Cycling UK Forum

Hi, I wonder if I could pick everyone's brains. I'm replacing the forks on my second bike. The headset is a Ritchey WCS Logic Threadless 1-1/8", black in colour. I've been thinking about my options with the fork crown race. I could...

-Pay my LBS to remove the fork crown race from my old forks and refit? (I don't actually know if this is feasible, would it be damaged in the removal process?)

-Order the official Ritchey Spare Part, listed here:
http://www.ritchey.ch/index.php?page=sh ... 1&Itemid=1
Unfortunately I can't find it from a UK retailer. TBH I'd rather not wait for it to be shipped from the USA.

-Fit another brand's fork crown race? The Ritchey site says the crown race works "with 41.8x30.5mm 45°/45° angular contact bearings used on the Ritchey WCS Standard headset". If this is feasible and there's a UK supplier this could be a winner. Does anyone know of one that might work?

Ta in advance for any help,

Best wishes,

Luke

In Jan sales I treated myself to a Shimano DH-3N80 hub dynamo wheel, a B+M IQ Cyo senso plus front light & a Toplight plus rear. I've set up the front light and it works like a dream. I honestly can't notice any difference from my previous front wheel.

The Cyo has two wires, one wire connects to the front hub dynamo and another connects to the rear light. This latter wire has two (?spade) connectors. I was having a go at wiring the rear when I clumsily broke one of the spade connectors. Is it an easy repair? Am completely new to the world of dynamos and wiring so am very much 'in the dark'. Meanwhile I've covered it up with electrical tape pending repair.

Any help / tips / suggestions gratefully received.

Best wishes

Luke

gaz wrote:1.5mm washer behind the BB fixed cup, same result. It's still a specialist washer but it's only one.

Hi, I've done this once before with a threaded washer when I converted my fixie to a singlespeed. I added a screw on freewheel and needed to move my crank outboard a tad.

Before that I rode fixed and used a threaded washer at the rear. I had an old road crankset up front with the chainring on the inner spider, giving a chainline of ~43.5. I used the threaded washer on the rear hub to space the rear cog outboard. I think I just used a 1mm washer in the end. I measured both ends with calipers and from memory they were pretty well matched. It was an Ambrosio hub and it had enough thread to take the 1mm washer plus cog.

At the time I brought the washers from London fixie. A quick search redirected me to VeloSolo:

http://www.velosolo.co.uk/sitemap.html

They also sell crank washers if you prefer. IIRC the forums I read when researching it at the time said go for the BB / hub threaded washer rather than chainring washers as they are hardier. Haven't tried the latter but the BB / hub washer route worked well for me.

Best wishes,

Luke

Hi folks, thanks for all your posts and photos. It's really helpful for me to learn which options work. So far the possibilities are:
1) V-brakes with V-brake road levers & bar end shifters.
2) Bar end shifters with Magura road levers.
3) Flat bar with mtb shifters, brake levers & V's.
4) Optimise Canti set up.
(I've ruled out discs, travel agents & mini-Vs).
I'm averse to 1) & 2) as I've been spoiled by fingertip shifting and can't go back!
I'm trying no. 4 at present. It's a work in progress. More of which later. But first I must confess I made a mistake earlier about spring holes and MA:

quote="LuckyLuke"]Firstly I'll play around with the Tektros. I currently have them mounted on the weakest spring settings. If I've read Sheldon correctly I could increase the MA by mounting the brake on the strongest spring setting. This would raise the Anchor arm and effectively reduce the yoke angle, increasing the MA. [/quote]

The anchor arm is actually raised by mounting the brake on the lowest spring hole on the boss, ie the weakest spring setting.

I digress. I fitted the Shimano MT60s. They went on fine except one half of the rear brake was a real effort to mount on its boss. I fitted the springs in the middle holes, as on the lowest hole the recoil was a tad weak. I tried them with my existing cables and found them to be an improvement over the Tektros, even with the stock pads. (Cheers for the recommendation 531Colin.)

Here's where I should have quit while I was ahead... I decided to replace my gear and brake cables with Transfil Mudlovers, with the waterproof inner lining. Doing so has added so much friction to both gears and brakes, I wish I hadn't bothered. I'll give it a week and if no improvement I'll change to ordinary cables next weekend. If after all that I'm still not satisfied I'll go for the flat bars & Vs.

DougieB wrote:
PS. I'm going away for 2 or 3 months, with my flat bars. if it helps I can post you the 'v-brake for drop' 520 levers to try out (though I'll need my v-brakes)...

Hi DougieB, ta v. much for the kind offer. I don't think I'll go down the bar end shifters route though. Hope you're enjoying your LHT, am smitten with mine.

Thanks for all the help everyone, tis much appreciated. Best wishes, Luke

Hi 531, cheers for the post, will have another bash with the shimano brakes. I've got an old Avid Shorty brake that I had on an old rigid MTB commuter ~5yrs ago. Might give that a go too. Firstly I'll play around with the Tektros. I currently have them mounted on the weakest spring settings. If I've read Sheldon correctly I could increase the MA by mounting the brake on the strongest spring setting. This would raise the Anchor arm and effectively reduce the yoke angle, increasing the MA. I could also shorten the straddle wire too. Here's pics of my current set up:




BTW, what are "un-pair" brakes? Am curious, could you post a photo?

Morning folks, thanks for all your help, plenty of food for thought.

531colin wrote:Keep your drops, fit V brakes, V brake drop levers, and bar end shifters.
Great brakes, and use any F. mech you like, that shift isnt indexed.
Simples!

EDIT Or fit a set of these, better mechanical advantage than CR720 if you use Sheldon Browns straddle wire trick to best advantage...http://www.defietsenmaker.nl/index.php?item=shimano-br-mt60-cantilever-brake-set--_-1980_s&action=article&group_id=32&aid=353&lang=EN

Hi 531Colin, good idea, I hadn't considered bar end shifters, but I've been spoiled by Ergos y'see...
I ordered a set of those Shimano Cantis after reading about them on another thread. Unfortunately they wouldn't fit onto the bosses of my LHT forks (bosses were too large). I have read that Canti boss mounts can vary between forks, can the diameter vary too?

reohn2 wrote:Before you do anything drastic try a pair of these :- http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BBB-Tristop-V-Bra ... 3f041e3b56
I'm finding them much better than Koolstops.

Hi reohn2, Thanks for the intel. I've added to my wishlist for next month's cycle shopping.

hamster wrote:If you look hard enough you can also find Magura drop levers on ebay. These are fantastic as a replacement for cantis (they fit the same bosses).

Hi Hamster, thanks for the tip. I had a sniff around online. Magura HS-66 brakes apparently are the drop levered ones. User's gave glowing reviews. Unfortunately I'd have to use downtube or bar-end shifters so have ruled them out.

freebooter wrote:I have been battling poor braking with cantis and STI road levers as well and have given up trying to get decent braking. I have tweaked the set up according to the various advice on line and swapped to Koolstop pads, changed the cabling, swapped to cr720s etc etc etc. In the end I think it is just the cable pull from the levers doesn't match the brakes and this is made even worse by the poor hand position when breaking from the hoods.

On mine the braking is so bad that I can barely stop on steep hills in the dry even when braking in the drops and have sometimes had to get off and walk down hills rather than risk not being able to stop.

Hi freebooter, sorry to hear. My canti disappointment is only with their wet-weather performance. Your brakes sound especially bad. As 531Colin suggests maybe you could post some pics and the forum could advise? (I'm gonna do likewise later today.) Or visit a trusted LBS?

freebooter wrote:If you do decide to go for the straight bar conversion I still have most of the components I bought but didn't use that I need to sell sometime. I have deore 9sp shifters, deore v break levers, deore front mech (you will need to swap the front mech as road ones aren't compatible with mtb shifters) and a trekking bar if you wanted to try that instead of a flat bar for more hand positions. I never got as far as buying v brakes themselves but it would reduce the cost for you a bit.

Let me know if you are interested and I can send you more details/photos.

Cheers pal, I'm still umming and ahhing about going flat bar. I might well be in touch after pay day, but don't wait for me, sell them sooner if you get the chance.

blackbike wrote:Keep your drops and fit a dual pivot road brake. Even a very cheap one will be excellent and solve all your problems.

Most forks can be fitted with these brakes. A little drilling might be needed, but that costs next to nothing.

Hi blackbike, cheers for the post. I did consider it as I'm currently running 28s with SKS P35 'guards. However I'd like to fit fatter tyres and bigger guards in future, and as 531Colin mentioned they may not reach anyway.

Does anyone think a low-profile canti might improve things? I've just re-read the thread "Tektro CR520 Brake set up". and Mark a's post:

mark a. wrote:I'm resurrecting a thread here, but I've just come across this document which details the mechanical advantage of different cantilever setups (pdf file):

http://www.circleacycles.com/cantilever ... ometry.pdf

To my mind, it's better than the Sheldon explanations (shock!), partly because it talks more about wide-profile cantis (like the CR520 or 720). It has maths but also some handy graphs which explain things really clearly.

My reading of it gives the following notes:

1) Low-profile cantis give better mechanical advantage (MA) but are harder to set up
2) Wide-profile cantis are less powerful, but are more forgiving of set up and brake wear and, because MA is lower, they clear the rim more
3) Aiming for a 90º angle between straddle wire and anchor is not the thing to do
4) The lower the straddle wire the better

The same guy has also created a nifty online calculator so you can put in the details of your own brakes:

http://www.circleacycles.com/cantilevers/

I think I'll be getting my rulers and calipers out later and measuring the Tekro and Kore wide-profile cantis that we've got and sticking the data into that calculator.

I gather low profile canti's are fussier to set up, can squeal like pigs, don't afford as much rim clearance, and their MA declines as the pad wears so they will likely require more frequent adjustment. However I could put up with the lot for better braking!

Hi, I'm frustrated by the wet weather braking on my commuter bike. I've a Surly Long Haul Trucker with Tektro CR720s. I've followed the excellent advice from the forum sticky on canti set up. I'm using an uphanger and Kool Stop dual compound brake pads. I clean my wheel rims and file the pads weekly. Collectively I found these measures improved matters, and dry weather braking is fine, but in the wet I'm disappointed. I don't think there's much room for further improvement with the cantis, so I'm looking at alternatives.

I considered a road disk brake up front. I've ruled it out partly due to the overall cost, partly because I don't want my bike to be too sexy and attract the magpies. I have to lock my bike up outside in public at different parts of the day, and fear a disk brake would attract wrong uns.
I've ruled out mini-Vs and V-brakes with Travel Agents. The collective wisdom of the internet is lukewarm over their effectiveness.

I'm thinking about going flat bar, MTB shifters and MTB V-brakes over the winter. My dad has a Spesh Sirrus and I've really enjoyed it whenever I've borrowed it. I found the riding position great for urban riding. My provisional shopping list includes longer stem (~£20), flat bar (~£20), grips (~£20), 9 speed Deore shifters (~£30) and brake levers (£20), Deore V brakes (~£30), 9 speed cassette (~£20), & chain (£15). ~£175 ish in sum. (Wow, it soon mounts up...)
My existing set up is 10 speed Mirage Ergos, 8 speed Shimano cassette and chain, Deore rear mech, Campag square taper BB, Stronglight triple 48-38-26 and a Campag Triple Front mech.

I have a few questions. To all those with V-brakes; would they offer noticably better braking in the wet than my current set up?
If so and I do go ahead, could I use my existing front mech with an indexed Deore shifter?

As ever all comments are appreciated. Best wishes, Luke

Neilob, perhaps the answer if a campag front mech? Like Steady Eddy I have a 48, 38, 26 triple (Stronglight), a campag triple front mech and Campag Ergos. Like Edwards and Steady Eddy mine works well across a 22T range. Regards, Luke

Hi folks, thought I'd post with an update. Chris at recellyourbattery fitted 4x 2450 mA cells. Return postage was included in the £20 price. The light works as good as new, though I have hardly used it for more than 5 mins at a time due to the light evenings. I asked about battery life & repeat charges. Chris replied:
"As for battery life its always hard to say, But I would say you will get a few years good service from them, I give a 12 month warranty on my work.
The manufacturer figures are normally quoted as up to 1000 recharge cycles, yet the power output does fade very slowly over time.
Chris's customer service was excellent, a couple of emails were replied next day or same day, and turnaround was similar (I know I wasn't commissioning the Sistine Chapel, but quick service is always a bonus). Overall I'm pleased, but shame on you Light & Motion for the built-in obsolescence. One day I'll treat myself to a hub dynamo.
Hi vmi2uscg, the vega can be unscrewed apart at the bulb end. The thread is reverse threaded, clockwise to unscrew. Inside two small screws need removing then the battery pack slides out.
Regards,
Luke

Hi thirdcrank, agreed it was rather pricey. Perhaps if I'd have known about the built in obsolecence I would have thought twice. Sorry to hear you didn't rate it though. I thought it was great. I'd only experienced a couple of Cateye models beforehand mindyou, but it blew them out of the water. I ran the Vega in flashing mode in the urban setting and really felt it got me noticed. I found the low setting was bright enough for a Dunwich Dynamo too.
I was wondering if you rate another alternative battery LED more highly? If the whole battery replacement thing doesn't work out I'll be in the market for another. I'd really like a hub dynamo with B&M Cyo but fear of theft puts me off. Regards, Luke

I have one of these, great rack. Feels really solid and looks the business. So far has been used near daily for a couple of years. I squirted some Framesaver down the tubes before its maiden voyage. No signs of rust so far. I used to have it on my old bike with caliper brakes, it fitted with a flat metal strutt as thirdcrank describes. I needed to use my Uncle's vice to bend the head of the strutt to a right angle to make it fit. It's alu and bent reasonably easily. However it is a minus point that the rack wasn't ready for action straight from the box. I've now got the rack on my tourer-commuter with canti-brakes. Regards, Luke.

Hi, I have an audax bike and a touring bike I use for commuting. Commuter has a compact double 48/34 with an 8 speed 12-32 cassette. Audax has a 48/38/26 triple with a 9 speed 13-26 cassette. Perhaps it's not fair to compare 8 & 9 speed cassettes, but here goes anyway: The 12-32 cassette is ok but has largish jumps between gears. I prefer the closer ratios on the 13-26. Regards, Luke.

Hi folks, thankyou for taking the time to reply. Good idea re soldering. Unfortunately I don't have a soldering iron (and wouldn't know how to use one to be honest). Afraid I don't know how to measure the battery voltage either. I emailed the chaps at recellyourbattery.com, here's their reply:

"Hi, It certainly looks possible and I like new things keeps this job interesting!

Do you know what type cells are in there? Or I can tell you if you let me know size/dimensions (length and diameter)

I can see NIMH 2000Ah on the label I have a few types of these in stock.

If we establish I have the right size in stock then it would be £20 to replace them including return delivery and 12 month warranty."

I think I'll give them a try. Will post back with the results. Thanks again for the great ideas.

Regards,

Luke

Hello folks, I have a lighting problem. I have a Light & Motion (L&M) Vega LED front light. It's the old style model, around 4yrs old. Over the last few months the burn time has shortened and now the light has stopped working. (Perhaps the battery has died?) L&M request all work/servicing be conducted inhouse. I emailed them to discuss and they replied that they no longer service the old model Vega, they class it as obsolete. (So wasteful to consign something to the scrapheap so soon, it was a cracking light.)

I took it apart to see if the battery is easily replaceable. Please see attached pics. It looks like the batteries are firmly encased and the ends form part of the inner workings of the light itself. Does anyone know if these batteries could easily be replaced by 4x AA rechargeables? Thanks in advance for any help. Regards, Luke.

MercuryKev, Crepello, Cycleruk, thanks for your replies. 9 speed via Hubbub sounds appealling. However, I've already picked up an 8 speed chain so I'll try that route first. I'll buy a shimano 8 spd road cassette and try it all out with my existing Campag mech (while crossing fingers and toes).

Thanks again gents, all the best,

Luke