Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all of our customers and trade colleagues. It's a bit of a wet and windy start to the Newy Year but already the workshop has been busy. Ideal time for suspension servicing!

Caveat Emptor!

Or in plain english - buyer beware! We have had two bikes this week bought on e-bay and another forum where the descriptions have 'implied' that the bike is ok and in working order. I hate to be the one who has to go back to someone who, in genuine faith, has bought a bike this way only to find that all is not as it seems. Sad to say there are some unscrupulous folk out there - they don't lie, they just don't tell it like it is and rely on the fact that most folk are not bike mechanics. One of these bikes had scratched and worn stanchions & knackered springs in the forks, worn bushings on the rear shock (we didn't go as far as examining the state of the shock), and a worn bottom bracket which we cannot access as the crank arm threads are destroyed and it failed to respond to the old -fashioned type puller. The only way to remove the crank will be to destroy it at the expense of the new owner. The other had chain, cassette & gear cables worn out, very tired forks, the wrong gear mech hanger and a cracked hydraulic caliper. The former description just listed the components on the bike - no comment about the condition - the latter merely commented about a small tear in the saddle cover - nothing else - to the average punter it seems that all would be well. Neither bike was cheap either - one was very expensive. Both purchasers are going back to the person who they bought from but this is never easy as the 'Caveat Emptor' clause rules. They are between a rock and a hard place and I feel for them.

The darkness descends!

Please, please can I make a plea for all cyclists to light up now that the dark evenings are upon us. Mums & Dads - if your kid is out on his/her bike please make sure they have lights on. I passed two quite young cyclists on my way to deliver a bike the other evening and there they were - unlit, no reflectors or anything. There are loads of cheap LED lights available so no excuse.
The bike that was left on my doorstep a few weeks back is no more. There was nothing worth keeping off it so it is broken down and off to the scrapyard for recycling into something useful. Annoyingly, I now have to dispose of the tyres and other non-recyclable bits that came off it. Thanks to hwoever it was - not. Will think of fitting CCTV if it happens again so I can return the unwanted goods!!!
Workshop has been quiet but steady - we have had the joys of changing twist-grip gear cables and lots of hub & freehub servicing along with rebuilding Avid hose & brake calipers of various kinds for various folk.
Good time to get your bike in condition for getting through the winter - make sure all bearings are nicely greaed up and cables running smoothly plus a good coat of polish to kepe the water and salt at bay.

A free bike - and a week of freehub problems

Popped out this morning and whilst out somebody left a bike propped up against my garage wall. No message, phone call, email to explain. It is very old and tatty, has no chain and the rear hub is shot as well as the back tyre. I don't know if it wants fixing, scrapping or if it is a free pre-xmas gift!
Had a week of freehub problems. Fun bit was getting the Bontrager one off - firstly it requires an unusual size allen key - 11mm - plus a vice and a strong arm! Removal of the seal on the body revealed a lot of orange gunge and a distinct notchiness. Next freehub was making a grating, creaking noise and once removed (easier!) showed it too was full of orange gunge and the inner workings were slopping about.
Another Bontrager hub looked like it would be a problem but turned out to be easy enough once the big plastic mallet was brought out. Nice new cartridge bearings in that one now.
Be careful how you route your hydraulic hoses by the way. I have one to replace as it was lashed to the fork crown (not a good idea). Not only has it worn the crown badly it has also abraided the outer casing of the hose and is down to the plastic inner.

Fork and shock time

This is a good time of year to get forks and shocks serviced before winter to ensure they are in tip top condition to get through whatever the weather may throw at us between now and spring. If we are doing these jobs for you pleae be aware that we may need to keep your bike for a week if it is a full service - so find a time when you are not going to be needing it. Folk do neglect these items, or put off because of the expense - but it can be very costly to not pay attention to them. Service intervals are way more often than what you think - in some instances every 50 hours which is not a lot of riding time. Trouble is you won't see it until it is too late! And even lower price range forks like Suntours can benenfit from a lower leg strip and clean. Talk to us about your requirements and we'll advise.

Avid's live up to their name!

Word of warning for anyone considering fitting Avid Elixir brakes - if you need to replace the hose it will cost you. The fitting at the caliper end is swaged so you have to buy the hose and fitting complete. This will set you back over £30 just for the part. If you have other makes then it will cost a lot less. Hope for example will cost you less than £10 because you can take it to pieces and buy all the individual bits needed. Avid by name and rather avid on the price!!!

Sorry we haven't posted for a while!

Sorry to any regular viewers - we've been so busy over the summer that we have hardly had time to ourselves - except for squeezing in a lovely short cycle tour in the Orkney Islands!
Today's workshop 'disasters' - very seized bottom bracket - so seized it broke the remover tool; disk brake pads worn down to metal - x 2: carbon steerer bung not tight + end of steerer poking above stem = loose headset. Par for the course...but also had some nice bikes recently - a Felt and a Principia - nice and light and clean and a joy to work on!