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• #27
Tiny bolts or waxed in ball bearing work, but they're annoying to say the least, a right pain when you want to make adjustments or clean the bike etc. I like to think of it as rather than how much is you bike worth, how much are the individual components worth to you, I have a Nitto craft stem, its the crowning piece on my bike, and expensive too, I'll happily pay, and have done already, £50 in order to protect it from some dick with a allen key from easily nicking it. And like Joe said it means I can leave it without worrying about the stem etc. getting nicked.
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• #28
Just got my set through in the post today, and they are stunning
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• #29
Those look really well machined.
I wonder how they're doing it. Producing so many unique parts.
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• #30
No spare keys?
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• #31
I know, it really is precision stuff, you get the one key size for each component, you can order more, but it costs, so one'll do me for now. They took about 2 weeks from me placing the order to arrive, but they kept in touch the whole way, i guess its these lead times that lets them make so many, I ordered some crank bolts for my sugino 75's but I was told that they where looking on improving the washer design, so it would take a while longer, so they went as far as machining one off washes for me to use in the mean time, the definition of quality service, ill post a few picks when they're all installed
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• #32
Safe as houses
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• #33
sweet! What do you think of the key?
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• #34
The key is a perfect fit and a breeze to align with the complicated design pattern, but it needs a torque wrench to tighten, and not having one to hand I just used a spanner, which worked just fine, they should be good mind you at £30 a pop
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• #35
I thought it'd be one size key for every component! I guess that was a silly assumption though considering the variety of bolt sizes on a bike. Kind of loses its appeal slightly for me all the same.
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• #36
Is that a Bianchi Pista?
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• #37
Only 2 keys and that's a lot better than 5 Allen keys. and no, not a pista, a completely hauled over steel Langster, only the frame is left :)
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• #38
Full picture? I never seen anyone spend so much on a Langster.
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• #39
Not a particularly artistic photo, but I'm pleased to say that all my parts have remained mine after leaving it locked up around london in the past week
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• #40
It keeps posting upside down...
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• #41
The bolts that are recessed are fine, and the quality of the machining looks fine, looks like they have used very high quality bolts too, bonus.
The price is understandable, the materials could cost £5 max, but the time/effort/machine time stacks up VERY quickly, even if they could do batchs of things (they probably have a decent computer programmable CNC that whacks off 50 bolts at a time in a tray (different cut for each)) it still is a lot of time.Only thing I don't like is the external bolts, like the wheel nuts/QR's etc, do the shells of them freely rotate to avoid mole grip attack or am I missing something?
EDIT. bothered to read their blurb, and yup, QR's and solid nuts rotate to resist mole grip attack.Love how there is even one for a chainring bolt, I've seen people nick random things, but a used chainring? thats pure desperation there.
I think if I was to bring a £1k+ bike into london, bare minimum it would be wearing would be a decent chain/fahg + A22 QR's, and some ball bearing bolt heads.
Good idea on the threading a smaller bolt into each allen head, certainly for 4,5,6mm bolts its easily possible in an evening to do all of them. OR how about inserting a m4,5,6 nut into each with some glue? easy enough to get out with the right threaded bolt, but a tealeaf would not be bothering. issue I see there is they just trash the bike instead of nicking it :/ -
• #42
It keeps posting upside down...
Nice and securely locked to a wooden fence panel which is probably only nailed in place! I hope you lock it more securely normally!
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• #43
Nice and securely locked to a wooden fence panel which is probably only nailed in place! I hope you lock it more securely normally!
Ha that appears to be the flaw in my safety concerned plan, but yes, it is normally much more securely rooted to a bike rack
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• #44
Still wondering about some things... how do you undo one of these bolts on the road, fixing a flat - if I'm not carrying a bloody torque wrench?! And how do the track nuts work, how do I get my chain to the right tension, then reach around either side of the wheel with two more hands, one to hold the titanium travel torque wrench I've just invented, and the other to get the little key thing to stay in the nut?
I think I can see the other stuff working nicely. Mudguards are still my favourite Jedi mind trick, only £30 a pair.
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• #45
don't think you have to have a torque wrench, just something that can drive the tool, guess its 1/4" socket drive or some such?
some multi tools have a 1/4" drive + 3 sockets on them, could just pop out the sockets and replace with the tool -
• #46
I use Pitlock at the moment and just carry a single allen key and the key bolt. The size of the whole in the lock bolt is large enough for the allen key to be inserted and used as the lever for the key bolt.
I'll go out on a limb and suggest that the Atomic 22 key bolts can be used in a similar way.
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• #47
Oh ok, so a light lever in the form of an allen or spanner, plus key. Still, I don't fancy holding two tools together in one hand, reaching round either side of the wheel to tighten, whilst pulling on the wheel with the other. I guess tensioners would be necessary, I don't like the look of them.
Still, the post, seat, stem and headset stuff is ace. Just cant see the wheelnuts working for a fixed rear. Like VB said earler^^^, only front nuts, plus dlock for rear, would work nicely.
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• #48
I don't even own a torque wrench, and I coped just fine all I have is the right sized double ended spanner. The actual key stays inserted in the bolt with out much effort, I only had to apply a little force to keep it in when inserting my seat post clamps (which are upside down). If I was going to take it out on the road a lot, which I don't because I haven't got them for my wheels yet, I might get another key, one in the house on in my bike bag, and thats just as easy as carrying around a set of Allen keys.
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• #49
Oh ok, so a light lever in the form of an allen or spanner, plus key. Still, I don't fancy holding two tools together in one hand.
Do you carry keys? that's where I usually keep my pitlock bolt.
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• #50
The atomic22 keys you mean?
cheaper way is via tiny bolts that sit inside the std allen bolt head + Pitlock for headset, seat post, front wheel and post.
Again use tiny bolts glued into saddle bolt heads.