Show us what you did today, thread

[Piotr]

I understand your concerns.
There is no need for this, the threads are properly secured if the bike is used under normal conditions
For extreme conditions and hard rides, I often use brass nipples
if the spoke length is selected correctly, they do not negatively load the nipples
I have been making wheels professionally for over 12 years as you can see on the blog.......

 

[ajm]

Was determined to get out on the bike today regardless of the weather forecast... it was certainly quite gloomy out and breezy but had stopped raining by the time I was ready. Ended up riding past the junction I had planned to turn off at, then randomly decided to head down a track I had driven down once or twice in my old IIA 25 years ago. Said track had changed quite a bit and somehow I found myself heading in a different direction than I thought it was going to take me... no matter, I had plenty of time for once and knew approximately where I was headed.

At another "junction" I opted for the less-travelled looking branch and was enjoying the ride when suddenly forward progress ceased. Slightly confused, I looked down and noticed half my chain appeared to be missing... oops. Time to have a rummage in the (new last year, much smaller than previous one) saddle bag and see if there was anything more than tyre levers in it. First thing that came to hand was my trusty old Nexus chain tool, what a relief! Until, that is, I realised that the hardened pin was somehow missing, rendering the whole thing totally useless. Hum. What now? I briefly pondered just walking on to see where the track ended up, but I'm not a fan of walking... it just takes so long to get anywhere and the "puddles" in the track were all at least 6" deep - fun on a bike, not much fun on foot, particularly wearing shoes with bolt holes in the soles...

Without any better ideas, I rummaged further in the saddlebag and to my amazement (not to mention relief) I found a compact chain tool I don't remember owning... the kind that requires a biggish Allen key to turn it. Happily my 30 year old Cannondale-branded multi-tool even had the correct size key on it. Suddenly feeling almost optimistic, I turned back to the bike to ponder the whereabouts of most of my chain - this turned out to be more comprehensively wrapped around the chainset than I would have thought possible - the links were forced so tightly past each other it looked like some kind of Christmas cracker puzzle or M.C. Escher drawing! With sufficient force and probably removing several grams of aluminium from the right hand chainstay in the process, I was able to undo the puzzle and return the chain to its former path (if somewhat shorter than before.)

The ride home was into the wind and spinning rather gingerly in comparison to my normal riding style but it was somehow satisfying to have been able to effect a repair when it looked as though I might have had to walk home for the first time ever. The whole episode was entirely my own fault - the same chain had snapped on me about two years previously which was also probably the last time I had cleaned the bike... (I really, really hate cleaning bikes) - upon checking the toolbox later I found I had even bought a replacement chain and cassette, just not got round to fitting them. I cleaned the bike in the afternoon (at least, you can now see that there are no teeth on the jockey wheels and the front derailleur is actually made up of multiple components and isn't a single lump)... who knows, I might even get round to replacing the chain/cassette/jockey wheels/middle chainring in the holidays...

Anyway, it was great to get out and off the tarmac again, and the rain kindly held off until I was just home.

Grey but fresh...


















































Something's not quite right...

 

[Piotr]

I took this bike in for full service today.
The bike belongs to a friend and was last serviced by me over 10 years ago

 

[Piotr]

Today I repaired the Fligh Deck and the XT shifters for it





after cleaning the levers and changing the battery, it works properly

 

[Jamiedyer]

Well, not today but last Saturday (7th) was Global fatbike day.
Pretty poor weather all day but managed to get down to Brians and we headed out to Strathpeffer for a ride for a few hours before hitting the cafe at the old station and getting warmed and dried while eating soup, cakes and drinking coffee.
Fairly sedate riding an some pathways and some single track, before heading back to Brians to sort some wheel builds for a couple of projects I have on the go. Both of us were on our ever reliable Pugsleys. Mine was fitted with some new bars just to change things up, some Simworks Nick bars, first real test other than down to the beach at home. They are really comfortable and fall to hand nicely. After being on Geoff bars and Titec Jones bars for so long I was surprised how quickly I adapted and how natural they felt. They are very similar in bend to the 1X1 Torsion bars I ran on it a few years ago, 2016 I think from the Puffer onwards, though these are a good bit wider. I had the perfect stem as well, the old polished Race Face that was still sitting on the Torsion bars in the loft. A purchase from Kaiser, if I remember rightly.
A very wet day as it was raining when I left home and headed south and I don't think it stopped much all day before I drove home in the rain. The ride was just a bit of drizzle so quite lucky on that front. We managed to miss the heavy bits.
Great to ride with Brian as usual and on the Pugs. Couldn't be anything but a good day.

Jamie

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

 

[Piotr]

Today I finished making wheels for Kamikaze from used parts

 

[SantasLoneCruzer]

Finished a 3D printed garmin mount for the down tube of my Santa Cruz 5010.

 

[Piotr]

Finished a 3D printed garmin mount for the down tube of my Santa Cruz 5010.

Fantastic !

 

[Scott-S]

Brian, Caleb and I braved the wind and the rain on Saturday to head out to Aultbea for a ride to the Arctic Convoy Museum for Calebs Wester Ross shakedown ride.
A suitable homecoming as we were also visiting the Arctic Convoy museum where, in the same building, Calebs Wester Ross was built back in 1982. Fitting as well as we had planned to visit the museum a long while back as his great grandfather took part in many of the convoys on two different ships.
We headed down and picked up Brian very early and then headed in from the north. We had some rain as forecast but for the few hours ride and also visiting the museum we were very lucky and even had a bit of sunshine.
The Wester Ross rode superb and is such a really nice riding bike. Caleb was well pleased and more than happy to ride it back where it was built.
We had some late lunch at a local B&B and soon as we left and got just a little way north the skies opened once again.
So all in all we were lucky with the weather, managed a short but lovely ride and generally had a great day out.
Thanks to Brian for once again joining us, always great fun.

Jamie

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr

Stunning scenery, my ma was from Easter Ross, Invergordon by birth swan in the coramart firth when it was safe and then married my da in Tain before moving south and dragging me up in Glasgow.
Been back to her home more than a few times and always felt far more at peace and at home there than I have felt my entire life in this concrete shithole.
Her ashes are in the old Roskeen cemetery along with her sisters, parents and more many generations of her kin before her, its a nice place to spend a few hours even in dismal weather.

 

[Jamiedyer]

@Scott-S, you will have to come up and ride with Brian and I one weekend going round the old places. We ride these back roads all the time, and with Brian being in Dingwall, they are local roads.
Plus we know where the best coffee and cake is to be found.

Jamie