Cycling UK Forum

Postby pjclinch » 8 Jan 2018, 9:33am
I don't regard things like a rack and mudguards as "accessories", as a primarily utility cyclist who tours a bit I regard them as completely fundamental to the point of (most) bikes. Fair enough if you're a roadie and anything bigger than a banana is anathema, but it's worth considering the distortions inherent in the UK market compared to the continental one and how sport is the driver here rather than practical transport. In the UK, for example, it's work to buy a kids' bike with rack and mudguards. In NL it's work to buy one without them.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...

Entirely agree, so apart from those vital components, which include a roadside repair kit and pump that easily inflates the tyres fully:
A bell - I find it a very useful aid to politely warning pedestrians of my approach on shared use paths etc.
Bottle cages - for my convenience.

To me it looks more as if someone was trying to find a way of using up a job lot of parts that were designed for use on a child's go cart or some such.
That welding is best not mentioned and if the fastening bolts were parallel to the axle the safety margin against bad assembly or dodgy threads would be vastly improved also.
Have you noticed how the parts industry seems to be selling useless brake blocks in order to convince us that the old large diameter (27")disc brakes are no longer any use?

That is interesting SA-SA-SA. I didn't realise those points about the Led colours, nor that it was re-branded. I do know that I regard it as very effective. I bought it in around 2005-6, it has worked faultlessly ever since. That actually makes it a very cheap light when one considers the options. I think it was around 60 or £70, only in euros.
Also interesting what you say of the case, I started out by wrapping a bit of tape round mine to make it look repaired and thus entirely undesirable, now the paint is coming off the aluminium case to enhance the effect. The light continues as new!

I know it is deeply unfavoured and unfashionable in the UK but I use modern B&M bottle dynamos on my bikes, upon which I do a considerable amount of night riding.
These are the lightest type of dynamos available and due to the fact that they revolve much faster suffer from no flicker at all even when wheeling the bike. When turned off they are completely off.

One is connected to a Philips 60 Lux front light mounted to the stem pinch bolt - in exactly the position the OP desires - chosen to cast negligible wheel shadows. I think this light may no longer be available. It comes from Rose bikes who regard it as a vital "component" not a desirable "accessory" and accordingly price it reasonably.

The other is connected to a much cheaper B&M lamp, from the same source, that from memory I think is 50 lux. Both have provided faultless frequent service for long periods in all sorts of weather over the last 10-12 years. I nowadays only carry a tiny pen torch to light my very infrequent "mechanical s" such as punctures when necessary.

All "bicycle" lights from Rose cycles, unless specifically stated otherwise, properly comply with the Stvzo(?) reg's and so have a proper beam shape and are actually legal to use. I can also mention that I don't think you will have any trouble with their service.

The bike fitted with the Phillips light frequently descends mountain roads at night, sometimes at speeds approaching 50mph and I regard the beam as suitable for this. If I remember correctly a motor vehicle dipped light is 80 lux.

Carlton Corsair; 23 1/2" - 116" Clubman/tourer

Raleigh (mule) 23" - 112" Tourer/trecking

Dawes Mtb 23" - (about) 100"

I use all the gears on all of them pretty much every ride.

Perhaps you mean like these?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Raleigh-Bikes-24TPI-Bike-BB-Bottom-Bracket-Set-Black-Cups-Bearings/142406657913?_trksid=p2485497.m4902.l9144

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YST-Professional-24TPI-Bike-Crank-Bottom-Bracket-Threaded-Cup-Set-with-Bearings/401343706196?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3Dea13870de1884874b25ec51ff8a5eb60%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D142406657913&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SR-SAKAE-Bottom-Bracket-cups-1-37-24T-silver-made-in-Japan/263188188602?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3Dadf02aea136d4129a683941e3506cfd7%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D263376247275&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

If you can move the stem but not tap the bolt down, then it would suggest that the stem itself is free but the wedge shaped nut only is seized in the steerer tube.
In which case you could remove the stem and handlebars by completely undoing and removing the bolt. This of course achieves your objective for packing. It also leaves the way clear for further efforts to remove the wedge without damaging the bolt or stem. You could try using a drift to drive it down a little then clean the inside of the steerer with abrasive cloth, lubricate with fine oil and try driving it from the bottom - many steerers have a width reduction of one sort or another at or about the fork crown.

Thanks for that link Brucey. I had read about it before but it was a very long time ago. It has significance for using veg oils as diesel and also nutritional significance, as well as how long one's paint might take to dry!

Main thing probably, is to realise that it is a very effective, cheap clean lubricant that pretty much everyone has fairly close to hand - no excuse for no lube. . . It also makes a very good cleaning fluid especially for hands and bicycle chains.

Yes many different ways that people deal with chain lube.

Further back a couple of people mentioned chainsaw chain oil, one said what do chainsaw professionals use that is cheaper? Well one summer when we realised we had dumped nearly 40 gallons of chain oil on the same spot near a stream we changed to vegetable cooking oil - cheapest you can get. We expected to use chains and bars faster but offset by cheaper oil. Not so, if anything the chains and bars last longer. HOWEVER if the saws are left unused for a while a gum from the oil sets on the chain and it is neccesary to clean them with parrafin,diesel or similar to make them mobile again. It is something to do with fats and lipids or some such apparently.

I find vegetable oil washes off a bike chain a bit too fast at this time of year.

Myself I happened to have a litre of EP80 which was spoilt with condensation - this is now in a squeezy bottle with a pipe attached and is liberally applied to my chain after a ride - wet or not - the bike leaning so that it won't drip on the tyre. I very seldom clean my chains but at this mucky time of year they do pretty much invariably have the salt washed off in fresh water on the last stretch of my journey home. I find they last around 3000 miles and I change the cassette at the same time, I fully acknowledge the cassette would probably last a bit longer if I changed the chain sooner. I use KMC 'X' type chains.

To be extremely pedantic; I really can't see where all this Primping, pimping or Tarts come from... The thread is about "How to make an old frame shine like new ?"
Apart from the bits about Primping, Pimping and Tarting!

Of course one can remove a cassette by keeping the bike the right way up removing the rear skewer/track nuts, dropping the wheel below the drop out so that you can engage the cassette remover (may need to deflate the tyre to clear the brakes) and with your chain still engaged lever it against the crank . . . if you see what I mean? They are not usually that tight, they certainly do not need to be. Gets round a chain wrench, good if your on the road especially.

Sorry. Just wanted to follow this thread, I find it interesting but having nothing to say on it.

I also have also found rear panniers only just fine and often when shopping carried quite a bit more than 6Kg each in them (like more then twice that) + my carradice with things in.

The point about keeping them as far forward as possible, I find is very good advice. On that point; many people move their carrier further from the stays to achieve heel clearance. However if you move the top of the carrier towards the stays you will find that as it pivots around the bottom bolt on the drop outs, this causes it's top rail to slope and the bottom of the pannier to move away from your heel - try with a bag on, you will soon see. This also helps to stop the carrier flexing and helps stop the tail wagging the dog, so to speak. Additionally keeping the panniers as low as possible helps stability but you have to mind the right one does'nt foul the derrailleur.

No problem just set the stops suitably, as mentioned. You can even change straight to a triple when you find the range change comes at an awkward speed (especially in traffic) and you wish to try/go back to a triple

Just thinking about that. I suppose the thing to do is have a rear mudflap that one can clip on and remove easily?