Category spare parts

front derailleur difficulties

gordonscott Leave a comment

I’ve put my bike up on the stand to start the work fitting my front derailleur. Before I started on the derailleur, I removed the rear wheel and replaced the cassette with an 11 – 36 tooth one as I think that range will be my best choice.

I fitted the mechanism, lined it up and then looked at routing the cable. As my frame doesn’t have any cable stops, the outer cable needs to fit all the way to the mech but there is no cable stop on the one I bought. It fits and is suitable in every other way.

I went on-line to try to find a solution to this. That’s when I discovered just how many different front derailleurs Shimano have made over the years. For some reason they seem to change them almost continually. I found articles suggesting that later models have an integrated cable stop but I just couldn’t find a model which fitted all my needs. There are one or two which were almost there but none which I could say (by reading the instructions) exactly met my needs. They were either top pull when I want a bottom-pull, braze on when I need a clamp-on or they were for anything but the 10 speed I’m running. Some of them have a high clamp which wion’t fit as my down tube has a cover for an internal seat dropper cable and the clamp needs to fit below that. I didn’t want to order a new one without being certain it would fit, so I started looking for alternatives.

Eventually I came across a clamp-on cable stop which seems to be a useable fix. It’s not ideal as it’s an extra clamp on the frame but as one of the reviews on the site I bought it from says “it seems to be the only way to fit a front derailleur to a frame with no cable stops”. I’m not sure this is the case but without any definitive evidence that there is a mech which will suit, I decided to go for it and ordered one on-line. The additional clamp should fit below the derailleur clamp and not be too noticeable or interfere with the operation of the front gears.

This means that my bike will need to remain on the stand until it arrives and I can get on with the work. Fingers crossed it will work out OK.

Origin8 cable clamp

UPDATE: I continued researching alternatives (something I repeatedly tell myself not to do) and, by accident, found a YouTube video which contained instructions for fitting a style of front mech which seems to fit my needs. So now I am considering ordering a Shimano 105 front derailleur. This has an integrated cable stop as well as a tension adjuster. It’s the same range as my cranks but when I was reading the specs on a lot of the sites I looked at, none of them had the full details. Sourcing one has proved almost impossible as it looks as though Shimano have discontinued this model. I can’t find a supplier with one in stock. There are a few on e-bay but they are from China and I don’t really trust getting one from there. Second hand is also an option but I haven’t seen one yet in good enough condition so I may just go with my original plan.

lucky/unlucky

gordonscott Leave a comment

As it was sunny this morning I thought I’d get a couple of hours out on my bike before the weather turns again. As it turned out my luck wasn’t as good as the weather. I got a couple of miles along the canal and had just turned off the towpath to go around Possil Loch when my chain snapped. Luckily I carry a chain splitter so it would just be case of removing a few links, reconnecting the speed link and I could return home. Unluckily, I dropped half of the speed link and it completely disappeared into the long grass. Ten minutes searching with my nose to the ground and I still couldn’t see any trace of it. No problem, I was only a couple of hundred metres away from the newly reopened bike repair shop at Lambhill Stables.

They had a 10 speed quick link in stock, so I bought that, shortened my chain but not without dropping another half of the quick link I just bought. Thankfully I had put the unlost half of the original in my pocket. So I fitted it and single-sped it home. While I was doing the work the guy in the shop made some comments about my colour co-ordinated bike. If only he knew what was coming next. When I got home I fitted one of the KMC chains I bought cheap last year but hadn’t needed to fit until today.

seat post (not a post about seats)

gordonscott Leave a comment

I was out on my mountain bike yesterday for a shortish 10 mile ride and something just wasn’t quite right. When I set off, I extended my dropper seat-post as I drop it down when I take my bike down in the lift. This is really the only time I use the dropper as my riding style means I’m not descending many steep hills which is when I would use it more. When the post is at its maximum it feels rigid and is the most comfortable position for the saddle. I noticed that the post was slipping down, just a few centimetres but enough to make a noticeable difference in my reach which made my ride feel awkward. This seems to be a built in suspension effect rather than a malfunction of the post’s hydraulics so probably could be allowed for by raising the height of the post. I found myself adjusting my position constantly to maintain comfort although it was probably more psychological than physical. The difference in height wasn’t really enough to make a lot of difference to the ride.

I do prefer the feel of the post at the upper limit without the slight drop so have decided to go back to using a rigid seat-post. I have sourced a Hope Eternity, used but in great condition on e-bay and will be fitting that as soon as it arrives. The dropper post was a good idea but just too complicated a mechanism, giving benefits I don’t really need. I prefer my bike to be as straightforward and simple as possible.

So, back to e-bay to see if anyone is interested in a fox dropper!

bits are here …

gordonscott Leave a comment

… so as soon as I clean the bike and get the existing chain-set degreased, I can start work on getting it all fitted. I have been considering experimenting with the different cassettes I have available. I will probably start with the 11-42 along with the 40/30 oval chainrings. If that works I will try that out for a while. Then I will have the alternatives of 11-36 and 11-34 if needed.

I have also got the option of fitting the 11-42 to my mountain bike if that doesn’t work out on the Alice. Maybe by the end of all this experimenting I will have gearing on both bikes which suits my riding.

looking in the last place first

gordonscott Leave a comment

Billy Connolly used to make a joke about always finding something in the last place you looked. After all, why would you continue looking after you found it?

It was a bit like that with my bike and the crunching feel I was getting when I pedalled. I cleaned and lubricated the chain, removed the cranks and cleaned the bottom bracket, ensured everything was tightened and next time I went out the crunching was still there. In exasperation I spun my right hand pedal. It was smooth but I thought I may as well do the same to the left one. Problem identified. I stripped the pedal down greased it and put it back together but it’s still rubbing. The only thing I can figure out is that the axle has been bent.

As I’m not even sure what brand the pedals are, looking for a spare to repair it will be pointless so I’ve decided to buy new pedals. When I was building my bikes I was rather proud of how many re-cycled (second-hand) parts I was able to use but as time goes on I’m finding I am having to buy new replacements.

I have decided to go for DMR pedals as I’m happy with the ones I have on the ALICE. Also they are rebuildable and spares will be available should I ever need them.