Current Projects chat and miscellany

resolved

Decided to refresh with new bars, tape, wheels and tyres. I present the "farm gate".

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That's big! What size frame, and how tall are you?

Sometimes I see people like that bomb past me, and I think to myself, "Ah, they've got the levers innit."

It's a 64cm, I'm 6'7

Ha ha, and a lot of drag!

Bike related project for me yesterday. As I don't have a dedicated bike-tinker-shed-workshop-mancave-hole in the ground I keep my tools (bike and other) in a collection of different boxes/toolboxes. This means that nothing is ever really organised or at hand whenever I'm working on a bike or fetling around the house.
This had to change so I started searching the interwebs for a sollution. Since I don't have a room/shed/workshop the sollution has to be mobile. More searching and finding lots of so so boxes etc. Enter DeWalt/Stanley Tough Systems: stackable, strong, big and a sheet of plywood.
I started with one box to see how it would work out for my bike tools and plan on getting more to organise the rest. The little 'shelf' will be drilled for holding screwdrivers upright and the trays will be filled with foam with cutouts for my tools. The two cutouts in the bottom are for roles of tape and tubes of lubricants.
Next step is putting on a coat of varnish or something and fabricating a steel rack in my bike shed (storage only, no space or electricity) to hold the box(es).

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as the risk of derailing the thread - is there any science to that?

No idea, sorry. That doesn't stop most people talking balls about bikes on the internet, though ;)

Nice work but I expect marquetry, parquetry and a bit of mahogany on the next offering.

Haha that would be cool! Maybe on the next build though... Not sure I'm liking the yellow with the off white of the frame, gunna go back to a plain saddle methinks!

Yeah so far I've only had one proper trip on it. Not sure whether it's just a much better fit for me or whatever but it feels great, solid ride (and purchase) ;)

This bike has all the bolts. A genuine argument for ti bolts if ever there was one. 34 braze ons, 38 if you include the canti studs. Plus all the normal bolts a bike has...

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If it's just a case of filling unused threads, I use nylon bolts on my bikes. Very light, won't corrode, cheap as chips, can be cut to length with side cutters and available in various colours.

I had considered nylon actually, but, the climber in me says not to carry anything that doesn't function completely. Once we're settled one what is and isn't getting used I might replace the unused ones with it. I don't like empty holes in frames..
I might make a spreadsheet and total up every bolt on the bike and see how much I could save. All the braze on ones are stainless.

Alu bolts would be cheaper and still functional.

lol I know, I just had a moment where I realised the sheer number of bolts on it and my attention wandered. A quick browse on tibike puts the total at near £300 if I went all out. Fuck no. Far easier and cheaper ways to lose weight.
Besides, the dome ss ones that come with the frame are pretty.

Slight improvement on my Sainsburys bag. Mine only cost 5p and is not recyclable!

Not a project, just a question. Earlier I was going up a really steep incline (very slowly) and heard a single big clank from somewhere in my drivetrain. Ever since on the exact same point of the rotation of the cranks, every 2nd time round there's been a small click that I can hear and feel. Any ideas what it could be and how to solve it? Don't know if it's likely to be relevant but they're SRAM Omnium cranks with a newish (I'd guess about 500 milesish) GXP bottom bracket.

Also, any idea how I've done this? Would like to not do it again. The headset's been on the bike for 3 years and thousands of miles.

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every 2nd time round

Sounds like a chain issue if the frequency is about half the cadence. Inspect for displaced pins or cracked plates.

Cheers, will do!

Also, any idea how I've done this?

Is that the Scuzzy Logic with the plastic top cover? If so, it wasn't anything you did, it's just a natural consequence of using crappy plastic where there should be metal. The cover is squeezed between the spacer and the compression ring, and it tries to squish out. That puts hoop stress into the cover, and eventually it breaks.

Yeah it is. Next question, is it safe to ride? Was going to get down to my LBS first thing in the morning and get a new headset fitted. The only thing is the only one they have in stock is apparently shite, if I could get away with another few days of riding the bike as is I could wait for something nicer to arrive.

is it safe to ride?

It would actually be safer if you binned the cover and set the spacer directly onto the compression ring, assuming it has a metal compression ring. You miss out on the dust protection, but at least your headset adjustment isn't going to change suddenly.

nice. have been considering one as a replacement for a couple of road bikes I'm selling. I would also need the 64cm. How does it ride?