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by ElCani
11 Mar 2024, 5:53am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Best kit for bleeding Tektro disc brakes?
Replies: 20
Views: 1287

Re: Best kit for bleeding Tektro disc brakes?

Brucey wrote: 10 Mar 2024, 5:59pm is that SRAM;'s way of admitting they might have got it wrong before?
We can only hope…
by ElCani
10 Mar 2024, 1:52pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Best kit for bleeding Tektro disc brakes?
Replies: 20
Views: 1287

Re: Best kit for bleeding Tektro disc brakes?

Brucey wrote: 10 Mar 2024, 1:39pm
PH wrote: 9 Mar 2024, 4:07pm
Brucey wrote: 9 Mar 2024, 3:37pm

IIRC Tektro are the only manufacturer which has used both types of fluid.
I think you might have recalled incorrectly, either that or the manufacturer has got it wrong:
Mineral Oil
• For all TRP and Tektro hydraulic braking systems.
https://tektro.com/en/product/178#:~:te ... eral%20oil.
you are quite right, I was thinking of Giant, just down the road from tektro. Giant remain the only manufacturer with a foot in each fluid camp,so to speak..
Nope… https://www.sram.com/en/sram/models/db-db8-a1
by ElCani
30 Jan 2024, 5:34pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Cantilever Brake recommendations?
Replies: 38
Views: 1794

Re: Cantilever Brake recommendations?

531colin wrote: 29 Jan 2024, 5:21pm
Dupont wrote: 29 Jan 2024, 4:58pm
Brucey wrote: 29 Jan 2024, 2:18pm in which case they should be st3400 levers, with the 'old' cable pull. A year later and the st3500 model would have been current; this has NSSLR cable pull and washing lines, but is still a 9s Sora STI.
Do you know if these will work with mini v brakes?
I think there should be a model number on the levers somewhere.
st3400 levers, old cable pull, will give powerful brakes but it is necessary to set the pads with relatively little clearance to the rim....OK as long as you fit a noodle with a barrel adjuster....I would only fit one mini vee to the front.
st3500 levers, NSSLR longer cable pull will give you more pad clearance and a firmer feel to the lever, preferred by El Cani
That’s exactly how I had them set up, funnily enough. The power was good, but with large hands I prefer a bite point earlier in the lever stroke. When I switched to NSSLR levers I switched the canti at the rear to a mini V, and all was well!
by ElCani
28 Jan 2024, 8:59pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Cantilever Brake recommendations?
Replies: 38
Views: 1794

Re: Cantilever Brake recommendations?

531colin wrote: 28 Jan 2024, 1:24pm NSSLR levers pull more cable (have less mechanical advantage) than the older levers.
Therefore pairing the same brake with either lever type;
NSSLR levers will feel firmer, but the overall system mechanical advantage will be higher with the old levers (pull less cable, higher MA)
I went from Tiagra 4500 (which I’m fairly sure is old-pull) to 105 5800 (which is definitely NSSLR). I guess the “better” (even thoigh total system MA was reduced) braking I got was the result of a firmer lever and not having to have the pads 0.00001mm from the rim, meaning I could use the full strength of my hand without bottoming out the levers on the bars.
by ElCani
28 Jan 2024, 11:50am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Cantilever Brake recommendations?
Replies: 38
Views: 1794

Re: Cantilever Brake recommendations?

My experience with NSSLR levers and mini-Vs (Campagnolo Mirage) was that they were significantly better than when paired with older Shimano STIs.
by ElCani
16 Nov 2023, 11:22am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: 9sp Sora/Tiagra compatibility
Replies: 16
Views: 1353

Re: 9sp Sora/Tiagra compatibility

If both are 9 speed they are compatible.

Cheers.
by ElCani
9 Nov 2023, 9:06pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: FSA square taper BB removal and replacement
Replies: 11
Views: 1971

Re: FSA square taper BB removal and replacement

Yes, that’s the type which requires the tool I posted a picture of. Many manufacturers make the tool and there are many guides online (eg Park Tool) showing exactly how to do it.

Good luck!
by ElCani
6 Nov 2023, 11:51am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: FSA square taper BB removal and replacement
Replies: 11
Views: 1971

Re: FSA square taper BB removal and replacement

See the picture below. If you can upload a photo of the bottom bracket, we can 100% confirm it requires the same tool.
by ElCani
3 Nov 2023, 8:50pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Mudguard design
Replies: 56
Views: 6630

Re: Mudguard design

Brucey wrote: 3 Nov 2023, 12:06pm
ElCani wrote: 2 Nov 2023, 9:02pm
Brucey wrote: 2 Nov 2023, 7:39pm
me too.

About 20 years ago I vowed [wrongly as it turns out] that I would never again buy a set of mudguards; instead I'd design and make my own. Well the idea never went away and I have [having tried various things out] finally come up with my finished design. It is quite unlike any currently on sale and lends itself to the installation of such a thing
Interesting, Brucey. Do you have plans to make them/get them made?yes
yes but given my current state it is proving rather difficult. Shame really as in my design the usual things that scrap them [like cracking] are circumvented. They should be cheaper to make, fit better [esp. to close clearance frames] and be lighter too.
They sound great. Care to share any of the specifics? I understand if not.
by ElCani
2 Nov 2023, 9:02pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Mudguard design
Replies: 56
Views: 6630

Re: Mudguard design

Brucey wrote: 2 Nov 2023, 7:39pm
531colin wrote: 2 Nov 2023, 8:30am..... something I always fancied but never got made was an extra bit to keep spray off the chain....
me too.

About 20 years ago I vowed [wrongly as it turns out] that I would never again buy a set of mudguards; instead I'd design and make my own. Well the idea never went away and I have [having tried various things out] finally come up with my finished design. It is quite unlike any currently on sale and lends itself to the installation of such a thing
Interesting, Brucey. Do you have plans to make them/get them made?
by ElCani
30 Oct 2023, 9:00pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: SLR, Super SLR, New Super SLR, SLR EV, etc.
Replies: 54
Views: 12364

Re: SLR, Super SLR, New Super SLR, SLR EV, etc.

Quick update on my experiences…

I have now installed NSSLR STIs (ST-R5800) with Deore LX (BR-M565) mid profile cantilever brakes. Using the Shimano “pre-set” straddle cables the braking was pretty poor, but after switching to adjustable Tektro straddles (meaning the straddle height could be lowered) the braking is now decent. I can lock the back wheel easily, and while I can’t quite chuck myself over the bars with the front brake, I can stop effectively enough.

Setting the brakes up was extremely fiddly (particularly the rear) due to the large number of variables. This is on a 26 inch wheel Raleigh Appalachian (1989), using 2.35” Maxxis DTH tyres and mudguards. Pad angle was critical to avoid sidewall interference. We’ll see whether they are a pain to maintain…

On a related note, I was able to get a modern generation (FD-7000) front mech working perfectly with a 26-42 (+chainguard) alpine double chainset, which was a pleasant surprise!
by ElCani
28 Oct 2023, 6:52pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: SLR, Super SLR, New Super SLR, SLR EV, etc.
Replies: 54
Views: 12364

Re: SLR, Super SLR, New Super SLR, SLR EV, etc.

Having now bothered to “do my own research” :D, it appears that, all NSSLR levers do have servowave, and (as already stated by others) it does indeed involve a variable amount of cable pull during the stroke!

https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/technolo ... ponse.html
by ElCani
28 Oct 2023, 3:36pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: SLR, Super SLR, New Super SLR, SLR EV, etc.
Replies: 54
Views: 12364

Re: SLR, Super SLR, New Super SLR, SLR EV, etc.

slowster wrote: 28 Oct 2023, 3:19pm
ElCani wrote: 28 Oct 2023, 1:26pm Does anyone here have direct experience using NSSLR (the latest type) brake levers with older (Deore LX in this case) canti brakes? I understand the combo is sub-optimal, but I’d like to know to what extent and in what way.
There is some interesting anecdotal feedback here - https://www.celebrazio.net/bicycling/sh ... ility.html when NSSLR was introduced, including this:
"we just had a bike in for a service today that had one 5600 lever paired with a 5700 brake. It was the first time I'd got to try this combination, and I immediately found out that the braking sucked on the test ride ... I was surprised by how pathetic and mushy it felt."
"So stick with components of the same series unless you have no choice."
"BTW, going the other way (e.g. new 6700 levers with old 6600 brakes) can be made to work OK - just setup the brake so that it doesn't hit the rim until the lever has moved a little more than normal, but still far from the bars, and you get reasonably decent power and modulation. The cable pull ratio actually changes during the lever sweep with the new levers, which I believe Shimano call Servo Wave technology, which is why it matters where the bite point of the brake is."
This might account for people reporting different experiences of using NSSLR levers with non-NSSLR calipers such as BB7s, cantilevers etc., i.e. it needs to be set up with a longish lever throw, and someone who likes their brakes to have very close clearance is likely to find the same combination to be underwhelming.
Thanks all. Re servo-wave, is that a feature of all NSSLR levers? The ones I’m considering using are 105 5800 STIs.
by ElCani
28 Oct 2023, 1:26pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: SLR, Super SLR, New Super SLR, SLR EV, etc.
Replies: 54
Views: 12364

Re: SLR, Super SLR, New Super SLR, SLR EV, etc.

No doubt I could find answers to this elsewhere if I looked hard enough but…

Does anyone here have direct experience using NSSLR (the latest type) brake levers with older (Deore LX in this case) canti brakes? I understand the combo is sub-optimal, but I’d like to know to what extent and in what way.

Thanks!
by ElCani
18 Oct 2023, 8:27pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Wanting to buy a Croix de Fer 30 but unsure if it's a good choice
Replies: 27
Views: 4629

Re: Wanting to buy a Croix de Fer 30 but unsure if it's a good choice

The Spa Elan with 105 hydraulic brakes at £1,650 would probably be my choice. Just a lot nicer to use than cable discs, assuming you know all the other pros and cons (which have been debated ad infinitum!).