Author Topic: What have you fettled today? (Read 2178753 times)

peterc · « **Reply #2775 on:** 06 January, 2011, 08:49:46 pm »

Fitted a B&M rear light, the day after fitting a Cyo. Process started with some angle iron, files, hacksaws, pillar drills, an arc welder and some spray paint.

I fear I may have over-engineered it a touch.

Dyno-hub commuting for me soon, shame it relegates the recumbent to a summer bike, but ho hum.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #2776 on:** 06 January, 2011, 08:56:09 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 06 January, 2011, 05:15:35 pm

Quote from: Wowbagger on 06 January, 2011, 01:53:20 pm
Quote from: Kim on 06 January, 2011, 01:50:25 pm
Conductive gel for homemade electrocardiogram pads. Feel free to ask how I know this.

How do you know this?

I molished one for a GCSE project, and it mostly worked. I highly recommend it if you have a love of finicky op-amps and covering yourself in micropore tape.

It's also really cool to be able to put the operating theatre anteroom nurse in their place when they mis-read geekiness as anxiety when they connect you to the "special telly for monitoring your heart".

Please reassure me - they used this phrase because you were only ten years old at the time?

Kim · « **Reply #2777 on:** 06 January, 2011, 11:47:53 pm »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 06 January, 2011, 08:56:09 pm

Quote from: Kim on 06 January, 2011, 05:15:35 pm
the "special telly for monitoring your heart".

Please reassure me - they used this phrase because you were only ten years old at the time?

26, IIRC.

Though (crossing the threads somewhat) it was in Yorkshire...

This evening's fettling has been mostly beating the bootloader on an old Netgear router into submission so I could put dd-wrt on it for use as an access point. Which is about as fun as it sounds.

drossall · « **Reply #2778 on:** 06 January, 2011, 11:59:05 pm »

Fettle failure. A mile into the ride to work, the left crank on my new Pompino started to feel loose. It had only done 13 miles from new. A mile from work, it fell off. I rode in to the office on one leg. Bike now sitting in work shed as I couldn't really ride it home like that.

Tomorrow I take along a socket spanner and Allen key socket, and a new bolt. Hope the crank is not too damaged...

essexian · « **Reply #2779 on:** 07 January, 2011, 10:49:32 am »

Not sure if there is a "What have you failed to fettle today" thread but if there was....

Well, after watching serveral YouTubes on how to do it and reading Parks webpages, I settled down to change the sram cassette on my Boardman.... how hard can it be to get the old one (done about 1 200 miles) off?

The answer to that is BL**DY IMPOSSIBLE. The thing feels like its glued on as it won't move a micro millimetre.

Not sure what to do next (The LBS scares me!). Any tips gratefully received.

Ham · « **Reply #2780 on:** 07 January, 2011, 11:07:08 am »

Waxed, edged and tuned Miss Ham's skis to 1+3 to try to improve the carving of a competent all mountain but characterless women's ski (Scott Realm 154). She's off tomorrow with Uni for a(nother) week, this time in Tignes.

Considered prepping both mine & Mrs H's as well, rather than preparing them for storage, on the basis that might make a February jaunt while still unaffordable, more likely.

Thought snow.

MattH · « **Reply #2781 on:** 07 January, 2011, 11:21:44 am »

Quote from: essexian on 07 January, 2011, 10:49:32 am

Not sure if there is a "What have you failed to fettle today" thread but if there was....

Well, after watching serveral YouTubes on how to do it and reading Parks webpages, I settled down to change the sram cassette on my Boardman.... how hard can it be to get the old one (done about 1 200 miles) off?

The answer to that is BL**DY IMPOSSIBLE. The thing feels like its glued on as it won't move a micro millimetre.

Not sure what to do next (The LBS scares me!). Any tips gratefully received.

It should be relatively easy, no matter what mileage it's done. I assume you are trying to remove the locking ring, not trying to unscrew the cassette (like you'd do with an old freewheel)? How are you trying to do it?

Woofage · « **Reply #2782 on:** 07 January, 2011, 11:24:32 am »

I dropped a frame and forks off at the LBS for fitting of lovely new Campag headset

. Should be ready later today.

essexian · « **Reply #2783 on:** 07 January, 2011, 11:47:30 am »

Quote from: MattH on 07 January, 2011, 11:21:44 am

It should be relatively easy, no matter what mileage it's done. I assume you are trying to remove the locking ring, not trying to unscrew the cassette (like you'd do with an old freewheel)? How are you trying to do it?

Yes, trying to undo the locking ring using a chain whip and a cassette locking ring removal tool. It does look so easy on YouTube so I guess I am doing it wrong. I will give the whole lot a good clean just in case its got mud etc on the threads or something and try again. If not...perhaps I might have to buy a whole new bike.....

MattH · « **Reply #2784 on:** 07 January, 2011, 12:14:13 pm »

Assuming you are unscrewing the right way (conventional thread, go anti-clockwise on the ring), then it may just need some more welly. The rings are not smooth, they have ridges underneath that stop them vibrating loose, so it can take a bit of effort to get them to move.

The worst I've had was when I'd let a guy at Halfords replace the wheel bearings for me. (Actually, I was very grateful to him - I was in Shrewsbury having ridden up from Basingstoke that morning, it was January, snowing, and I had to get to Bangor that evening. The bearings had gone really, really noisy about 15 miles before Shrewsbury. He dropped everything and fixed it for me). He'd cranked the lockring up really tight, I needed a hammer tap on the lockring tool to free it up.

oncemore · « **Reply #2785 on:** 07 January, 2011, 02:05:12 pm »

Hold the removal tool in place with the skewer. Use longest spanner/adjustable you have and stamp on it. Use an extender tube if less than a 12" spanner. For ones that have been in a long time I have a 1/2" drive 18" breaker bar - I've never come across one that that won't shift. They do give way with a horrible screech/creak sometimes - don't worry about it!

essexian · « **Reply #2786 on:** 07 January, 2011, 02:11:20 pm »

Thanks for all the advice.

I have tried again and twice have broken my chain whip.

I have now been told to stop trying as the swearwords were upseting the neighbours.

Its going into the LBS tomorrow who will no doubt take it off with their little fingers making me look a complete fool. Sigh.

Don't know if its just me, but when I had a couple of BSO's, I didn't worry about repairs like this: I would just run the bike into the ground and buy a new one. Moving up to higher spec bikes is just a pain at times (a replacement bottom bracket, new chain and new cassette on two bikes in a month).

Gus · « **Reply #2787 on:** 07 January, 2011, 03:09:19 pm »

Been sharpening all my kitchen knifes with the gizmo I got for Christmas.
It works really well, now I'm certain I will cut my self, because I'm the proud
owner of 7 super sharp knifes

Kim · « **Reply #2788 on:** 07 January, 2011, 04:14:29 pm »

Quote from: essexian on 07 January, 2011, 02:11:20 pm

I have tried again and twice have broken my chain whip. I have now been told to stop trying as the swearwords were upseting the neighbours.

Your cassette appears to have metamorphosed into a freewheel (which seem to do this sort of thing as a matter of principle - I've never succeeded in getting one of those off without wrecking the hub or breaking a load of spokes). LBS seems like a good idea. Make sure the lockring's nicely greased when you re-fit it.

Clandy · « **Reply #2789 on:** 07 January, 2011, 04:23:20 pm »

Fitted new BB, new cassette, new brake blocks front and rear, on the Moulton.

Feline · « **Reply #2790 on:** 07 January, 2011, 05:32:54 pm »

Jeeez this is more of a rant than a fettle, my son came home today with another puncture. That is 3 punctures in 5 days of riding. WTF

tiermat · « **Reply #2791 on:** 08 January, 2011, 08:57:53 am »

Quote from: Feline on 07 January, 2011, 05:32:54 pm

Jeeez this is more of a rant than a fettle, my son came home today with another p*nct*r*. That is 3 punctures in 5 days of riding. WTF

A combination of worn out tyres and the weather?

Today I have fettled a SKY+HD as a replacement for SKY+, now watching "Custom My Ride" in glorious HD....

citoyen · « **Reply #2792 on:** 08 January, 2011, 04:03:29 pm »

Fitted new mudguards to the Brompton. No more wet arse misery. Yay!

d.

tiermat · « **Reply #2793 on:** 08 January, 2011, 04:27:31 pm »

Fitted a 19tooth cog to the commuting fixie, should be a little less tiring for me

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #2794 on:** 08 January, 2011, 04:29:42 pm »

A couple of dead tubes are now more useful.

Dibdib · « **Reply #2795 on:** 08 January, 2011, 06:50:42 pm »

Not strictly fettling, but took the bike back to the LBS for its first quick tune-up (more because they told me to when I bought it, than because I felt it needed it).

Took them all of ten minutes - short enough to be able to do it for free, long enough to leave me wandering around the shop for enough time to spend money on stuff!

cycleman · « **Reply #2796 on:** 08 January, 2011, 09:47:21 pm »

a new cycle needs a check after a couple of weeks to tighten cranks and parts that may loosen or need adjustment . this does not take long but can save you having problems later

Dibdib · « **Reply #2797 on:** 08 January, 2011, 10:20:05 pm »

Yup

I think that in the end, all it needed was a smidge of adjustment where the cables had stretched while bedding in, and a quick check over of everything else. It did also give the guy to observe the slight battle scars, from where I've fallen off it already!

I wasn't moaning about it, after all it just needed to be done. I had to go into town anyway, and it gave me a chance to stare longingly at things I can't afford. It's amazing how quickly the n+1 bug bites, isn't it?!

Feline · « **Reply #2798 on:** 08 January, 2011, 11:38:01 pm »

Another feline fettling first!

Cleaned my bike straight after my ride today as it was filthy. This evening fitted new brake pads all round- might sound silly but I had never done this before. Most amazingly, I seem to have fitted the R and L the right way round with the 'L forward' label etc. facing the right way. Even better they seem to work too

Gave the bike a good lube, although for some reason I cannot find my wet lube anywhere so had to use the wax one which I wouldn't usually use in the winter. I think the wet lube is in the same mysterious place as my Muc-off. Rather that search further I have ordered some more. Washed the bike in Pantene shampoo for greasy hair since I had heard fairy liquid was salty (or something).

Kim · « **Reply #2799 on:** 08 January, 2011, 11:46:08 pm »

Tesco value car shampoo. As the name suggests, it's a basic salt-free detergent that's just right for this sort of thing, and a lot cheaper than Pantene.

Author Topic: What have you fettled today? (Read 2178753 times)

essexian

essexian

essexian

Clandy