I'm a champion bike mechanic...

[twizzle]

I can't identify it, or even open it. Note the direction of the "lock". Surely it's a normal right hand thread? I just don't want to put the wrench on it till I'm sure. It's too tight for the little Allen keys.
...

New wheel time. Just saying. Something carbon, I reckon.

But... if it's a hex key socket inside the axles, I'd go with a quality hex driver (socket set). VERY unlikely to be left-threaded.

Someone might have locktite'd the threads - I made the mistake of doing that using the wrong loctite on one hub, I could never get it apart again. I've also had some loctite creep on another one and the freehub bearing has stuck to the spindle - I'm sure it will come off with a press, but I'd have to drive the shaft out of the hub and that means replacing all the bearings.

New wheels is always tempting!

[Duck!]

One of the end caps on Campag hubs is L/H threaded.

[twizzle]

One of the end caps on Campag hubs is L/H threaded.

What on earth do you grip to loosen an end cap in that situation? Every hub I've played with that uses internal hex on the end caps requires you to twist the caps in opposite directions until one comes undone and then the axle is 'usually' internal hex drive as well so you can get the other cap off.

I loved the move to push-on caps, so much less to go wrong. I'm sure they can have their moments as well - a friend went to multiple shops with an unbranded DT hub and was told 'special tool required'. It just needed a solid grip to pull the cap off the overly-tight snap ring.

[stevenaaus]

One of the end caps on Campag hubs is L/H threaded.

Cheers Duck. Just one! Both caps are marked the same?
Anywayz.. My chances of picking up a fulcrum shimano freehub at moderate cost are pretty slim. Might give the wheel away to a Campy guy.

[stevenaaus]

OK... Comes apart by left hand thread without too much effort. Nice sealed bearings. The freehub falls out, and is SO Close to a shimano one I have in the cupboard... Just bearing sleeve/axle is slightly off. Oh well... Give it some grease and put it in the cupboard.

Had my first look at an alloy DA 7800 wheel too... They're nice Caged bearings, and light enough.

[ironhanglider]

OK... Comes apart by left hand thread without too much effort. Nice sealed bearings. The freehub falls out, and is SO Close to a shimano one I have in the cupboard... Just bearing sleeve/axle is slightly off. Oh well... Give it some grease and put it in the cupboard.

Had my first look at an alloy DA 7800 wheel too... They're nice Caged bearings, and light enough.

Is the 7800 hub the 10 sod only one? 1mm shorter than a 8 or 9 sod freehub.


Cheers

Cameron

[stevenaaus]

Hmmm that's interesting, I'll have to find one one day.

I only have the front wheel.

[Duck!]

OK... Comes apart by left hand thread without too much effort. Nice sealed bearings. The freehub falls out, and is SO Close to a shimano one I have in the cupboard... Just bearing sleeve/axle is slightly off. Oh well... Give it some grease and put it in the cupboard.

Had my first look at an alloy DA 7800 wheel too... They're nice Caged bearings, and light enough.

Is the 7800 hub the 10 sod only one? 1mm shorter than a 8 or 9 sod freehub.


Cheers

Cameron

Yes, 7800 is the dedicated 10-sp. version; shorter freewheel body with deeper splines (also used on R600 Ultegra and R560 non-series, 105-level wheels, but not the groupset hubs).

[elantra]

Interesting one today… a flat tyre !

I felt “under pressure” (excuse the pun) because I knew that there was a slow leak in the tube to begin with but I didn’t want my riding buddy to know that I was not riding a perfectly maintained machine on a special ride that had been planned a week in advance…

So off to the side of the road and start changing tube.

Riding buddy issued those ominous words “let’s see how fast you can do this” Gulp.

Pulled out spare tube - a brand new one, only problem is it’s a 700x 20-25 tube to go into a 700x 37mm tyre.

New presta valve tube so gotta unscrew the valve stem lock ring - but it wouldn’t unscrew - it was on too damn tight to undo with fingers !!!
My riding buddy also had a go and couldn’t loosen it.
With blind optimism I said let’s just put it in on the rim - with the lock ring inside the tyre!
Riding buddy thought that was a poor idea but didn’t have any other solutions.

So in she went and attached the pump - riding buddy’s offer of a canister was declined.
Yes it inflated but the tyre bead was not seated, there was an intolerable bulge.
Tried again, and again - each time there was a wicked bulge in a different part of the tyre.
I guessed that the way-too-small tube was not “seating” in the top of the tyre before it went up.

Tried again while vigorously “massaging” the tyre early in the inflation process.
Hey presto it worked ! Tyre inflated uniformly and fully.
Soon was back on the road. 2 hours and 50 km later the ride was completed and the tyre was still perfectly and uniformly inflated.
Happy as. But I will replace it with a more proper size tube because I don’t like it as a long term prospect.

[stevenaaus]

My limited experience with RATs suggests they work better the less often the wheels are taken out.....

Hmmm - i was looking at an expensive second hand Paralane (circa 2018) but realising it has RATs has put me off. It looks in great nick, but i'm always removing front wheels when travelling. It's a tiny bit on the small size for me too.
https://www.cyclist.co.uk/reviews/focus ... 105-review

[stevenaaus]

Spent this arvo looking over some 10 speed wheels I picked up. Bit disappointed in the giant P-SL1 pair... Lovely spin and nick, but HeaVy. The freehub was stiff too, so took it apart... Came off with a jerk, and after rubbing off some old grease, I realised I'd upset the pawls and circular spring.. And there only seemed to be Two pawls - offset at 120 degrees. Now why isn't there three!? Looked around the floor/place, without luck, then tried without success to take apart my P-SLR1 wheel! ... But finally found a service pdf and there is indeed only two pawls. Go figure. Anyway, freewheels nicely now.

[g-boaf]

Somehow the little clips holding the rear brake pads in got mangled. Off to buy a new set of pads then. Argh - disc brakes are lovely but they are fussy things at times.

I'll get the other bike with its Shimano Dura Ace 9100 crankset checked at same time hopefully.

[jasonc]

Somehow the little clips holding the rear brake pads in got mangled. Off to buy a new set of pads then. Argh - disc brakes are lovely but they are fussy things at times.

I'll get the other bike with its Shimano Dura Ace 9100 crankset checked at same time hopefully.

The bolt on mine mangled one time when I tried to remove it. I replaced them with aliexpress bolts with a Hex head

[g-boaf]

Somehow the little clips holding the rear brake pads in got mangled. Off to buy a new set of pads then. Argh - disc brakes are lovely but they are fussy things at times.

I'll get the other bike with its Shimano Dura Ace 9100 crankset checked at same time hopefully.

The bolt on mine mangled one time when I tried to remove it. I replaced them with aliexpress bolts with a Hex head

Sounds like Apple desktop computers with screws that are done up so tight from the factory you’ve got no chance of loosening them with a jewellers screwdriver as per Apple instructions.

So you have to use needle nose pliers to loosen them.

[MichaelB]

Got a chance to finish putting the new gravel tyres on the ICAN last night. Paid careful attention to the direction arrows and rechecked.

All good. Put the wheel back in the bike



Wrong direction

[bychosis]

Been there, done that. Did you take it off and swap it around and put it back the same way again?

[Imwit]

Been there, done that. Did you take it off and swap it around and put it back the same way again?

Lol
Sounds like something I would do

[Mr Purple]

Got a chance to finish putting the new gravel tyres on the ICAN last night. Paid careful attention to the direction arrows and rechecked.

All good. Put the wheel back in the bike



Wrong direction

So many times. Usually not because I forget to check the tyre direction but because I forget which side of the bike the cassette is actually on.

Haven't got to the stage of actually filling it with sealant at least!

[foo on patrol]

Got a chance to finish putting the new gravel tyres on the ICAN last night. Paid careful attention to the direction arrows and rechecked.

All good. Put the wheel back in the bike



Wrong direction

Foo

[bychosis]

Rode my new to me hardtail MTB a couple of times and was like riding a kangaroo. All but new rear tyre had quite a wobble in it while the rim is dead true. Near new, folding bead specialised ground control 29x2.4 tyre.

Let down the tyre, loosened the bead and reinflated. Still the same after riding again.

Took the wheel out, struggled to get the tire off with tyre levers, left it in the sun and it ‘fell on’ reinflated and still quite a wobble, maybe better but not good. Took it off again by hand and rotated it 180 and put the logo opposite the valve (I know, against the rules). A little better, but got fed up with it and haven’t test ridden. Was thankful to have a compressor on hand. Must have deflated/inflated a dozen times.

Sometimes wrenching is a bit frustrating and you’ve got to walk away for a bit lest something mg goes flying.

[redsonic]

Rode my new to me hardtail MTB a couple of times and was like riding a kangaroo. All but new rear tyre had quite a wobble in it while the rim is dead true. Near new, folding bead specialised ground control 29x2.4 tyre.

Let down the tyre, loosened the bead and reinflated. Still the same after riding again.

Took the wheel out, struggled to get the tire off with tyre levers, left it in the sun and it ‘fell on’ reinflated and still quite a wobble, maybe better but not good. Took it off again by hand and rotated it 180 and put the logo opposite the valve (I know, against the rules). A little better, but got fed up with it and haven’t test ridden. Was thankful to have a compressor on hand. Must have deflated/inflated a dozen times.

Sometimes wrenching is a bit frustrating and you’ve got to walk away for a bit lest something mg goes flying.

Mostly, I like working with my bikes, but sometimes, you just want to ride the thing.

[blizzard]

Oh oh, I did something bad, I popped a piston out on my Magura 4 piston brakes when trying to clean the pistons and put in new pads.


I didn't have block in and first squeeze 1 piston popped out... Oil on the ground. Dumb I know, I have only worked on Shimano brakes and never had an issue of the pistons moving super freely, so was surprised.

I pushed the piston back in and all 4 pistons move ok (lever is super spongey but that's to be expected). I have cleaned the calipers with alcohol and plan to put the original pads back in and take it to the shop for a bleed.

Is there anything else I should do other than rebleed the brakes and replace the pads? Brakes work ok but are spongey.

[Duck!]

^^ Just need a proper bleed, as popping a piston out will have introduced air to the line, giving the spongy feel. If the pads have plenty of life in them, and haven't been soaked in oil they will be fine to put back in & keep using.

[blizzard]

^^ Just need a proper bleed, as popping a piston out will have introduced air to the line, giving the spongy feel. If the pads have plenty of life in them, and haven't been soaked in oil they will be fine to put back in & keep using.

Thanks Duck, pads are worn almost to the backing plate, so definitely need to replace either way. I wasn't sure if the seal would be damaged by the piston popping out and then being pushed back in.

Also the pads were worn pretty unevenly, both inside pads were worn about 2x as much as the outer. I'm guessing sticky pistons? Or would it be another issue?

Last question, can I use Shimano oil in Magura brakes? I have no desire to buy Royal Blood when I have heaps of Shimano oil here already.

[Andy01]

Rode my new to me hardtail MTB a couple of times and was like riding a kangaroo. All but new rear tyre had quite a wobble in it while the rim is dead true. Near new, folding bead specialised ground control 29x2.4 tyre.

Let down the tyre, loosened the bead and reinflated. Still the same after riding again.

Took the wheel out, struggled to get the tire off with tyre levers, left it in the sun and it ‘fell on’ reinflated and still quite a wobble, maybe better but not good. Took it off again by hand and rotated it 180 and put the logo opposite the valve (I know, against the rules). A little better, but got fed up with it and haven’t test ridden. Was thankful to have a compressor on hand. Must have deflated/inflated a dozen times.

Sometimes wrenching is a bit frustrating and you’ve got to walk away for a bit lest something mg goes flying.

I know the feeling.

I fitted a pair for new Schwalbe Marathon Almotion 28" x 2" tyres (also folding bead - my first folding tyres) to my Roam this weekend. Put them on dry (as I have always done) and used the big pump to inflate them to around 40psi. While still on the stand I checked for out of round and both front & rear were badly out - about 10-12mm variation across the circumference. It would have been like riding with egg-shaped tyres.

After several attempts at partially inflating and manipulating by hand - and failing miserably, I went for lunch.

Then I made up a strong soapy water solution (dishwashing liquid), and soaked both rim and tyre bead area and inflated quickly to 65psi using my compressor. Both tyres popped and crackled as the pressure built and appeared to be perfectly seated. reduced pressure to 30psi and went for a test ride - smooth as silk.