Drooper Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Drooper, the front mech is spring loaded. The shifter has to pull against the spring to move the chain up to the big ring. If you can disconnect the cable the spring should automatically pull the mech to the wee ring position. If the mech doesn't move it is siezed, but you will probably be able to push or lever it down to the small ring position. If the mech does move then either the cable is siezed or the shifter is stuck or not working properly? I would reckon on the mech being siezed as it is the bit most exposed to the elements...? Happy biking (and maintenance).. Edit.. another typo. Thanks pal. I'm away out to have a tinker over lunch (nice day for it if nothing else....). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bold Rover Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Brought the bike in this morning as planned, and realised (only about half-way through the commute) that my front mech is goosed - most likely siezed up or lacking any cable tension after weeks of neglect. The chain is stuck on the big ring at the front, so, unless I can sort it out later, I don't think I'll be getting home on it as there is no way on this earth that I'm getting up the hill to home in the big ring. If push come comes to shove, I could manually shift the chain down to the smaller ring, but I reckon it will rub badly on the mech unless I free it off somehow. What a pain in the arse. I had taken the bike out for a brief check of tyre pressures, brakes, lube etc. last night, but we had visistors round, so it was a very quick once-over. Ah well, no -one ever said it was going to be easy getting back into it, but I had assumed it would be the man, not the machine, that would provie to be the weak link. Hard lines, drooper, but i'm confident that a man of your calibre will have the problem sorted. I'm also a bicyclette today; and I've got a rubbing from my rear -Matron! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 (edited) Managed to free off the seized mech using shredder oil from the office . It had welded solid with what looks like gritting salt from the roads. It was piss-poor of me not to at least give it a rinse after I last used the bike, though I didn't anticipate leaving it languishing in the shed for so long. Blatant neglect, and I'm probably fortunate that there isn't a cruelty wummin for bikes, or I'd have been reported. So, I now have an (almost) freely moving front mech, but couldn't set it up properly - not least because my bald dome was getting frazzled by the sun as I fannied about with it. Unfortunately, the cable cap also dislodged and the bloody thing started to unravel, so I've set it up so I can get home (hopefully!) and do a propoer repair that will most likely include a replacement cable. ETA: all sorted (I think....), and no new cable required. I also treated the bike to the full spa and beauty treatment - the missus is at work so wasn't around to get jealous Edited June 4, 2013 by Drooper 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unleash The Nade Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Anyone doing the Trossachs Ton on the 16th June? I've heard its £50 to enter!!! Ridiculous 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisleysaints Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 I've heard its £50 to enter!!! Ridiculous Two options pay 50 quid or pay 20 odd and raise at least 30. It's for charity though Took a half day today and cycled to largs was fantastic 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 I've heard its £50 to enter!!! Ridiculous A lot of sportives are a bit of a rip-off to be honest. This is one of the main reasons I've not entered any this year. Not being the club type, I do find they help to motivate me to ride at times when I might not bother otherwise as I've got a target to work towards, but I don't think they should be any more than £30. I appreciate that there can be a lot of organisation involved, and that a lot of the stewards and people who provide the feed stops volunteer - and also that most have a charity element - but, even then, when they creep up to 50 notes a pop and beyond, they become a bit exclusive and that puts me off. Anyhoo, I really enjoyed getting back out today despite the technical glitches. It doesn't take much to catch the cycling bug anew, though 20+ degree temperatures and sunshine certainly helps! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Two options pay 50 quid or pay 20 odd and raise at least 30. It's for charity though Took a half day today and cycled to largs was fantastic Did you go over the Old Largs Road? That a great route, and one I'll need to take again when I get my bike fitness back. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisleysaints Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Did you go over the Old Largs Road? That a great route, and one I'll need to take again when I get my bike fitness back. I went down the A8 road and around thr coast route and back up over the haylie braes. Which was fun wouldnt go down that A8 at busy times luckily it was quiet around lunch time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broon-loon Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Used the road bike to cycle to work today.. 8.75 miles, 584 calories. Took me a bit longer today, harder work for some reason and cannae blame the wind as it was reasonably calm. Anyway, at least I made it. The journey home might be a struggle though... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unleash The Nade Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Carnage at last nights club training. Someone decided to turn left at a junction we always go straight past. Result .. Two hospitalised one with broken collar bone and wrist and the other with broken arm. Others with injuries ranging from bad cuts and bruises,to really bad gravel rash. Making me seriously re-consider going out on the high speed training nights and just sticking to weekend club runs. For once ,I was away out in front trying to make a break,so thankfully wasn't involved 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 For once ,I was away out in front trying to make a break,so thankfully wasn't involved Were the main group about to lap you? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unleash The Nade Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Were the main group about to lap you? Haha.good one. There were so many young guys in the group,I knew I didn't have a cat in hells chance,so decided to make a break about 6 miles from home to stir it all up a bit , knowing full well I'd blow after about half a mile 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanny paddery Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Been picking up a puncture about once a fortnight on my road bike even although I have gator skins fitted. This made me think my pressure might be wrong so I bought a stand pump. Turns out my hand pump was only able to reliever about 60 psi and that's what I've been running at for about 2 months. I now have them inflated to 110 psi. That will probably explain the problem? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbornbairn Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 Aye, but while that'll solve the puncture problem you'll probably think your bum is broken after the next few trips 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanny paddery Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Woke up this morning and both tyres were completely flat, one had a leak in the middle of the tube and the other had a leak around the valve, is 110 too high? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanny paddery Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 When I say failed at the valve, I mean proper failed 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingscot Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 I went down the A8 road and around thr coast route and back up over the haylie braes. Which was fun wouldnt go down that A8 at busy times luckily it was quiet around lunch time. Jeeze, that is adventurous. I'd never attempt either road! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 (edited) Woke up this morning and both tyres were completely flat, one had a leak in the middle of the tube and the other had a leak around the valve, is 110 too high? When I say failed at the valve, I mean proper failedImageUploadedByPie & Bovril1370504177.274253.jpg 110 psi should be okay, though I'd be inclined to inflate Gatorskins to around 100, as they are a bomb-proof tyre and would be pretty unforgiving at a pressure much beyond that. You've possibly pinched your inners (MATRON!), when fitting the tyres, and inflating the tyres to 110psi has done for them. Remember to run a finger round the inside of the tyre when replacing the inners to check for any puncture culprit (though losing both at the same time seems too much of a coincidence). You might simply have poor inner-tubes, or have hit a bad batch. I'd always suggest paying a bit extra for good quality inners as they'll save no end of grief in the long run. Edited June 6, 2013 by Drooper 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 Having fixed my troublesome front mech on Tuesday night, I took the bike to work again this morning (its always a struggle squeezing it into the passenger seat, but I enjoy the company ). Anyway, one thing that was very noticeable (aside from the fact that the bike has hugely benefitted from a bit of TLC) is that my arse was very tender. This is something I never experience when using the bike routinely, and just served to indicate how long I've been off it. I've thoroughly enjoyed getting back out, and the lingering anxiety of getting back in amongst the rush-hour traffic has ebbed away as I suspected it would - the confidence thing is psychological and a long lay-off really doesn't help. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fanny paddery Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 110 psi should be okay, though I'd be inclined to inflate Gatorskins to around 100, as they are a bomb-proof tyre and would be pretty unforgiving at a pressure much beyond that. You've possibly pinched your inners (MATRON!), when fitting the tyres, and inflating the tyres to 110psi has done for them. Remember to run a finger round the inside of the tyre when replacing the inners to check for any puncture culprit (though losing both at the same time seems too much of a coincidence). You might simply have poor inner-tubes, or have hit a bad batch. I'd always suggest paying a bit extra for good quality inners as they'll save no end of grief in the long run. I check for debris every time I have a puncture repair. As the photo shows one of the tubes has exploded, to such an extent it blew the tyre off the rim. The other one failed where the valve meets the tube and had another leak elsewhere. Neither had been ridden since they got pumped up last night. The tubes were raleigh ones which I had used before with no problem. However I now have a batch of Michelin tubes on the way. As an aside my LBS told me gatorskins arent great for puncture resistance due to the small size of the puncture proof kevlar and I should fit Marathon Plus tyres which have a much greater puncture resistance. I must admit I have been picking up alot of punctures on the Gatorskins but I have only been running them at 60 psi. Anyone think there is any truth in what my LBS are saying. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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