Mechanics and Fixing Any Questions Answered

Out of interest, what's the best way to remove one of these? I tried using a punch to leverage it free and I also tried a large allen bolt, bolted in to to a rotor truing tool. I think my steerer tube not being perfectly round also didn't help the situation.

Was this attempt with the ports removed for greater flexibility?

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Hammer!

In seriousness, loosen the main bolt, wack it with a hammer to “pop” the bottom conical washer out of the expander, then pull out the top conical washer.

Sometime just popping the lower conical washer is enough but worst case, both need removing.

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Ok that makes me feel loads better because that's exactly what I did. The top conical washer was not budging at all.

Bike does have gear cable ports as pictured, but there are none for the brake cables!

Got you, that sound like a tricky routing!

Can tell you it definitely can be done, just much harder in a home workshop.

What can I do about a Shimano BB (BBR60 - Italian threaded) in which the crank is not spinning freely? Even without the chain on it feels like it takes too much effort to turn the cranks. Weird thing is, even though I built this bike up a couple of years ago when the BB was brand new, it's hardly done any distance. I'd guess in the few hundreds of km. It doesn't feel grindy or gritty or anything, still quite smooth if that makes sense, but just hard to turn the cranks. Does it likely just need servicing/new grease? (Shamefully I've got no experience of servicing a BB, maybe that's about to change!)

Too much preload? You haven't whacked spacers on it when you shouldn't have?

Depend on how much resistance.

Sometime it’s a mite stiff that it does not do a full rotation after you spin it.

Like the snotter said, preload lightly, don’t need to ham fist it to oblivion.

Thanks for the suggestions (and @edscoble).

Too much preload?

(Sorry for the probably obvious question) you mean preload on the cranks? I'll give this a try for sure.

You haven't whacked spacers on it when you shouldn't have?

I don't think so, actually I didn't fit the BB as I didn't have the tool at the time so took it to my LBS.

The black plastic thing on the end of the left crank.

They need to be slightly tight, just to reduce the play before tightening the two M5 bolts to 14Nm.

👍 Thanks, will check it’s not too tight

tightening the two M5 bolts to 14Nm.

14Nm is pretty spicy for HT2 cinch bolts🙂
Even allowing for the fact that they're M6 not M5, 14Nm is about the upper limit for high tensile CrMo M6, and cranks are aluminium

I think they say 12-14Nm on them. Maybe it's 10-12.

they say 12-14Nm on them

They do. Must be assumed to be assembled dry to need that much torque to acheive the required tension.

I think they have the tiniest amount of Shimano's fun coloured grease on. Maybe it's Shimano being typically over cautious, but probably warranted, I've seen a lot more cranks come off from under tightening than I've seen issues from over tightening, the bolts have quite shallow hex recesses so can get rounded, but it's also difficult to over do them without the key trying to slip out.

Been advised by LBS this morning that e bike specific chains are essentially a marketing myth, keen to hear the forum take on whether they are necessary or not (mid drive Bosch system). Cheers.

Generally, I've found if a bike manufacturer tells you it's "...-specific" it is probably not

If a normal chain can survive someone mashing the shit out of it at 1200w on Zwift, why wouldn't it be absolutely fine on a 25ow eeeeeb pootling to the shops?

People on Zwift aren't leaving the chain on little/little for their entire ride?

I presume the e-bike specific chains are just heavier versions of normal chains that they sell for a higher price even though they're cheaper because "marketing". I think I bought an e-bike chain a while back though that was actually cheaper than a track chain (or maybe it was sexier, I can't remember)

I had a look and I bought this to go on the grrl's grravel bike
https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/shimano/CN-HG601-11.html

Says something about ebike compat but I don't care, it's just an 11s chain that was cheaper than other 11s chains.

It also appears I was buying these (again because they were cheaper than anything else)
https://www.merlincycles.com/kmc-e11-ept-e-bike-chain-11-speed-114487.html

Ah, I found the one I was thinking about. I'm pretty sure I bought this one because it was cheap and I like the squarish side plates (for all those fixie skiddah chain grinds I'll never do)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KMC-Unisexs-Z1ehx-Narrow-Silver/dp/B07J357G2S?th=1

"Heavy duty design for mid-motor e-bike and any other single speed/internal gear "

Not a marketing myth.

We actually did notice some lasting longer on e-bikes than a standard chain.

Some chain are e-bike rated rather than specific in the strictest sense that it can be used on ebike.

So what is this e bike difference? Does off road and road make a difference? Does the drive being in the crank or hub make a difference?