What have you done to your bicycle today ?

[irie]

Rode from Chichester to Kingsley Vale and back via some gnarly rooty trails, open fields, flinty downhills where if you crash you're ripped to pieces, and mellow single tracks.

My riding buddy is a retired consultant orthopaedic surgeon on a Trek Fuel EX who's coming to the conclusion that a Trek Rail lies in his future if only to be able to stay with me on the uphills!

The second pic shows Chalkpit Lane in the distance which is a tasty downhill that neither of us have the kahunas to go down without braking!

[weeksy]

Not mine, but a bike of the laddos mate.

I had this here last week before Afan and BPW trip but i was pretty tipsy when he was here and he crashed it a few times last week.

First issue... Gears not really working... Turned out to be a loose mech hanger bolt rather than a bent hanger, which was nice.
Second.... clunky.... happily that was a shock mount bolt rather than a shock bushing
The gears were then indexed...
The rear brake had a stripped caliper pin retention bolt thread, so used a split pin on there to resolve that one.
Pulled the brakes... well, the front worked... the rear needed 2-3 bleeds to get nice

Last week it was treated to my spare pedals as they were bolloxed along with a re-tension of the DUB adjuster which was meaning the cranks were wobbling all over the place.

It'd be a lovely bike... if.... if if... someone looked after it

[Ditchfinder]

It'd be a lovely bike... if.... if if... someone looked after it

That someone is now you

[weeksy]

It'd be a lovely bike... if.... if if... someone looked after it

That someone is now you

@Welsh Muffin is getting a bit toys out of the pram as she thinks said mother is somewhat taking the piss... Not necessarily deliberately... but still.

There is a back-story though, at the start of lockdown1, the dad died... So they're left (and the daughter) without a father/husband so my sympathy levels are still fairly high, but this is the 3rd time we've had his bikes now and the irritating part for me is, he's not learning any lessons here, he's not keeping it clean, checked, lubed.... so i end up with a shitty bike to try and keep nice. Mostly using spare parts that i really should be keeping for mine and the lads bike lol

[Ditchfinder]

If the lad rides with yours it's always worth doing a pre-ride mech check with them.

Really simple stuff like rocking back and forth on brakes for a headset check, waggle wheels side to side for bearings check, rock pedals to check for BB play etc etc.

If you make it a thing you all do together before you ride he might pick up a little mechanical sympathy and pick up on the niggles before they become issues.

[weeksy]

If the lad rides with yours it's always worth doing a pre-ride mech check with them.

Really simple stuff like rocking back and forth on brakes for a headset check, waggle wheels side to side for bearings check, rock pedals to check for BB play etc etc.

If you make it a thing you all do together before you ride he might pick up a little mechanical sympathy and pick up on the niggles before they become issues.

He does ride with mine, but from separate houses as he's 2.5 miles away

[MingtheMerciless]

Minion SS turned up and fitted with minimal faff.

[MingtheMerciless]

Friend came round with her new to her second hand Trek Slash. Front Maxle QR was all floppy and then noticed her brakes were rubbing, investigation's showed that they were both bolted up just past hand tight.....eeek. All sorted.

No good deed goes unpunished.

[weeksy]

Yup, I'd expect nothing less on a used bike, people are just rubbish

[MingtheMerciless]

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New dropper installed (yes the weeds in the paving slabs are bad)

[weeksy]

What's with the seat ?

[MingtheMerciless]

What's with the seat ?

It's an ISM saddle and they are a bit odd in positioning on the bike, they effectively shorten the top tube length compared to a normal saddle so the usually need pushing back a bit.

[weeksy]

What's with the seat ?

It's an ISM saddle and they are a bit odd in positioning on the bike, they effectively shorten the top tube length compared to a normal saddle so the usually need pushing back a bit.

Looks absolutely bizarre as it is... weird...

[Mr Moofo]

What's with the seat ?

It's an ISM saddle and they are a bit odd in positioning on the bike, they effectively shorten the top tube length compared to a normal saddle so the usually need pushing back a bit.

On Ming's recommendation I bought ( 2) ISM saddles - and I can't really get on with them.
@MingtheMerciless - what's the technique?

[MingtheMerciless]

What's with the seat ?

It's an ISM saddle and they are a bit odd in positioning on the bike, they effectively shorten the top tube length compared to a normal saddle so the usually need pushing back a bit.

On Ming's recommendation I bought ( 2) ISM saddles - and I can't really get on with them.
@MingtheMerciless - what's the technique?

Have you followed the ISM installation videos, it’s very important you do.? (Not teaching eggs and sucking etc). What saddles did you get?

[MingtheMerciless]

Also they take a bit of getting used to. Don’t forget your arse has been used to conventional saddles for decades.

[Mr Moofo]

Also they take a bit of getting used to. Don’t forget your arse has been used to conventional saddles for decades.

My arse has never got used to anything - hence the ISMs

[weeksy]

Also they take a bit of getting used to. Don’t forget your arse has been used to conventional saddles for decades.

My arse has never got used to anything - hence the ISMs

I hear you. lol. I've had some good, some bad and some bloody awful saddles.

I thought i'd found he holy grail with the WTB Pure which seemed to tick the boxes.... but then 1 set of rails bent which killed one... I actually tried that again last night and was awful anyway lol.

So i went back to the Charge Spoon, the old favourite... it's not bad but not as nice as one of the WTB Pures i've had.

The Ergon SM seems to be the saddle of choice for many.... so i'm debating one.

[Mr Moofo]

I have two Ergons - they are not bad for 1.5 hrs
I have a Brooks Cambium cut out which is proving to be the best.
The Privateer has a Fabric Saddle on it. It is torture!

[weeksy]

I have two Ergons - they are not bad for 1.5 hrs
I have a Brooks Cambium cut out which is proving to be the best.
The Privateer has a Fabric Saddle on it. It is torture!

What Ergons ?