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Is there a list of calipers that are supposed to have washers on and how many etc? I'm never sure if some of them are just bodges, or if they're by design...

Argh, I knew the day would happen. The one tool I think we don't have and I really didn't want to buy, but does anyone have a Campagnolo Power Torque removal kit? We have Ultra Torque of course, because we aren't animals. We have the Unior kit, so it's just the adaptors needed for that ideally, out of stock at distributor.

I fixed one of these the other week at my shop. Take the front cover off the shifter (you need a tiny security Torx, post a picture of the spring. I can then describe what to do from that.

Conspiracy/wacky theory: People are a lot more used to staying inside when weather isn't perfect, post covid. If there is a hint of rain, club rides (etc) cry off.

Possible factor: Everyone's phone apps give a % chance of rain each day. Would you go for a ride on a day that says 90% chance of rain? 100%? Well, what if it was 90% chance of an hours rain at 9pm amounting to 0.5mm? People (understandably) read that as a 90% bad weather day, and stay inside.

Disclaimer: Am retailer for Tern.
I find the chonky tyres on the bikes makes it fairly easy to get up steps. Use the walk mode. If it's something you're doing regularly you can get pretty cheap and unobtrusive motorbike ramps. Depends on the stairs, of course, but with a bit of walk mode engaged I find I can get up steps OK in general.

According to Bosch training, what you don't want to do is put your battery away empty and into sub-zero conditions. If it's charged, you'll be fine in the UK in the garage for almost all but the worst days (and fine on those, tbh). If it gets to zero percent battery (they actually indicate zero at about 6%) then the battery dies and can't come back. They typically lose about 1% or less per month, but this can double or triple in really cold weather.

Pretty sure it just goes straight in, it's basically got a built in ferrule, right? If it fits, it sits

Pretty late to the reply here, but I've had various Pinarelli that are 6806 or similar non angular contact bearings in the headsets, so it's entirely possible.

Yeah, things have changed a bit since I was riding there five years ago. It seems a lot of the nice switchback stuff has gone or at least moved. I could be wrong, like! Has anyone got any good post-pandemic routes?

Also the forest is a bit shit now they've started charging everyone for parking, it was cool having a chat with all the cabbies over a cup of tea, but now the old boys don't really pop up there any more during the week.

Does anyone have any GPS taking in some good bits of twisty Singletrack? I used to know all the bits but as it's been a few years all my old haunts seem to have changed, been chopped down or grown over. Plus I've probably forgotten them, to be fair. CX bike friendly or MTB, it's all good. Happy to copy a ride you've done and won't blame you for a few mistakes and wrong turns here and there.

I don't even want to touch their brakes etc, which makes me sad on so many levels. Often it's a broken chain that's super worn out and is then going to need a freewheel on a hub that you can't get the freewheel off, for a price that they won't want to (or afford to) pay.

I simply can't do it, but I do sometimes do a front brake or a quick tweak. Ideally outside the shop and for free... Who is installing these kits? Can't we send them there?

Question: How do you pick what mech hanger to use? Do you just look at a chart and think what would work well and then try and pick something incredibly obscure to make everyone else's life really difficult down the line (it's what I'm guessing bike mfrs do) or is it predicated by the dropouts that you're using and you just go with the flow?

At my shop we are happy to fix Shimano, Bosch and will have a look at Yamaha (not a lot of experience tbh) and Mahle (now we can get spares). Bafang is easy enough. Anything else gets a very very close look before we let it through the door.

Does anyone know anywhere to send the Deliveroo riders etc with the horrible bikes? I absolutely don't want to work on them, but it seems so shitty to not at least suggest where might be able to give a go at repairing something that they rely on to scrape a living. We would at least like to be helpful, if not liable.

Cheers Phil, it's actually as much for trike cargo bikes, so having two levers would be a bit of a nightmare knowing our customers (one of whom uses it to transport a £200k Cello around London!). The bikes that come on these trikes seem terrible Bengal things, so we're trying to sort out a better solution. Hope ones would be nice for the disabled customer, but perhaps a bit overkill for someone with one hand who would probably get catapulted off the bike if they applied 8 cylinders of braking power all at once!

While we're here, have you ever seen someone use one HS33 lever paired up with two disc calipers (via a splitter) to make one handed (f&r) braking? We have a disabled customer and I'm led to believe that this is a viable solution (also for cargo trikes)

Haha, well have a look at her on Instagram, Sprocket

Right, I was slightly surprised to see that my shop hasn't been mentioned. We opened up Butternut Bikes in a pub in the middle of the pandemic and are cracking along nicely here in Crouch End. The story here sums it all up pretty well - https://bikebiz.com/its-pleasantly-chaotic-and-energetic-butternut-bikes-on-its-north-london-store/

“It’s pleasantly chaotic and energetic” :)

As for Fettle, they were saying only a few months ago that they wanted to open 90 stores. Mind, they also say that they have special super secret booking software, but it's just HubTiger, the same as we use. They are basically funded by JustPark so get free/cheap locations. Like so much in the bike industry these days, funded by venture capital.

Right, we're after a full time and probably a junior/ part time mech. Friendly bike shop who believe in paying people a decent wage, or as much as we can, anyway. Beers and stuff a decent perk, and really lovely customers too, believe it or not.

https://cycleassociation.uk/jobs/?page=1&searchterms=&job-sector=TCE&searchtype=any&searchlocation=&job=35063

Hi all,

I work for Hub Vélo, and we've got a Cinelli demo day this weekend - https://www.hub-velo.co.uk/cinelli-demo-test-ride-day-26th-may-hub-velo-london/

If you'd like to ride some steel bikes, then pop down. No charge, no obligation (we're not even allowed to sell the demo bikes anyway). And you get a free cap. We've got a couple of fixies too.

There are Nemo Tigs, Vigorelli Road, Superstars, Pistas, and some I've forgotten.

Hope this is OK to post, it's a good opportunity to go and ride a nice bike for a few hours, and frankly they're taking up half the shop so if you're out riding them, it would help me out.

Cheers,

Gav

Hi mate, FYI Hub Velo in Clapton have a Cinelli demo weekend this weekend and have a few Vigorelli Road Frames to try out - https://www.hub-velo.co.uk/cinelli-demo-test-ride-day-26th-may-hub-velo-london/

We're running this again this year (2018) if you're interested. Route will be up when it's finalised. We had about 100 people last year, so let's see how we go this year!

What time? It's like trying to decipher a code...

Is there a game today? What time?

I've purchased an old BSA bike with rather random fork and wheel sizes (I'm led to believe they are 26 1/2 inches). Is there anywhere in London I could go and have a root through some half decent (as in, if they are round, and have tyres on, that'll do) wheels and find some that fit? I don't want to pay too much, like £50 for a set, say. Any ideas much appreciated!

Thanks, will do!