Cycling UK Forum

eteb wrote: Is there a good way of checking whether it's deformed before I shell out on a new set? When it's tight on the spindle there's no feeling of play, but presumably we're talking pretty demanding tolerances here?

If you're sure its tight and it comes loose again in a short time you can be pretty dam sure its knackered the square.

Check that its not bottoming out on the axle as well ie going all the way up. you will still need a new crank arm but you may also need a new BB if it is bottoming or has a damaged square taper or is faulty (to small) (unlikly)

If a crank has been peddled whilst loose for any distance it will deform the square taper and no amount of tightening will prevent it coming loose again in a very short time.

A new one is the only cure

I hope you do get the mileage your looking for out of it. Happy cycling

Cheers

I picked a hitch hiker up on mine once when we'd split up. (Id just spent a lot of brass on it and thought I'll be dammed if I don't try it)

Also there good for turning up on when work Colleagues ask for a lift into work

andwags wrote:
The bearings wear out in the same way to a standard headset and are completely replacable. The bearings do not wear out your frame as they are in a cartridge format.

And high grade steel is still the best material for a long lasting frame.

The cartridge bearings do wear out the head set tube for the very reason stated on the Chris King website.

The cartridge bearings are not pressed into the tube and are therefore free to move back and forth with the bending of the forks and subsequent flexing of the stearer tube between the two bearings (however slight) This causes wear where the cartridge sits in the tube. This wear will be uneven and eventually render the frame usless.

Unless you can get it machined out again, bit of an expesive faff compared to just pressing a new seat in on a conventional setup.

hubgearfreak wrote:sad that they think because they pay road tax, they own the road.

silly of them to not think that most of us pay road tax also, but choose to wear the roads out less by cycling

Road or more accurately rights of way maintenance is paid for by the council via council tax with a subsidy from the gov. for the extra wear caused by motor vehicles.

So no cyclist should feel they don't contribute whether they have a car or not.

The term 'breaking in' means the saddle changes shape to provide support over a wider area to suit you. It should not mean the saddle getting softer as this would defeat the object. Neatsfoot oil can make them too soft.

Apparently its been said that the brown leather saddles will break in faster than the black.

The last one I had was comfortable from the start. What you got to beware of is that a soft covered synthetic saddle will initially feel better (ie trying it in the shop) because of the soft foam but after an hour or so this foam is actually pressing on sensitive bits and starts to ache.

Intergrated head sets are ‘well engineered’. They do exactly what they’re suppose to do.

I.E. look neat and last just long enough for the next faddy phase, when every one will throw away their old frames to buy the next techno frame. Apart from them what can’t afford or are happy with wot they got.

But these will sadly have to follow suit when they find they cannot cure their creaking groaning loose headsets.

I’m almost with R2 on this one.

Quote from raymondo
"The design is good it uses preloaded bearings far better than any ball bearing types"

All head set bearings are ball races or taper rollers. In some sealed types you don't see the balls, because they’re sealed

As the link from CJ makes clear the integrated type transfers the dynamic to and fro movement from the forks (not the turning movement) directly onto the frame head set tube causing un-repairable wear.

Normal head sets transfer this wear onto the bearing cup or insert depending on type so do not affect the frame.

If interference fits are causing tubes to split I suggest they've got the wrong tolerance in the frame bores.

I’ve run a Rohloff on a full suspension mountain bike for about two years now, no problems at all apart from the first time out, when the arm that stops the axle rotating came off cos it wasn't strong enough but that was my fault.
Its run through mud sh1t and water of the most abrasively orrible sort without a hitch.

I think the main reason for its success is that it is oil filled as appose to been greased as is the norm with hub gears. This oil washes out any contaminants, can absorb a certain amount of water and most importantly keeps those precious seals well lubricated - stopping them wearing & washing away dirt. This oil can then be flushed out along with all the nasties its collected before they damage the bearings.
Grease on'tother hand only lubricates where its put, and has to be wiped off and cleaned before new grease is re-applied to each item & hopefully not missing any.

I never jet wash it near the seals as thats asking for trouble.

Chains still seem to wear out at the same rate though.

Of course, when I say 'Sedisport' I mean 'Sram'

I've always riveted their chain and never had a problem with nine speed. I don't like the look of them little joining link fellows, seems like the side plates only half on, on one side.

So tonight’s the night I probably will find out they shouldn't be riveted after all, but only if its raining, naturally....

Hi

The chain you tried to rivet was probably one of those Shamano special type that require special joining links.
A bog standard Sedisport type chain whether nine speed or not can be riveted together in the normal way.

Look at the rivet ends, if they are slightly hollowed out then they require the joining links, if they are solid with two slight impressions on the edge of the face then they are re-rivetable.

I have successfully riveted a non rivetable chain just to get home same as you but its not a trustworthy joint.

The front brake does the stopping, but a small amount of back brake is necessary to stop the vehicle 'jack-knifing'. ie the back wheel overtaking the front.

Hence motor vehicles have powerful discs on the front and very weak drums or discs on the back. the heavier or longer the vehicle the more important this becomes.

For 'coasting' down long hills its best to use the back if only to conserve the front breaks for emergencies.

I went past a red Farrari yesterday but when I got up to it it it said "For sale replica Farrari 3 million brake horse bla bla built from Toyota pram or whatever"

Whats the point

Eventually you have to admit "well actually dear its only a replica"

If you can't own the real thing don't bother. I'd rather own a class cycle than a fake car any day.

[quote="reohn2]intelligent,because all we know is what we know.
We are clever but not wise.[/quote]

I think all anything knows is what it knows.

The wise intelligence perceives the out side effects that will have bearing on its future existence & takes steps accordingly.