Stripped naked

One frame stripped and cleaned with the exception of the the bottom bracket and the headset. The reason for this is that both are moving smoothly and I have no desire to introduce dust and dirt into the bearings without reason. Looking at the cantis I decided that they could do with a good clean. There was a lot of road crud round the mounting bosses and while everything is off it made sense to clean right down.

Of course this causes a little confusion as when confronted with assembling something that you have got so used to seeing daily there is a moment of "how does it go?". A little bit of logic thinking though solves most problems and it was easy to see how the cantilevers fitted together. I was a bit thrown by the cable routing for a moment but that is because the line runs across of the back of the seat tube.


The cassette was really the only issue for the strip down. I have a Shimano lock ring tool for removing the lock ring (obviously). It is not a particularly expensive one coming as it did as part of a Halford's basic maintance kit. It does work though as it was used to do the work on the cassette of the P3 (Cassettes and Remasters). This time though it would not budge and was in danger of stripping all the splines off the tool. In fact it has done enough damage that I am going to have to get a new one.

Well and truly beyond the shifting with my short arm ratchet spanner and my middle aged bulk, after soaking in GT85 and a tap or two with a hammer to break and magnetised bond. I was down to a blowtorch (I don't have one), a longer spanner (I don't have one) or an angle grinder (I don't have one). Rather than fork out more than £40 for one of the above I thought I will give a local bike shop a call and see if they will take on the job. Having not got anywhere positive with one "local" bike shop. I say local because as you know they are a significant drive from central Croydon. I tried the other in Beckenham - "yes" said Deen's Garage in Beckenham. Not only did they happily apply a longer lever to the problem they also didn't charge a workshop fee because it was a quick job.

They say it easier to destroy than create. Now is the time when I find out if this is true. A bike that has served as a faithful servant riding across the West country along the Bristol to Plymouth route and over Welsh hillsides, as well as recent commuting to and from Greenwich, is about to have a make over.

Cassettes and remasters

It has been a while since I have had a chance to do any work on the project bike and I have begun to get itchy to get on with it. Sadly, my youngest is now at school full time and the list of jobs that need doing round the house have got measurably longer. I often joke to the wife that since we have reversed roles it is her who is supposed to approach the DIY etc, but sadly she insists on baking cakes so what can a man do? It is true that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.  This then is the reason that I am back on the bikes.


So today have completed my allotted set of chores and kept house, I find I have half an hour spare. Time in which to change the cassette on the rear wheel. This consists of unlocking a nut on the rear wheel and swapping over all the parts without dropping any of them. The theory is that providing the cassette (that's the selection of gears at the back of the bike) and the freewheel (which connects them to the rear hub) are compatible it is a simple replacement job.


I start first with the removing the tyre on the wheel, not because it is necessary, but because I wish to check how true or straight the wheel runs on the axle. The wheels have been sold as no visible wobble, but it is probably best to check now and tweak the wheel into shape rather than find out when it is on the bike. While I am doing this I read the wheel size on the tyre 26x2.4 hmmm that could be problematic finding replacements. Note to self when buying secondhand rims check the tyre dimensions.  It also starts to try and rain, I pray it will hold off long enough for me to finish the job outside.

The lockring on the original 8 cogs is a little stiff but the with a little shimmy it opens easily enough and allows me to slide the original cassette of the freewheel. I put this in a bag for later. Maybe I can use them or sell them, either way they will need a clean. Which is what I set about doing to the freewheel. It is not particularly dirty, unlike the rime which is shedding black stuff all over me and the light coloured T-shirt I am wearing. However, I think that if I am building from the ground up it is best if the whole thing is as clean and dirt free as possible. Some degreaser and a good scrub and all is clean. Now to add the new cassette.

The cassette is a SRAM PG970 9 speed, and it glows with a satin finish at me from within its packet. A packet that turns out to be all but impenetrable. Not wanting to score the metalwork with a knifeblade I battle the finally wrap until it begins to give up its precious cargo. At last, eyes shining, I remove the cassette unbroken, until near the end I find a wad of plastic bag inserted in the middle. Removing this proves to be the straw that breaks the camel's back and the last two cogs come loose with the lockring. Oh well not a disaster.  I take the bulk of the cassette and start to fit it to the freewheel. It takes a couple of minutes to realise and locate the alignment spline which is smaller than the others. More a process of elimination here as I go round the set trying each one until it slides smoothly in. Now for the last two cogs, and here is where it really gets messy, because now they are separated from the rest, I really don't know which side is wheel side and which isn't. It takes a few moments of staring at how it will work for me to finally put it all together. Lockring on and tightened with the splined tool and the hole process is finished.


So there is another blind myth explored - if you create a sensible design with a finite series of combinations then the pathways are forced to accept one design over another. Oh and it starts raining after I have put the tools away. Time for the school run.