Cycling UK Forum

+1 for the Gellert malet. Agree totally - initially the light weight makes it seem a bit pretend/toyish, but it works fine. Why suffer?

Thanks chaps - more replies welcome.

snibgo - can I ask what you mean by bath soap?

Three days drying - I assume you just mean air drying leaving it to hang?

Hope this is the best place to post this.

My quality sleeping bag (Mountain Equipment) eventually needs a wash after a number of years I'm ashamed to admit to - slept in it last night as a test pre a trip and it disturbed an otherwise perfect sleep.

So anyone got any hot tips on how to do this as easily and effectively as possible?

It won't really fit properly in my domestic washer/drier.

I have a launderette nearby.

Or can I just hand wash it in a clean bath since it's only really the inside surface that I would think would need cleaning?

Is washing meant to somehow clean the inside/stuffing?

The washing instructions say that it can be dried it in a tumble drier on the low setting but I'm not sure if this is a must (to fluff the insides back up?) or whether I can just air dry it outside on a decent day.

Also, the washing instructiosn say to use "non-detergent soap" - just what exactly is this? Please don't say I could google it - I'm relying on the helpfulness and knowledge of you good folks.

Looking forward to your replies/help.

Well I put it all on its side and also used Vorpal's tray method.

All very simple - can't think why this isn't standard advice.

Thanks again folks.

I've got one of these.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... 60#reviews

It was very expensive but has worked well until now.

The hose has broken from the base of the pump and also from the "Smarthead" following my fiddling. The main part of the pump functions fine after I recently greased/serviced it and the "Smarthead" is also still fine. I just need to connect the two bits securely.

Anyone else got one and had the same thing happen?

Are spares available?

If not, any way of fixing it with standard hose bits and connectors of any sort or bits from other manufacturers?

Thanks for the reassurance folks.

Going on it's side it is.

I was somewhat confused by instructions somewhere which talked about spinning the bike over in the workstand - never done this for any job and how the hell I was going to manage it with a load of ball bearings, even helped by grease, I had no idea.

The bike has flat bars so your tip, though welcome, Mick F may be less relevant. I must say I'm impressed by your use of a fence - anything involving bearings happens on my kitchen floor - I have enough trouble looking for fallen bits on my front lawn for other jobs.

I'll take the advice about getting it upright again once I've got the bottom bearings sorted.

Thanks again folks (though other comments/tips welcome of course) - I'll lay the patient down for a rest when I get a mo.

Apologies if this looks like a numpty question.

I have fiddled with a threadless headset* in the past but not a threaded.

I know how to pull the thing apart, how it all fits together, cleaning cups etc, checking balls, regreasing and reassembly but my question is how to manage this with regard to bars/cables, which in my guides isn't detailed much.

Since I can think of no easy way of holding the bars (and cables to avoid kinking) in mid air while I fiddle with my workstand-supported bike, do I have to totally remove all cables? Seems a fag.

Anyone got any tips?

When I disassembled the threadless cartridge-bearing headset on a small wheel Dahon once I just laid the bike on its side on the floor while I removed the forks etc. I did this because I had no workstand at the time but all worked fine. It would seem to be an even better idea when facing the twin perils of loose ball bearings and gravity. Anything I've not thought of?

The bike I'm about to work on is a great bike but I'm not worried about the odd paintwork scratch from putting it on a hard floor.

Apologies again if it seems like a daft question but I thought I'd get the benefit of folk's expertise rather than bungle it all.

Ah glad I found this thread or I would have troubled the board with a new one.

I'm sure that when I bought the M324s (which I'm otherwise very pleased with) I asked if they used ball bearings/were self-servicable and was told YES. Only just realised that they need that tool. I've just taken to lubing bearings in my bike but luckily a small voice told me not to undo the locknot on the pedals with the socket I had in my hand.

Crepello's technique sounds interesting though I have no access to needles.

Any other recommended tecchniques for lubing them with fresh grease without removing the bearings? I'm assuming, as a fairly non-techie person, that the wonder of crepello's method is that by lubing with the dust cap still on you force the old lube out with the new.

Thanks for that Brucey.

I greased everything and put it back together and I must say it all seems to run very well.

I'll try what you suggest about the cone, though books do tend I think to suggest that damaged cones should be replaced pronto.

I presume that this is because they will supposedly damage the bearings which will then transfer damage to the cup?

The balls didn't seem damaged (and were perfectly clean) though I was only looking at them with my somewhat ageing eyes - should get a magnifier I suppose.

Thanks folks

Brucey - so those "inner" seals are considered full contact are they? I don't know as these are the first hubs I've ever taken apart and have no knowledge of what might have been used on older hubs. I suppose that's reassuring, though I think the LX also has these in addition to the outer boot which seems to sit in a small circular well (I checked them out on another bike with LX).

Intrriguing what you say about some of the more expensive hubs meic (though some XTs of mine have the rubber boots) - do I take it that the rubber external boots are not universally approved of?

I did find what looked like a small bit of grit in the front hub and a damaged cone.

The economics of Shimano's bits seem to indicare that the cheapest way to get a new cone and various bits is to buy a new hub and raid it.

Thanks for the pointer to the inner seal Brucey at SJS - initially didn't push the rear drive side in far enough so the cassette lock ring wouldn't secure! - managed to push it in evenly in the end with a suitably sized socket.

thanks again to everyone - anyone feel free to add anything of course

Had some of these fitted in a new wheel build late last year and not being one to scan techdocs didn't realise when I specified them that they don't have the outer rubber caps that come on the Deore LX 580 hubs.

There's not a great deal of difference in price so I'm feeling a bit daft.

Anyone else got these M590s? Had any issues because of the lack of the rubber boot?

Am I doomed to excessive wear or continually stripping and regreasing them until I'm saved from my penance by the rims collapsing?

Thanks for the replies chaps, including the pedal one even

meic's point maye make sense to discipline my faltering steps in bike mechanics.

yes, I take the point about the front - my front wheel no longer has a right way round since I took the computer magnet off to move to GPS.

Batter go read the book again - maybe they were really referring to the back.

all the best

Been taking a hub apart to do some maintenance/exploration.

The instructions I have in a book for such a task refer to the right side and left side of the hub.

Which is which/how do I tell/where do I stand/sit in relation to the hub?

Apologies again if this is incredibly stupid of me.

I'm afraid I can't help with the specific questions.

Good luck - beautiful bit of the world.

I do hope you've checked out and are prepared for the temperatures though - I personally wouldn't do a cycling trip in Sardinia in July or August.

Hope this doesn't sound negative - be careful out there.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions - I didn't realise that there were still so many around - I can put off the move to 8speed a while yet, though I suppose a point will come soon when the 8speed stuff is actually cheaper.

I take your point 531colin - I should have been clearer - the bike has had new wheels - no 7 speed hubs available so it has 9speed with a spacer added to take the 7 speed cassette.

Anyone ever used woolyhatshop? Looks interesting.