Cycling UK Forum

"The two cables that disappear inside the hub are (again for no good reason) of non-standard size"
I did wonder about the non standard size. I expect a standaard size (diameter) cable would a lot harder to assemble in the roller considering teh tight bend required at the grub screw fitting, and need a bigger brass roller for the cable to wrap round to prevent excessive cable fatigue. I have a vague memory that a roller diameter should be a minimum of 12X the cable diameter.

I have to agree, assembling the cables roller is a real faff, and as faffs go, quite diffucult.

You could also try Go Outdoors, quite a selection. Their 1 and 2 parson tents: -
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/camping/te ... son-tents/

You won't be any younger, so check that you can sit upright in it. You might be a bit taller (or not), so check the length (and if vertical or sloping ends, sloping ends need a longer tent to keep your feet dry (condensation)).

My first tent was also £20 (about 1976), it always kept me dry, but didn't last as long as yours though!.

Noisier in gears 1 > 7 (using a reduction gear).
I have had one for just over a year (standard solo/upright bike).
Before I bought mine, I had some experience of club riding occasionally with someone using a Rohloff, so I had an idea what to expect.
I find mine in 1 > 7 about as noisy or a tad more as riding adjacent with someone using a descent e bike (think Bosch etc), so not very noisy at all. I expect other riders behind will hear it a bit more than me, as it is behind/below me. gear 1 > 7 for me means a reasonable or steeper up hill.
The noise doesn't bother me, it also lets me know when I am half way down through the gears.
When in gears 8 > 14, totally quiet, quieter than derraileurs, I set the ratios so my cruising gear is 11 (direct drive). Also if behind someone who fluffs their gear change on a steep hill, you can smugly change into a much lower gear before re starting.
Would I buy another if needed? - yes.
If the noise does annoy you, just ride it for 30,000 miles or so, it will be queter once run in!

Optical light interference from a transparent surface coating?
Also, the glimmer looks a similar colour to the floor, might re relevant, or just a coincidence.

If it is optical interference, look at it through polorizing sunglasses, if the glimmer looks notably different through polorizing sunglasses, particularly if you rotate the glasses round to different angles, it is probably just light interference

Filled in and circulated.
Yes, very loaded questions - "why do you link the level of enforcement is unfair", never the question "why do you think the level of enforcement is fair". With text boxes to fill in, you can get your message across. I said the (poor) level of enforcement was unfair to active travel users and law abiding drivers.
Thanks for high lighting this.

No idea, but it has an unusual BB shell looking at the rear gear cable guide. Looks like a (investment) cast BB shell to me.
Surely not a British frame, no self respecting UK citizen would make a BB cut out that big knowing our weather!
Any other features worth showing, lugs, drop outs?

"The triple FD outer limit screw is too short to be doing its job" The screw should be a standard M something or other thread, so a longer screw should be possible. Some rear mechs have longer adjusting screws, so you try one as a possibility (if teh rear has similarly threaded adjuster screws).

Looking at the photo, the central black spacer should be a cyclinder. The LH (in the photo) end look squidged outwards (bigger diameter), as though the whole thing has been compressed to much when the cups were screwed in. The correct set up is in the squidge free instructions photo.

I agree with Peetee, I am in a similar position. Fortunately I work through a University who pay the rapair labour for staff bikes for routine repairs (or words to that effect), and use a cargo bike to get my stuff about - so there is a limit on what I can cart about (but do manage a surprising amount). Thus anything over complicated can be declined, though I do my best in that regard. So no BB or headset replacements, but will secure loose BB cups (surprisingly common!). Concealed cables I do (with some looking/consideration first so I don't get caught out). If all BB's could be guarranteed to be not siezed, I could probably do threaded ones.
I just wish that the designers of all this new stuff* (who clearly have not considered dismantling) were sent on a 3 week holiday to relax and forget about work. On their first day back they are given a bike equipped with their latest design, and told to replace the bearings/change the cable or what ever. It might make them design something in the future more easily maintained.

*And not so new stuff. Why does Mr Shimano make most of his gear levers in a manner that often means it can be difficult to release a gear cable nipple from it's slot. Access isn't the problem, prising out the nipple is!

From the cantilever brake arms and chainset, I'd say late 1980's/early 90's. Looks like a standard Galaxy (ie not Super Galaxy)

Brake arms look like Mk1 Shimano Deore (end on photo would help).
The Stronglight chainset was made for very many years, so rather a wide time window on that one.
Are the wheel 27" or 28"/700c?

You say " over-pressuring (to maybe 80 psi)", how 80psi was it?
That said, even if more than 80psi, the rim should hold up.
A friend had a similar experience, but he admitted that some months before he had tried tubeless tyres that would not seal, so he inflated the tyre to "200 psi"(!) to try to get them to seal. It didn't fail immediately, but some months later.

The rim looks not too bad (ignoring the split of course), so I am guessing it is internal corrosion in the hollow section. If you use waxoil or some such, I guess you will need to seal it from contaminating the inner tube.
Or may be a periodic dab of oil on the outside at each spoke/nipple hole, and seal the hollow section internally at the valve hole. That might keep the water out. If sealing the valve hole hollow section, it might be worth making the seal removable in case you loose a spoke nipple in the rim at some point.

Clean the 3 speed hub barrel. There should be a date mark stamped on it (MM YY). A pretty good guide assuming it is the original wheel.

When you test the lever on the bike, have you rolled/unfolded the rubber hood back into position?
I have been caught out trying to test the lever with the rubber hood folded back, the folded/rolled back hood stops the down shift from working.

Also check you have the cable in the correct routing/clamp position at the front gear. If in the wrong clamp route/position at the lever, the cable may end up over tensioned, which can make it hard for the lever ratchets to disengage on the down shift. Years ago all Shimano front gears routed the cable the same way at the front gear, now sometimes they are not all the same, and the routing is not as intuitive as might first appear*, so check the instructions for the front gear (model number usually on the back side of the cage plate).

*I recall seeing instructions for 2 different routings for the same gear, depending how far offset to the left (of the gear) the BB cable guide was. I forget which exact model this was for.

Swytch also do a torque arm for better axle retention, said to be for carbon or alloy forks and forks "over 30 years old". If your axle isn't a snug fit in the dropouts, this might help.
https://www.swytchbike.com/accessories/ (scroll down to universal torque arm).

Years ago I knew someone who kept their large chest freezer at the back of the garage. As I guide as to where to stop the car, they hung a ball (tennis or squash ball I think) from the roof. When the ball touched the windscreen (right in front of the driver's face), that was the time to stop. Doesn't stop the "my foot slipped of the clutch" (assuming your car has a clutch of course!).