Page 1 of 18
What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 1:26 pm
by weeksy
Bit of a thread for any on-going stuff, stuff you want to chat about, bounce ideas about regarding you push-bikes.
Today i've just bought a couple more of the SRAM master cylinder pistons. I've only fitted one as a test and not actually fitted that brake onto the bikes, so i've now got 4 new pistons for 4 brakes to be installed.
There's issues as some will have seen with SRAM brakes and swelling pistons in heat, so these negate that. I wasn't too worried but now we're booking Morzine for next summer, i'll spend a few hours sorting all the brakes on both mine and the lads bike with new kits.
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 1:39 pm
by MingtheMerciless
Yep, brand new out the box 2016 SRAM Guide Ultimates had SRAM Cancer (as the LBS calls it). Also my 2015 Enduro developed it after it spent winter in the bike room/junk shop/study propped against a radiator.
Mrs M's E-Bike now has a KMC E-MTB chain fitted which was noticeably heaver than the one it replaced, hopefully that means it'll last. On a side note the very dainty Eagle chain fitted to the Curtis is still going strong, no sign of wear according to the chain checker despite doing a 1000 miles.
Off to Dartmoor soon so I'll be really testing the Hellbender BB fitted to the Curtis.
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:01 pm
by porter_jamie
her indoors parents live just outside of Exeter, so next time we are down there im planning on nipping over to lustleigh for a bit of a pedal. the roads are a bit narrow though and im planning on parking near yarney wood / old manaton road - do you happen to know if its vito friendly? went once years ago and it was a bit touch and go, so hopefully will be bit better - A38, bovey tracey, B3387 and turn right according to the googles
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:16 pm
by MingtheMerciless
porter_jamie wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:01 pm
her indoors parents live just outside of Exeter, so next time we are down there im planning on nipping over to lustleigh for a bit of a pedal. the roads are a bit narrow though and im planning on parking near yarney wood / old manaton road - do you happen to know if its vito friendly? went once years ago and it was a bit touch and go, so hopefully will be bit better - A38, bovey tracey, B3387 and turn right according to the googles
It's bloody tight in places over that side of the Moor, but I think you should make it (so long as you don't meet the farmer with his LR and a trailer full of sheep like we did near manaton and muggins had to back up the X-Trail with bikes on the tow bar carrier for about 100m with granite walls either side ready to grab the bike wheels which over hung the sides of the car).
Last time I rode the area:
https://www.strava.com/activities/608074843
The Nutcracker is probably my favourite all time trail
https://www.strava.com/activities/2432833058. (if you can get to the western side this is a good loop with epic views, The Widow Maker descent and a slate descent on the edge of the moor when you ride off the granite!).
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 2:58 pm
by porter_jamie
we stayed at postbridge and did princetown and thereabouts a few weeks ago. did nutcracker years back and cant really remember it so looking forwards to going again
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 3:32 pm
by weeksy
weeksy wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 1:26 pm
Bit of a thread for any on-going stuff, stuff you want to chat about, bounce ideas about regarding you push-bikes.
Today i've just bought a couple more of the SRAM master cylinder pistons. I've only fitted one as a test and not actually fitted that brake onto the bikes, so i've now got 4 new pistons for 4 brakes to be installed.
There's issues as some will have seen with SRAM brakes and swelling pistons in heat, so these negate that. I wasn't too worried but now we're booking Morzine for next summer, i'll spend a few hours sorting all the brakes on both mine and the lads bike with new kits.
Well that's my first pair done and installed on the boys bike. I'll sort mine once the bits arrive.
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 6:50 pm
by Taff
checked the fluid in the tyres. these tyres have been on for nearly a year so about time I checked.
rear tyre had stans fluid in it, it was all good so popped the tyre back on, added about 30ml for good luck and re-inflated.
the front had muck off fluid in it. the fluid was dry as a bone so cleaned it all up off the inside of the tyre and rim, re-fitted and added 120ml of stans.
conclusion
1. Muck off tubless fluid is shitterer than stans
2. I still don't 'get' the advantage of tubless.
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:23 pm
by weeksy
Taff wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 6:50 pm
checked the fluid in the tyres. these tyres have been on for nearly a year so about time I checked.
rear tyre had stans fluid in it, it was all good so popped the tyre back on, added about 30ml for good luck and re-inflated.
the front had muck off fluid in it. the fluid was dry as a bone so cleaned it all up off the inside of the tyre and rim, re-fitted and added 120ml of stans.
conclusion
1. Muck off tubless fluid is shitterer than stans
2. I still don't 'get' the advantage of tubless.
How?
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:33 pm
by Taff
weeksy wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:23 pmHow?
how?
how did the tyres have different fluid? I had a pouch thingy of muck off fluid to use up and a bottle fo stans
how had the fluid dried up? no idea.
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:36 pm
by weeksy
Taff wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:33 pm
weeksy wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:23 pmHow?
how?
how did the tyres have different fluid? I had a pouch thingy of muck off fluid to use up and a bottle fo stans
how had the fluid dried up? no idea.
No, how don't you get tubeless?
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:49 pm
by Mr Moofo
Tried to replace a RS REVERB hydraulic hose - and no matter how I cut it, how much I tighten it up, and redo the effing barb , it still leaks ...
And then doesn’t work ...
So if anyone has any tips, let me know ... but as it is bout 8 years old it may well be getting binned - and replaced with Brand Xs finest.
And I bought two hillbilly tyres which I hope will be better than the skinny low rolling resistance ardent on the back in mud ...
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:49 pm
by Taff
weeksy wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:36 pm
No, how don't you get tubeless?
ah, right.
the usual arguments are
It saves the weight of a tube - which is replaced by tape and fluid
it saves punctures - I'm yet to have a puncture riding off road in FOD, maybe I'm lucky. I have got through a few inner tubes over the years, but they've been used to repair tubless riders punctures

(to be fair, the last one was at BPW where a mate ripped the sidewall so he probably would have ripped a tube as well)
you can run lower pressures - I'm running the same pressures with tubless e-wild's as I did with tubed Nobby Nic's (19Fr, 21R) I don't think I'd want to ride any lower than that on any tyre.
the Stans bottle says that you should check the fluid monthly, I make certain that I check the pressure before each ride. In comparison tubes are fit and forget.
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:50 pm
by weeksy
Mr Moofo wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 7:49 pm
Tried to replace a RS REVERB hydraulic hose - and no matter how I cut it, how much I tighten it up, and redo the effing barb , it still leaks ...
And then doesn’t work ...
So if anyone has any tips, let me know ... but as it is bout 8 years old it may well be getting binned - and replaced with Brand Xs finest.
And I bought two hillbilly tyres which I hope will be better than the skinny low rolling resistance ardent on the back in mud ...
Only bled one once sorry.
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2020 11:03 am
by weeksy
Jeeez, the bikes are STILL filthy despite a long clean last night.
Job for today was to drop a little fluid out of the boys rear brake. It was binding just slightly, so that's now smooth
I then swapped the cassette and rotor from my WTB wheel and threw it onto my Hope Pro4 wheel and chucked that into my bike.
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2020 7:09 pm
by MingtheMerciless
Back to one speed.
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:08 am
by bevvo
New chain, jockey wheels and gear cable for my 10-year-old hardtail. Well overdue.
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2020 10:05 am
by weeksy
I've just rebuilt the 29er HT for potential winter duties. It spends all it's time on the turbo, but for ease of cleaning etc it's deffo easier than the FS, (which i seem to be cleaning 4 times a week at the moment) along with clearance through ruts on the ride.
It's not the best thing on the planet, it's not the highest spec thing on the planet, it'll also take a LOT of getting used to !!! I'm still searching the garage for some decent bars for it, the ones on there are very flat and i wouldn't mind something with a bit of rise. But not convinced i want to spend an money on it.
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2020 2:42 pm
by Mr Moofo
still waiting for bearings to arrive for the press fit on the Oka... so hit the Downs on the Cotic. The Downs are horrible this time of year - the chalk is greasy, then it gets algae on it , and actively tries to kill you. And then try and steer - as your tyres are block up with mud, any attempted deviation out of a rut will make you fall off.
That said I have and issue:
I run shimano stuff on a hope rear hub. It is 11 speed - the prior Sun Race cassette rattled, - and no matter what I did I couldn't solve it.so I bought a Shimano rear cluster, thinking that was the problem. It has the spacer in ( in fact it is bigger that it should be).
Once you tighten the lock ring up on the rear cassette, there is a tiny amount of play - after about 3 rides , it turns into full on rattle. Happened with the shimano cassette and the Sun Race one - and I have even changed the free hub body!
Oddly - the lock ting is saying nipped up tight. The smallest rear cog is sitting correctly on the splines on the hub when it is tightened.
All I can thing of is to add a bigger spacer - then it mean getting the last ring to seat properly becomes an issue ...
any ideas?
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2020 2:45 pm
by weeksy
Weirdly, my Sunrace did similar, i think it's an MS3. Whatever the low end one is on a shimano style hub.
I didn't investigate it much, i resolved it by fitting a XD hub/wheel instead and that has nothing. As you're aware they're a completely different style of hub. I guess it depends on how much you want to throw at it. Hope hubs are about £50 a go, i don't know about others.
Re: What have you done to your bicycle today ?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2020 5:23 pm
by Mr Moofo
I will let you know when the additional spacers arrive ...