Mechanics and Fixing Any Questions Answered

Yup b screw been messed with = gears no worky very well.

From memory that is the right 9s slx. It'll be written on it exactly what it is

Pic of how the inner is clamped in the rear mech.

Check the cable means park it in 1st, click it down a few then pull outer cable from the frame stops and slide it ban and forth, make sure no kinks and it's very smooth with little friction. Then put it back in the frame stops.

Been trying to figure out how to install U-brakes on the front for my All City Dropout. I got 2 of these:
https://shop.odysseybmx.com/collections/odyssey-braking/products/springfield-brake-kit

and was looking at this adapter:
https://www.sourcebmx.com/products/odyssey-front-brake-springfield-adaptor

but it's sold out and haven't found any other retailers.

I tried an EVO 2.5 front brake adaptor but that's too wide and doesn't fit the arms.

Any tips if there's a well-functioning bootleg way to make it work as a frontbrake? Would a steerer-mounted canti hanger like this work?

Also happy to hear alternatives what I could mount, long-drop dual pivot doesn't work, there's no brakehole, so has to be U-brakes.

The Springfield adapter that's out of stock isn't really neccesary, it maybe makes that side of things slightly neater but you can just put the cable ferrule in the 'hook' on the arm.

With that caliper you need something to anchor the cable, something like a knarp.

Ideally on the front you'd use a caliper like an ad990 that has a cable anchor on one side of the arm.

I’m not being mean, but giving the chain and cassette a good clean wouldn’t hurt. And this is going to sound like a stupid question, but now many sprockets are there on the cassette? It’s kind of hard to count them with the muck. :D
I only ask because I had somebody come it the shop with ‘crap’ shifting after they replaced their cassette themselves, 10spd Tiagra for ‘a cheap one of the net’ or as I pointed out a 9spd Sora one. Oops!

I bought a 2nd hand a SRAM gxp crankset that seems to be working itself loose. I’ve replaced the self extracting bolt as the threads were v badly damaged / largely stripped and it solved it for a time but then managed to get loose again, quick look inside shows some of the steel internal axle threads are a bit damaged too.

I’m thinking to check to see how deep the threads go, and if they extend far enough buy a longer screw for better thread engagement, and then use loctite instead of grease.

Should work.. or nah? Does anyone know the TPI of the screw? Looks like fine thread, think its diameter is m15

ah neat, thanks for this - glad to hear it should be safe enough without the barrel adjuster!

You could get knarp and then counter drill one side of the hole so a bendy v-brake noodle with barrel adjuster could sit in it?

Have counted the sprockets, but appreciate the advice anyway! Don't think cassette has been replaced and think issue isn't with the chain and cassette because the issue stems from the fact that the derailleur arm is not moving.

I have now also developed an issue with a different bike (fixed gear conversion) - the square taper BB has developed side to side play and squeaks with each pedal rotation on the left. Issue started with what sounded very much like a crack when I put pressure into the pedals; I kept going the last 3 miles to the end of the ride slowly and have left the bike to lie for now. BB was replaced last year (UN55) by a competent LBS (Nip Nip along Tower Bridge) so seems odd to me that it would have broken so easily..

Given how much it cost me the last time when I got the BB replaced because I was loathe to get my own BB tools, I have decided to try to attempt repairs myself. What tools would I need to service/replace this myself (given that it sounds like the BB is shot), so would that be a crank puller, BB cup tool and a new UN55? I see cheap ones on eBay for 5 to 10 quid - would that be a bad idea?

You sure it's a UN55? Very likely UN300, which is known to fail.

Receipt reads 68x113, but the fella told me UN55 (or at least that's what I remember from a year ago!)

Fair play. Tange is my other go to when UN55 is unavailable.

Would it just be Tange 68/113? No idea how important sizes are or what other variability there might be in these things. Come to think of it I could well have had the UN300 put in, and the UN55 was what it was replacing..

Also, how much room for variability might there be in the BB length - would 68/110 or 68/115 work ? Can find both of these on the bay.. Can also find a 113x68mm XT BB but no idea how that compares to the UN55. Also keen to know whether it would be a bad idea to buy cheapo crank pullers/BB tools off the net for very occasional jobs like these, or whether it would be worth investing in the usual Park/Icetoolz etc..

Also keen to know whether it would be a bad idea to buy cheapo crank pullers/BB tools

You can buy these tools for pretty cheap but get them from trusted brands, ie lifeline, X tools etc. the unbranded stuff from eBay alix etc is utter trash IME

I've been thinking about DIYing a decaleur to prevent my handlebar bag resting on my cables as they loop from underneath my bar tape down to the frame. This won't be supporting the bag as such, just acting as a standoff. There are a few products that already do this, including the Restrap Bumper Bar and this from Tim Tas Rek, which actually is a rack/bag support.

I've been wondering about using a seat clamp with rack eyelets with the lip ground off as a mounting point. Specifically this model, which is flat. The 28.6mm version could replace a headset spacer or the 34.9mm version could be fixed around existing spacers. Are there any potential issues with this?

From a quick trial with a 34.9mm plastic light bracket clamped around a spacer it looks like the spacer can be turned quite easily (not surprising since the stem doesn't apply much force in pushing it down onto the headset), which feels a bit disconcerting. Also I worry that there might be a slight fretting action as a bag bumps against a standoff attached to it.

Alternatively, a 28.6mm seatclamp wouldn't be able to turn as it would be tightened onto the steerer tube (after the headset preload has been set and the stem bolts tightened) but, again, I worry about a fretting action of it being bumped by a bag. Is this something to worry about, or are the loads negligible compared to the loads impose by normal riding?

I'm gonna go with the eternally helpful 'it depends'. Carbon steerer? Number of spacers? Intended riding?
In general, I wouldn't be concerned about replacing a spacer with something that is just going to keep a bag spaced off a headtube. I have a colleague who machined a pair of spacers, one to sit above the headset, and one which sat under the crown race to create mounting points for a front rack. This was on a light weight gravel bike which he then thrashed around Georgia for a few weeks. He didn't have any issues.
On top of that, people have been using spacers for canti brake stops and they haven't been killing forks as far as I'm aware.
The trouble with your design will be having a stiff enough structure to bolt on to your clamp. I presume you will need something which hangs down, you could maybe brace it back to the bar to create a truss?

Another thought that should re-assure you: any forces created by the bag bouncing on the handlebar are anyway going to be transmitted through the steerer via the stem. By adding a support on a spacer, you are re-directing a small amount of that force closer to the headset bearing and therefore reducing the moment on the fork steerer and the stem.

Thanks for the feedback. The setup is pretty optimal as it's a steel steerer, a light framebag (probably not much more than 1kg) and it will be used for road riding with occasional gravelish/towpath sections. I'm not so concerned about the fork, rather I'm worried that turning or repeatedly loading/flexing the spacers themselves (or inadvertently ovalising them by clamping a seatpost collar on them) might wear them and/or impair their ability to do their main job of transferring enough load axially onto the conical spacer in the top race of the headset to keep it properly adjusted.

Here's a photo of the current lash-up made from various reflector brackets. The joint between the two pieces might not last, in which case I'll probably replace the longer strut with a metal piece.

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The lenght should correspond with the crankset and/or the desired chainline.

Icetoolz or Cyclo stuff are good enough for me, never been tempted by Park.

Any way of servicing these wheels? There's a bit of play in the axle that's bugging me, but I can't see how to tighten whatever it is that seems loose. Or is it beyond salvage?

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Probably worn cartridge bearings that need replacing, pull the caps off (probably really fucking awkward) and see what bearings you need then DIY, or give the fuckers straight to a shop.

Cap as in the black bit of plastic that has 29-08 on it?

I think there's little snap ring under/around the silver part of the axle, you'll want that out to get it off.

Giant hub?

Giant hub?

Fulcrum.

Hard to do this on my phone. See the snap ring? First picture

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I see it. What am I supposed to do? Lever it out with a screwdriver? I've given that a cursory try but it doesn't seem to want to come out.