Mechanics and Fixing Any Questions Answered

Thought of doing this, but given that it moves freely within a certain range of movement I was thinking there was another issue causing the problem.

It could still be useful to eliminate the possibility that the issue was always there, and you just didn’t notice it because the headset wasn’t as tight and allowed a full range of movement without seizing..

100% sure it's not something else causing the stiffness in the steering? i.e. cables pulling? If it's fine in a certain range, I'd also be tempted to ride it and see if anything changes as things bed in.

Not a cable issue; checked that one! Feels like a friction stiffness. Also just opened the headset to reseat the threads and noticed that the bearings had bunched up in a certain area - do I need to use larger bearings if I'm removing the cage and there's hence more space for movement perpendicular to the side to side direction they're meant to be rolling in?

Edit: Took all solutions suggested and generally repacked bearings and things seem fine; thanks all as always!

Nope, the races should only be touching the balls in either setup. Bigger balls would make the radius too large and the balls would bind in the races.

Contact Andy at Gearmechhanger.com for the rear derailleur hanger.

Not sure where to ask this but here goe; I snapped the key to my bike lock last night and cannot open the lock. Im going to have another go in the daytiume today but am assuming this will fail. What's the best way to go about releasing my bike, do I get an angle grinder or bolt cutters and cut the lock or is there a better way to do this?

Where on the key did it snap? Photos might be useful?

There's about 1cm left on the key, might be enough to push it in and rotate the other half thats in the lock. I'm going to try that before resorting to brute force but the lock is quite stiff already, thats why the key snapped

Give it a good soak in WD40 or similar before you try. Worked for me when the same happened.

If all the tumblers are being lifted by the portion of the key that's still in the lock then sometimes a thin shim can be inserted down one side of it to turn the barrel.

Depending on a lock, hacksaw probably would work. Grinder always faster, but depends on how much ruckus you want to make.

Integrated bars and stems with internal routing... how the fuck am I supposed to get di2 cables around some of those bends? Should I just use a vacuum cleaner to suck some thread down through the right holes?

So there are 22 ball bearings in there?

I used to use a combination of thread, wires, spokes, welding wire magnets and spoke nipples. These days I mostly use the Park magnetic kit for internal routing.

I've done a couple of frames before, but the angles on the integrated bars is giving me the shits. I'll start with thread and see where I end up.

I have the jagwire kit for internal cables which I found easier than the park tool one.

Whatever you do, it'll be one of the worst things you've had to do.

Plastic sleeve, then di2 Park tool cable thing inside, done.
If the plastic sleeve is not doing it then brake cable first to guide the sleeve or resort to magnet.
Whatever you do you need to plan beforehand how to route all the bullshit in the easiest way possible. Guide several cables in one if possible, get the Di2 before the hydro hoses, etc.
I do this all the time unfortunately, feel free to ask if it gets horrible.

Can confirm this is the case for MTB ceramic ones as well.

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My suspicion with road vs mtb calipers failing is that many roadies, this is their first disc brake bike, and they are hitting the pistons with the rotor when putting the wheel in, and pushing pistons back in with a screwdriver etc, mtb folk know to not do this*

*You do get them though!

Like, sliding the rotor behind the brake pad while putting wheel in? Sounds unlikely to me, pretty tight space, no?

If the pads are worn enough, pistons extended / calliper alignment bad enough could happen!

Tru dat

We had lots of piston breakages when we started using four pot callipers on the cargo bikes, with ceramic pistons. Having gone from 2 pot brass (whatever metal alloy they are made of). all the riders were used to abusing them with pliers and things when changing pads