Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

MTB (2014 GT Zaskar carbon 29er) hauled out for transmission degrease, dry and relube. Using MuckOff Degreaser and Morgan Blue super dry. I see that the brake shoes are going to need replacement very soon; I collected a spare pair when the brakes were last serviced in January 2021). 'Old Faithful' is sitting in the shade now drip-drying, followed by a polish-up later this afternoon with Turtle Wax super hard shell shine (what's good for the car, is good for the bike...). Wednesday is next ride (commute to and through Big Town).

Put on my first set of carbon bars. Fsa k-wing with internal cable routing. Well... I ran the front brake internally. Bit tricky, but got it done. But then the sh*t hit the fan. My scultura has internal cable routing, with outers running right through the frame,, and running the other three cables through the bars would b a huge effort. Nah.. Don't think so.

So just wrapped the other 3 lines under the bar tape.

Had a short ride on it... Seems comfy I guess. Nice flat spots for hands on the bar sides.
They're 20gms heavier than the old bontragers, but better ergo and my preferred width. 40cm are too narrow. Big ride next weekend.

I just switched my DT Swiss star ratchets to 54T and my bike now sounds like a spaceship!!

Fell off the mountain bike today. On my way home down a straight section of gravel road, probably not concentrating as much as I should have been because it was a not technical. Hit a bump I didn't see, put me off balance and down I went. Mostly just skin off my knee, and some bruising. Bike is ok, helmet initially looked ok, but on second look there is a dent and one of the mops anchor is broken. So new helmet time (it was only 6 weeks old) also probably get knee pads. Most of my riding is XC - light trail so never considered them previously.

Dry-lubed my chain! So smooth. So shiny. So me...

Cleaned down F/, R/ rotors

Recharged my front and rear Bontrager lights

A coating of Turtle Wax super hard shell shine on the frame, and a decent rub up.

...and finally discovered why the Quarq power meter on the SRAM Force spider wasn't working: the battery had a sticky label on it (packing material) that must be removed on delivery...before the power meter will be discovered and ready connect to the 'puter!
Houston, everything is now connected...

You learn something new every day eh?

Cleaned it - a few weeks of commuting and one part of my weekend ride seems to have water running across it so that section is always messy and horrible. The chain was pretty okay, 12 speed SRAM AXS chains never seem to get really dirty.

Clean now until tomorrow.

g-boaf wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 31, 2024 4:29 pm

Cleaned it - a few weeks of commuting and one part of my weekend ride seems to have water running across it so that section is always messy and horrible. The chain was pretty okay, 12 speed SRAM AXS chains never seem to get really dirty.

Clean now until tomorrow.

I have been wondering about what I see as an amazing quality of the SRAM AXS chain (is it stainless steel?). I am up to 1,612km total riding (since 4th March), and the chain -- and indeed the entire drivetrain, will not hold back it's glitter, adhering to its perennially shiny presentation, far removed from the grot and grime of the MTB's archaic DEORE XT drivetrain.

I am using Muc-Off Extra Dry lube, last applied in Bright last Sunday. Front high screw was turned in roadside after the derailleur chucked a tanty and threw the chain off the outside! Not a good look heading down hill and changing up, only to unexpectedly limp to a powerless stop. That tiny adjustment worked a treat.

MTB spoke replacement. Broken at the nipple so tubeless tyre off, slime everywhere. Rim strip off, installed. Followed by remove front tyre to install on the back because the back was almost toast, had been putting it off because tubeless. Decided to peel out some of the old slime from the front tyre which made even more mess and took ages.

Reinstalled rear tyre with a satisfying bang whe the beads set. Then to the front for a new tyre. Front tyre leaked a bit until I put more air in and got a fright about 2min later when the last of the bead popped in while waving the wheel around to spread the slime.

Nothing actually done to the bike but i took it for another 25km spin today and I found my Giro MTB shoes with the cleats on that i almost forgot i bought a few years back and these are basically still new.......they fitted nice and comfy and I rode with them all round town, remembering to clip out of them at lights and coming to a stop.....I done well and yeah they did actually help me with my riding, legs still get tired but I'm able to help the downward leg a bit by pulling up with the other and I noticed the difference.

Really enjoying this time of year with not so hot weather although i did get up to 33C in Albury by 2pm but i was back home then.

The Vivente is now over 6 years old and even though it doesn't have a lot of kms on it, it feels as though i just picked it up from the bike shop all those years ago. Not getting rid of it anytime soon. One bloke in a FB group said he just got rid of his Vivente after 10 years of riding it and I replied, you don't just get rid of a bike of that calibre, you sell it to someone who'll have their own adventures on it.

Another attempt at removing a stuck seatpost form an alloy MTB frame. Actually got it to move! I'd bolted a bit of steel bar across the saddle bolts and stuck the bar in the hitch receiver on the car. It let go with a couple of decent crawl noises. Unfortunately, not enough to remove it, but about 30mm further pit before I was a lather of sweat. To be continued.

My bike mechanical effort far less strenuous than bychosis' seat post..........

Today I added another 20ml of tubeless sealant to my C60's front Veloflex tyre as it deflates after 6 days compared to the rear which holds decent air for 10+ days. Rotated wheel out of the fork sideways / upside down/ every which way to get it into every nook and cranny. Time will tell if that does the trick..........

bychosis wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 01, 2024 9:20 pm

Another attempt at removing a stuck seatpost form an alloy MTB frame. Actually got it to move! I'd bolted a bit of steel bar across the saddle bolts and stuck the bar in the hitch receiver on the car. It let go with a couple of decent crawl noises. Unfortunately, not enough to remove it, but about 30mm further pit before I was a lather of sweat. To be continued.

Good luck... The holy grail of bike repairs Amazing what a soak of oil/wd can do?

stevenaaus wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 02, 2024 3:16 pm

bychosis wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 01, 2024 9:20 pm

Another attempt at removing a stuck seatpost form an alloy MTB frame. Actually got it to move! I'd bolted a bit of steel bar across the saddle bolts and stuck the bar in the hitch receiver on the car. It let go with a couple of decent crawl noises. Unfortunately, not enough to remove it, but about 30mm further pit before I was a lather of sweat. To be continued.

Good luck... The holy grail of bike repairs Amazing what a soak of oil/wd can do?

Sorry. Typos in there. It cracked when it let go. And was 30mm further out.

Had soaked it in penetrating WD40 for a while. Had attempted other methods of twisting or hammering in out previously.

Now I'm trying to work out where to clamp the steel bar so that I can use some rope to hold tension on the frame while I twist it. Was hard to pull firmly and twist the frame at the same time.

Drill hole in seat post, slide bar through hitch pin hole and seat post, twist and pull frame off post?

familyguy wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 02, 2024 9:58 pm

Drill hole in seat post, slide bar through hitch pin hole and seat post, twist and pull frame off post?

Years ago I bought (for a few dollars) one of those once-upon-a-time-ubiquitous 1980’s mid-range road bikes because it had some parts on it that I wanted.
Seller told me the seatpost was stuck, and I decided- rightly or wrongly- that the frame was a write-off.

One of those “older blokes” (a retired builder) across the road from my place, asked me if he could “have a go” at getting the seatpost out.
Yes of course, nothing to lose
(Except of course him getting a crook back or breaking his bench vice !)

Fortunately neither of those outcomes eventuated and he did get the seatpost out ….
The seatpost looked Ok but the steel frame was now irrevocably bent

elantra wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 03, 2024 7:46 am

familyguy wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 02, 2024 9:58 pm

Drill hole in seat post, slide bar through hitch pin hole and seat post, twist and pull frame off post?

Years ago I bought (for a few dollars) one of those once-upon-a-time-ubiquitous 1980’s mid-range road bikes because it had some parts on it that I wanted.
Seller told me the seatpost was stuck, and I decided- rightly or wrongly- that the frame was a write-off.

One of those “older blokes” (a retired builder) across the road from my place, asked me if he could “have a go” at getting the seatpost out.
Yes of course, nothing to lose
(Except of course him getting a crook back or breaking his bench vice !)

Fortunately neither of those outcomes eventuated and he did get the seatpost out ….
The seatpost looked Ok but the steel frame was now irrevocably bent

Reminds me of a similar offer I had to extract a stuck post. Frame returned with a few blade scores down the seat tube plus a seat tube expansion slot that was now about 125mm long. Oops.

familyguy wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 02, 2024 9:58 pm

Drill hole in seat post, slide bar through hitch pin hole and seat post, twist and pull frame off post?

Bar is mounted to the saddle clamp with bolts. No need to drill through the seatpost - yet. I want to apply tension to pull the seatpost the opposite direction to the frame at the same time as twisting. My vice is mounted to a bench not properly secured down so it moves when I pull on the frame with the bar in the vice. Too hard to hold my foot against the bench while pulling and twisting the frame at the same time.

Fitted the Italian Road Bike Mirror to my commuter ...




I bought two so if I find this to be useful I'll put the other on my roadie

Recabled and rehosed the Cube. Internal cabling PITA. But it's done now. Brake fluid recharge and cable adjustment one night this week, then it's right for a while.

Retrobyte wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 14, 2024 3:46 pm

Fitted the Italian Road Bike Mirror to my commuter ...




I bought two so if I find this to be useful I'll put the other on my roadie

That’s pretty. How is it?

Imwit wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 15, 2024 8:59 am

Retrobyte wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 14, 2024 3:46 pm

Fitted the Italian Road Bike Mirror to my commuter ...

That’s pretty. How is it?

First ride with the mirror today. Position isn't perfect with these handlebars, which are longer at the bottom of the drops than my roadie - so the mirror ends up being slightly too far back for me to quickly glance down to check. It's not much, probably only a few cm, so maybe I'll get used to it. Otherwise I may need to rotate my bars a little so the end of the drops moves forward a bit.

Retrobyte wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 15, 2024 1:12 pm

Imwit wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 15, 2024 8:59 am

Retrobyte wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 14, 2024 3:46 pm

Fitted the Italian Road Bike Mirror to my commuter ...

That’s pretty. How is it?

First ride with the mirror today. Position isn't perfect with these handlebars, which are longer at the bottom of the drops than my roadie - so the mirror ends up being slightly too far back for me to quickly glance down to check. It's not much, probably only a few cm, so maybe I'll get used to it. Otherwise I may need to rotate my bars a little so the end of the drops moves forward a bit.

Was better this morning as I'm getting used to it, but still probably needs a position adjustment. Will have a play with it on the weekend

Got the seatpost out! It's been sprayed with penetrant a couple more times while waiting for futher efforts.

Clamped the steel bar thats bolted to the seatpost bolts to a steel verandah support. Grabbed 3 tie down straps and looped them around the BB and to the nearest verandah post. Tebsioned up the straps. Tested twisting the frame to checl it was clamped properly. Went and filled a jug with hot water and poured it over the seat tube. Few twists and it budged a few mm again. A little more tension on the straps, couple more twists and it came free and nearly spilled me on the ground. I was pulling fairly firmly on the frame while twisting when it came free.

Seems to be the OG seatpost as it's branded All Terra which is a GT house brand AFAIK. It was also quite greasy. Don't know what's going on, but it slides in freely until about 100mm from where it was stuck. Seat tube seems in good condition. There are a couple of score markers from the twisting, maybe it just had some grit and moisture that's corroded it a little.

Anyway, build to continue tonight ready for the weekend holiday trip.

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.

P!N20 wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 17, 2024 1:51 pm

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.

Bugger. Which bike?