Search found 134 matches

by spanner
1 Oct 2012, 8:23pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Wheel truing - How much wobble is acceptable?
Replies: 11
Views: 4302

Re: Wheel truing - How much wobble is acceptable?

Check whether the cones need tightened slightly as this can give a false impression that the wheel is out of true also have you clipped a pothole recently? this could have put a slight twist in the wheel spindle and again this can give the wheel the appearance of being out of true a quick way to check this is attach the chuck of a cordless drill and spin the spindle with the drill this will show if its twisted or not another false out of true impression is a cracked bearing in the hub this causes the spindle to ride up over the broken bearing
check these things out before retruing the wheel an easy way if you have a repair stand is put the bike on the stand and spin the wheel slowly where the wheel catches on the brake block tighten the spoke or spokes on the opposite side and continue doing this until its running between the blocks without catching
if you want to learn wheel building can i suggest the wheel building dvd sold by Bike Inn it shows how to build a mtb rear wheel but the principle is the same for all other wheels here is a link to the page on their website
http://www.bike-inn.co.uk/training_videos.asp
they also do wheel building courses as well as bike mechanic courses for which you get a C&G certificate
by spanner
1 Oct 2012, 7:57pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Chain rubbing against pedal/front derraileur
Replies: 8
Views: 942

Re: Chain rubbing against pedal/front derraileur

stev wrote:I really don't know why I didn't try with one spacer beforehand :oops:
But I think it'll be ok now, still a little rub in top gear but nothing like how it was before. Had to look up re-dish etc. as I had no idea what it meant, but I don't think I'll need to do anything like that.

On another note, I've just fitted some new brake pads, but when I brake I am still pulling the lever all the way down to get max friction, is this because I am riding with old cables? I've tightened them up best I can, but I imagine after a while they expand a bit more under pressure?

Thanks.

It could be the old brake inners are sticky inside the outer cable best to replace them as regards the front mech squeeze the front plates inwards slightly as for the wheel are there any spacers on the none gear side? if so remove this then refit the locknut this will allow the wheel to move further to the left.
if this doesnt work it is possible that the rear end as someone else suggested is out of alignment, is the rear mech on a fork end hanger or on a frame hanger as it could be slightly out of line and could be causing the problem with the wheel
by spanner
3 Jul 2011, 10:40pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: First Wheel Building Experience
Replies: 84
Views: 184665

Re: First Wheel Building Experience

i learned with the alf webb/bike inn instructional video(NOW ON DVD) their method is for a rear wheel
insert the gearside spokes first first set of nine in alternate spoke holes round the hub then lay one spoke across the hub and depending which side of the valve hole the spoke hole nearest to you is you insert the spoke to the right or left of the one laid across then insert the none gearside spokes every second hole as previously then lift one spoke on the gearside and insert it into the spoke hole nearest to you and then lift four spokes on the none gearside and let three drop to the left or right depending whether it is a clockwise or anticlockwise build then count four spokes including the one from the none gearside to the next spoke hole and insert a gearside spoke then a none gearside spoke beside it so that you end up with two spokes two empty holes right round then turn over the wheel and insert the next set of spokes on the gearside these are the crossing spokes which go over two and under the third to the nearest spoke hole then repeat for the other side tighten down the spoke nipples down to the bottom of the threads and then put the wheel in the jig then get rid of your high and low spots and also try to keep it in true then start by tightening the gearside spokes only checking with the dishing tool frequently and when the tool flats are on the rim start tightening the none gearside spokes then finally true the wheel job done
this is the way i do wheels ive read other methods but cant do them that way even the jobst brant book way i cant master
bike inn run wheel building courses a three day course details on the bike inn website very popular and always heavily booked up or you could by the dvd and learn that way thats what i did just watching it over and over again
another tip is get an old mtb wheel and practise stripping and building it up this helps build up your build speed and dexterity of wheel building easy enough to get one at the local recycling place as they usually have plenty of bikes available take one off a scruffy bike thats only suitable for spares though :P
by spanner
3 Jul 2011, 8:55pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: headset press specification
Replies: 5
Views: 522

Re: headset press specification

i use a length of threaded rod two large sockets and two dished washers fit in the following order
nut, socket dished washer upwards bottom cup then top cup dished washer dished side downwards socket and nut
run the nuts up and then use two spanners ring spanners are best size 17mm and tighten the nuts with equal pressure and the cups will pop into place.
ive used this method for years and find that it always works
by spanner
1 Jul 2011, 10:26pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Chain cleaning aid
Replies: 33
Views: 3513

Re: Chain cleaning aid

i coil the chain into a circle and put it in a plastic microwave meal tray(tesco microwave meals spag bol cottage pie etc) dont forget to give it a wash first to remove any food left stuck to the plastic or give it to the dog to lick clean(which is what i do) :oops:
pour degreaser onto the chain and leave it to soak for a while the pull the chain through a cloth to remove the excess dirt i then clean the links by dipping a tooth brush in degreaser and cleaning each link then i hang the chain up and spray it with wd40 to rinse off the degreaser and leave it to dry off while the chain is drying off i remove the chainwheel and seperate the chainrings and give them a good clean and refit them to the crank arm, i also remove and strip the rear mech and give it a good clean and apply copper grease to the bushes inside the jockey wheels and reassemble everything and refit the mech to the bike i also replace the gear inner if it looks a bit ropey and service the bottom bracket if i find any play or it hasnt been serviced for a while.
i find doing all this at one time makes a world of difference between gears which work and those which dont also whats the point of just cleaning the chain if the jockey wheels and chainrings are manky it will make the chain dirty again after a short time
by spanner
1 Jul 2011, 4:11pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Disc brake puzzle
Replies: 7
Views: 649

Re: Disc brake puzzle

DaveP wrote:Errrm, I did actually say it was a BB7 - famously cable operated :) but thanks for the thoughts, Spanner.
I should also have said that it is a new unit, not much more than a month old and the cable was cleaned and lubed at the time of installation. I did wonder, at the time. if there could be a problem with the spring that holds the pads apart, but there has definitely been an overall movement of disc or calliper.
I dont actually enjoy riding it solo, so I dont know wether it would go away. I'm curious though - what would it mean if it did?

It's a relief to hear that someone else has cause to suspect the tri mount. I guess it has to be the prime suspect, although, as I said, I couldnt recall any heavy braking, particularly the third time - and I was watching pretty closely by then!
I don't know if plain washers would help though, as the system allows for sideways adjustment as well as angular...
I'm going to have to think about it
Oh the pain :( :wink:

the reason i asked whether the same problem arises when ridden solo is that the weight of the rider on the back is putting extra pressure on the rear wheel thereby causing it to shift slightly.
have you checked the wheel is running true as this may be an underlying cause of the problem as although the disc is running true if the wheel is slightly off true then this would cause the wheel to shift fractionally to cause the problem also a slack cone would also cause the same problem.
im still certain that the pad on the inside is sticking and causing the problem also was the cable inner just lubed and refitted or was it a brand new inner cable that was fitted? one final thought if the outer has a slight kink in it this would restrict the inner cable as well
by spanner
30 Jun 2011, 11:47pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Simano Dynohub problems
Replies: 5
Views: 731

Re: Simano Dynohub problems

could be light rust on the magnet which is causing the problem might be worth riding the bike with the light on to encouragethe magnet to work thereby cleaning the rust off the magnet(same as disc brakes on a car which get light rust on them when it sits unused)
always worth a try
by spanner
30 Jun 2011, 11:43pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: new chainset,casette and chain for tourer
Replies: 7
Views: 797

Re: new chainset,casette and chain for tourer

ive just built up a dawes jaguar for which i bought parts for it last year but due to other bike "adoptions" it got put aside
i bought a triple chainset from spa cycles and it was reasonably priced but what i found was that even though i used a triple axle (normal bb cups) the chainwheel was sitting too far out but all i did was turn the axle so that the shorter side was on the drive side and everything set up ok
my advise would be buy a new chainset and chain the freewheel should be okay unless the sprocket teeth are like sharks teeth.
the gearing with the chainset from spa will give you very low gearing when used with a maillard freewheel, i dont know what components were used on the jaguar as someone gave me it as a frameset but as far as i can determine it had suntour front and rear mechs the mechs i fitted are shimano sora mechs using huret levers on the gear bosses
by spanner
30 Jun 2011, 11:25pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Cheap Computers
Replies: 10
Views: 1217

Re: Cheap Computers

ive got a lidl cycle computer fitted to my 1957 flying scot and havent had any problems with it only annoying thing i found was it has two set ups on it so that the same head can be used on two different bikes(ie a bike with 27" and a bike with 700c wheels) other than this its got 20 functions on it mainly found on more expensive computers and it was only £3.99 i think
i bought another one when lidls had them back in again and have just fitted this to a dawes jaguar ive just built up same 20 functions though the head part wont fit the bracket for the one on the scot and vice versa as they have changed the design of the underside of the computer head.
one drawback with the one on the scot is that if you happen to press the button and go onto the 2 setting the mileage for the 1 setting is wiped but if you are quick you can reenter the mileage as it has a feature for saving the wheel size and mileage when the battery is replaced, i also bought a few cycle computers on ebay as they were only £2.99 each with free postage the idea being i would fit computers to my bikes so that they all have cycle computers fitted to them trouble is i put them somewhere for safe keeping and cant find them!
by spanner
30 Jun 2011, 11:04pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Older (70's 80's) road wheels.
Replies: 14
Views: 1560

Re: Older (70's 80's) road wheels.

the suntour perfect 999 freewheel isnt a helicomatic freewheel it is removed with a suntour two peg remover remove the skewer and fit the remover then refit the skewer and put the wheel in a vice clamping the remover and turn the wheel anticlockwise if it slackens then goes tight slacken off the skewer nut slightly then turn again and the freewheel will come off
once off the wheel clamp the freewheel in a vice between two bits of wood and use a chainwhip on the smallest sprocket and turn the chain whip anticlockwise and the sprocket will unscrew make a note of the order the sprockets and spacers come off (refitting is reverse order of coming off)
i bought a peugeot aspin last year and the rear wheel was a helicomatic hub and never use wheels with these hubs fitted as the bearings on the gear side is 5/32nd and the none gearside is 1/4" bearings i usually keep the spindle and skewer and bin the rest.
the rear wheel rim on the aspin was twisted so wasnt useable i took a pair of wheels off one of my other bikes(mavic ma2 alloy rims on maillard large flange q/r hubs stripped and cleaned the rims and spokes and serviced and polished the hubs and rebuilt them.
ive currently "borrowed" them for a dawes jaguar which ive just built up
whatever you do do not undo the lockring which has the anticlockwise arrow as this will reveal the pawls and bearings inside the freewheel body what i usually do is flush the body with wd40 or gt85 then soak the freewheel body in oil overnight then hang it up to drain off this is sufficent to effectively oil the pawls and bearings inside the body and will in fact silence the ticking noise when freewheeling ive done this with freewheels for years and never had any problems with oil bathing the freewheel body
by spanner
30 Jun 2011, 10:20pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Disc brake puzzle
Replies: 7
Views: 649

Re: Disc brake puzzle

just a suggestion but it could be that the inner pad is sticking slightly you could try taking the caliper off and taking the pads out and cleaning the area behind the pad which is sticking and applying a light smear of coppergrease to the back of both pads then refit the caliper and reset the adjustment
you dont say whether it is a hydraulic or cable caliper and am assuming that it is a cable one another problem could be the cable is sticking in the outer which may be the cause of the problem try changing the cable first before checking the caliper(dampness may have caused the cable to oxidise causing it to stick)
also does the problem occur when two up but goes away when ridden solo?
by spanner
11 Jun 2011, 10:52pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Spoke Wars
Replies: 31
Views: 5820

Re: Spoke Wars

georgew wrote:
meic wrote:I have seen some amazing tolerances quoted for wheelbuilding.
However the noticeable blip due to the join in the rim does tend to make a mockery of them.


I've found that the best way to reduce this is by using a sharpening stone to smooth it down.

in the wheel building dvd by bike inn alf webb covers this problem about the join having a slight lip which the brake block rubs on his suggestion is to use a bit of emery cloth to rub down the join on both sides of the rim
this lip may also be the cause of brake squeal as well but ive found that alloy wheels tend to take more brake dust off the blocks which when mixed with water when raining causes brake squeal i find that rouging the brake block slightly on the wire wheel on the bench grinder solves this problem also if the block has a x groove on it this gets filled with brake dust and cleaning it out with a hacksaw blade so that the groove is slightly deeper also helps
when building a wheel the high and low spots should be dealt with first with truing as well to start bringing the wheel into true then on a rear wheel start by tightening the drive side spokes only and keep a check on the dish then when the spokes are quite tight and the dish is correct then start on the none gear side
that way you will get a perfect wheel
by spanner
11 Jun 2011, 10:36pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Puncture or no puncture?
Replies: 20
Views: 1336

Re: Puncture or no puncture?

a mate of mine brought me his nephews bike on which the tyres kept going flat he had pumped them up but stil wanted me to check the bike out
rear wheel off tyre off tube out inflated tube tried it in water no bubbles so i removed the valve core to find that there was white gunge on the valve core and when i folded up the tube to expell all the air white runny water came out which as it turned out was tyre sealant the kind you put in car tyres
i replaced the valve core and refitted the tube and inflated the tyre but left it off the bike for an hour(a habit of mine as nothing worse repair a puncture put the wheel back on then find an hour later the tyre has gone flat) and it was still inflated
only conclusion i can come to is the sealant possibly sealed a puncture but the sealant also caused the valve to leak hence the flat tyre which shows that car tyre sealant isnt suitable for bikes
the front wheel inner tube incidentally didnt have a puncture and can only conclude that the tyre was soft and riding on a rough suface caused the tyre to go flat or nearly flat
by spanner
3 Jun 2011, 8:37pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Machine vs hand built wheels
Replies: 68
Views: 13166

Re: Machine vs hand built wheels

Pete Jack wrote:
You don't need Locktite if you have the spoke tension right i.e. high enough. Locktite is a hodge to make up for a poorly built wheel.


I'll tell him you said that.

in the dvd instructional video by bike inn (alf and theresa webb) there is no mention about stress relieving the spokes but it does state in the written information with the dvd that you shouldnt stress relieve the spokes nor should you put oil or anything else on the spoke threads
bike inn run bike mechanic courses and wheel building courses at wragg marsh in lincs both courses are city and guilds certificated worth while checking their website for course details as they are very popular the bike mechanic courses are over 10 days the wheel building courses are over three days.
i taught myself to build wheels in 13 weeks and built a mtb rear wheel and used the spokes i stripped out the wheel(which was a factory built wheel that had gone out of true) i rebuilt the wheel and put it on my mtb and put it through every stress i could think of and when i checked it six months later only two spokes needed adjusted which shows how crap factory built wheels are
ive also looked at wheels in halfords and spun the wheel and they were out of true!
by spanner
2 Jun 2011, 11:27pm
Forum: Stolen, Lost, Found, etc.
Topic: stolen Bromptons on eBay and Gumtree
Replies: 19
Views: 56437

Re: Stolen bikes on Gumtree!

Warekiwi wrote:I'm a keen cyclist living in Hertfordshire and recently had one of my bikes stolen from a double locked porch in front of my flat. The position is very well lighted and generally only frequented by owners/tenants and delivery people. Within 8 hrs the aforesaid bike turned up on Gumtree.com-- it was very easily identifiable due to some unusual features that were clearly visible in the Gumtree pix PLUS I have all the serial numbers AND it (along with my other machines) is registered on BikeRegister.com. Even when presented with all the info the Hertfordshire police were very reluctant to follow it up but after an article in the "Mercury" -local paper( Sept 9th) they seem to have become a bit more active-- too late for my property but hopefully they will recapture other stolen bikes! Since then I have started monitoring Gumtree adverts and there is very obviously a large number of stolen machines being handled there. For example--
Go to gumtree.com and put 07538638674 in the search window

FIVE advts turn up---four bikes plus a pair of jeans!

65306921 name "sheriff"

65306715 name "joel"

65304733 name "lekan"

63102175 name "joshua"

63016710 name "joel"

Fishy or what??? Four people sharing the same mobile number?

In the case of my bike a similar situation occurred -- it seems to me that if Gumtree just monitored phone numbers vs. names they could at least reduce the incidence of stolen proerty being handled on their site! I suspect they are in no hurry to do so as it may reduce their turnover!

if that had been me i would have gone to see the bike as a potential purchaser and if it was my bike i would have asked for a test ride and jumped on it and ridden off on it after all the seller is very unlikely to report it as stolen are they? but my first port of call would be the police station to report that i had recovered my bike
i always do things on my bikes that means i can prove that the bike belongs to me ie copper grease on the freewheel threads stem and seat post as no potential thief is going to check this out are they lets face it they are too stupid to look and most likely dont know anything about cycle mechanics either!