Any question answered...

Is there any kind of magic attachment that will make this shoe accept a modern Look style cleat? I don't really know how these things work. I found some adaptor system for Sidis but I expect they're for newer Sidis rather than the oldskool kind that I have.

1 Attachment

A drill and some T-Nuts. That's how we did it back in the olden days, when shoes didn't come ready drilled.

The high screw is the closest to the seat tube.

It is screwed in to it's max.

The cage will not clear the outer ring.

The chain is on the smallest rear cog.

Is my bottom bracket spendle too short? Or am I making some sort of other mistake?

If you really do mean the screw is screwed in as you say there is your problem, it should be screwed out!

^ What him said. Turning the limit screws in limits the movement of the derailleur.

I've always found the best way to set them is to unscrew both, gradually tighten until they don't shift properly and then back them off a little.

Remember that when you're setting a high limit this is also when the cable tension is ramped up; i.e. you should push the shift lever to apply tension while you set it, because quite often once you've set the limit screws you then need to dial a bit more tension in to the cable with the barrel adjuster(s). When the cable is not fully tensioned the mech might not move all the way to the limit point on its own.

I tend to set the limits before i have attached the cable to the mech, this is to ensure the chain will not fall off at either the high or low limit

then attach the cable finger tight and try one shift to engage cable

if it does not shift enough wind out the barrel adjuster to increase the tension so the cable shifts

I want to put a double crank on my Ryffranck, currently running a single up front with a Suntour Perfect 5 speed freewheel. Do modern cranks place their chainwheels too close together to fit a 5-6 speed chain in there?

Dunno, probably when cross chaining - try it. If they do just space them out a bit. Wheels Manufacturing make some chainring spacers. I've got a box of them at work.

Is there any kind of magic attachment that will make this shoe accept a modern Look style cleat? I don't really know how these things work. I found some adaptor system for Sidis but I expect they're for newer Sidis rather than the oldskool kind that I have.

How stiff is the sole?

Dunno, probably when cross chaining - try it. If they do just space them out a bit. Wheels Manufacturing make some chainring spacers. I've got a box of them at work.

Thanks, I should have also mentioned my concern about running a 5-6 speed chain across those skinny 10 speed teeth - too sloppy?
(This is obviously not a high speed set-up; down tube friction shifting)

I'm jealous! Hence my question:

How do you cope in conditions like these? I've always hated the summers here and that's only walking around town - I've never tried to cycle my way through it before!

I'm wearing a wicking short sleeve jersey, bib shorts, the most ventilated crash lid I could get my hands on and quaffing loads of electrolytes but it doesn't seem to help much!

I don't want to just put my bike away for two months but it's almost unbearable riding on days like today (which is most days until mid-September).

Even the Japanese think I'm mental trying to ride now...

It's pretty horrible isn't it. It was cycling across Japan in August that taught me I had sweat glands in places like my knee caps and elbows. I think even my sweat glands had sweat glands. Try going really slowly.

&

(yes, I realise I'm a few days late to the party)

Is the rear wheel definitely straight? If you've pulled it slightly off-centre it will have adjusted the angle of the cog against the chain slightly.

Sounds too obvious to be the case though, and I guess if you've been fertling with the chain that's probably not it.

Totally stripped down the drivetrain this morning. BB was smooth. Thoroughly cleaned and oiled (again!) every part. Seems to have sorted it. Obviously there was some grit in there I didn't get first time around. Worries over!

It's pretty horrible isn't it. It was cycling across Japan in August that taught me I had sweat glands in places like my knee caps and elbows. I think even my sweat glands had sweat glands. Try going really slowly.

&

Superb! Yeah you just end up shiny with sweat all over. And covered in those little sweat bubbles in the upper layer if your skin, because you can't sweat fast enough. Gross.

On the plus side I've been cultivating some middling facial hair to cover the scars on my face until they've healed more, and now I can use my upper lip like a salt lick. Quite satisfying.

A drill and some T-Nuts. That's how we did it back in the olden days, when shoes didn't come ready drilled.

Back in the olden days you weren't prone to putting drills through your hands like the fumble-fingered, flabby yoof of today, though.

How stiff is the sole?

Very! Rigid plastic. It's got a metal plate thing in the middle bit as well with a square nut that can be adjusted left and right. Assuming I did decide to drill it the holes would need to go where the plate is now so it'd irredeemably weaken the sole, I think. I'm going to need some proper, newfangled shoes, aren't I?

Back in the olden days you weren't prone to putting drills through your hands like the fumble-fingered, flabby yoof of today, though.

That's because we'd already learned about the danger of sharp things from these fuckers:

Look pedals used to come with 6 of these (M5 threaded) in the box with the cleats.

Also, we had been trained for years with a hammer and a dozen small nails while putting slot cleats on wood soled racing shoes, so our manual dexterity was a bit better.

The quill is already raised to it's limits and no where does cycle training this time of night.

Walk away as sometimes you can see the wood for the trees.

If it makes no sense still, I can pop over and give you hand.

Sounds like experience talking...

I've heard the park tools cutter to be pretty awful, any other recommendations?

Want a hand? Can give you a hand and even bring tools.

That's because we'd already learned about the danger of sharp things from these fuckers:

Look pedals used to come with 6 of these (M5 threaded) in the box with the cleats.

Also, we had been trained for years with a hammer and a dozen small nails while putting slot cleats on wood soled racing shoes, so our manual dexterity was a bit better.

Where do you buy them from?

Where do you buy them from?

http://www.insertsdirect.com/product.aspx?p=1f6a564f-2710-4911-9ff3-22d9609e0ccf

If you don't need 2000

http://www.fixingsupplies.co.uk/nuts/pronged-t.html

Clerkenwell Screws

Thanks chaps thought that they were some special and bike related. Will get some on monday.

Want a hand? Can give you a hand and even bring tools.

cheers lynx! may drop you a pm in a few weeks if thats ok? im still waiting on payday for a chain, front der to be bought, and a rear brake, plus some free time to do it in would be nice...

cheers lynx! may drop you a pm in a few weeks if thats ok? im still waiting on payday for a chain, front der to be bought, and a rear brake, plus some free time to do it in would be nice...

Yeah no worries.

http://www.threeballclimbing.com/hardware/compare_t_nuts.jpg

I read that labelling as 19 and 22lbs per nut. Sitting here thinking "but how? is the picture to scale? what could they possibly have been used for?"

Other things young people are no good at these days: reading comprehension, even when given diagrams with pictures

Anyone good at servicing cup and cone bearings in London?

My RS80's are feeling a little sluggish! Defo some beer money in it.... Pm me.

do it yourself, its easy if you own cone spanners.

From memory RS80s are very similar to DA wheels. If the cones are pitted you'll need a new axle as one cone is fixed to it and the cones aren't available separately. From experience (3-4 DA wheel services) Shimano wheels aren't very durable so you need new decent bearings often.