Cycling, General Life

Wheelbuilding – Part 2

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This followup post to my first wheelbuilding post is a bit late given that the wheels have been laced, trued, installed on my bike and tested for months and several thousand miles.


Tools used for this wheel build

  • Minoura Tru-Pro 2 Truing Stand
  • Minours FCG-310 Dishing Tool
  • The green Park Tool spoke key
  • Park Tool tension meter
  • Linseed oil as threadlock
  • Sapim short nipple driver
  • HSS drill bit as reamer to remove swarf around the spoke holes in the rim

In use the tools did their job though but if was making a wheel building a profession I think a specialised reamer tool would have made the job easier.  I was a little concerned that with use using a drill bit I’d might make a hole straight through the rim

My spoke driver could do with filing so that the nipple on it is longer than as purchased. The aim of using one is to initially evenly tighten all the nipples before using the spoke key.  As the nipple is tightened using the slot on the rim the spine out of the top of the nipple driver will push the driver off the nipple when the spoke protrudes high enough up the nipple threads.  The problem I found with my driver with its short nipple was that if I tried to tightened up the all nipples to the point where the nipple driver slips off then, the last quarter of the nipples tighten up to the point where I can’t easily tighten them before the driver slips off them.It would be better to not to tighten the first few spokes up as much by filing the driver to make the shaft longer.  I have been tempted to get myself a screwdriver bit where the depth can be set but I haven’t quite persuaded myself it is worth it yet.

I find that using a single size spoke key is much easier than using one that has multiple holes.  It’s more comfortable to use and lighter weight when you drop it on your toe.

I used Park TS-1 tension meter to provide me with confidence that I have evenly tensioned the spokes.  Gross slackness I usually find with either plucking the spokes or when I come to tension a spoke that it is really easy to do up the nipple but I’ve yet to develop the skill to pick out by touch the slack spokes.

Having had to set up brake blocks for the last few years on rims that were worn, setting up new blocks on a new rim was a piece of cake in comparison.  The new rims were flat and true so it was very easy to get the brake blocks set up just off the surface of the rim.  I found when I applied the brakes were felt like they had really good stopping power.

In use this set of wheels have been great, I did put them on the stand to check how true they still were after a couple of thousand miles on them.  A small adjustment was required but nothing major and setting up replacement brake blocks on them after some wear was a quick affair.  I’m hoping they will last me a number of years before I wear them out.

Cycling

Wheelbuilding – Part 1

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After about 6500 miles the rear wheel of my trusty Dawes Horizon touring bike is failing .  Perhaps I’ve over tensioned it whilst trying it up in the past or perhaps it’s the bumps in the roads of London but it’s developing cracks round some of the spoke eyelets.  I’m not worried that there is going to be a catastrophic failure as the braking surfaces still look like their holding out but soon I expect that the spokes will begin to loosen and the wheel will drift out of true.

Initially I had toyed with getting new rims and putting them on to my existing hubs.  As I thought about it, it’s the perfect opportunity to upgrade my wheelset.  I’ve been told many times that putting better wheels on the bike is an upgrade that I’d appreciate.  After doing some internet searches my shortlist was down to Spa Cycles for Exal LX rims with Deore XT hubs for an economic option or  H Plus Son rims with Deore XT hubs for something lighter that would go really well with my stainless steel mudguards, silver pannier rack and silver spokes albeit more expensive.

My thinking was:

  • If I ever go travelling the world then I’d probably go for brand new rims at the time, at that point I can go for the Sputnik rims.
  • Given that my bike is normally used for commuting I felt that a lighter wheelset would be more useful at the moment.
  • Get the best hubs, Shimano ones with their cup and cones are easily serviceable and spare parts availability is good.  Deore XT are top of their range.
  • Spa Cycles had all the parts, ordering from them they could supply the correct spokes and avoid me having to order the hubs and rims first and then get the spokes once I’d measured the rims and hubs.
  • 36 spokes per wheel given I want something that is robust and there are plenty or potholes around I decided on 36 spokes per wheel, I also like symmetry.
  • Double butted spokes for the front wheel with double butted non drive side on the rear and single butted on the drive side.

Having spoken to Spa they persuaded me that the Deore LX hub would be a better option as in their view it us more durable.  As it was also slightly cheaper I took their advice.  Having been informed about this I’ve now found several articles comments where people have come to favour the steel LX hubs over the alloy XT hubs;  Travellingtwo, Woollypigs   and YACF.  Given that in the past I’ve had a hub acquire a large groove in the cup due to a broken bearing I’m not too worried about the future cost of having to replace the a broken hub as long as it is smooth running in use providing I don’t need a new hub every week commuting to work.  I did have some agonising over their suggestion to put a 32 hole rim on the front instead but felt that for a little extra weight and cost in spokes it would be easier to try and more likely to survive the potholes on the roads I travel.

Now time to put to use the wheel truing stand I bought ten years ago for the purpose.  It’s just taken me longer than expected to wear my wheels out and require its use.

Cycling, General Life, London

Cycling London

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For the last 8 months I’ve been commuting the 9 mile to and from my workplace in Victoria by bike as often in an attempt to get some physical activity into a day that otherwise would see me sat down most of the time. My steed has been my trusty dark blue Raleigh Magnum All Terrain Bike I’ve had since I was 17. Decked out with mudguards and a pannier racks makes it practical animal to get me and my trappings there and back again rain wind or shine. So far this I’ve clocked up 1,300 miles this way. Not bad considering the effort it takes to get moving.

The journeys have taken its tool on the poor animal. To keep her going I’ve had to put new tyres on, replace the chain and rear cassette. At the moment I’ve been forced to take the train everyday again as the rear hub has worn out and now the freewheel, freewheels in both directions when I turn the pedals. I think though the regular exercise has improved my level of fitness. I don’t think it’s resulted in me loosing any weight though.

My girlfriend is not too pleased with my antics and thinks that I’m doing a madly dangerous thing. She’s arrived at this opinion, having not ridden around central London on a bike on a regular basis. Another problem here from the perception of a risk garnered from reading about accidents in newspapers. Each time a newspaper has a story about a cyclist being killed her concern grows.

For me it is all business as normal as cycling. Growing up each year I would venture further afield in the Kent countryside . Inevitable I came across busy roads that had to be negotiated and I didn’t want to remain boxed in doing circles on the pavement near my parent’ house.

General Life

Charing Cross Road Re-Visited

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Well the new job has been started and I’m now working up in London in an area that I used to visit quite a bit 10 years ago when I was a student.  Having now walked along the Charing Cross Road several times I’ve observed the following.

  • A number of the book shops are missing having been replaced with clothes and shoe shops or eateries.  This includes Waterstone’s.
  • There’s a great gap in the sky line where the Astoria theatre used to be.
  • Orc’s nest, Foyles, Blackwell’s,, The Salsa restuarant and the musical instrument shops are still there.
  • The Sainsbury’s at the bottom of Tottenham Court Road is actually quite a busy place as opposed to the place I used to get my lunch on a Saturday when going to the computer fair.

I’ve also discovered that the location of my job has a few fringe benefits that I hadn’t thought about.  Just round the corner from it are the British Museum, The Photographer’s Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, Orc’s Nest, Forbidden Planet, Covent Garden and more places to eat than you can shake a stick at.

General Life

London Re-Discovered

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Back in the summer of 2001 I finished my degree at Imperial College having spent the best part of four years turning up on a campus squeezed in between the Science Museum and the Royal Albert Hall.  Having done that I abandoned London for the south coast and New Forest.  Early this year, after having found myself unexpectedly in need of a new job I’m heading back to London after an 11 year hiatus.

I’m sure that that I will find that London is different but the same.  People still work, live and fall in love there, they just have fancy smart phones to help them along the way.  There will still be continuity of cranes towering above the landscape dragging new ever taller buildings out of the ground but at the same time this is a London which I left before the events of 9/11 and 7/7.  Will these events have had a strong influence on people or were any potential effects of those events already ingrained in the psyches of those living there given the IRA bomb campaigns and David Copeland’s campaign culminating in the bombing of the Admiral Duncan pub in 1999.

General Life, Musings

Ending at the Start

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We’ll after just over 2 years together, surviving Halo: Reach, Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3, a week in Cornwall and a week in Paris I’ve split up with my girlfriend.

2 years ago, having just watched the an episode of The Big Bang Theory I was looking for someone to laugh with.  I never had an episode of Two and Half Men to put on but I managed to get her to laugh with plenty of leg pulling.  She’s been good company but this year I’ve been to quite a few weddings.  My friend’s have said they’ve been marrying their best friends or looking forwards to lots of silliness with their new wife.  I’ve never got to that same place and their statements have only planted seeds of doubt in my mind.

From a first date at Pizza Express in Maidstone to the last date so to speak off was the back at Pizza Express, this time at Bluewater, I now have some fond memories and have had some fun times but ultimately I’ve yet to find my soul mate.

General Life

Getting Going

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The start of my travels have not been off to an auspicious start. First I had to scrape the ice off the windscreen in the morning after it had rained the night before so there were big lumps of ice to remove. Next I find the only time I’ve ever been in a real hurry to use the Post Office nearest to where I work I end up stuck in a queue for half an hour to collect my Aussie Dollars and travellers checks. Next I was held up on the A2 as someone had managed to crash their car just before Bluebell Hill.

I end up arriving home later than I had anticipated there just isn’t enough time to sort myself out to catch my target train of 5:30pm. Instead I end up on the 6:20pm train to London, a rapid sprint across Victoria Station to get on tube to South Kensington, a long wait for a Piccadilly line train and then finding that I’ve got to change to get to Heathrow. Finally I find myself at Heathrow at 8:30pm for my 10pm flight. Much less time that I prefer for such a journey.

General Life, Photography

Surprise Photos

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Recently I finally finished off the roll of film in Dynax 5. As the batteries had gone flat in it some time ago I had put it to one side and not used it. Due to a flat battery in my digital camera and that I’d finally bought new batteries I ended up finishing the roll of film at a family friends birthday party taking pictures of Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang.

After getting back the photos from the developers I was very surprised to find that I had started the roll of film nearly two years ago at a Christmas Party. There are also photos of a trip to the Spinaker tower. I’ve still got to get round to scanning and uploading some of these photos to put on Facebook but I think it will provide quite a surprise to my friends.

Photography

Better Photography

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Rather than doing another Open University course next year I’ve decided taht I will try and improve my photographic skills and have signed up for the Amateur Photographer’s Foundation in Photography.  I’m hoping a more structured approach will encouage me to do more with my cameras rather than them sitting with film sitting inside them for years.  My upcoming trip to Australia, Malaysia and Cambodia should provide some varied material for this course.

In time I should post some new pictures that I have will have submitted as course work.

General Life

Further Along The Treadmill

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Another month spent doing nights and I’ve managed to shift another 5 lbs getting down to 10 stone 9 lbs.  Somewhere along the line I hit a plateau and the weight wouldn’t come off.  Probably to do with the physical activity dropping off for a bit.  Once it picked up though the weight started to come off again.

At 10 stone 9 lbs I’m now down to a 32 1/4″ waist and a 14 1/2″ collar.  Considering I started off at somewhere in the region of a 34″ waist and a 16″ collar I am pretty pleased.  It all remains to be seen whether I can continue to keep the weight of f or will it all go straight back on again when I go off on holiday next week for four weeks with no regular trips to the gym.  I’m planning on doing quite a bit of outdoors stuff so if I am lucky I’ll even manage to lose some weight.