That's it for today!!

Youse all and go get f*&ked cos, I've had enough for today and going to
leave it for tomorrow, ok?

What started as a simple gear cable change has resulted in a schmozzle
and after 4 Coopers Reds and several hours, I am giving up and going to
go look for something to eat.

Pray indulge me as I give a precis of what has happened.

Mission :-
Gear cable change required on front derailleur of one of my bikes,
(technologically speaking approx 10-15 years old). Piece of ****, you'd
think.

1st "On the ground" decision made :-
I think I'd better chg the inner tube on the rear tyre cos it has a leak
and than true it AFTER I fixed the gear cable - it all makes sense, you
see, at that time.

Result:-
Must have over-inflated tyre cos it exploded, yes, exploded (ok, maybe
deflagerated if you want to be difficult), when I used my usual testing
method of bouncing the what-i-thought-was repaired inflated wheel prior
to installing.

2nd "On the ground" decision made :-
**** this, but I have a reco spare inner tube which I can use real quick.

Pumping this reco spare to 60 psi caused a second explosion (ok ok
deflageration)!!!!

WTF!!! The entire assembly is still connected to the pump and I have not
even started my usual bouncing tests yet!!!

Review of preceding events :-
WTF!! 2 strikes for a simple inner tube change!!!! WHAT AM I DOING WRONG??

Revised implemetation of inner tube changes for this ****ing bike!!
(Yes, I am getting rather annoyed here) :-
CHANGE THE RIM (I had a spare rim) AND UNDER-INFLATE THE TYRE (i.e.
DON'T TRUST THE METER ON THE FOOT PUMP!!!)

New action plan implementated:-
Changed rim, used brand new inner tube, under-inflate
tyre and all is now sweet The bike is now rolling - sort of.

Review original plan to replace gear cable:-
It's getting dark but there should be enough light to get the cable in
and maybe get it all going.

Results of implementation of reviewed gear cable replacement plan:-
- Changed gear cable
- Tested gear changes
- WTF!! I am not getting enough travel on the derailleur cos I had
changed the crankset in a previous episode and the horizontal distances
on the crankset are now all WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!

Ponderings :-
If I move the front derailleur clamp further up the tube, ie towards the
seat, the required travel should be achieved. The expected angles seem
right but after 4 Coopers Reds, I seriously could not give a stuff cos I
am hungry and I need food.

I hope anybody reading this will duly ignore my rambling rave but I had
to get it off my chest, if you know what I mean

Geoff Lock wrote:
Youse all and go get f*&ked cos, I've had enough for today and going to
leave it for tomorrow, ok?

What started as a simple gear cable change has resulted in a schmozzle
and after 4 Coopers Reds and several hours, I am giving up and going to
go look for something to eat.

Pray indulge me as I give a precis of what has happened.

Mission :-
Gear cable change required on front derailleur of one of my bikes,
(technologically speaking approx 10-15 years old). Piece of ****, you'd
think.

1st "On the ground" decision made :-
I think I'd better chg the inner tube on the rear tyre cos it has a leak
and than true it AFTER I fixed the gear cable - it all makes sense, you
see, at that time.

Result:-
Must have over-inflated tyre cos it exploded, yes, exploded (ok, maybe
deflagerated if you want to be difficult), when I used my usual testing
method of bouncing the what-i-thought-was repaired inflated wheel prior
to installing.

2nd "On the ground" decision made :-
**** this, but I have a reco spare inner tube which I can use real quick.

Pumping this reco spare to 60 psi caused a second explosion (ok ok
deflageration)!!!!

WTF!!! The entire assembly is still connected to the pump and I have not
even started my usual bouncing tests yet!!!

Review of preceding events :-
WTF!! 2 strikes for a simple inner tube change!!!! WHAT AM I DOING WRONG??

Revised implemetation of inner tube changes for this ****ing bike!!
(Yes, I am getting rather annoyed here) :-
CHANGE THE RIM (I had a spare rim) AND UNDER-INFLATE THE TYRE (i.e.
DON'T TRUST THE METER ON THE FOOT PUMP!!!)

New action plan implementated:-
Changed rim, used brand new inner tube, under-inflate
tyre and all is now sweet The bike is now rolling - sort of.

Review original plan to replace gear cable:-
It's getting dark but there should be enough light to get the cable in
and maybe get it all going.

Results of implementation of reviewed gear cable replacement plan:-
- Changed gear cable
- Tested gear changes
- WTF!! I am not getting enough travel on the derailleur cos I had
changed the crankset in a previous episode and the horizontal distances
on the crankset are now all WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!

Ponderings :-
If I move the front derailleur clamp further up the tube, ie towards the
seat, the required travel should be achieved. The expected angles seem
right but after 4 Coopers Reds, I seriously could not give a stuff cos I
am hungry and I need food.

I hope anybody reading this will duly ignore my rambling rave but I had
to get it off my chest, if you know what I mean
We've all had days like that.

Moike

On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:34:49 +1100, Geoff Lock wrote:

I hope anybody reading this will duly ignore my rambling rave but I had
to get it off my chest, if you know what I mean

Step 5. Get the ****s
Step 6. Grab another Coopers (Red or Green, other options available if
feeling La-di-Da)
Step 7. Realise that bidon cage bolt hole is just where derailleur clamp
should be.
Step 8. See Step 6.
Step 9. Take multigrips to derailleur to adjust cage enough that it works
even though it can't sit in the real correct position.
Step 10. Finally get around to replacing gear cable.
Step 11. Realise that you have a brake cable for the wrong type of bike
anyway.
Step 12. Decide to use the spare bike
Step 13. Remember that spare bike is still in pieces after the last
maintenance episode, which is why you've been riding the bike you're
fixing.
Step 14. Grab spare-spare bike and get the required bits for both bikes
the next day.

Apart from the Coopers (I try to not drink while I'm fixing bikes for the
simple reason that it costs less that way) I know exactly what you mean
^W^W^W^W^W^W have no idea what you're talking about.

--
Dave Hughes -
If you drink Real beer, you become horizontal... so, if you
drink Imaginary beer, you become vertical... -- Thorfinn

Moike wrote:
Geoff Lock wrote:

I hope anybody reading this will duly ignore my rambling rave but I
had to get it off my chest, if you know what I mean
We've all had days like that.

Thanks for the empathy Moike

Dave Hughes wrote:
On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:34:49 +1100, Geoff Lock wrote:

I hope anybody reading this will duly ignore my rambling rave but I had
to get it off my chest, if you know what I mean

Step 5. Get the ****s
Step 6. Grab another Coopers (Red or Green, other options available if
feeling La-di-Da)
Step 7. Realise that bidon cage bolt hole is just where derailleur clamp
should be.
Step 8. See Step 6.
Step 9. Take multigrips to derailleur to adjust cage enough that it works
even though it can't sit in the real correct position.
Step 10. Finally get around to replacing gear cable.
Step 11. Realise that you have a brake cable for the wrong type of bike
anyway.
Step 12. Decide to use the spare bike
Step 13. Remember that spare bike is still in pieces after the last
maintenance episode, which is why you've been riding the bike you're
fixing.
Step 14. Grab spare-spare bike and get the required bits for both bikes
the next day.

Gawd!!! Don't remind me of what lies ahead I am gonna get stuck into
that f^%king bike soon as I've been to Super Cheap to get me something
to test tyre pressures.

Apart from the Coopers (I try to not drink while I'm fixing bikes for the
simple reason that it costs less that way) I know exactly what you mean
^W^W^W^W^W^W have no idea what you're talking about.

Geoff Lock wrote:

Moike wrote:
Geoff Lock wrote:

I hope anybody reading this will duly ignore my rambling rave but I
had to get it off my chest, if you know what I mean
We've all had days like that.

Thanks for the empathy Moike

You should go with Moike and work on the donated Red Cross bikes for a few
weeks - it'll make you appreciate your own gear! :-)


BTH

--
Posted at www.usenet.com.au

BT Humble wrote:
Geoff Lock wrote:
Moike wrote:
Geoff Lock wrote:
I hope anybody reading this will duly ignore my rambling rave but I
had to get it off my chest, if you know what I mean
We've all had days like that.
Thanks for the empathy Moike

You should go with Moike and work on the donated Red Cross bikes for a few
weeks - it'll make you appreciate your own gear! :-)

Moike fixes donated Red Cross bikes? Good on him! Having, in the past,
had the experience of volunteering myself for a community organisation,
I have some regard for others who take the time and effort in giving
something back to the community. More power to Moike

As much as I'd like to give Moike a hand, I decided some time ago to
look after myself first - probably a rather selfish proposition but I
was going down the gurgler myself whilst still trying to help others.

Unfortunately for me, I, probably, must still retain some of that
goodie-two-shoes attitude and I have helped complete strangers fix their
bike problems, eg kid down the road with his puncture (his dad probably
promised him a million times to fix it but the kid musta pestered dad to
bring it to me as I had been seen working on my bikes), the guy who was
riding past my place one day and stopped to asked me if I could him
adjust his brakes cos he saw me working on another bike.

I am thankful for having had the opportunity to play with bicycles as
they have allowed me to developed skills which have lain dormant for
many years, so I do like all my bikes, even the really crappy ones -
which is most of them

On a more interesting point, though, where are these Red Cross bikes
located?

What happens to them after they are fixed?

Geoff Lock wrote:
Unfortunately for me, I, probably, must still retain some of that
goodie-two-shoes attitude and I have helped complete strangers fix their
bike problems, eg kid down the road with his puncture (his dad probably
promised him a million times to fix it but the kid musta pestered dad to
bring it to me as I had been seen working on my bikes), the guy who was
riding past my place one day and stopped to asked me if I could him
adjust his brakes cos he saw me working on another bike.

I average about 5 stranger's punctures a year repaired on my daily
commute. It makes me feel good about myself. :-)

On a more interesting point, though, where are these Red Cross bikes
located?

23-47 Villiers St
North Melbourne

I was recruited to start working there in 2006 when I was living in
Melbourne and volunteering on Sunday mornings at this place:

http://fat.ly/xdtr9

I cut back to working a 9-day fortnight, and spent every second Friday at
Red Cross.

What happens to them after they are fixed?

At the time I was working there, they were donated to asylum seekers.


BTH

--
Posted at www.usenet.com.au