Threaded's Eclectic Blog

So here it is ready for it's first test ride.


Looks great.


Hmm, deserve a beer for that.

Labels: building a bicycle, cycling

Ah ha! I've missed out a seat. Borrowed one from another bike for now.


Looks the business.

Labels: building a bicycle, cycling

Dug out a couple of XTR pedals. These came with one of my race bikes, but MTB racing in Denmark can be very muddy and as some off-days I fall over quite a lot, such a pedal design can fill with muck such that they become unusable. Hence they were swapped for something 'better'. So they're available and I shall use them on this bike for now, until I get fed up with them again.


Little felt washers to protect the medal / resin interface on the cranks.


A big Allan key to screw it home. Pairs of pedals come in Right-hand-side and Left-hand-side pairs, with opposite thread directions.


And there it is. On.


Nearly ready for a ride now, but I'll check it over, over a can of beer, to make sure I've not missed anything.

Labels: building a bicycle, cycling

The end stops at the back here were spot on too. Just cut off the excess wire and crimped the end closed. Wound the gears back and forth a few times whilst fine tuning on the trigger shifter.


So easy it is probably not worthy of a beer, but I'll have one anyway.

Labels: building a bicycle, cycling

Now the chain is on the fine tuning of the front dérailleur can be completed. It normally only needs a little tweak to set these end stops. Here I didn't need to do anything as it was right on the ball.


Just spun the cog and checked the gears changed OK.

As it is otherwise another step completed it is a good enough excuse to have a beer though.

Labels: building a bicycle, cycling

Here's a seat post clamp. I don't like quick-release seat-post clamps as they're only helpful to thieves who want to steal your seat.


De-bagged! There is a little lip on the inside so it will only go on the seat tube one way up.


A little anti-stick paste wiped on the inside and on the seat-tube it goes.


But now realise I have no seat. Hmm. Have to think about what to do here. Shall have a beer.

Labels: building a bicycle, cycling

A nice SRAM 9 speed chain - PC981


Just lay it across the front, remembering to feed it through the front dérailleur.


Lay it across the back and feed it through the rear dérailleur.


The magic link. I like magic links as I like to take my chain off quite often and clean it in a wax bath.


The chain is not seated right as the dérailleur needs a little fine adjustment.


And there we have it.


Another beer is called for now.

Labels: building a bicycle, cycling

Here's a couple of spare inner tubes that have been laying about for longer than I care to remember. They were part of prizes at races ages ago, and I can't remember why they've not been used.


And a couple of spiked tires will be perfect for riding on the ice.


Oh dear, now I know why the first tube hasn't been used, and hence languishing at the back of the shelf for so long. The valve is some wierdness for a very deep rim and doesn't have a thread for a nut to hold it in place. Oops, that's not good.


Oh dear, now I know why the second tube hasn't been used, and hence languishing at the back of the shelf for so long. It's a schrader valve, and hence way too big for the hole in the rims of any wheels I have.


Right, now I know why they were prizes, they were boobie prizes! I do hope the thought of my reaction on opening the boxes made them happy. So those two tubes have gone to the charity shop, no doubt to entertain someone else in the near future. I've no use for them. Now well, I'll just have to go and get a pair of tubes from the stock I keep for my racing bikes. These Bontrager are sweet tubes. I forget who actually manufactures them.


A little air in them to make sure they fit, and don't already have a puncture. The valve stem looks a little short, but it's just because the tube is sat above the rim. I hope.


Fit the tires.


Pump them up a little harder than what I use for racing.


See the valve comes through now.


And onto the bike go the wheels.


Looks even more like a bicyce now.


Time for a beer.

Labels: building a bicycle, cycling