Next up, a sorry tale of a Saracen’s brake lever breaking in two and embedding itself in its rider’s leg. Ow! Fortunately, the rider was OK (apart from some bruising), whilst the bike needed a new Shimano MTB shifter, a Fibrax Limited front brake cable and a fair bit of gear adjustment. Here’s hoping the owner doesn’t come a cropper again.
Next up a Carrera Subway that had been languishing in the garage for the best part of a year. An Interim Service, replacement rear inner tube and rotors and pads decontaminated meant it went as well as it stopped. Fingers crossed the weather stays fine so its owner can start using it again.
Quick mid-week catch-up of what’s been passing through the doors. First, a Mum’s Ridgeback and son’s Revolution that both needed a bit of tinkering with their gears. The Ridgeback’s chain would skip off the top and bottom of the cassette, whilst only 4 of the six Revolution’s gears were available. Some jiggery-pokery with high and low stops and cable tension and both were shifting smoothly.
Finally, some before and after shots of a Boardman that has a hard life transporting its owner from East Lothian in to a well-known Bank’s Head Office that used to be an asylum (naming no names). It needed a Premium Service, a new KMC Chain USA 10spd chain, a Shimano Road 105 10spd cassette and a SRAM road chain ring on top of that. As part of the Premium Service, the control cables are all replaced with spangly Fibrax Limited cabling, so clean, precise shifting is guaranteed.
This Carrera Detonator wouldn’t stop stopping. And it wouldn’t allow you to change from one chain ring to another. By replacing the brake cable on the Clarks mechanical disc brake with a shiny Fibrax Limited item, and cleaning, degreasing, lubing and adjusting the front derailleur, all three chain rings became available. Hoo-hah!
A few from this week, starting with a Cannondale with THE BRIGHTEST new pedals I think I’ve ever seen. Going from dull, old black items to spangly yellow/lime DMR V8s. Good choice.
Finally, and to paraphrase Huey Lewis and the News, we’re gonna go back in time. To a time when there wasn’t just Shimano and Campagnolo components (I don’t think SRAM had been invented at this point), but a host of other standards. One such example was the Benelux groupset which pitched itself against Campagnolo in particular. This Raleigh Blue Streak had a snapped gear cable, so I had to dig out the imperial spanners and set to work on it. Replacing the cable was tricky enough, but the gear adjustments were nothing short of Mission Impossible. Finally, all five rear gears were available (the customer told me the top gear had been unattainable for the last seven or eight years!) Thanks to Fibrax Limited for advising on this one regarding pull ratios and what would fit best.
Next up a Canyon in need of new pedals fitting and rear brake adjustment. Although pedals should be easy enough to fit, these 105 items were snug to say the least. Its owner tried to fit them himself, but sensibly, backed off when it felt like they may cross the threads of the lovely Ultegra cranks. A wee bit of grease and a steady hand meant these beauties got fitted in time for the weekend.
Another first for Andy’s Bike Clinic; a Daewoo! No, I didn’t know they made bikes either. This one needed a new Shimano MTB cassette, a Fibrax Limited gear cable and a bit of gear adjustment.
