Cycling UK Forum

I've put a new steel fork and alhonga deep drop dual pivot caliper brakes, on my touring bike. I've a problem with the pivot pin on the front brakes being at least 15mm too short

I'm aware of a couple of specialist nut and bolt stockists I've used in the past for machinery repairs, but it would mean travelling to the stockists in person (180 and 280 miles respectively, by bus, train and/or bike!). I suppose the other options are to tour LBS's and/or perhaps sourcing an extra deep recessed nut, to replace the standard nut the brakes are supplied with

Does anyone know of an easier source of longer pivot pins?

paulah wrote:. Meanwhile the dozen or so bikes I saw when going for the interviews have dwindled and there's now only three of us.

Is it a public sector role, where professing a belief in cycling at interview stage is beneficial to the applicant? One has to be careful. I worked relatively recently for an organisation, where a senior manager and chair of the interview panel loved tandems

I kid you not, more than one manager had professed a love of cycling and been obliged at some stage or another to "tandem" on a Sunday afternoon with the boss. I was in the black book, as however much I enjoy work and cycling, cycling on tandems and tricycles is not for me

"been told that if you change the chain then there is a risk that a new chain will not mesh nicely with an old rear block, and that it may jump. Thus if changing the chain you should change the block as well? Not sure if this is an old wives' tale or not? "

I've found it's variable. Changed a chain on a Tiagra cassette last year, the cassette looked knackered, teeth being 1-2mm shorter than on a new cassette, absolutely ok.

Changed a chain on a Mirage cassette in the autumn, cassette looked fine, chain was jumping all over the place (And it was the cassette, as everything else on the drive train had been changed

On both occasions I had unused cassettes to compare against

Thanks, I believe it's time to do a trial run on 25mm tyres! (And maybe 23mm on an unladen front)

As a road cyclist I've always had 20-23mm tyres and 24-30 spoke wheels. Suppose I over compensated when touring, probably because the Specliazed bike performed so badly on 25mm tyres when I first tried it - vibration was legion (And the "light weight" 32 spoke wheels, hubs, fork, tyres and all the bearings fell apart - I hadn't realised at that stage that Specliazed specialise in making shoddy goods)

Thus I migrated to 36 spoke wheels and 32-35mm tyres, though latterly had dropped to 28mm without any issues

I've a Specliazed Tricross, which I used for touring in 2007 and 2008. I wouldn't recommend it for touring, the list of isues is too great

Thanks to all. I'm clear a 9 speed chain from any manufacturer should be
compatible with any 9 speed drive system. I may be forking out for a heavier duty chain this year

What weight are you carrying on 20 and 25mm tyres? (All in weight ,you and the panniers). I assume you're on 32-36 spoke wheels?

all 3 are 9 speed

Thanks to both

[quote="Mick F"] A chain is a chain is a chain. It MUST be compatible with your gearing system

I've a fairly reasonable knowledge of bikes and no problem ensuring basic compatibility. However I've been brushng up on some of the finer technical details over the Christmas break. I.e. I'd always assumed the measurement between individual teeth on cassetttes on a Shimano versus a Campag 9 speed system, made the chains incompatible. The profiles of a 9 speed 21 tooth cassette sprocket on both certainly seem to differ. It would appear that this is not the case?

"Steer clear of Shimano chains". The HG73 9 speed chain I obtained with my touring bike, was certainly rubbish, scrap at 2500 miles . That said my 8 speed chain seems ok at twice the mileage, though that's been purely on a town bike

I suppose my question then, is can I run my 9 speed Campag Mirage, Shimano Tiagra and Shimano XT on the same chain?

I've always bought a chain matching the groupset, mirage, tiagra etc, etc

That said, the bike I toured on 2007/2008 had chains, chainwheels and a cassette from several different sources. In particular I've had 9 speed chains stating they're compatible with all known 9 speed systems (I.e. connex)

Is this true? Or are they compatible with everything, on the basis they don't really fit anything properly! I can't say I want to purchase an expensive durable chain, to find my energy input is being wasted while the chain grinds the chainwheel into a compatible shape!

Of course you can camp anywhere! Turn up late, camp out of view, leave early and leave no mess behind, there shouldn't be an issue. I've found France particularly easy, even in the Tourist Hotspots I.e. Mont St Michael

The most satisfying I had last year, was turning up at an French Alpine "foothills" site, with crowded, dirty pitches. On being told in an obnoxious manner by the owner it'd be 20 odd euro, I dined on the picnic tables outside, next to a lake, washed with drinking quality water out of a public tap, utilised a rear public toilet and then pitched my tent in a disused alpine meadow 100 yards down the road for a peaceful night F.O.C. (Obvious it was disused,the road had been subject to alterations and the land ungrazed & uncared for for a year or two I.e. public or utility ownership)

That said I'd always assume it's a. technically illegal as in the UK and camp "carefully" . b. plan ahead if in the locality of an urban area. c. the woodland campsites beloved by the wild camper, are also beloved by the wild boar - highy disturbing at 1.00am being woken by squealing, roaring nocturnal "sounding" boar, though too date they've always been more frightened than me

No,the site you mention essentially carries all the same information.

I found www.shimanoservicecentre.co.uk useful as it's indexed in a comprehensive form, allowing quick comparisons on compatibility between parts and it's a simpler site format. (I've a variable speed mobile broadband connection. Being able to access technical PDF's directly without time consuming photos of smiling cyclists on shimano equipped bikes, was beneficial)

Park Tools is useful, though fairly limited

I'm sure others have used the above site whilst undertaking repairs, but I couldn't find it on a CTC search

The spares and support section, gives an excellant Hayes Manual approach FOC, with PDF diagrams of exploded views of hubs, bearings, free wheels etc, etc. Campag do the same, via tech info on their site, though it can be slower to download (The PDF's are far larger)

Does anyone know where 24 spoke hubs can be sourced or possible know of a dealer who might specialise in or be able to obtain Gipiemme parts?

I've a set of 24 spoke Gipiemme Techno 24 spoke wheels, which are quite ok, except the hubs (Grub screws holding the bearings in place tend to seize). Ideally I'd like to replace the hubs with a standard sealed/unsealed hub design, from AN Other manufacturer,. Though I suppose I'd even consider Gipiemme hubs again!

"Sorry to differ gbnz, for an unfit person 20 minutes excercise will vastly increase cardio vascular fittnes in the unfit. A 3 to 4 mile ride for someone who is not used to exercise at a gentle rate will bring big benefits for someone who has relatively no exercise for several years. Don't confuse basic fitness with basic fitness for an athlete"

Sorry. The concept of 3-4 miles on a gentle gradient, becoming a 20 minute ride AND exercise confuses me. I know the British are known to be idle and obese, however surely pandering to the concept that the above constitutes an "exercise regime" is rather absurd and contributes to the lowering of expectations, goals and basic levels of fitness in a population as a whole?

Or perhaps it explains why I tend to pass everyone else on the road? (Other than the 60-70 year old granny running past me on Scafell Pike the other year. Didn't have any chance of catching up with her!!)