What have you fettled today?

[trundle]

Changed cassette (again) on Triban. To a nice 11-34 with a 20 tooth cruise gear. Time will tell if this is "the one" - I doubt it! But gear fettling is enjoyable.

[T42]

Cleaned a chain and put it into the wax pot.

Checked the gears on the eBrute - the RD seemed a bit stiff yesterday. All normal. Knocked some of the crud off.

Had another gander at the wee yellow MBK I use on the turbo.  I bought that bike for MrsT in 2000 and she only ever did one ride on it before deciding she didn't like it. Since then it's been a backup/turbo/visitor's bike, but I doubt if it's done 1000k, or even half that.  Consequently the transmission and cables etc. are the originals, and getting on for 24 years old.  It's a triple, but the cassette looks like a 13/23 or similar.  Anyway, it looks like it could use new cables and cassette, and maybe a new chain.  Dunno if it's worth the money or the bother.  Tiagra 3x9 though - could be quite nice.

[Afasoas]

The Gas Pipe Hybrid did get some TLC.

Washed. Drive train thoroughly degreased and re-lubricated. Front wheel bearing stripped down, degreased, re-greased and reassembled.
Looks like the chain is due for replacement soon, which is good news because I'd already assumed I't taken it beyond the wear limit and I'd be looking to source a replacement 7 speed cassette 



(Also realised, checking that picture I've forgotten to re-attach the straddle cable on the front brakes. I'll go and do that now!

[CAMRAMan]

I tried to be nice to my cupboard door latch that wouldn't open, I really did, honest. But then I got bored and went and fetched the percussive Stanley and he soon got the blighter open with only the smallest of damage to the door frame.

[JefO]

As I recently became the owner of a new derailleur hanger alignment gauge, and a friend of mine became the owner of a brand new 1x11 gravel bike ( >£2k+ ), which he had elected to build himself, it seemed the sensible thing to do to put the two of them together.

Not exactly a shock to find that the new bike's hanger was in need of alignment.

Actually failed, but I tried to get the point across to my friend that the hanger may have been totally straight and inaccuracies in the frame's hanger mounting could have been the reason it needed aligning.

[Kim]

Gave barakta's wheelchair-shaped-object a once-over, in anticipation of it being needed next week.

The only actually decent components are the Schwalbe pneumatic tyres and stainless steel Jesus-bolt that I installed last time round, but wheelchair brakes really are offensively shit, aren't they?  I suppose with the stock low-friction tyres they'd never really have had to do anything.

[Afasoas]

Gave barakta's wheelchair-shaped-object a once-over, in anticipation of it being needed next week.

The only actually decent components are the Schwalbe pneumatic tyres and stainless steel Jesus-bolt that I installed last time round, but wheelchair brakes really are offensively shit, aren't they?  I suppose with the stock low-friction tyres they'd never really have had to do anything.

There should be regulation to prevent waste of time and materials in producing subpar approximations of actual things.

[Kim]

Gave barakta's wheelchair-shaped-object a once-over, in anticipation of it being needed next week.

The only actually decent components are the Schwalbe pneumatic tyres and stainless steel Jesus-bolt that I installed last time round, but wheelchair brakes really are offensively shit, aren't they?  I suppose with the stock low-friction tyres they'd never really have had to do anything.

There should be regulation to prevent waste of time and materials in producing subpar approximations of actual things.

Yes.  I appreciate that spoon brakes make sense on many mobility aids (although I'd argue that a wheelchair with attendant handles should have proper brakes so the attendant can use them to control a descent), but the cheesy plastic brake levers that are de rigueur on mobility aids baffle me.  It's not like proper brake levers aren't cheap and readily available.

[De Sisti]

New front brake blocks fitted to my Spa Audax-framed bike. I should have replaced brake cables
as well, but I'll do that tomorrow.


[Edit: Sorted]

[Jurek]

Gave barakta's wheelchair-shaped-object a once-over, in anticipation of it being needed next week.

The only actually decent components are the Schwalbe pneumatic tyres and stainless steel Jesus-bolt that I installed last time round, but wheelchair brakes really are offensively shit, aren't they?  I suppose with the stock low-friction tyres they'd never really have had to do anything.

There should be regulation to prevent waste of time and materials in producing subpar approximations of actual things.

Yes.  I appreciate that spoon brakes make sense on many mobility aids (although I'd argue that a wheelchair with attendant handles should have proper brakes so the attendant can use them to control a descent), but the cheesy plastic brake levers that are de rigueur on mobility aids baffle me.  It's not like proper brake levers aren't cheap and readily available.

What are spoon brakes, pls?
A google search leads me to a four pot hydraulic calliper for motor racing.

[Kim]

What are spoon brakes, pls?
A google search leads me to a four pot hydraulic calliper for motor racing.

Google really is shit these days, isn't it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_brake#Spoon_brakes

(Possibly not the right term for the parking brakes on wheelchairs that operate by jamming a piece of metal against the tread of the tyre.)

[Diver300]

but wheelchair brakes really are offensively shit, aren't they?

I thought that they were like that so that the wheels could be taken off the shafts easily. Plus the obvious cheapness and no need for long operating rods or cables.

[campagman]

I fitted a different inner tube in the rear wheel of the turbo trainer bike. The previous tube had a slow leak and a sticky presta valve which was a pain. I'm planning to use the turbo tomorrow am.

[Kim]

but wheelchair brakes really are offensively shit, aren't they?

I thought that they were like that so that the wheels could be taken off the shafts easily. Plus the obvious cheapness and no need for long operating rods or cables.

Yes.  And that people self-propelling manual wheelchairs by hand will almost always use their grip on the pushrims to control a descent, rather than the brakes.

Most wheelchairs designed to be pushed by an attendant are 'hospital' wheelchairs, which are engineered (out of some combination of cheese and gaspipe) for low cost and simplicity.  Hence when you get attendant brakes, they just operate the normal parking brakes with a cable.  Which is a great way to wear through the aluminimum 'spoon' with a few dozen descents of the slope down from the leisure centre entrance.

I had a google, and discovered there is at least one company molishing a kit of parts to fit tricycle-style disc brakes to a manual wheelchair, presumably for the few people who use decent manual chairs but live on a bastard hill or something.

[Afasoas]

Fitted the RAM mount for ye olde Garmin eTrex and the mudflaps to the new steed.

Stood back to marvel at the bike now ready to ride and decided I really should have bought a longer front mudflap.

Reflective effect of the mudflaps is good in the dark thobutt

[sam]

Installed improvised security measures on and around the heating oil tank after a theft. Not quite Home Alone standard, but it won't go so smoothly for them should they try again.

[Ian H]

Today I bit the bullet and replaced the rim on the rear wheel of the Black Hallett. Added the tubeless rim-tape, cleaned the beads of the tyre (I bought replacements, but the old one has plenty of life left), then refitted it.  It sealed easily with much popping.  New cassette fitted as well.  I'll do the chain tomorrow.
One further task is to saw a section out of the old rim to see how much wear there is.  It's 0.7mm where the tyre sits, but it has quite a deep box-section which I can't measure.

[Afasoas]

Fitted the new lollipop style hitch to the old Carry Freedom Y-Frame trailer. I didn't see the point in a safety strap dependent on the same hardware for securing to the trailer as the hitch itself, as a failure of that hardware would render both the hitch and the safety strap useless. So I've drilled another whole through the towing arm to affix the safety strap to.

Wishing the weather was a bit better - planning some wood work to build some light/reflector brackets for said trailer.
I've learned, as per schedule 18 of The Road Vehciles Lignting Regulations, cycle trailers should have at least one triangular reflector (two if over 800mm wide) approved to ECE III or ECE IIIA. See 5(b).

[The Family Cyclist]

For the last week or so my front derailleur has rubbed and been a pain to shift into big ring, didn't matter where on rear cassette I was still rubbed at front and being friction bar end levers can normally just tweak when riding. Had a look this morning and was simples. The bolt securing front derailleur had come loose so reset and tightened and all seems good

[Wobbly John]

Over several days in spare time at work, where I had space to take it apart and leave it while waiting for parts, I have fettled my Mellita bean to cup coffee machine back to life. 

It was pissing out steam inside the machine and I traced the issue to a broken thermoblock outlet valve. This works like a steam engine safety valve, holding the pressure at 15 bar in the heater before letting steam/water through to the brewer unit/cappuccino jet. The spring loaded plastic plunger had disintegrated through age and was letting steam out inside the machine. Luckily the electronics survived and a replacement valve and a good clean has it running again. 

[Mr Larrington]

Much swearing at Fort Larrington’s hideous grandfather clock, which keeps conking out for no readily-apparent reason.  May have sussed the cause; keeping an ear cocked lest he decides to misbehave again.  Wretched thing…

[T42]

Much swearing at Fort Larrington’s hideous grandfather clock, which keeps conking out for no readily-apparent reason.  May have sussed the cause; keeping an ear cocked lest he decides to misbehave again.  Wretched thing…

We have one that dates back several generations, probably to the mid-19th century given the sentiments expressed in the dial paintings.  Our doesn't go any more, and the jeweller who looked at the movement for me explained that with time the bearings, being steel running in brass, become sloppy and the gears jam.  A clockmaker can tighten them again by putting a sharp-edged cylinder over the bearing in the brass back-plate and whacking it with a hammer.  This squeezes the brass together around the shaft.  You can only do this once with any certainty, though: doing it twice will likely damage the plate.  Ours had already been done so that's that.

Also, the [wretched, noisy] things are very sensitive to vibration and need to be levelled perfectly.  When ours was going a lorry going past could stop it, and even someone walking heavily could do it.  I used to keep a try-square on top, and I had it tethered back to the wall to keep it vertical.

[T42]

In other news, I just swapped in the eBrute's alternate chain, and I'm reducing the period between re-lubings to 300k.  I need some of that Granny Weatherwax these for horrible wet days.

[Mr Larrington]

Much swearing at Fort Larrington’s hideous grandfather clock, which keeps conking out for no readily-apparent reason.  May have sussed the cause; keeping an ear cocked lest he decides to misbehave again.  Wretched thing…

We have one that dates back several generations, probably to the mid-19th century given the sentiments expressed in the dial paintings.  Our doesn't go any more, and the jeweller who looked at the movement for me explained that with time the bearings, being steel running in brass, become sloppy and the gears jam.  A clockmaker can tighten them again by putting a sharp-edged cylinder over the bearing in the brass back-plate and whacking it with a hammer.  This squeezes the brass together around the shaft.  You can only do this once with any certainty, though: doing it twice will likely damage the plate.  Ours had already been done so that's that.

Also, the [wretched, noisy] things are very sensitive to vibration and need to be levelled perfectly.  When ours was going a lorry going past could stop it, and even someone walking heavily could do it.  I used to keep a try-square on top, and I had it tethered back to the wall to keep it vertical.

We think that if the movement isn’t positioned just so inside the case the anchor that's driven by the pendulum and which in turn drives the entire mechanism doesn’t perform properly and the thing stops.  I've re-centred it – it appeared to be a couple of cm off to the right, probably from ham-fisted winding – and the thing is still going after four hours whereas before it would go sleepy-byes after ten minutes.

[T42]

Much swearing at Fort Larrington’s hideous grandfather clock, which keeps conking out for no readily-apparent reason.  May have sussed the cause; keeping an ear cocked lest he decides to misbehave again.  Wretched thing…

We have one that dates back several generations, probably to the mid-19th century given the sentiments expressed in the dial paintings.  Our doesn't go any more, and the jeweller who looked at the movement for me explained that with time the bearings, being steel running in brass, become sloppy and the gears jam.  A clockmaker can tighten them again by putting a sharp-edged cylinder over the bearing in the brass back-plate and whacking it with a hammer.  This squeezes the brass together around the shaft.  You can only do this once with any certainty, though: doing it twice will likely damage the plate.  Ours had already been done so that's that.

Also, the [wretched, noisy] things are very sensitive to vibration and need to be levelled perfectly.  When ours was going a lorry going past could stop it, and even someone walking heavily could do it.  I used to keep a try-square on top, and I had it tethered back to the wall to keep it vertical.

We think that if the movement isn’t positioned just so inside the case the anchor that's driven by the pendulum and which in turn drives the entire mechanism doesn’t perform properly and the thing stops.  I've re-centred it – it appeared to be a couple of cm off to the right, probably from ham-fisted winding – and the thing is still going after four hours whereas before it would go sleepy-byes after ten minutes.

Good luck.  Once I had restored the woodwork on ours (amongst other things replacing the back panel, made of divers rough boards bearing the legend Mildura Fruit Company) I had to make U-bolts to re-anchor the movement solidly, since it was also prone to walking a bit.  Didn't help.

Hope it lets you go sleepy-byes.  You could hear ours striking all through the house before I silenced it.