togglechaintour bikes

[MikewsMITH2]

http://bishopscycles.blogspot.com/

Fantastic bikes. I hope they survived the 'quake OK

[corshamjim]

Well .. SJSC were very helpful. They confirmed the replacement innards for the old X-RD5 are no longer available (unfortunately). They're going to take the X-RD5(W) back and I'll send them the XL-RD3 I bought earlier too and get it built in to a new wheel. Hopefully that should be pretty bomb-proof. I'll briefly mount the 3-speed in the frame before I send it off just to make sure everything is going to fit right and that the chain line will be ok.

Those Bishop Cycles single-speeds are looking ever so attractive!

[robc02]

Rob's 1st law of secondhand bicycle frames:

Second hand bicycle frames that include bottom brackets, handlebar stems and/or seatposts do so because the seller cannot remove them.


- Deduced following experiences with two recent purchases:

No 1: Handlebar stem required gripping in a vice while the forks were "waggled" using a large lever between the fork blades. Bottom bracket fixed cup only gave up after having a strip of steel welded to it - this was gripped in a vice and the frame turned to loosen the cup.

No 2: Aluminium seat post would not budge despite copious amounts of Plus Gas type stuff. It slipped when gripped in a vice. With a hole drilled in it, bolt inserted through hole (tommy bar style) to stop it slipping in the vice, the seat post tore around the hole. Eventually resorted to a combination of hacksaw blade down the inside, and a hammer and chisel (well, a large screwdriver actually). Finished the job with an adjustable reamer (not to mention various cuts, bruises and bits of metal in my hands )

[GrahamNR17]

Second hand bicycle frames that include bottom brackets, handlebar stems and/or seatposts do so because the seller cannot remove them.

That's correct. Didn't anyone say?

[hubgearfreak]

yes, you're stating the bleeding obvious there rob

[robc02]

yes, you're stating the bleeding obvious there rob

I know, I know, but I'm just bitter at being caught out - twice in as many months . A moan always does you good, don't you think?

Still, in true engineering fashion, I persisted 'till I beat the problem.

[hubgearfreak]

Still, in true engineering fashion, I persisted 'till I beat the problem.

obviously - we all know you're not a quitter

[GrahamNR17]

Still, in true engineering fashion, I persisted 'till I beat the problem.

obviously - we all know you're not a quitter

Plainly, the words "quit" and "Rob" shall rarely be seen together. Slow on the uptake, on the other hand.....

[steve browne]

AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

My latest five speed hub packed in at the bottom of a steep hill today necessitating a push home. This didn't look too bad on the uphill section but it felt a bit lame pushing it downhill too. I tried freewheeling but there was too much mechanical noise and friction for me to continue with a clear conscience. I sense an afternoon in the garage coming on....

[steve browne]

.... That was easy! Broken axle. It was one of the Sturmey Archer 5 Star hubs, two control cables. I read somewhere that this was a flawed design and am inclined to agree. I shall now see if the S5 internals kindly given by Mike Wynn will fit into the hub or whether the solution is to be more complex. If all this modern stuff doesn't work I may need to consider bringing something very elderly on the Togglechain tour!

[hubgearfreak]

two control cables. I read somewhere that this was a flawed design and am inclined to agree.

i tried one, it was awful

[robc02]

It was one of the Sturmey Archer 5 Star hubs, two control cables. I read somewhere that this was a flawed design and am inclined to agree.

i tried one, it was awful

I recently bought a pair of wheels, the rear built around an Elite AT5 - also a twin cable model and which was replaced by the 5 Star. I hope it proves more reliable than its successor

[steve browne]

Nope! the S5 internals don't go into the 5 Star shell.
The only potential difficulty with the AT5 is if it is dated before 8/88 in which case you can get trouble with the sun pinions locking to the axle convincingly causing it to slip in first or second. I would take the axle out and have a look. Check that the larger sun pinion fully engages with the dogs on the axle when the toggle chain is at its slackest. If not, consider lopping a bit off the spring closest to the centre of the axle so that the other one has the oomph to fully compress it in bottom gear. Also, it's worth sorting out a control lever that really pulls the sun pinion tight for second gear. In the earlier models the pinion engages but there is still the potential to pull things further home by compressing the spring. Once this spring gets tired the pinion fails to fully engage with the dog ring and slips in second. A bit like the four speeds - opt for the F tight setting to engage the sun pinion (in this case giving second, in the four speeds giving bottom)!

[robc02]

Also, it's worth sorting out a control lever that really pulls the sun pinion tight for second gear.

Have you any recommendation for this?

I have seen suggestions of a derailleur friction lever or using two of the three positions of a Sturmey Archer trigger. What do you think?

[Greybeard]

I may need to consider bringing something very elderly on the Togglechain tour!

That's no way to talk about Young Mike --------- or me

Steve,
wot's been busy working 16 hours a day all this week (so much for retirement! I know. It's my own fault for going back ) but I see I've not missed a lot Have you all been asleep?