Mechanics and Fixing Any Questions Answered

QR should always have some play when not in the frame and fastened.
If the wheel is in the dropouts with the QR done up and there is play, it sounds like the bearings are loose and need adjusting.

Cones are loose. Just need nipping up but can be tricky if you don’t have the tools or do this sort of thing normally. It’s a quick and simple job though that any bike shop can do if don’t want to do yourself.

You can ride it as is but it will wear out faster if you leave it.

brittle fracture

Was it though? There's a strange depression around the crack, almost as if it's necked in...

Hard to imagine that's actually the case though; doesn't seem right at all. Just a nasty forging?

Was it though? There's a strange depression around the crack, almost as if it's necked in...

I looked at that for a while and reserved judgement. We'd need to know if that necked in area was there from new, from previous service, or only when fitting the crank for the last time. In the end, the final fracture was brittle even if the events leading up to it were fatigue and/or plastic deformation.

Remove the QR and see if the qr is worn. Or a thinner qr than needed is fitted.
Check to see if the inner hub shaft is broken.

Any ideas what’s going on here? 90s MTB fork steerer that’s 28.6mm the whole way down with no crown race seat.

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Any ideas what’s going on here?

Maybe there was an appropriately sized split collet to go with a cartridge angular contact bearing. I you use a common 30mm split collet you'll almost certainly need a split collar to shim it out to the right size, which is probably more trouble than it's worth.

Bodged currently but looking for nicer setup.

I have a lot of M5 bolts but no M6 bolts. Where's the best place to get a single M6, about 55-60mm long that will go through the whole fork of a Surly Ogre and the mount block of a Supernova dynamo light? Actually 60mm-65mm may be better because then I could use one of those curved brake 'washers' on the back of the fork

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I usually get bolts from eBay. The smallest amount I could find is a 4 pack.

Where's the best place to get a single M6

Same answer as hundreds of times before on here - Clerkenwell Screws if you're in the City, Apex Fasteners in Slough, or online from Accu, GWR Fasteners, or Westfield

Clerkenwell Screws

I'd heard they'd stopped trading. Have you used them recently?

Thanks. I'm thick. All my other bolts were from Accu. I thought I'd got them from somewhere else but I was thinking of Simply Bearings - that's why I couldn't find the place.

Ebay probably another good shout but the stuff I have from Accu has worked fine. Actually, if anyone needs single M5 Torx bolts I have a few lengths I was testing for aerobars going spare.

Should I use a split washer or no need?

Have you used them

Never, because I live less than a mile from Apex.

split washer

I use these on my lamp bracket which is subject to eccentric loading
https://www.accu.co.uk/internal-fine-tooth-locking-washers/63051-HIFW-M6-A2

Interesting, I had always been under the impression that these and split washers were the mechanical equivalent of placebos.

Your use of these suggests otherwise.

I had always been under the impression that these and split washers were the mechanical equivalent of placebos

They are not completely ineffective, but in general if you think you need one, your design is probably wrong. Sometimes we still use "wrong" designs, either because that's what's available or because designing it "right" adds cost and complexity, or even just aesthetic negatives, which are less attractive than relying on a locking washer.
A rigorous way of making my front light stay pointing forwards would have meant having a different design for the rear, which has to have its axis at an angle to the tube it's clipped to

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That would've been a good idea but I didn't think about it so, no grippy washers for this setup. I'll just try and pay attention before the light falls into the wheel.

Can someone do a sanity check for me? Just got a late 40s 4-speed back on the road. Derailleur is excessively worn so I’m running it single speed on the 18T cog (second largest). Brand new chain from my LBS which seems to be either a KMC Z7 Narrow (7-speed) or KMC Z8 Narrow (8-speed).

The chainline is pretty straight and fairly taut, but the chain keeps getting caught on the freewheel teeth, riding up and re-seating with a bang. It’s trashed the chain and actually broken a couple of side plates on the way home.

I think the chainline isn’t the cause. See how on this chain the side plates are heavily ramped and very thin, is it this causing the problem with the very squared-off teeth profile on the freewheel? It’s 3/32” but it’s a really loose side-to-side fit on the teeth. Do I need to find an old-style chain with plain, flat side plates instead? Or does my freewheel look excessively worn?

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Can someone do a sanity check for me?

Try a bushingless 1/8" chain such as KMC S1

I guess I should know this, but which way round do the caged bearings go in the most recent Campagnolo Record 1" threaded headset. Balls face up or down, seems to be different to other 1 inch headsets and it's bamboozled me

Thinking of flat barring my latest version Kaffenback as I'm not enjoying drops on it plus I could frankenbike it with the Geoff bar for more bikepacking space. Questions:

Brakes: The brakes are Rever MCX2 (or Havit as PX rename them). These are short pull road brakes. I'm 99% sure my Dia Compe Gold finger are also short pull. Is that right?

Gears: Also is SRAM pull ratio consistent across their range, meaning the 11sp Rival shifter could be swapped for their s-series thumb shifter?

If that'd all work this is a v.low cost + spares box swap so would be ideal. Thanks.

99% sure my Dia Compe Gold finger are also short pull. Is that right?

Yeah.

Also is SRAM pull ratio consistent across their range

No, but everything has something like exact actuation, 1:1 actuation or X actuation on it, although these are very similar, they're not the same, but if it has the same words it's compatible with anything else that says the same.

Yeah.
Ace, ta.

Also is SRAM pull ratio consistent across their range

No, but everything has something like exact actuation, 1:1 actuation or X actuation on it, although these are very similar, they're not the same, but if it has the same words it's compatible with anything else that says the same.

Serial number says trigger is MODEL ID: SL-700-B1 which is Exact Actuation

Rival 1x11 is Exact Actuation too.

Compatibility map (pictured) doesn't reference it either.

But it then appears here, so it's all fine I think... yeah?

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Should be reet then.