What have you fettled today?

[trundle]

Fitted smaller chain rings to the GRX double. Crikey it takes some torque to break the loctite. It’s now 44/28 teeth.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ham]

I changed the tyre of the hackbike, how memorable could that be?

The bike I bought from a local almost-bike-shop about 5 years ago, frame is a 21 speed Gary Fisher, it had clearly had a long life before me but it fitted my specification - reasonable frame, v-brakes, fixed rear axle for adding a hitch. For about three years I experimented with a zero maintenance approach which - if I could have found an easy replacement at the same £70 I paid for it - would have left me quids in. But, as I couldn't I started to spend money on it. One thing it had needed from the start was new tyres, the old ones had tread but were cracked to buggery. I got a couple of Panracers cheap (yes I know If I wanted to get to there I shouldn't start here - there being a place where changing tyre was simple). I managed the rear wheel, and put the front down as a job for some day in the future. Grandson-ham had been pointing out just how cracked the tyre was, so the time had come, I decided.

You know you are Not In A Good Place when you have to deploy the BFO Park Levers to remove a knackered tyre. The Panracer was clearly going to be a challenge, said levers were needed from about just past 10 o'clock to just before 2 o'clock on the wheel. First time, I take GREAT CARE to push the tyre in with my fingers. But, as not entirely unexpected, I punctured it. Ho hum start again.

This time I use a set of plastic tyre levers to push the tube in, taking my time, as I thought that would be better. What with the levers being thinner than my fingers.

Guess how many punctures using this careful approach.

(click to show/hide)

9 

I found another old tyre.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

On the weekend, I knocked over most of the necessary work on my friend's Omega. The replacement rear wheel was properly dished and fitted with the garage stock chain and cassette and existing Marathon Plus. The rear derailleur was properly adjusted and the front derailleur was bodged. The chain has been rubbing on the cage in the middle ring and there is not much metal left, so it will need to be replaced soon. The rear brake pads were replaced from used garage stock but all the pads/ holders need to be replaced as the pad retention screws are corroded in place. A garage stock used front mudguard was fitted. The Brooks saddle tension nut was tightened a little, which was much more trouble than you'd expect. Zip-tied the dynamo cable and adjusted both brakes’ worn pivots.

I still need to clean out the non-return valve on another friend's track pump after replacing the damaged chuck from garage stock.

[De Sisti]

Rear cage extender for my long-cage Campagnolo Chorus derailleur. The shifts to the 30 & 34
sprockets are even smoother now. I'll be doing the same with my other two bikes once I've
fitted new chainrings, cassette and chains to them for their spring overhaul.

[T42]

Transplanted my motor wheel from the eBrute to the carbon-butterfly Trek, which has a shorter frame and will put less stress on my neck.  I've got shorter in the last few years and keeping my neck ricked back to look ahead was getting painful on longer rides.

Off to the motor place tomorrow to get a new battery & mount, etc.

[Adam]

Fitted Ergon GP2 grips onto my Brompton.  I can't believe how rubbish the cheap & nasty standard foam grips are.

[perpetual dan]

A general getting the bike ready for a few days away. The pad retaining bolt on one brake needs replaced (rounded cheese on the socket), so I'm hoping I don't get through the pad on this trip!

Sent from my SM-S911B using Tapatalk

[T42]

Transplanted my motor wheel from the eBrute to the carbon-butterfly Trek, which has a shorter frame and will put less stress on my neck.  I've got shorter in the last few years and keeping my neck ricked back to look ahead was getting painful on longer rides.

Off to the motor place tomorrow to get a new battery & mount, etc.

Strike that. This morning I managed to get my current battery mount to fit by judicious application of drill press & soldering iron.  Just have to move the console across, hook it all up and bob's your whatsit.

IOW I just saved myself around 600€, or 1000€ if I had got a spare battery as well.  Of course I still might - 2 x 370 Wh would take me further than my current 200 Wh + 250 Wh.  Later on I may move that kit to the shopping beater and get the new kit anyway - it'd take me down into the Vosges proper.

[De Sisti]

Removed a 10-speed, long-cage, Campagnolo rear derailleiur (now for-sale) and replaced
it with a Daytona variant.

[robgul]

Fitted a new chainring to a customer's bike - the old one had virtually no teeth and he wondered why it kept throwing the chain.   Also fitted gear cables to the same machine . . .  don't you just love frames with internal cabling.

[T42]

Fitted a new chainring to a customer's bike - the old one had virtually no teeth and he wondered why it kept throwing the chain.   Also fitted gear cables to the same machine . . .  don't you just love frames with internal cabling.

Yebbut think about the aero.

---o0o---

Meanwhile, I have moved the stem from the ex-eBrute to the eTrek and put a longer stem on the Brute.  I doubt if I'll be riding it again other than on the turbo. Sad about that - I did almost all my long-distance and all my big climbs on it.  It will now revert to its old handle of Ti Warhorse.

Aye well.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Replaced some worn parts on HK’s orange Trykit - cassette, chain, middle and big chainrings. Flintmined the tyres.

Fitted a tyre to the new dyno thru-axle wheel for HK’s orange trike, when the fork is swapped. Need to get a matching thru-axle and an IS-to-post adaptor.

Swapped a rear light on HK’s Greenspeed and pondered how to fix a speed wobble. Intermittent rain makes outdoor fettling not particularly enticing.

[T42]

Transferred the HB extension that takes the bell and an extra headlamp from the Ti Warhorse to the Trek - the motor console takes up so much space on the bars that I can't mount them anywhere else.  Also added a bit of inner tube under the eTrex mount to stop it slipping about.

Wonder if the callow youths over at GCN have any recommendations for aero bells...  The Mk.1 bellow isn't always well received.

[rogerzilla]

Restrung the acoustic guitar, oiling the fretboard (which looked rather dry).

[IanDG]

Stripped an old Chid trailer back to the frame. New project is a cargo trailer to transport 2 kids bikes to bikeability sessions. Will fit a marine plywood base with fittings for tension straps and two fittings to clamp forks at the front. The bar at the back rotates and can be folded out to strap the rear wheel to, or folded onto the flatbed when transporting other cargo. I plan to turn bars when loading/carrying the bikes and the front wheels will be secured between the 2 bikes.

439213572_288449680985049_556818473969255407_n by ian, on Flickr

IMG_20240429_142716_790 by ian, on Flickr

[hellymedic]

Anybody in NW London area, in the mood for non-cycling fettling is advised that there’s a lob lot of untested Henry cleaners on sale on Facebook Marketplace, for £15 each...