refit - I remember it being a bit fiddly when I fitted it in the summer but not as diffiucult as I found it this afternoon. I suspect it might be a little easier with the machine upside down rather than in the maintenance stand, but I really must get on and rebuild the original wheel.

And then some leaf sweeping and further bookcase fettling.

[interzen]

Sort of a fettle by proxy today. Took the fork for the green Genesis to the LBS to have a star nut fitted - the conversation went a bit like this:

Me: Can you put a star nut in these forks?
LBS: Certainly - did you bring one with you?
Me: <quizzical look> Eh? I don't have one.
LBS: What about the one that came with the headset?
Me: Arsebiscuits 

Ah well, at least I've got one for the spares box now ... I just put the box for the headset (containing star nut) on a shelf and forgot about it. The reason that the star nut wasn't fitted at the same time as the headset is because I wasn't sure if the steerer tube would need cutting down - as it turns out, it didn't.

Still, at least the forks are fitted 'properly' now.

[drossall]

Finally removed the troublesome BB from the project frame (that I've had hanging around since, er...May)!

The winning combination turned out to be a very large spanner and one of these.

I'm feeling thick. What BB is it for and how does it work?

[clarion]

I pumped up the tyres on my Woosrup and gave it a once-over before heading out for a ride.

Later, I cleaned my Woodrup (called Whsh) and Butterfly's Galaxy (called Lily) ready to put them away.  Baby wipes thing.  I know I should do the chains, but it's cold and dark and I'm tired and not got any shoes on.  It'll do.

I corrected the time on the bike computer on my Romany, but not on Whsh, partly because I had a quick changeover this morning, and partly because it's unlikely to turn a wheel till BST comes round again #vanity

[Cudzoziemiec]

That reminds me, there's one clock I didn't change.

[mcshroom]

Finally removed the troublesome BB from the project frame (that I've had hanging around since, er...May)!

The winning combination turned out to be a very large spanner and one of these.

I'm feeling thick. What BB is it for and how does it work?

Cartridge BB (I believe, that's what my screw and washer combination is for) and it holds the removal tool in place by screwing into the crank bolt holes on the axle so you can but more force on the tool to turn it.

My fettling today was all on the single speed. I fitted the velosolo spacer kit so the chain now runs straight, put a light on the rear mudguard and fitted some experimental mudflaps made from card, duct tape and bits of old brake cable.

[fuzzy]

Oh, I'm not saying that wearing shorts in the snow was character building and everyone should do it. I'd much rather my mum had sewn a patch on them! We never inflicted shorts on our kids for school.

Funny ole' world isn't it. As kids we spend ages thinking of excuses not to be forced to wear shorts for school.

Now I'm (allegedly) a grown up, I was the envy of my nick when I go the OK from the area commander to wear cargo shorts on bike patrol.

[Kim]

Pretty much everything gear-related on the back on the Streetmachine, which is now indexing properly for the first time in ages ('twas one of those combination of factors things).

Rainlegs, now hardshell recumbent seat friendly.

Some of baratka's trousers, while I had the sewing machine out.

[interzen]

Fitted the brake calipers (BB7s) to the green Genesis - not cabled up yet, though, since I still lack a front wheel and the necessary cableage.

It's now starting to look more like a bike and less like a diamond-shaped assemblage of iron pipes painted green. Still got do decide which tyre to run, though ...

[fuzzy]

My ride home last night was interupted by an episode of chain suckage or similar which, after sorting, left the drivetrain sounding as if it was leaning towards the FUBAR end of the "How is Your Bike Running" spectrum (HiYBiRun).

On making it home to Fuzzy Towers I was able to get some decent light on to the situation and discovered that one of the inner links had twisted making the chain run 'pissed'.

Bike shop shut- TGFPL

[clarion]

Swapped the bouncy castles on the Romany for the Marathon Racer 30s I got at half price from PX.  Bike feels a lot livelier now (even if I don't).  I remembered to alter the computer.  I've got a new computer coming, but it's probably at work, where I'm not today, along with the bracket for the Cyo, to go with the dynohub I fitted last night.