Search results for:

I've been ridin', a-fettlin' and a-learnin' with ScobsWell recently. I've done a lot of riding and learning a lot about comfort and efficiency (I think!).

That adjustable stem that ScobsWell inherited from the Dawes has a reach too far and too high to get me in that super-comfortable position where I can just go for miles and miles in. So, I've been 'sperrymenting.

I've taken the stems off my partners old bike and my all-weather grotty commuter (ScobsWell is for bestest evening and weekend rides) and tried each in turn in addition to a pair of bog-standard straight bars I'd got from somewhere.

These 2...

The Alloy SR from my commuter beast was OK but it put me low and it was a bit of a reach still to the bars...

I did a big London Loop like this last weekend and I was fast (for me). But about 45 miles in my shoulders started feeling the strain a bit. So, this weekend I fitted the black stem...

Ooo, now thats not bad, I'm 'up' a little bit and need to re-adjust the saddle angle as I noticed I slipped forward a bit when I was gunning it a bit in 'big-kid-zooming-mode' . About 14 miles into a ride I noticed the stem wobbling in the fork steerer, erks! It'd moved and loosened off a bit, putting my glasses on (yes, I'm that old) I noticed I'd set it a little above the Max height line, my bad. Setting it lower into the fork tube I'm just into the aching zone again 40+ miles into a ride but its better than the SR. So I think I need a stem like the black one but with maybe less reach and maybe a bit of a longer stem length to be able to play with the height a tad more.

What's the panels view on a stem like this? - > http://www.velosolo.co.uk/kalloyswan.html or this one? -> http://www.velosolo.co.uk/kalin.html

With a shorter reach does the steering get too twitchy? I tried a very short reach stem on that old Carrera bike I played with last summer and the effect was extreme, I can't fit it onto Scobswell as its 31.8mm and Scob's is a traditional 1". I'm wondering if ScobsWell would be mellower?

Ha! You're too kind, thank you!

At last... I've been spottereded.

Going from Waterloo Br to Trafalgar Sq? Helmeted, grey ponytail? Overweight? Too old to be 'cool' or even possibly on here... ? I might know him :)

Thats what Liz said "Get some straight bars ya twat and ditch the Fisher Price stem, its wrecks the stylee blud...".... Liz... wrecks.......Elizabeth Rex.... see what I did there? Arf!

Nearly 54 miles, it was fun just to ride for no other reason just because I could and wanted to.

ScobsWell is awesome! I've treated him to a day out in that famous London , hes just been up to see the Queen. He's off to do some shopping now down Oxford Street.

No dramas. The riding position isn't right, I think I'm sitting a smidge too low and fair bit too forward but other than that ScobsWell works.

I'll pack a few tools and adjust en-route to get the position right.

Advanced warning....Expect traffic in London to grind to a standstill as everyone is stopped in their tracks by a stunning looking black bicycle cruising the capitals mean streets expertly piloted by me with the wind in my grey hair turning heads as we cruise by etc etc etc ...bwahahahahahahahha.

But no really, I've got the day off so I am going to take him for a good cruise all over London tomorrow so we can adjust to one another.

Off on a 14 miler test loop, if you don't hear back from me feel free to eBay any crucial bits I've forgotten to fit or tighten!

Lots more work today.

All orifices blocked (stoppit)....

Comfy seating area and mobile support team ....

View from the pillocks seat, oopps, sorry I mean Pilots seat...

Goodbye old chum, you've been my favouritestest bike I've had up to now... we've had our laffs.... our tears.... just let it go babes... we've gotta move on ....! :)

Ooooooo! Well helllllllloooooo there you sawceee young thing..... whats your name? Ah, "ScobsWell" you say, it suits you, what say you an' I take a stroll out together soon....?!

Love this thread, it makes me smile every time I read it.

Ta, I'm glad you and PhilDAS enjoy it .

Noted! Will do.

Good point Ed. Especially after I've lovingly cleaned up every M5 0.8mm thread pitch orifice on him so far too.

I'll order up some nice black socket cap screws.

Yups, a nice time was had by all :)

Back home now and straight down the shed to continue the operation. I thought I'd try and resurrect the old graunchy cartridge bearings first, just as an experiment....

So, take your notchy bearing, prise off a seal on one side, then cafefully fill the bearing with AutoSol metal polish!...

Then spin the inner race (using a handy pillar drill) whilst holding the outer race so the bearing running surfaces and balls polish and clean themselves (in theory)...

Then strip the entire lot down and wash and clean out all the metal polish and crud...

and slowly reassemble the whole lot...

and...

Re-grease and reinstall... onlyto find that they're better but still not great, erks.

So, Plan B, just install the new bearing bearings ya plonker and stop faffing about....

That done, everythings lurrrrrrrvley and smooth, whahey.

Next up, remove and check the BB, regrease the threads and reassemble and fit the crank and chainwheel from the donor Dawes...

Getting there...

Then, remove the rear wheel and chain from the Dawes and scrub and clean and re-cut the chain (4 links shorter) to fit ScobsWell's requirements...

Phowwwwaarrrr!

Then start swapping over brakes and front wheel...

...and fettle long-reach calipers that don't need to be so long-reach anymore!

Getting there, too excited, can't sleep, big kid, yeah I know :) etc etc etc

Ta for the offer matey but a LBS here in Oxford has come up trumps, hurahs to Bike Zone, 2 very helpful fellas trawlled through a box of new bearings and found a pair. Good coffee and cake upstairs too so my long suffering partner was happy as well seeing as we're on a 4day break up here.

A search on SB's brings up -> http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/p20000588/ENDURO-ACB6805CC-Headset-Bearing-27.15x38x6.5mm/product_info.html
I think thats it.

I'm in Oxford for a couple of days this week, many LBS's, I'll ask around and see if any stock this bearing.

Failing that, I think I've come up with a way of temporarily resurrecting the rusty balls and pitted race, its uber-level-genius. If it works... I'll pick up my Nobel Prize next week, if it doesn't, I'll just keep quiet and pretend there's nothing to see :)

So do I! I've dropped Condor a line just in case they can still supply them before I plunge. I didn't realise there were different chamfer angles available, erks.

Project Scobswell goes on pause for a short while... bear(ing) with me... ha! SWIDT?

Ooooo, I heard a tweaked early PS1 about 5 years ago and its pretty impressive.

Ta for the advice Gents as always, OK, I did just that (removed seals, washed in White Spirit to remove the old grease and muck etc etc) but dot dot dot.... I think problem maybe is that there's some corrosion on the stainless steel balls...

...and the inner race is quite pitted too (IMO)...

I'll handover to the learned Gents and Jury for their verdict! Guilty of sins against smooth steering or what :)

Yeah, I hope so Ed.

When you say 'cartridge', are you referring to the 2 x sealed bearings?

The rest of the headset is in good condition and cleaned up nice, so I think I'll take a punt on the 2 eBay bearings and see if I can resurrect super-smooth non-graunchy steering.

Yeah, ta Ed. It was bit trixxy but I've done it. What I thought was the powder-coated head of the nut wasn't! After probing about I found it was a threaded boss. I've managed to re-cut the thread too...

...and fitted a bolt with a greased thread to enable it to come out cleanly if/when I fit mudguards...

Going to work on the graunchy headset right now, I've got the whole caboodle out for cleaning and re-greasing and they've buffed up nice but I reckon the top bearing race is too pitted for reuse really as when I go to adjust the bearings the 'graunch' comes back, meh. It a Condor-branded Headset, I've measured the bearings and top and crown both are the same size, 38mm OD x 27.15mm ID x 6.5mm wide and reckon that this....

is the same as....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACB6805CC-Enduro-Headset-Bicycle-Angular-Contact-Ball-Bearing-27-15x38x6-5mm-/282040031761?hash=item41aae55a11:g:3QEAAOSwopRYb3sL

I'm guessing that because it's not that a common Headset (1 1/8" with a threaded 1"fork yeah?) I might struggle to find that locally (Dartford).

I met my kind benefactor on Friday morning and collected the lovely replacement frame, 1st time I've ever met anyone from the forum actually. Brought "ScobsWell" back to his new home on the train...

... and after introducing him to his new surrounds started work on cleaning out threads and removing a pesky snapped bolt that was obscuring the brake bridge , I did it Ed, success, whahey! Had to centre-punch then drill out the stud left from the bolt, looks like it had sheared off many moons ago...

Aldous will slowly start donating vital organs to ScobsWell over the next week.

Thanks again for very kind donation Ed, its much appreciated.

'From' or 'to'?!

Might need a metal thingy?

Can no-one see the problem here?! "Reading".... now stop it.... it'll only lead to bad things!

Does that metal thing under the rear wheel wear away after a while so the back wheel can go on the ground?

You guys are way overthinking this.

..but...but... we haven't even got to font stylings and transfer sizing yet for the gold-on-black down tube stickers!