Chuck M 

Rebuilding some ubiquitous bike boom KKT self leveling pedals this morning, all was going well until I went to install the second one and the spindle was far too loose. So loose I don't know how I missed it on reassembly. But that has been the way everything has gone on this not so challenging rebuild which is supposed to be a project to get my mind off of bigger things. I've gone out to ride my age on a fresh build before with nothing more than a multi-tool to make a saddle or bar adjustment. This bike I feel like I will need a sag wagon to go for a test ride to the coffee shop.

geeteeiii

Threw some new rubber on this old thing and adjusted the gears. Derailleur hanger is pretty bent so didnt get them adjusted 100%. Also threw in some NOS brake pads so its less noisy under braking.

Mr. 66

That's a good question. I've used the alloy back edge of razor. cooking foil with water is good, could use a petroleum instead of water. Try using the edge of your finger nail, that may be just enough. Tedious if are just doing the eyelet.

All apart it's easy to polish up with 0000 steal wool and rubbing compound, either of those certainly will clean things off. Wet car wax can do good, but that on the brake tracks can get slippery, I wouldn't be liberal with it.

2wheeljonz 

After it sat for twelve years in boxes and made two cross country moves, I finally put together my Fuji Touring Series V. When I got it it was set up with flat bar cockpit. I switched to 700c wheels and I’m running 38 mm Gravel Kings and it looks like there is room for fenders if I go that route. The original Dia Compe NGC982 brakes worked well with the new wheels. Plan on using it for gravel/around town bike. Really like the ride so far.
Thanks for looking.
2wheeljonz

Dovetube

Painting a frame is a subject of dread for me. You must know enough to use a wire brush that won't scratch that it has to be sanded out. I'll grant an overcoat would look like somebody painted over leftover paint. I may never not be too sloppy in my lifetime.

Classtime 

It’s coming along.

Trakhak

Just to clarify: a difference of 4 mm in radius is precisely the difference between 700c and 27" rims. For either size, the inner radius of the rim can be all over the place, but the outer radius cannot.

Rims of a given nominal size from different manufacturers or production runs may differ from one to another by a tiny bit, because of design intentions or wear in the machinery used to produce the rim extrusion, but nothing like 2 mm, let alone 4.

JaccoW

I worked some more on the Gazelle A, this time getting the lighting system working and partially failing to get the cottered cranks off.

First the good news.

The Koets B rear light was modified using parts from the busted up one by adding a second insulated wire lead on the outside, allowing me to grind down a tiny B+M Line Small LED light and mounting it into place using kneadable goop that hardens and fixes it into place.
This process will probably get me banned from some places on the internet but personally, I really like the results:





The wiring will get cleaned up significantly when I finish the dynamo wheel you can see in the stand on the table.

I'm having a ridiculously hard time getting the cranks off however. The cotter pins were no issue at all because I have a specific tool for that but I cannot for the life of me get the drive side crank off.
Even with a 3-arm puller I felt I needed to wear eye protection and it barely moves outwards. I can sort of move it from side to side but something isn't working here.
That's something for another day because I don't think my neighbours are going to love me if I apply some percussive maintenance at 3:00 in the morning.

Nemosengineer 

More Land Shark progress (WARNING: Non-Vintage Content).

This is my first dive into tubeless tires and rims, this is also the first new off the shelf wheel set I have bought in years. The wheelset is Mavic Ksyrium SL, nice and light, but what sold me was the spokes are isolated from the inner wall of the rim, the only penetration is for the tire valve assembly, so no rim tape.
Mounting the tires (Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR) required tire lube (Schwalbe) to get the beads over the rim by hand. Getting the beads to seat required more tire lube on the bead seats (19mm wide rim), the air compressor with the regulator set at 70 psi and pushing the tire with my thumbs to find the magic spot to get a partial seal then was rewarded with three pops as the beads seated, both tires made the same three pops.
I used 32cc of Effetto Mariposa tire sealant in each tire shot in with a 50cc syringe and a 10 ga. blunt needle through the tire valve, clean and easy. The Tires were inflated to 80 psi, I spun each wheel every which way for roughly 15 minutes each. The wheels set for 24 hours and the pressure decayed to 60 psi each when checked this evening, I brought the pressure back up to 80 psi and repeated the spinning routine so we will see what the pressure is tomorrow. I suspect this is normal behavior for a first sealant fill on new everything.

Update: After two days pressure decay is only 5 psi over 24 hours (80 psi to 75 psi). In my book that's "good to go".

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

: Mike

JaccoW

Some close-ups of the light;



Internals gooped into place


Extra hole drilled and connector added


Original internals

sbrudno

I have just finished (mostly) my 1976 Motobecane Super Mirage. There is not a single bike that I have not made modification on and this one is no exception. It is now a 5x3 gearing requiring new spindle, Campy hubs, both derailleurs and seat post. All the rest of the components are Motobecane. Rides like a dream. I swapped out the road peddles for MBT ones but not so happy with them; probably will go back. The drop threads were shot so I did a DIY fix that works but looks horrible. But, I love it just the same.

Aardwolf

I was waxing the chain after 300 miles on my Holdsworth Cyclone and thought I'd try the alternative gearing.
.
Chainrings are 52/36, freewheel was New Winner ultra 6 13-15-17-19-21-28.
But I had the sprockets to try 13-32 so I changed it to New Winner ultra 6 13-15-17-19-24-32.
Then I had to add 2 links to the chain according to big/big + 2 rule (now 116 links).
.
Got a chance to try it today and I think it's perfect:.
My local test 'hill' is about 300 yards of approx 5-7%, on the Avanti I use 42/28 (lowest gear) which is exactly the same ratio as 36/24.
36/32 felt a lot like spinning out going up that 'hill' (but I tend towards mashing anyway) which I recon is a good thing.

Update (2023/11/17) I measured that hill and the steep bit is 7.55%.

non-fixie 

Playing with a frame and stuff from the parts bin to see if, and to what extent, 650B stuff will work with 700C wheels.

repechage

and I am still in the 42x17on the flats. Just spin.

Rooney 

I'm not sure there's much visual progress since my last post. Wheels have been overhauled and trued, brakes set, and (not pictured) the little rubber/silicone piece for the stem was installed. I've also been fortunate enough to discover the joy of a 26.4mm Cinelli stem paired with a 26.0mm Cinelli handlebar. So I need to get shimming, but then it's ready! Whoever the future rider is will probably want something a little more sleek than the Shimano flat/clipless pedals I had, but they'll work for a test ride.

spclark 

Same here. This summer I 'altered' my MB GR's cogs from 2x5 to 3x5 with the change to a VeloOrange cassette BB and an eBay'd Stronglight 93 52/47/36 crank set. In back I cobbled up a Suntour Perfect FW off the original hub but with a 14/18/21/26/32 cluster made up with the help of eBay and PastorBobinNH.

My local 'challenge' hill's 0.70 mile, 250' elevation. The OEM 42/28 left me gasping halfway up, the 36/32's already proved its value around the hills in town; I have yet to try it on that 'challenge' hill, it didn't get installed until the weather turned off for the season.

Supposed to be 62°F & WINDY tomorrow, may be my last chance for the year!

Nemosengineer 

Land Shark progress, I hate cabling handlebars so I'm doing it on the front end of the assembly. Trim the cabling to fit in the morning then wrap the bars.

Untitled by nemosengineer, on Flickr

: Mike

Chuck M 

Didn't wrench on anything this morning, but hung some tools up that were not organized in my toolbox. Not quite Five S, but a solid 4 anyway.

07morrison

inspiring

non-fixie 

Still trying to find a decent compromise between 1950's French cycling haute couture and my cycling inseam ...

sloar 

noglider 

@sloar, I like that. Too many Colnagos and other Italian bikes are too gaudy for my taste, but this one's really nice.

sloar 

Thanks, I threw some aero levers that I have on for now until I find some proper levers. But at least it’s rideable.

merziac

Very nice and nicely done.

sloar 

Thank you!