Rub a Dud Hub......Shifting the Seized Sprocket

Well, despite herculean efforts, primal grunting and copious amounts of penetrant spray, the EAI Gold Medal Premium sprocket was right royally stuck.  Thankfully, John was around that morning, so I dashed down, inbred hub in hand. Locked within his vice, the usual, measured force was applied.

Extra long, custom brewed chain whips, hammer and punch shifted the lock-ring. Persuading the sprocket free ultimately lead to intelligently engineered force.

Having established the hub was at the end of its long and useful life, we donned ear defenders and he cuts the opposite flange square with his angle grinder. Flat flanges are easily gripped within the vice jaws, making lock-ring and sprocket extraction that bit easier...In theory. Practice proved a bit more involved...

The former required some blunt persistence, from his hammer and punch. A gentle tinkling as it bounced across the floor announced successful liberation.

Launching the final assault, John grabs his prodigious, home brewed chain whip and wraps it anaconda fashion around my prized, titanium oxide coated stainless steel sprocket. Starting gently, he steadily increases the pressure, working counter clockwise until it eases free-mission complete!

A reminder to strip, inspect and re-grease components regularly, especially those under a lot of force and in the firing line of dodgy water. John was trained by his father to strip his bikes on a monthly basis.

The argument is very persuasive. From a mechanic’s perspective, it enables easy evaluation of component health and any potential problems to be blitzed before bigger problems present.

Team mechanics will perform this at the end of each stage race, given the money and potential losses at stake.  Seasonal strips are arguably the best balance, especially on bikes seeing hard service. When testing really “stiff” greases etc, I may exceed this.

Given the amount of waxy frame preserve sloshing around inside my frames, bottom brackets and seatposts will usually relent with nominal effort-even after 12months or so. Fixed transmissions are low maintenance.

Beyond keeping an eye on tension and drizzling lube on the chain, sprockets are usually forgotten, until replacement, or some other remedial work needs doing.

White Lightning Crystal grease, as used on the Halo hub threads was my default. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/white-lightning-crystal-grease 

However, I’d managed to misplace the tube in all this excitement. Hence, the new hub threads received a liberal basting of Park PPL1.

Galvanic corrosion (where metals of different parentage seize) is to be avoided, at all costs. Lessons have been re-enforced, so I vow to strip, inspect and replenish every three months. Watch this space... https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/wheel-building-part-one-theory-and-

Otherwise some rim tape and a 30mm tyre later, we are ready for road testing.  John reckons there might be some bedding in and spoke stretch during the formative miles. Frankly, this is to be expected and will necessitate another quick tweak on the jig but nothing out of the ordinary.  A bit like rot around Mk1 KA filler caps...          

Gearing Fixed

 

Well after some deliberation and a quick wander round the web, I sourced this 20tooth fixed sprocket and a new Sram PC1 chain. Functional, rather than exotic but crucially; the right size and at the right price! Chances are I’ll save this for the big sprocket and the stockier KMC for day to day stuff.  

Magic links, which enable easy, tool-free chain fitment/removal for cleaning are pretty standard these days. Though their appeal isn’t difficult to grasp, especially for pro mechanics needing to strip and prep a fleet of bikes after each race, even with derailleur set-ups, I consider these a weak spot, so default to the traditional and in my view, more reliable pin.

The PC1 is a nickel-plated single speed, rather than a half-link track-specific model, so in some respects and bikes with a single speed freewheel, I can see the reasoning but it’s still not for me!  

Fixed sprockets by definition tend to get wound on extremely tight. I opt for a lock-ring just in case but for the most part, unless I’ve been doing a lot of transmission braking (i.e. holding off against the cranks to regulate speed, say in slow moving traffic, or to prevent a face plant slippery roads etc).

However, their simplicity means they also tend to get forgotten-doused in wet, gritty stuff for months and potentially, years on end…  

Applying a layer of decent quality grease to the hub threads should be a no-brainer. Even then, wrestling them free can require a surprising amount of effort and the Ilpompino’s left hand EAI Superstar sprocket was no exception. To my surprise, the lock-ring came away quietly, with a deft nudge my Pedros’ Trixie.

However, it took the combined efforts of a carefully directed blast of penetrant spray, Pedro’s vice whips and some primal grunting before the sprocket would budge. Thankfully, grazed knuckles and agricultural language were conspicuously absent.

A carpet of blue Corrosion Block grease was applied to the hub threads and the big, black sprocket spun home. Since I was giving said bike a quick onceover, I took the opportunity of exchanging the titanium bottle cage for the Fidlock system and reinstating a “winged” carbon composite to the Univega’s seat tube boss.

Though pocket tools are a convenient and therefore, tempting default, I’ve been sticking religiously to the Fix-It sticks T-way wrench http://fixitsticks.com/t-way

for generic workshop fettling, primarily to hunt out any limitations in their design. I have one minor “room for improvement” box ticked but generally speaking, I‘ve been impressed by the quality of construction and standards of engineering.

A full review coming soon to Seven Day Cyclist www.Sevendaycyclist.com . This week, we’ve a photo love-story two-tone powder coat makeover piece and long term review of its performance almost two years, four seasons’ service later. https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/two-tone-frame-makeover Steve Dyster has been riding his similarly faithful touring Lorry round the Radnor ring https://www.sevendaycyclist.com/riding-the-radnor-ring.    

Here in the UK, Police forces are starting to roll out “Close Pass initiatives” designed to target poor overtaking of cyclists by drivers. 1.5 metres is the magic number space wise. These initiatives involve incognito officers riding along some of the busiest sections of road.

In the event of sloppy, or downright dangerous pass, they communicate the vehicle details to motorised colleagues further along. These officers can then intercept and dispense advice and guidance on appropriate overtaking.

Many riders, myself included can cite close encounter on a seemingly daily basis. Some are more noteworthy and unnerving than others. Last Thursday, an elderly Lexus passed me along a long, clear stretch of road with inches to spare-close enough that I could tap the door skins with my finger-nails. 

This week, I almost became an ornament on the bonnet of a black Peugeot estate. The driver ignored my right of way and ploughed on regardless. I also noticed a young woman passing me erratically. When I glanced over, she appeared to be angling her smartphone directly at her crotch. Another posed for a selfie at every junction. Hopefully neither is going to become a trend.

Right; I’ll close with some more creative birthday decorations from Dolly Blue Blue.     

 

Pre Festive Foraging

Seeking solace from keyboard slavery, I headed to the workshop and unearthed these Halo Aero track wheels that had been enjoying extended hibernation. A quick tickling with a soft brush dunked in sudsy bike wash restored their powder coated neon lustre within a matter of minutes. Further rummaging in various stash points retrieved fresh rim tape, two compatible tubes with giraffe-esque valve stems and some 23mm section Specialized tyres.

Folders, especially those bound tightly for any time can prove fiendishly tricky to mount, though these were swept aboard in thirty seconds courtesy that prodigious Cyclo wand type lever. Five minutes sprocket-bobbing later rewarded with two- one Cro-moly, the other ti, both fifteen teeth and sped home on a bed of space age grease so they’ll fit snug but will budge without copious helpings of penetrant spray. On a roll, I happened upon another of the pressure fit SKS cage adaptors so popped that in situ while watching some instantly forgettable late night “chewing gum” television.

These are by far the best of this genre. Paint friendly yet phenomenally tenacious-I’ve carried 25lb old school cyclo crosser by said composite mount without slippage or cataclysmic failure. That said; riders of smaller frames looking to mount symmetrical pairings on seat/down tubes are better served by side-entry cages given the bracket’s greater girth but a moot point on 58/60cm horizontal configurations.   

Had an interesting email from Dani at Foffa bikes (photo credit Tyson Sadlo) inviting me to test their latest hub geared urban scoot, which looks rather fetching from this picture, though suggests clearances might be a bit tight for full length mudguards (fenders) .I’m due to take delivery early January so will reserve judgement until then. Recent years have seen a welcome explosion in wallet friendly, ultra practical everyday bikes but despite being well catered for in terms of trailers, I’m yet to find a bicycle sidecar system that works without being brutally unsympathetic to their hosts-even plain gauge gas pipe tube sets have been known to fracture under such duties. That said; many motorcycle chassis (V-twin Moto Guzzi in particular) suffer similar fates when coupled to outfits.

Critics would argue these belong firmly in museums given the pace of modern traffic but such has tremendous potential during winter when remaining upright takes priority.  Speaking of which, Joshua and I have both succumbed to a spot of tyre slide on separate occasions this week. Experience meant I kept Univega in check across a greasy manhole cover while turning right, whereas he wasn’t so lucky- nothing more serious than a twisted saddle and dented pride mind.

Talking of rubber, since roads are slimy as opposed to snowy for the foreseeable weeks, I’m off astride the Ilpompino to see how these 29mm Halo twin rail courier Berlin and my modified fibre flare mount behave. Said fixer’s sportier configuration means the mono stay now doubles as a nifty mount for this literally brilliant GLO blinker4 http://www.bicyclelightshop.com/collections/rear-led-lights/products/rear-bike-light-led-big-blinker. Hopefully the dreaded “hiss” will remain firmly the preserve of pantomime, especially since fresh supplies of 18-25mm tubes and patch kits haven’t arrived yet.