A Bicycle nightmare

So I bought a bike from a respected builder I thought, it turned into one hell of an adventure: both dangerous, disappointing, frustrating, yet also educational.

The story begins after I sold my road bike and finally settled on a fixed gear that I liked, it arrived and looked the dogs bollocks, ah how appearances can be deceptive! (note unipack)

The seller had suggested making the bike "stealth", I agreed

Due to new components being ordered the bike did not arrive with a chainring, and I was told this would be "no problem", and the seller sent me a link from where to buy one. (I actually bought it as a favour as he said he had spent extra on the cranks)

When putting it together, for some reason the chain would not stay on for love or money, I tensed it so much that it finally did, however I knew something was wrong.

I took it to my local LBS, they couldnt believe how tight it was, and realised that the chainline was nearly an inch out!! (I have pics) They spent ages trying to fix it, had to get a new BB specially ordered, and shedloads of spacers/filing, MTB cranks dont work well on some bikes.(now on KhorKnight's polo bike)

The seller only agreed to pay for the BB, not the work. Not sure how as a novice I was to fix a BB? (he did offer my money back, I should have listened!)

However the LBS also said the chainring was dangerous, LFGSS community laughed at me when I asked, I listened to collective wisdom, and this is what happened: http://www.londonfgss.com/thread22240.html
I like it when my chainring melts on Shaftesbury avenue.

After that I bought proper track cranks, job done, problems over, so I thought.

Riding home my chain snaps by Mi6, clearly a piece of cr*p or the abuse of being on a bad chainline shafted it. A new chain improved my life so much.

That wasn't it.

Then the wheels: the lockring went after it had been tightened by my LBS (it had orignially been sold loose),
This is what happened even after tightening http://www.londonfgss.com/thread24287.html#post799419

I showed it to JD who saw the tiny amount of thread on there, not suitable for commuting & weak he said, unipack was the suggestion, the front wheel was a 16 spoke road one.

To add insult to injury, the spoke went on the front on my ride back from JD and the front wheel got mashed, it was a nice walk carrying my bike.

(I shifted these as SS/pub bike wheels and explained their history)

All in all a learning curve. chainline, BB, chainring, cranks,chain, wheels. All fun and within a couple of months!

For the seller who may not be a bad guy, but hasnt replied to my last few messages about the BB and refunding the money for it (I did call him a douchebag)

1) Dont sell bikes you have half built and which have no way of being built up right
2) Dont put cheap sh*t unipack components on bikes, if you do, tell people they are cheap sh*t unipack components.
3) Apologise properly if you have f*cked up

To noobs buying

1) all that shines is not gold
2) components are important
3) test it first, do your research

On a positive note, I have now rebuilt my bike to my specs (only the brake calipers, headset & frame remain from the original!) I have also learnt a lot, got some good banter/abuse, and met lots of forumers.

Would you be so critical of this guy if he was white ?

You relentless sarcasm and racism towards this bloke is pretty much uncalled for ("respected builder" - "douchebag" - "tell people they are cheap sh*t")

There are many many people on this forum who work hard to keep this kind of racism off the forum - and all it takes is one post like this to undermine so much good work.

I will pray for you.

Try not to be hard on the child brother Tynan, he knows not what he says.

Peace be with you brother Tynan.

Peace be with you my child emilio666.

Would you be so critical of this guy if he was white ?

You relentless sarcasm and racism towards this bloke is pretty much uncalled for ("respected builder" - "douchebag" - "tell people they are cheap sh*t")

There are many many people on this forum who work hard to keep this kind of racism off the forum - and all it takes is one post like this to undermine so much good work.

I will pray for you.

I had an issue with him turning my bike "stealth" which is just another word for black.

Saw the best "stealth" bike today, single, short strip of black gaff covering the name on either side of the top tube - kind of says "look, steal me".

Bad luck on the bike old chap. Should have just converted.

wheres the racism? im confused, is there more to the story that hasnt been told in this thread? i dont get whether the bike was custom built or not.

sounds to me like you made a lot of bad componant choices. which is only really your fault.

wheres the racism? im confused, is there more to the story that hasnt been told in this thread? i dont get whether the bike was custom built or not.

sounds to me like you made a lot of bad componant choices. which is only really your fault.

dude, i dont think there is any racism, there may be some odd humour. Anyways I didn't choose any of the components, the bike was sold fully built, which I thought was clear, as was the banter.

Sorry to hear about the problems with the bike. How much did it cost to start with and how much have you spent on it since?

I am always wary of buying from someone I can't go round and visit if need be, when things turn sour.

Or someone bigger than me.

I once ate a bike like that.. Gave me indigestion for days..

Sorry to hear about the problems with the bike. How much did it cost to start with and how much have you spent on it since?

I am always wary of buying from someone I can't go round and visit if need be, when things turn sour.

Or someone bigger than me.

I spent £300 on it, the frame was nice though, but if I had done the maths I would have realised there must have been no money left for anything else!

I once ate a bike like that.. Gave me indigestion for days..

That's what this bike felt like, but I've grown attached to it, we've been through a lot together, my heart burns when we are apart.

whois: respected builder(?)

wheres the racism? im confused, is there more to the story that hasnt been told in this thread?

Typical, I thought that sooner or later someone would coming running to his defence, you people should keep your views to yourself, we are a multiculturalismist forum we accept all sorts of people here - even Jews, Blackies, the working class (and benefit cheats), coloureds, Spanish, foreigners, Scottish and people from outside London - but what we do not tolerate is intolerance.

Typical, I thought that sooner or later someone would coming running to his defence, you people should keep your views to yourself, we are a multiculturalismist forum we accept all sorts of people here - even Jews, manxies, Blackies, the working class (and benefit cheats), coloureds, Spanish, foreigners, Scottish and people from outside London - but what we do not tolerate is intolerance.

fixied, felt left out.

dude, i dont think there is any racism, there may be some odd humour.

Racism is no joke, you may think it is a joke, but I assure you it is no laughing madder.

Try not to be hard on the child brother Tynan, he knows not what he says.

Peace be with you brother Tynan.

Peace be with you my child emilio666.

Thank you Tommy for your kind words, it is voices of reason like yours that we need in the storm of racism and hate that has come to define this forum over the last few months.

See you on the march.

fixied, felt left out.

Andy, I mean no disrespect to you lot, but this is mainly a white heterosexual forum - and as much as you lot are welcome here I would strongly advise you temper your views, your habits, dances and ceremonies may go down well on the island, but as you have no doubt been told many times by village elders - when you go to the mainland it's time to put on human clothes and keep to basics of British law.

This thread reaks of racism and on that note, I'm out

This thread reaks of racism and on that note, I'm out

This thread reeks of sarcasm, and - given the above news = I'm in...

Andy, I mean no disrespect to you lot, but this is mainly a white heterosexual forum...

Now you know that isn't true.

Come on... admit it.

whois: respected builder(?)

In his pictures (a link from a link) there appears to be a black Dolan frame:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/EmilBielski/DropBox#5354133658601537218

I'm guessing this is who he is talking about, reading between the links...

Now you know that isn't true.

Come on... admit it.

I am sick of people bringing that incident up, like I said at the time to the crown prosecution service, I simply forgot to wear my trousers one day (big fucking deal) and accidentally fell on that man - whose clothes had fallen off by accident.

Nightmares are said to be brought on by eating lots of cheese.

Don't eat so much Stilton before a ride in future.

I would advise the OP to speak to Reen- who has had a similar road to Damascus to follow.

(Yes, a religious metaphor, come on Tynan- I'm waiting for you).

I would advise the OP to speak to Reen- who has had a similar road to Damascus to follow.

(Yes, a religious metaphor, come on Tynan- I'm waiting for you).

Paul was a deceitful and violent dullard.

I am done here.

:)