What have you fettled today?

[rogerzilla]

Several coats of primer later, and a couple more coats of red it is now looking SHINY

Realised, after seeing the first two coats of red going dull that it was too cold out in the garage, do fired up the oil filled radiator and now things are just groovy (apart from the red drive way!!!)

A tip.

If you can possibly bear it, leave the frame for a couple of months before building it up.  Rattle can paint does harden, but it takes an age.

[Domestique]

Fitted a rear rack to brother in laws bike that we gave him. Actually feel quite proud, he was a non cyclist but he now uses the bike everyday to and from work, now he has a rack and panneir bags to make it even more usable 

[Kim]

The direct audio input lead for Natalya's hearing aid, which got accidentally eaten while I was hoovering yesterday, requiring a new isolating capacitor and some soldering iron and heat-shrink love.

In my defence, it's a Dyson, so I wasn't expecting it to suck anything up.

[Deano]

Yesterday, I was sorting out the gears on a friend's newly-purchased Boardman.  I wouldn't expect it to be perfect coming out of that shop, but it took me a while to realise the reason the chain was skipping over the second smallest sprocket was that the sprocket had been fitted the wrong way round

I've sent him back to the shop - I'll have to get my cassette tool back from my brother-in-law to check, but I suspect it's probably bent beyond salvage.  Friggin' spanner monkeys.

[TimO]

... it took me a while to realise the reason the chain was skipping over the second smallest sprocket was that the sprocket had been fitted the wrong way round ...

Eeh?  I don't know about things like SRAM and Campag, but with Shimano sprockets and hubs, the splines are shaped such that this would be physically impossible without either filing something off or a large hammer (and subsequent damage to either the sprocket and/or hub).

If they managed to fit it, somehow circumventing the construction, then this one is worthy of the Worst Bodges Ever thread.

[MSeries]

... it took me a while to realise the reason the chain was skipping over the second smallest sprocket was that the sprocket had been fitted the wrong way round ...

Eeh?  I don't know about things like SRAM and Campag, but with Shimano sprockets and hubs, the splines are shaped such that this would be physically impossible without either filing something off or a large hammer (and subsequent damage to either the sprocket and/or hub).

If they managed to fit it, somehow circumventing the construction, then this one is worthy of the Worst Bodges Ever thread.

I was thinking exactly the same. What sort of hub is it Deano ?

[rogerzilla]

Half fitted some new lighting in the garage, currently lit only by a PIR security lamp that takes expensive halogen or being-phased-out incandescent ES bulbs.  Would have finished but for the fact that

(a) can't find a grommet anywhere for the metal switch casing

(b) couldn't get four MK batten lampholders in B&Q yesterday, so bought two MK ones and two crapola ones.  The crapola ones only take a cable from the rear and I am not going to drill a big hole in the roof truss, thank you.  So it's B&Q again tomorrow.

When I get it done I'll have a use for those free CFLs that British Gas keep sending me.

[hulver]

Put my 18 tooth sprocket on the back. After Mr. Volio let me know that I was thinking wrong things about it.

Put the 16 tooth on the other side, nice and tight.

Put the new stem on, and flipped the bars up so that it's higher up. Sorted out the front brake as well. The lining had pushed up into the lever. Put some new outer on and a thingy to stop it doing that again.

Lowered the front of the saddle a bit as well.

[MSeries]

tuned a wheel

[rogerzilla]

tuned a wheel

A=440Hz?

[Gattopardo]

Replaced the head bearings on the cannondale road bike to loose bearings.

Been attacking the rear casette on two different mountain bike with gunk to clean them up as they are full of thick grease and dirt.  Then cleaned the bottom bracket on the carrera as it was crunching.  Ready to clean and reassemble tomorrow.

[CommuteTooFar]

This weekend.

On Thursday Dawes Discovery 101 developed wobbly crank syndrome. Dr. CTF diagnosed a need for a new bottom bracket.
Saturday I had a another go removing bottom bracket from Dawes Discovery. Created a screw on tool (piece of metal plate with hole in it, and crank screw) to hold Shimano tool in bottom bracket.  Stamped on spanner, it moved.  I was pleased until I discovered I had stripped the teeth off my bottom bracket tool.  I think that was my oldest bicycle tool.  So Dawes Discovery has gone to not so LBS. I had a choice. Push bike to good shop in Cardiff (five miles) inconvenient. So I caught the next train up the valley.  Choice of two good bike shops with acceptable reputations, Taff Vales cycles Merthyr but the Treherbert train came first, so I selected Bicycle Doctor, Porth, Rhondda. So I have a new favourite LBS by the random selection method.  Now we will find out if they can move BB.

Sunday I finally fitted a new Mudguard for Pink, White and Blue commuting bike.   Re-connected the rear light properly. [Note if you create an earth loop B&M Cyo and Securlite will not switch off. Bad old bike shop ]. Removed the Rohloff cable, but when I tried to remove the shifter the tiny allen key went round and round but the bolt did not move    So after some thought and application of WD40 and no luck I decide to drill the bolt out.  So I drill but lose my nerve when I am very close to the handle bars without the bolt collapsing and decide that it will be best to just leave it on the bike  

Today I reattach a very oily chain, yeuch.

[rogerzilla]

Finished the lighting in the garage.  4 x 20W CFLs are about 1/10 as bright as I thought they'd be.  Oh well.  Just finishing off fititng a new rear mudguard on the clubman, because the old one cracked right across the middle.  As usual.  Unfortunately Stronglight mudguards appear to be virtually identical to SKS, so this one probably won't last any longer.  The 35mm ones vibrate violently on rough tarmac, and crack by either the rivets or the brake bridge clip, where there are stress risers.

[hugo15]

Serviced the rear hub on my summer bike. Was made better by the fact Mrs Hugo15 was out so I could do it in the front room and watch the football at the same time  .

[rogerzilla]

Changed the cranks on the Inbred.

[robbo6]

Made some new chainwheel bolts for an ancient pair of Campag. steel cranks.

[TimO]

Failed to fettle the gears into silence on the Kaffenback.  I've come to the conclusion that the cheap Shimano replacement centre chainring fits slightly closer to the large chainring than the old one did.  Consequently the chain rubs on the large chainring when using the smallest sprocket.  I think there's bugger all I can do about this other than not use that sprocket if I want quiet.

Unfortunately, during that fettling session I noticed that the rear rack has partly failed.  I suspect it'll survive for a few days, as long as I keep the pannier weight down, and don't try going for a mega shop!  Time to go and search the shops for a replacement.

It was an OMM Red Rock rack, which fitted nicely to the brake bosses, but hasn't really lasted very long (about 7000 miles of mostly commuting), so that's a bit disappointing.

[MattH]

Replaced the serpentine belt (the massively long accessory drive for a/c, alternator, water pump etc.) on MrsH's 3.3L V6 Chrysler, as bits had been flying off the existing one on our run down from Manchester at the weekend. Unfortunately both local Chrysler dealers have closed down, so it's a 35 mile round trip to the next nearest - but very pleasantly surprised to find that the original part is half the cost of the Halfords pattern replacement (and also in stock, unlike Halfords).

Quite an easy job, except that there was the usual problem of needing to get leverage on something (the heavily sprung belt tensioner, to relieve the tension to pop the belt on) where the engine bay design stops you getting your hand or arm in a position where you can apply enough.

[clarion]

Removed the scuffed bartape on the forum bike, moved the brake levers upward (sorry!), and applied Spesh cork tape.  Swapped a Bagman onto it too.

[Kim]

Gone hunting for an intermittent crank-position-related creaking noise, including the removal of chain and pedals, and checking all the chainring bolts.  BB seems fine.  Having been here before, I checked the saddle and seatpost too.  Cleaned the chain while I was at it.  Reckon it's probably the bearing on one of the pedals (M520s), which is obviously less smooth than the other.  I have installed a set of flat pedals with powergrips, and will go for a ride later to test this theory.

[jogler]

Put a pannier rack & Carradice Prima rack pack back onto onto the Langster to give a bit of carrying capacity for audax rides.
The pannier also acts a mudgaurd sufficient to have a dry bum.

[Deano]

... it took me a while to realise the reason the chain was skipping over the second smallest sprocket was that the sprocket had been fitted the wrong way round ...

Eeh?  I don't know about things like SRAM and Campag, but with Shimano sprockets and hubs, the splines are shaped such that this would be physically impossible without either filing something off or a large hammer (and subsequent damage to either the sprocket and/or hub).

If they managed to fit it, somehow circumventing the construction, then this one is worthy of the Worst Bodges Ever thread.

I was thinking exactly the same. What sort of hub is it Deano ?

Well, I've been around with my cassette tool, and it wasn't fitted the wrong way round (it's a SRAM* cassette on a Shimano hub - as you say, you couldn't fit it the wrong way round), but it still wouldn't shift to the second smallest sprocket correctly.  On this cassette, the two smallest sprockets are separate from the main body, so I would speculate that there is a small spacer missing between the second-smallest sprocket and the main body of the cassette.  Also, the teeth on the second-smallest sprocket look suspiciously bent inwards, but that may be just mine eyes.

Either way, we've replaced it with a Shimano cassette which indexes correctly throughout, and I've acquired a 9-speed SRAM cassette.  If only I had a nine-speed hub

*How d'you pronounce that, anyway?  i've been going with ess-ram, if only 'cos trying to say ssramm ssounds ridiculouss.

[CrinklyLion]

I've cleaned one ludicrously filthy bike.  Not to, like, Rogerzilla standards or anything... but it's a huge improvement.  And I'm halfway through the second one (mine - she's so shiny and pretty when she's clean!).  I did also offer to clean dearly beloved's bike too, if he took the baby seat off the back, but he looked at me blankly in a 'why?  The wheels go round and the brakes work since you fixed them, what could need doing?' way and went to bed.

Shall I clean it for him anyway? 

[jogler]

Garden furniture.
The hardwood stuff brought out of winter storeage & onto the top patio.The all weather stuff moved to the lower patio under the gazeebo.
Some ornamental stuff moved around.
Room enough for the turbo or rollers on both patios.

[Kim]

Crank-related creaking noise was indeed the pedal, so that's easily solved with a new set of M520s.  I needed some spare cleats anyway.

Much more alarmingly, halfway through the test ride, I realised[1] the steering was notchy.  With a lot of help from barakta, my human workstand, I cleaned and re-adjusted the headset bearings, which were in a fairly grim state grease-wise.  That improved things somewhat, but there's still a detectable notchiness.  I've ordered some loose bearing balls, on the basis that that's supposed to help, but failing that I suppose it's new headset time.  Marvellous


[1] I suspect it's been like that for a while, as I'd previously noticed that I was finally starting to get the hang of the riding-with-no-hands thing.  Sigh.