Mechanics and Fixing Any Questions Answered

If you phone them up you can collect and it is a short ride from loughton station.

It is near a mint too.

I’m replacing the brake cables and outers on my Pompino, running TRP single speed drop bar levers and v brakes. I’ve done the rear and the brake is now a bit sluggish to return to position. The v brake arms themselves feel nice and smooth/springy when no cable is attached. I cleaned the noodle/sleeve, should I have lubed with something? Happy to hear any other suggestions on what I might’ve got wrong!

Pop the outers out of the stops and move them along the cable, if one of the pieces feels rough then it likely wasn't cut too well, pull the ferrules off said piece and trim the ends to avoid any squished bits of casing hitting the cable, an awl or similar to open the ends can help. If it's not that check the levers move freely.

Thanks for this, I’ll give these tips a go 👍

Also check cable length or routing.

Roger that, thanks. Funnily enough seems better having left it alone overnight, cables stretching/things settling down I guess.

Cables don't stretch in a meaningful way with the force you can pull them, ferrules get compressed onto the outer fully.

if one of the pieces feels rough then it likely wasn't cut too well

Bingo! Was totally this. Much better after re trimming. Thanks again

Avid Juicy, why do the Clarks & BTwin pads not fit? What brands (if any) do?

Avid Juicy

Retro AF, they always had close fitting pads that would only go in from a particular angle, but I'd take a file to whatever you've got before buying more.

2009 is retro? Times have changed. Which bit am I filing? I'm cool with the angle but the Clarks ones just don't go at all.

Not quite, but all my old bikes had Juicy's so I spent way too much time fucking with them and I've not seen many that aren't way past their best for the last 10 years or so. I remember filing down the side of the backing plate on some so I guess there, but you've got them in hand so whichever bit looks like it won't squeeze in. Also, hi from the other morning.

I rode 180km on Saturday from Cornwall to Exeter. The lanes were foul (lots of sections underwater and lots of debris on the roads), my garmin sent me off road for a bit, and by the time I’d gotten to Exeter I’d ended up doing almost 4000m of climbing which is not wild - it’s what I normally average each week. I’d fitted a new Force flattop chain 40km before the ride and prior to that the whole Force AXS drivetrain had only done 1224km as it’s a relatively new build.

I measured the new chain yesterday after giving the bike a proper clean and it’s almost showing at 0.8 already on my SRAM chain checker. 0.8 is when sram recommend changing 12 speed flattop chains. It seems wild to have only gotten 220km out of a chain before needing to replace it again… any theories out there?

Unless you measured the chain out the box and it was measuring as significantly less worn than it is now then maybe don’t worry too much?

Chain checkers are in general considered to be pretty inaccurate right? There’s more accurate ways to measure like measuring the distance between X number of pins or something so maybe try that?

AS MV says, your reference tool is likely borked.

The more chain links you can measure the better your accuracy is going to be. Measuring 100 links = way better than measuring just 6 that normal tools work on.

I rate the Unior pro chain checker, heavy little lump of metal with a rotating offset pin, so long as never dropped super accurate (for only measuring like 6 links...).

@BrickMan and @M_V Thanks both. I’m using the specific SRAM tool and exact methodology as shown in SRAM’s own video
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3700KNVFR_4&pp=ygUPU3JhbSBjaGFpbiB3ZWFy

The inaccuracy of this type of checker is well documented.

My own experience is that I’ve measured brand new chains with this static type and with the Park one and had them show as worn to the point of needing replaced.

That’s why I think that unless you measured the chain when it was new and have that measurement to compare against, measuring now is largely worthless.

Does anyone have insight into the performance of Shimano R650 calipers with modern STI shifters? Trying to sort the performance of a bike with a Sora ST-R3000 and Tektro M539 combo which is shite downhill or in the wet.

R650s seem well regarded but Shimano cautions against reduced performance with newer STI levers because of differing brake pull. Anyone know how it is, or if maybe Tektro R757s might be better for this case?

not seen many that aren't way past their best for the last 10 years or so.

These will match that, lolz.

I remember filing down the side of the backing plate on some so I guess there, but you've got them in hand so whichever bit looks like it won't squeeze in.

Understood ta.

Also, hi from the other morning.

Yeah, hi, I nearly missed you as the guy infront looked like a guy from the track so I was trying to work out if it was. Hope you rolled through the new 4-Banks cycleway bit whilst over this way?

Tektro M539

You need deep drop? Check out dia compe's higher tier offerings, they have a look up table on their website for which caliper requires which lever pull.

If its regular drop, just whack on some 105 7000 or ult 8000 or newer style calipers, massive improvement over older ones and don't cost that much. Fitted dozens to older style claris/sora/tiagra levers from upto 20 years old and work well. Stock shimano 55C2 or C4 pads are a bit hard for UK weather unless its summer only. Fit swissstop green or koolstop salmon and your laughing. Also don't scrimp on cables, Shimano BC9000 is a very supple and anti compression brake outer that works excellent with road caliper brakes, just don't put it on mech discs. Elvedes and a bunch of other companies do inexpensive compression-less outer with a teflon liner for only a few quid a meter. Steer clear of jagwires cheap ones, their high tier stuff is good, but low and mid is pretty pap TBH.

Yeah, hi, I nearly missed you as the guy infront looked like a guy from the track so I was trying to work out if it was. Hope you rolled through the new 4-Banks cycleway bit whilst over this way?

I've not been through 4 banks yet, usually go through unicorn car park to hit the floop but that was blocked at the time, although navigable yesterday afternoon.

How would I identify theadless forks without any serial number or makers marks.

Lack of threads is a dead give away.

Really, that had not even entered my mind.

Was looking for a way to identify the fork as I thing that the forks are standard ones that came with certain bike. Trying to see which.

No secret solution, just physically comparing each element of the fork with the one you think it is. If it’s brazed there’s sometimes decorative elements to distinguish a fork, same with dropouts.

If you have the measurements, you can compare rake, weight, etc., assuming it’s uncut.