Search found 1771 matches

by jb
31 Dec 2023, 12:12pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Thru axle wheel not wanting to drop out - SORTED
Replies: 38
Views: 2494

Re: Thru axle wheel not wanting to drop out

I thought they were a casting - i.e. one piece?
by jb
30 Dec 2023, 11:50pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Thru axle wheel not wanting to drop out - SORTED
Replies: 38
Views: 2494

Re: Thru axle wheel not wanting to drop out

Cowsham wrote: 27 Dec 2023, 5:03pm If your happy enough with the rest of the bike I'd take the forks to a local machine shop -- I'm lucky that one of my mates would probably do the job for free at work. If you know anyone in a factory and they have a machine shop in the maintenance department ask them to do it for a small fee. Would be a lot less hassle than sending it away or faffin about with the dealer.
Not sure how they would get a milling cutter between the forks to cut the relevent bit, not without making a special setup which would be unlikely for a one off.
Of course there is some fancy kit about these days but still..
by jb
30 Dec 2023, 7:57pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: a tad out of true? decisions....
Replies: 59
Views: 4088

Re: a tad out of true? decisions....

Its the design that's important and original, if its been repaired using the same type of tubes to the same type of lugs to the same angles with the same brazing - sometimes even done by the same bloke - then the difference between it and the original is merely academic. You can describe it as virtually brand new or original take your pick.
'Tornado' is a Class A1 Peppercorn Pacific 'despite' being brand new.
by jb
26 Dec 2023, 9:25pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: B&M Front Lamp Torx Key Issue
Replies: 7
Views: 617

Re: B&M Front Lamp Torx Key Issue

If it's loose can you not take it out and replace it with a standard bolt with washer?
by jb
24 Dec 2023, 3:06pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: a tad out of true? decisions....
Replies: 59
Views: 4088

Re: a tad out of true? decisions....

It can be very pleasurable restoring an old thing back to how it's designer intended. Nothing to to do with memories or sentimentality. just the sheer pleasure of seeing something operating as intended and if you can get useful work out of it all the better.
I agree, the indulgent useless never ending sob stories on repair shop somewhat spoil the actual interest in the program.
by jb
17 Dec 2023, 6:33pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: why should i use LONG blocks in my cantis?
Replies: 56
Views: 6379

Re: why should i use LONG blocks in my cantis?

Whilst short blocks will brake just as well the longer blocks will spread the wear out better. The leverage acting on the short block tends to force the end of the block into the rim harder than the front. Lengthening the block at the rear is supposed to counteract this.
On the other hand, a short block probably has less movement available in the pivot to allow it to wear unevenly so it's a case of suck it and see.
by jb
28 Nov 2023, 11:51am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Shimano Alfine Dyno hub
Replies: 13
Views: 989

Re: Shimano Alfine Dyno hub

Just because twin or co axial cable is used does not mean the lamps are not earthed to the frame, it depends on the bracket fixing method. Many a non working set of lights have been remedied by simply swapping the connections of the rear lamp around.
by jb
27 Nov 2023, 11:11pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Shimano Alfine Dyno hub
Replies: 13
Views: 989

Re: Shimano Alfine Dyno hub

If you are using the original lamp it should be self contained with voltage regulator and wotnot. Just make sure you use the same lead to the rear lamp if it's earthed to the frame otherwise a short will result. - In other words you don't want the non earth of the front lamp connecting with the earth of the rear lamp.
by jb
27 Nov 2023, 10:46pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Spokes - order, vast stock or roll your own (with what)
Replies: 27
Views: 3220

Re: Spokes - order, vast stock or roll your own (with what)

plancashire wrote: 26 Nov 2023, 11:38am I volunteer at a bike repair workshop. A few of us can repair broken spokes. I can build wheels. We have a wheel-trueing jig and a few spokes of various sizes mostly jumbled up. We are increasingly finding that we do not have the right spoke to repair a wheel: wrong length, wrong gauge, wrong butting, wrong colour, etc. In some cases a bike can be made useable only by rebuilding a wheel, e.g. hub OK rims shot. We currently use a few spokes a week on average but this could increase. Last week we had a bike with black spokes grouped in fours around the rim - no replacement of the right length in stock.

What is the best solution?
  • Find a supplier who can deliver within one week and just order as we need them, maybe with a few extra for future jobs. Pros: low initial cost. Cons: time to place order, delivery delay, must select correct spoke from a catalogue (no experimenting).
  • Aquire a much more expensive stock of spokes and keep them well organised. Pros: no rolling. Cons: large stock and investment, likely not to have all the spokes we need.
  • Buy a spoke thread rolling machine. Pros: much smaller stock, likely to be able to replace most spokes. Cons: cost of tool, time to cut and roll a spoke, quality of result.
If we went for a thread rolling machine, which one should we buy?
  • The Phil Wood is obviously the best but way too expensive: an atom bomb to kill an ant.
  • The Cyclo is a bit cheaper than the Hozan but appears to have several deficiencies.
I have read many opinions and a few more objective contributions. Does anyone here have experience of this kind of decision and/or has used more than one thread rolling machine so can make an informed comparison?
In your position I personally wouldn't hesitate to buy a spoke threader. Then get a good stock of plain gauge spokes of the longest length you use and cut them down for other sizes.
Probably needs to be a half decent quality one if your going to be using it a lot. The Cyclo one looks a bit crap., specially as they've only shown a CAD model of it.
by jb
26 Nov 2023, 7:32pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Bradson 5b pillar drill
Replies: 19
Views: 1387

Re: Bradson 5b pillar drill

rjb wrote: 24 Nov 2023, 1:45pm Bit of a change from fettling bikes when I picked up this rusty drill in a house clearance. Picked up :shock: it weighs 25kg.
It's a 2 speed Bradson hand cranked drill with an auto feed mechanism which is approx 100 years old.
So I have been restoring this hand cranked pillar drill to pristine condition for use in my workshop to aid my bike fettling.

Here's the before and after. Enjoy

If someone can rotate these images please do so. When I tried they still came up sideways here.
FB_IMG_16983156641028605.jpgIMG_20231123_121051.jpgIMG_20231123_121156.jpg
Excellent post, may it give you many years of accurate drilling. 🙂
by jb
22 Nov 2023, 12:20pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: I tightened handlebar stem before top bolt - risk of damage?
Replies: 40
Views: 2693

Re: I tightened handlebar stem before top bolt - risk of damage?

The great thing about A-head sets is that when the top bolt has removed all the play any further tightening will simply deform the star washer before it overloads the bearing so there is a bit of wiggle room. Obviously if its tightened to far it will start to overload the bearings but you'd have to have the sensitivity of a navvy with a blunt pick to keep on tightening it.
by jb
21 Nov 2023, 4:23pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: I tightened handlebar stem before top bolt - risk of damage?
Replies: 40
Views: 2693

Re: I tightened handlebar stem before top bolt - risk of damage?

531colin wrote: 21 Nov 2023, 4:09pm
jb wrote: 21 Nov 2023, 3:58pm Sheesh, setting up a threaded headset was a bit of an art but thread-less A-headsets are an absolute doddle. Talk about mountains and mole hills...
Not much difference between them if you ask me:
Threaded headset; adjust preload with adjusting cup, lock off with locknut.
Threadless; adjust preload with top cap bolt, lock off with stem bolts.
With threaded headset, you need to remember there’s always a bit of backlash in the thread, so you have to make sure when locking it off that you don’t increase the preload; but that’s just the same as pedal or hub bearing adjustment
Perhaps we need a torque wrench for a threaded headset, there’s a business opportunity there!
That maybe what's supposed to happen but I always seemed to get bikes with an impossible to get at bottom nut. It being covered by the brake cable hanger and not enough thread left to put a spacer in to lift it up. The anti-turn tabbed washer being almost useless on every cycle ever made since they stopped using the thicker tubes that it was designed for.
by jb
21 Nov 2023, 3:58pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: I tightened handlebar stem before top bolt - risk of damage?
Replies: 40
Views: 2693

Re: I tightened handlebar stem before top bolt - risk of damage?

Sheesh, setting up a threaded headset was a bit of an art but thread-less A-headsets are an absolute doddle. Talk about mountains and mole hills...
by jb
21 Nov 2023, 10:35am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: I tightened handlebar stem before top bolt - risk of damage?
Replies: 40
Views: 2693

Re: I tightened handlebar stem before top bolt - risk of damage?

Fatter tyres at lower pressures will increase headset life considerably.
by jb
21 Nov 2023, 10:30am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: make your own db aero spokes
Replies: 34
Views: 3038

Re: make your own db aero spokes

ANTONISH wrote: 21 Nov 2023, 9:44am I wonder what the most aerodynamic spoke cross section would be ?
Simple, you get a 48 spoke wheel and beat out all the spokes on an anvil until they meet one another thus forming a solid wheel, the perfect aerodynamic shape...