What did you do with your bike(s) today?

[P!N20]

Bugger. Which bike?

Kona Paddywagon. No classic or vintage bikes were harmed.

[CmdrBiggles]

Always exciting to get out of the city and back home to tinker with a bike, any bike (everybody is safe if it is my own treadlie! )

Replaced the 4mm SS roundhead hex bolt with a K-Edge Big Thumb screw for the KNOG 900 BLINDER light bracket, integral to the underside of the GIANT OEM out-front bracket. This changeover allows small angle adjustments of the light on the fly, instead of stopping to fetch a hex key and use that to tweak the bolt, and then the light angle. A tiny little bolt with a thumb-screw costs $16.00? Oh well, it fits and it works, so sorted and happy.

[Andy01]

Replaced the 4mm SS roundhead hex bolt with a K-Edge Big Thumb screw for the KNOG 900 BLINDER light bracket, integral to the underside of the GIANT OEM out-front bracket. This changeover allows small angle adjustments of the light on the fly, instead of stopping to fetch a hex key and use that to tweak the bolt, and then the light angle. A tiny little bolt with a thumb-screw costs $16.00? Oh well, it fits and it works, so sorted and happy.

Is this the kind of thing you are referring to ?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004 ... 1802uSCnHL - cheap but the shipping kills it unless you are ordering other things like I did.

[CmdrBiggles]

Replaced the 4mm SS roundhead hex bolt with a K-Edge Big Thumb screw for the KNOG 900 BLINDER light bracket, integral to the underside of the GIANT OEM out-front bracket. This changeover allows small angle adjustments of the light on the fly, instead of stopping to fetch a hex key and use that to tweak the bolt, and then the light angle. A tiny little bolt with a thumb-screw costs $16.00? Oh well, it fits and it works, so sorted and happy.

Is this the kind of thing you are referring to ?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004 ... 1802uSCnHL - cheap but the shipping kills it unless you are ordering other things like I did.

Kind of...

https://ccache.cc/products/k-edge-go-bi ... s=e&_v=1.0

[Andy01]

Oh wow. That is just the standard GoPro type screw - they are usually as cheap as chips ($2-$4 maybe). $16 is a bit OTT.

I bought the type I linked for mounting my Osmo Action front camera because I found it a bit difficult to tighten the type you bought enough to stop it moving when I hit a decent bump (like dropping off a curb).

[CmdrBiggles]

Oh wow. That is just the standard GoPro type screw - they are usually as cheap as chips ($2-$4 maybe). $16 is a bit OTT.

I bought the type I linked for mounting my Osmo Action front camera because I found it a bit difficult to tighten the type you bought enough to stop it moving when I hit a decent bump (like dropping off a curb).

Agree it is pricey (as with a lot of stuff coming from the USA vs China...), so I put it on my lunch account, along with the tiddly oggie!

I had 1 hour to get from Fairfield into Collins Street then CCACHE, finding the thingy by accident, and wanted it "today", not in 20+ days as with AliExpress, of which experience last year had me thinking it is an entirely forgettable option.

[Andy01]

Yeah, AliExpress is generally not great (I VERY rarely buy there, but that "special" wingnut I linked above wasn't available on eBay), but Amazon & eBay sell the the standard GoPro-type screws as well - eBay starts at about $5 posted (from Australia).

[Retrobyte]

Replaced the 4mm SS roundhead hex bolt with a K-Edge Big Thumb screw for the KNOG 900 BLINDER light bracket, integral to the underside of the GIANT OEM out-front bracket. This changeover allows small angle adjustments of the light on the fly, instead of stopping to fetch a hex key and use that to tweak the bolt, and then the light angle. A tiny little bolt with a thumb-screw costs $16.00? Oh well, it fits and it works, so sorted and happy.

Is this the kind of thing you are referring to ?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004 ... 1802uSCnHL - cheap but the shipping kills it unless you are ordering other things like I did.

Kind of...

https://ccache.cc/products/k-edge-go-bi ... s=e&_v=1.0

Starting at a few bucks, with free shipping, next day delivery ....

https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=gopro+scr ... Rd75kigtVI

[CmdrBiggles]

Yeah, AliExpress is generally not great (I VERY rarely buy there, but that "special" wingnut I linked above wasn't available on eBay), but Amazon & eBay sell the the standard GoPro-type screws as well - eBay starts at about $5 posted (from Australia).

Not keen on Amazon. An order I placed hoping for a timely delivery of a LowePro tactical pocket in October took all of 5 weeks to get to me, despite being shown as in stock/dispatches immediately! Drrrrft.

Tonight, visited eBay and found a plethora of listings most commonly for a trio of thumb-screws of unknown providence (not GoPro OEMs?); For the K-EDGE thumbscrew I have, a longer (+4mm) M5 stainless steel hex-head bolt was needed, an easy-pick from Nuts&Bolts on the way home yesterday so there was adequate 'bite' on the anti-vibration nut on account of the thicker material of the GIANT OEM out-front bracket.

Lately I've got a few tawriffic trinkets for the tricked-up treadlie from Bespoke Velo in Nunawading, the retail arm of undeniably exotic Melbourne-based parts outfit (being Prototipo Works); I bought two presta valve caps this afternoon (!); four bidon cage bolts (in champagne colour...) were an earlier purchase in late-February. I may run past them the suggestion of looking at making up anodised thumbscrews of the Go-Protype, repleat with nice little details. And probably at a price, too...

[familyguy]

Bent the fork. Got left hooked on Albert St; driver turning in to a driveway at the end of a construction gantry. Went straight into the passenger side door. Hopefully it's repairable.

No damage to personal soft tissues??

[P!N20]

No damage to personal soft tissues??

Apart from some minor grazes on my left hand, injury free.

[familyguy]

No damage to personal soft tissues??

Apart from some minor grazes on my left hand, injury free.

2nd best result.


Decided to check all my chains for length. I can't honestly recall having measured one quite this long before.



9 speed Shimano. Gotta be 1.25 length

[warthog1]

Bent the fork. Got left hooked on Albert St; driver turning in to a driveway at the end of a construction gantry. Went straight into the passenger side door. Hopefully it's repairable.

No damage to personal soft tissues??

Stoved in the passenger door hopefully?

At least that way there would be at least some consequence for the driver.

[foo on patrol]

No damage to personal soft tissues??

Apart from some minor grazes on my left hand, injury free.

Very lucky, sort of.

Foo

[foo on patrol]

Pulled the cranks off my Wheeler, turns out it has a ceramic bearing BB.

Foo

[foo on patrol]

[Andy01]

I swapped my KMC X10 chain for a new one today. I normally run 3 chains and cycle them through - about 1,100-1,300km each cycle, so as to minimise cassette wear - and then repeat with at least a second set of cycles.

My first 3 KMC X10 chains (the Giant OEM fit one & 2 others) all did around 2,000km (on their second "cycle" through) before I noted that the first (0.5%) pin on my Birzman wear gauge drops in on ALL links (inner & outer). I have been using R&R Gold for years (normally lube every 200-250km / 3 weeks), so no change there.

The one I took off was on it's first cycle and was already dropping the first 0.5% pin in on every link after about 900km, which seemed unusual. My riding is very consistent as I generally ride the same route daily and seldom ride in the rain, although I do ride through a couple of gravel tracks that often have water flowing over them for a short stretch.

Firstly I am puzzled as to why this X10 chain seems to be wearing at around twice the rate of the first three X10 chains I used on the same bike. I would be interested in people's thoughts.

Secondly, I noted yesterday that the chain I took off, when hanging side by side with the unused X10 chain, measured 3.5mm longer over a chain length of 1470mm, which is 0.238% longer - and yet the 0.5% wear pin on my gauge drops in easily on EVERY link I tried. I understand that the wear gauge is more of an indicative measure rather than a precision measurement, but this seems like a big difference. Any comments / thoughts ?

One thing that was different - the first X10 came fitted to the Giant, the 2nd & 3rd were bought in their retail plastic boxes, and the most recent 3 chains were bought off a seemingly reputable eBay seller (100% feedback score), but arrive in plastic ziplock bags (not the retail packaging), complete with quick links - when I queried the packaging he said that they were from a bulk lot of 100 chains - they look identical and feel greasy like the original lube.

[foo on patrol]

Had a crack at removing the outter cups today. Not a friggin chance. Put new gear cables on, cleaned the chain rings, front and rear changers but it looks like I'm up for a new BB because apparently they no longer make the bits for the Rotor BB, so I'll get a new one, providing that I can get the cups off and put high end bearing in it.

Foo

[elantra]

………….
Firstly I am puzzled as to why this X10 chain seems to be wearing at around twice the rate of the first three X10 chains I used on the same bike. I would be interested in people's thoughts.

Secondly, I noted yesterday that the chain I took off, when hanging side by side with the unused X10 chain, measured 3.5mm longer over a chain length of 1470mm, which is 0.238% longer - and yet the 0.5% wear pin on my gauge drops in easily on EVERY link I tried. I understand that the wear gauge is more of an indicative measure rather than a precision measurement, but this seems like a big difference. Any comments / thoughts ?

One thing that was different - the first X10 came fitted to the Giant, the 2nd & 3rd were bought in their retail plastic boxes, and the most recent 3 chains were bought off a seemingly reputable eBay seller (100% feedback score), but arrive in plastic ziplock bags (not the retail packaging), complete with quick links - when I queried the packaging he said that they were from a bulk lot of 100 chains - they look identical and feel greasy like the original lube.

I had a similar experience recently, but it was not a KMC chain.

Went into a retail outlet and asked for a 9-speed chain. Not a big brand affiliated retail outlet.
And I was offered a brand that I had never heard of before - (VGSports).
Was cheaper price than I usually pay for Shimano chain

A month later I noticed that the transmission was getting noisy.
A months riding for me is usually about 700 km.

So a quick check with the chain checker and the 0.75 marker fell easily into the chain between the links !

I was a bit surprised and removed this chain. I certainly won’t be buying that brand again !!!

[Andy01]

………….
Firstly I am puzzled as to why this X10 chain seems to be wearing at around twice the rate of the first three X10 chains I used on the same bike. I would be interested in people's thoughts.

Secondly, I noted yesterday that the chain I took off, when hanging side by side with the unused X10 chain, measured 3.5mm longer over a chain length of 1470mm, which is 0.238% longer - and yet the 0.5% wear pin on my gauge drops in easily on EVERY link I tried. I understand that the wear gauge is more of an indicative measure rather than a precision measurement, but this seems like a big difference. Any comments / thoughts ?

One thing that was different - the first X10 came fitted to the Giant, the 2nd & 3rd were bought in their retail plastic boxes, and the most recent 3 chains were bought off a seemingly reputable eBay seller (100% feedback score), but arrive in plastic ziplock bags (not the retail packaging), complete with quick links - when I queried the packaging he said that they were from a bulk lot of 100 chains - they look identical and feel greasy like the original lube.

I had a similar experience recently, but it was not a KMC chain.

Went into a retail outlet and asked for a 9-speed chain. Not a big brand affiliated retail outlet.
And I was offered a brand that I had never heard of before - (VGSports).
Was cheaper price than I usually pay for Shimano chain

A month later I noticed that the transmission was getting noisy.
A months riding for me is usually about 700 km.

So a quick check with the chain checker and the 0.75 marker fell easily into the chain between the links !

I was a bit surprised and removed this chain. I certainly won’t be buying that brand again !!!

I could have understood better if this latest chain had been a different (and especially "no-name-brand) chain, but it appears to be identical in every respect, right down to the supplied quick link. All of them look exactly the same as the ones in the KMC X10 plastic boxes.

My immediate thought was that the seller was pulling some dodgy and selling cleaned & lubed second hand chains and selling them as new chains, but it seems unlikely because the seller has good feedback, and who would have a supply of fairly lightly worn chains, and then be bothered to clean them up and lube them to make them look "as-new" ?

I will be interested to see how this second chain from the same seller (I bought 3) goes.

[find_bruce]

One possibility is that they're knock-offs - even cheaper if they don't have to copy the packaging. It's not just Rolex etc these days & it's a real problem in the aircraft industry

[foo on patrol]

Finally got the BB cups off = two blokes, a 600mm breaker bar, and a vice on a 250Kg metal bench.

Foo

[bychosis]

Took a link out of the chain of the same MTB that's been causing trouble. It's a bit short now, but will do and hopefully won't cause further issues.

Went to adjust the front bearing cups thinking they were loose because the front wheel was knocking a bit. Nope, bearing was a bit tight and it was the suntour forks that are knocking.

[familyguy]

Went to charge and bleed the R7020 hydros yesterday. Then realised that Shimano have changed the port size, thereby creating the need for an adapter, which I don't have, to get the previous 'standard' sized funnel thread onto the newer shifter bodies...

[g-boaf]

Does Shimano make and sell the adaptor? Preferably not available from overseas, only through local distributors?

I didn't do anything with my bike today - feeling off today so worked off site. It needs a clean from the Sunday ride but can wait.

I probably need to change the tyres, the ones on it are starting to look flat across the top.