How anal are you?

Well, how anal are you and do you ever wish you weren't quite so bad?

I'm currently putting an '86 Raleigh Sirroco together and have already had to face some deeply disturbing issues. For a start, there was very light pitting in a couple of places on the top tube when I stripped it back before sending it off to be blasted properly and repainted. I wrongly assumed that the new paint would cover and fill this completely. Because if, at a certain angle - and under a certain light, you look very, very, closely at the top tube you can still see a very light indentation about the size of a shallow dimple on an ant. Imagine my horror.

What's the most pathetically anal bike related thing you've fretted over?

I think I need to get a life :S

I'm less bothered about hardware - the things that really bug me are other people, like when I see someone out cycling with a really badly adjusted saddle height, I just want to stop them and sort it out. Maybe I should set up a roadside saddle heigh clinic. Or maybe I should just go live in a clinic...

I think I am possibly the least anal person there is. Very oral though, I can't stop consuming things. I am sure Freud would have much to say about it

My life-long battle at getting the stem absolutely straight.

Sorry I thought this was about something else... as you were.

Robin Mather gave menhis rule of thumb.

It will never be perfect but once you can no longer tell which way to adjust the offending item it should do.

Robin Mather gave menhis rule of thumb.
euph?

I don't care.

My bike is fucked. Everything is loose and rattles. Ive had a busted spoke for a week. Nothing is getting done until at least one more goes.

bad balki!

My bar tape never looks right.

My bikes are all tuned to emit various noises at a range of frequencies to disturb, harass, warn, annoy and harrang various forms of life found on the streets today.

I'm already perfect, my bikes would never live up to expectations.

before my bike ever made it onto a road my flatmate managed to graze the side of my nice new Flite against a brick wall... grrr.. kept me awake at night for weeks

I hate corrosion. Rust forming in and on allen bolts, brake mountings, straddle cables, headset parts, spokes and nipples. Aluminium oxidation too. If it cannot be made good, it has to be replaced. And kept good with the careful application of lubes and potions. Corrosion is the sign of the carelessness and a lack of concern for the future. It has no place on a machine.

I will not retire to the seaside.

For this competition, I nominate AFDS. He will win it for sure.

Hang on, this is a competition right?

tried it once didn't like it.

I'm less bothered about hardware - the things that really bug me are other people, like when I see someone out cycling with a really badly adjusted saddle height, I just want to stop them and sort it out. Maybe I should set up a roadside saddle heigh clinic. Or maybe I should just go live in a clinic...

This ^^

Grrrrr.

My life-long battle at getting the stem absolutely straight.

Put a broomstick through the front wheel and push it back against the forks, then look down over your bars, line them up with the broomstick and tighten...simples.

my bike's fucked and i hate that it is fucked...but my laziness edges out my anal nature. just.

my bike's fucked and i hate that it is fucked...but my laziness edges out my anal nature. just.

anal edge fucking of a bike

awesome

My life-long battle at getting the stem absolutely straight.

installing brake hoods, squinting to see if they are both at the same position on the bars. there's a few hours there.

I hate corrosion. Rust forming in and on allen bolts, brake mountings, straddle cables, headset parts, straddle wires, spokes and nipples. Aluminium oxidation too. If it cannot be made good, it has to be replaced. And kept good with the careful application of lubes and potions. Corrosion is the sign of the carelessness and a lack of concern for the future. It has no place on a machine.

I will not retire to the seaside.

The horror!

:(

It's the thought of corrosion mutliplying like living cells dieing that makes me wake in a cold sweat...

I thought it was Hippy mooing, now he says it's the bike.

installing brake hoods, squinting to see if they are both at the same position on the bars. there's a few hours there.

It's easier if you take the bars off and put them on the table.

My front wheel is slightly dished left, my handlebars aren't straight, my left crank squeeks, my chain makes a grinding noise, my brake cable is adjusted wrong, my saddle is slightly to the left, I'm sure there's more. Basically I just gave up caring as long as my handle bar angle, saddle angle are good and my tyres are pumped up.

I hate dust on the rims....