On 2018-10-31 10:43, jbeattie wrote:
So I did this CLE speaking gig for the state bar, and they gave me a
little Amazon card that I used to buy myself these uber-cheap Nashbar
p-handle hex wrenches. https://tinyurl.com/y8rrfyuf (I got via Amazon
for the same price).
That link only produces a security warning here.
... What a great set of wrenches. I don't know how
I lived without these for so long, particularly with all the recessed
brake lever bolts these days. All this time I've been using long or
standard hex wrenches or hex multi wrenches like this:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....PL._SX425_.jpg
I recently bought this, with matching pouch:
https://www.crankbrothers.com/products/m19
It appears to be almost indestructible but is too heavy for weight
weenies, over 7oz. I have it only for a few months but it already saved
the bacon twice, for other riders.
Speaking of brake levers, I decided to upgrade my commuter to
hydraulic discs because with the new Cannondale warranty replacement
frame, the cables for the rear disc run through housing from the
lever to the caliper, and the cable bends and housing length added a
lot of drag -- and the BB7 calipers were haunted by Frank's
potergeist and would periodically drag, even though the return spring
seemed adequate. The old Avids have notoriously wimpy return
springs. I found some old stock 105 levers and calipers on super-sale
from a domestic eBay seller. They're the superseded ST505s, which
are kind of bulky levers, but I actually like the feel. I have them
on my Norco as OE.
So, I put those on with the other mandatory upgrades, installed and
filled the hydraulic hoses/levers/calipers (yet another adapter) and
put in the gear cables. I shifted the RD, and the cable predictably
loosened as the housing settled in and pulled into the lever with its
little finned ferrule. But it kept settling. I peel back the hood,
and as it turned out, the cable housing and ferrule had not seated
but had been dislodged during some part of the process, and with all
the shifting, I had managed to drag the housing and ferrule into the
lever body where it broke a $.10 plastic internal cable guide. This:
http://si.shimano.com/pdfs/ev/EV-ST-RS505-3902.pdf (part 5).
The ferrule looks like a piece one could even make without a lathe. I
have used an electric drill and a file as a lathe for similar jobs.
Mostly for plumbing stuff that was discontinued. It's similar in that
world, you do not always get what you paid for and a high price
guarantees nothing.
The biggest ferrule-style thing I made with my drill was an almost
fist-size post for a wine fridge.
Crap man, it was designated as a wear item, so the part should be
available. Nope -- not from Shimano or my local shops. And the cable
does not stay put through the lever without the guide, so I'm SOL
unless I can find a replacement. The only place I could find was SJS
in Somerset. I think I got their last one, and it only took a week
via Royal Mail/USP.
Those guys really get to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QsZhjaBZRY
I was once (as a visiting foreigner!) pressed into service for the Royal
Mail in Scotland. The mail from Durness to Inverness was normally
transported on a bus but that had broken down up there. So they asked me
if I could bring their mail to Inverness and deliver it to the post
office though they couldn't pay me. I said to be honored and they loaded
my car with the mail crates. My mail delivery vehicle was an old and
somewhat tired Ford Cortina. On the way a fuse fell out and the engine
stalled but luckily I found it. Back then it was a single-lane dirt and
gravel road.
... The price was not crazy, either -- even with
postage. I threw it in last night, and it works like a charm. If I
break that part again, I think I would have to get it from some
re-seller in Japan or Germany. That's incredible for a lever that is
maybe two years out of date and for an alleged wear item. This is
now SOP with the constant product upgrades from Shimano. One pines
away for the days when nothing worked that well, but it didn't change
from year to year.
Yep, like my downtube friction shifters. I could always buy new ones for
just a few dollars but nothing breaks.
--
Regards, Joerg
http://www.analogconsultants.com/