Search found 3371 matches

by fastpedaller
18 Mar 2024, 7:05pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Snap ring ordering details
Replies: 6
Views: 280

Re: Snap ring ordering details

Could you make one using part of a double-butted spoke? Apologies as they may be 1.8mm at the thinnest.... I can't remember :roll:
by fastpedaller
18 Mar 2024, 7:02pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: last second ebay bidding
Replies: 51
Views: 2395

Re: last second ebay bidding

millimole wrote: 17 Mar 2024, 1:44pm
pjclinch wrote:
fastpedaller wrote: 17 Mar 2024, 11:13am
I've seen items with many days left with (say) £5 on the bid. Thinking the item is worth £70 to me, I've sent the seller a note "I'm happy to pay £50 for the immediate purchase of this item" . This approach has been successful (and on others the seller has said they'll let the auction run. I don't know if making an early offer is now 'allowed' on Ebay. They change the rules so often. Frustratingly they really make it difficult sometimes...... A few years ago I wanted to send hi-res photos of a bike to the prospective buyer but he couldn't send me his email or 'phone number to make this possible.
An offer is a specific option, seen as "make an offer" if the seller has chosen that facility. You put in an offer, the seller can reject or make a counter-offer.

Pete.
Yes, the way the seller can handle this is to amend the listing to Allow Offers and notify the prospective buyer that you have made the change. Then the buyer makes the 'agreed' offer, which the seller accepts.

I always include 'allow offers' in my sales listings as it can make things much easier.
Indeed, I do as well...... but If you're trying to buy and the seller hasn't included'make an offer' it's worth asking!
by fastpedaller
17 Mar 2024, 8:22pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Budget wheels opinion
Replies: 13
Views: 520

Re: Budget wheels opinion

'sealed bearings' means different things to different people! Some (maybe most) refer to sealed bearings at modern,complete bearings with an inner and outer race which are replaced as a whole, not to be confused with cup & cone bearings. Some hubs with cup and cone bearings have rubber seals which fit between the axle and the ends of the hub and provide sealing against the elements - they are often referred to as MTB hubs, and IMHO are the best type to have.
They look like this
https://www.bing.com/shop/productpage?q ... ORM=SSAPC1
More expensive and less expensive ones are available (indeed Bankrupt Bike parts sell them, or have in the past)

Some of the terminology in cycling must be very confusing to newcomers - especially clipless pedals! A more confusing name for a pedal which clips the riders feet in position couldn't be possible :shock: I understand (having ridden for 50+ years) why they are called clipless, but for younger folk?
by fastpedaller
17 Mar 2024, 8:11pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Bottom bracket size
Replies: 35
Views: 1044

Re: Bottom bracket size

Dupont wrote: 17 Mar 2024, 7:26pm
fastpedaller wrote: 17 Mar 2024, 7:04pm don't forget some grease on the pedal/crank threads so they don't become seized! Apologies if you are already aware.
So, grease the pedal hole but not the taper hole on spindle seems to be the train of thought here. 👍
Opinions differ of course, but I'm confident we all agree on greasing the pedal threads :wink:
by fastpedaller
17 Mar 2024, 7:04pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Bottom bracket size
Replies: 35
Views: 1044

Re: Bottom bracket size

don't forget some grease on the pedal/crank threads so they don't become seized! Apologies if you are already aware.
by fastpedaller
17 Mar 2024, 11:13am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: last second ebay bidding
Replies: 51
Views: 2395

Re: last second ebay bidding

deeferdonk wrote: 13 Mar 2024, 11:29am More perplexing to me is when you see a couple of other bidders have a bit of a bidding war when there's still a week/ages left on the auction, driving up the price early on. Why don't you just wait till closer to the end and/or put your max bid in?

Must have admit I have let out an evil laugh on the couple of times when i have seen this happen and then snipe and win the auction at the last minute.
I've seen items with many days left with (say) £5 on the bid. Thinking the item is worth £70 to me, I've sent the seller a note "I'm happy to pay £50 for the immediate purchase of this item" . This approach has been successful (and on others the seller has said they'll let the auction run. I don't know if making an early offer is now 'allowed' on Ebay. They change the rules so often. Frustratingly they really make it difficult sometimes...... A few years ago I wanted to send hi-res photos of a bike to the prospective buyer but he couldn't send me his email or 'phone number to make this possible.
ETA I had no intention of 'bypassing' Ebay, but of course this is why the restrictions are there. Some trying to get a sale but paying no fees has led to us all paying more eg fees on postage because people used to list a £20 item as BIN £1 with £19 postage to avoid fees.
by fastpedaller
17 Mar 2024, 11:03am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: last second ebay bidding
Replies: 51
Views: 2395

Re: last second ebay bidding

Jezrant wrote: 12 Mar 2024, 9:03am
yostumpy wrote: 12 Mar 2024, 8:54am
tatanab wrote: 10 Mar 2024, 8:42pm If I want something, I wait until a minute to go before entering my bid and then wait until the last 5 seconds before committing it. This is not fool proof since I can be beaten by sniping software or by a previous bidders higher limit.
^^^this. :D
You will be beaten by a sniper.
But only if their maximum bid is more than yours surely?
by fastpedaller
17 Mar 2024, 11:02am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: last second ebay bidding
Replies: 51
Views: 2395

Re: last second ebay bidding

rareposter wrote: 12 Mar 2024, 8:13am
SimonCelsa wrote: 12 Mar 2024, 4:45am Yes, but surely you would still have 'won' it without the sniping software if you had just entered your maximum bid at the outset??
That's not how auctions work though. If I'm selling an item I have a rough expectation of what it'll fetch cos I've done my research, looked at similar items etc. Let's say I reckon it'll go for £20.
I put it on at a starting bid of £5 - that encourages people to look and to think it's a bargain and there'll usually be a few "placer" bids at £5 / £6 or so - people staking their place in the auction.

Then it'll sit there for a few days with no bids as everyone watches and waits. Maybe a new bidder will come along and go for £6.50. In the last few hours the bids will creep up and it'll go from maybe 5 or 6 bidders down to 3, down to 2 and then those 2 will engage in a bit of bluffing and one-upmanship. Neither wants to go and stick a bid of £30 on cos that's a waste of money if they can get it for £18. So there'll be a bit of brinkmanship and it comes down to the last bidder standing in the final few seconds.

In fact if I saw someone stick a bid of £30 on it straight away, I'd assume it was some sort of troll or bot - someone wanting to screw with an auction. ebay are fairly hot on that sort of thing and will quite often just cancel the bid, especially if they've detected that bidder doing similar elsewhere or if it's someone new or someone with mixed feedback. Or they might assume it was shill bidding (the seller getting a mate to bid artificially high to inflate the price) which is a big no-no and can result in your own account being suspended while they investigate.
My Sister was selling a very good condition up-and-over garage door (probably worth £400 new) and the bids were very low. Of course it has to be something the buyer wants in that size and needs transporting so usual second-hand/new 'ratios don't apply. It got up to £2 in a few days :) , so she persuaded her Daughter to up the bidding. Daughter won it for £12 :lol:
by fastpedaller
16 Mar 2024, 11:20am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Budget wheels opinion
Replies: 13
Views: 520

Re: Budget wheels opinion

I hope Colin will excuse me for adding .... If you follow Colin's excellent advice, also add some grease to the bearings!
ETA I've purchased from Banrumpt Bikes and they provide a good service.
by fastpedaller
16 Mar 2024, 11:20am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Budget wheels opinion
Replies: 13
Views: 520

Re: Budget wheels opinion

I hope Colin will excuse me for adding .... If you follow Colin's excellent advice, also add some grease to the bearings!
by fastpedaller
15 Mar 2024, 10:27pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Fill that hole
Replies: 60
Views: 3754

Re: Fill that hole

mjr wrote: 9 Mar 2024, 10:23pm
JohnR wrote: 9 Mar 2024, 9:06am I think the situation for minor roads is worsened by the relative cheap surface dressing ("spray and chip") falling out of favour although very effective for sealing cracks and adding some overall strength.
Falling out of favour? About time! It's still widespread in Norfolk, but done so badly that it probably adds little life to the road, while being obnoxiously dangerous to bikes, alternating inches deep drifts of chips with patches of bare tar that will ruin a posh bike as it's either flung off the tyres or a chip stuck to the tyres scores the hell out of any low -clearance aero forks or stays.
I live in Norfolk and although the road repairs (and delay to repair) aren't great ..... Cambridgeshire is in a different league! Our Daughter lives there and I've never encountered roads like it. Last year 80 reports on the Council website highlighting HUGE holes on one roundabout and the Council did nothing for several months. Two weeks ago we saw a road with 2ft deep holes in it (I kid ye not) and drivers heading into the other side of the road into oncoming traffic to avoid them. The Council's response "we filled a hole 4 weeks ago on that road - report closed! Unbelievably arrogant and dismissive Council staff.
by fastpedaller
15 Mar 2024, 10:13pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Noisy freehub - quieten with grease?
Replies: 21
Views: 786

Re: Noisy freehub - quieten with grease?

Some folk pay good money to get a noise freehub! I have to say I don't see the attraction. But one thing...... if you're freewheeling you aren't trying :lol:
by fastpedaller
15 Mar 2024, 10:10pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Bottom bracket size
Replies: 35
Views: 1044

Re: Bottom bracket size

I always put a smear of grease on the taper - but as you say opinions differ. I've never had a problem, but do ensure you tighten the bolts that hold the cranks to the axle to the correct torque (IIRC correctly 30-40nM). It's hand-hurtingly tight, but if a crank goes loose and is ridden any distance it will be ruined. No doom and gloom though, it seems you're coping well with the task. :)
by fastpedaller
15 Mar 2024, 1:03pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Bottom bracket size
Replies: 35
Views: 1044

Re: Bottom bracket size

As long (no pun intended) as the cranks fit on ok and clear everything (frame and front changer) there's unlikely to be a major problem. Just a couple of minor adjustments to both mechs and cables will sort it out. Some folk here get really intense about 'correct chainline' but the odd couple of mm won't generally be a problem with a derailleur 'cos the chain is rarely running exactly in line. (I await a pelting with rotten veg!)
by fastpedaller
10 Mar 2024, 7:49pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: last second ebay bidding
Replies: 51
Views: 2395

Re: last second ebay bidding

Weirdly whenever I've thought 'I'll not win that' with a proxy bid (both at physical auctions and online) I've ended up getting the item. Once at our local Auction house it became apparent to me that the auctioneer was just 'bidding off the wall' so I let the other bidder have it :lol: