Training to be DIY mechanic trains your mind to be meticulous and detailed

Wheels of Happiness

This post has maintained that sports and business are similar in approach   you have to train,  you  have observe a process, you have to have a goal, you have to prepare your inputs, study your processes to improve your ride and strength.   You have to watch what you eat and many more.

Same with business.  Above you all, you have to be passionate.

Same with being DIY mechanic.  As I disassembled the Campy crank, I have to observe very well the sequence of removal (to aid me in reassembly)  observe what is abnormal with normal.  I observed the bearing and the axle to be grimy and filled with grit.  There were gaskets that are probably interfering with the rotation of the crank

I had to be meticulous and observant.  Same as in business.  If it is failing, I have to know what are the factors that cause it to fail.  

I know I have continue doing this, ie being vigilant of what can go wrong, Otherwise, I I  will wreck the bike

My Campy Ultra Bora 2 was injured by wrong brake pads; have to have the right expensive pads

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines

4.08.2021

Kapadyak beware.  Be sure you get the right brake pads for your rim brake in your carbon fiber wheel set rig.   

The compound I used was a sram pad, it was hard, and did not take pity on the rim;   The experience left  deep gouge on the rim.  I sent it to a carbon fiber shop, at Morong Rizal,  It took them days to do this plus a hefty charge.

It will be taken by one of our staffers, and tomorrow, I will get from my brother the correct, albeit, expensive pads.    (The repair and brake pads cost the same -  not good during time of pandemic)

                               

                                                                      Yellow king

Guide to Group Set Weights

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
March 4, 2018

Ever wondered why there is certain heaviness at the rear of your bike. It may be due to the GS:  the  crankset, the cogs, chain, the RD and the brakes.  Here is the  guide for  the GS weights:   you may spend more for the high end, but  saving weight makes for more  efficient pedalling, more watts for your forward motion, less tiring on your  part.

From Bikelane - Group set component weights.


Thus, Campy and SRA groupsets are generally across the board lighter than Shimano.  There is less weight variance among Campy GS,  big variance among SRAM GS and Shimano.

Thus for Shimano:    6800 is lighter  than 5800 by mere  91 grams;  Durace 9000 is lighter  than 6800 by whopping 409 grams!    Thus 5800 is  heavier than Durace by almost 1/2 kg!

For Campy:  Super Rekord is lighter  than Rekord by mere 99 grams,  Record  is lightervs Chorus by  only 81 grams

Across group set:  for the lightest:

          Durace                                 1,998 grams

         Super record                         1,940 grams (  58 grams)

         SRAM Red bb 30                1,741  grams  (257)   maselan for BB 30 frameset only

         SRAM GXP (standard)       1,845 grams   (153) grams

     

Weight comparison between Ultegra 6700 and 6800 mere 35 grams difference (lighter)

Weight comparison: Ultegra 6700 vs Ultegra 6800

	Ultegra 6700	Ultegra 6800
Chainset/BB	791g	765g (-26g)
STI Levers	447g	425g (-22g)
Rear Derailleur	189g	195g (+6g)
Front Derailleur	89g	89g
Brake Calipers	317g	335g (+18g)
Chain	267g	253g (-14g)
Cassette	209g	212g (+3g)
Total	2309g	2274g (-35g)

Comparison between RS 8000 and Ultegra 6800   -->   RS 8000 is actually heavier  (even vs Ultegra 6700)?

Weight comparison among 105, 6700 and  6800

Looking at buying a 2015 model Giant Defy Advanced, with either 105 5800 or Ultegra 6800 group-set. Did a bit of research on the group-set weights;

                      Ultegra 6700                Ultegra 6800                105 5800        Ultegra 8000
Chainset         791g                            765g                            736g                 674g
STI Levers      447g                            425g                            486g                438g
Rear Drlr         189g                           195g                             234g               200g  
Frnt Drlr            89g                             89g                               89g               106g
Brke Calipers   317g                           335g                            378g               360g
Chain               267g                           253g                            253g               253g
Cassette           209g                           212g                           269g               232g
Total                 2309g                         2274g                        2445g               2263

Ultegra 8000 is lighter vs  6800 by only 9 grams, and 6700 by  46 grams;   am I glad I got a 6700 for my Bianchi

Solving missing shifts problem of Campy at my Fuji bike

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
December 29, 2017

I rode today up to Morong to fulfill my mileage requirements for the Vigan ride  I had 50 last Wednesday, and today 40 km. I rode on the Fuji Carbon

I was trying to ape Alberto Contador who boasted of standing up going uphill (on slight or medium hills) at 53 x 17- 19.  However, as I used the 6th gear (the 19 teeth) it jumped.   I tried to adjust the cable tension from the front adjuster, to the barrel adjuster, then the screw adjuster.  But the bad shift kept on.

I avoided the 19t and used 21 or 17t to experiment the standing up when climbing the hills (instead of 34 x 25) which was slower and lazier way to climb.  Surely such a practice makes one stronger and faster

So I peered at the gears and I suspected a broken 19t gear. (Whew where will I find a 19t spare Campy cog?) What is saw surprised me:  there is an uneven space between 17t and 19t.   So I removed the cogs from the free wheel.  The trouble was with the spacer.   The first two spacers with the groove was between the 25 23 set with 21 19, and  17.   I placed the flat spacers which caused uneven spacing.  When I rearranged the  spacers and the cogs looked of even spacing, I tightened the nut and tried to shift  It was perfect.

Without this observation and analysis, this problem would persist and the mechanic could have fooled me and recommended something expensive.

Robust repair of Campy front derailleur

Wheels of Happiness

Angono, Rizal  Philippines
June 1, 2015

                         It looks like its an electrical prong

Yesterday  I used the Fuji bike with Campy groupset.  Twice, the chain was derailed:  one before Cardona Iglesia and another after descending at Namay.  I was even trying to catch up with Richard and Ariel.  (VM passed me at the last derailment)  The culprit - the repair on the front derailleur using fiberglass broke down and so the chain was jumping.

So after going back via the Cardona diversion (strengthening ride) , I put all my efforts into having the front derailleur repaired. I found copper prongs of an broken down socket which needs little cutting and drilling.  I used snip to trim the excess metal and scissor to enlarge the hole.  It took some time to enlarge the hole so that the attaching screw will fit.

I now have a robust repair (vs the old  fiberglass repair which set me back by hundreds of pesos and which was pretty fragile).   So sometimes, relying on others to repair your bike may not be a good idea after all.

Repairing a Campy derailleur

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines  | January 2, 2014

On our long ride to Majayjay the Campy derailleur malfunctioned.  It would only go as far as #23 sprocket and no more. That gave me a psychological block that prevented me from negotiating the steep climbs well.

I was able to get it back right in Luisiana, however after that the malfunction kept on coming back.

This holiday, post Christmas I tried to look at the problem well.  I found out too that the Conti tires have bald spots at the walls and reenforced these portions with cut interior tires (I wrapped around the interior) and that gives me more confidence that the Conti would give me a few thousand km more of ride.

And so I found out why I could not shift well - the cable was set wrongly at an angle so that the cable would bind with the barrel adjuster.  The cable holder was set wrong.  So after I corrected the setting, the shifter worked well again.  And so I did not have to go to Boyeth Flores or Christy.  i did it again after careful thought and problem solving.   It gives me a thrill and a sense of achievement to solve this little tricky problems with the bike.  It make you alert and challenged