Why, yes, I *am* a mechanical genius....
09-21-08, 08:56 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Why, yes, I *am* a mechanical genius....
As I grow ever-more fond of my vintage Univega touring/commuting bike, I decided it was time to jettison the oh-so-funky oblong Biopace chainrings and do some other maintenance upgrades as well.
I bought a new crankarm puller, and Friday night/Saturday morning I:
- took off the crankarm, installed the 3 new chainrings, re-installed the crank arm
- replaced the chain
- tuned up the derailleurs
- fixed a couple of loose screws on a fender
- checked the tire pressure and aired up the tires.
I then took off for a test ride, only to quickly discover that it didn't feel "quite right."
Once I took a look at the bike, and discovered my bone-headed mistake, I decided to grab a camera to document my achievement:
I bought a new crankarm puller, and Friday night/Saturday morning I:
- took off the crankarm, installed the 3 new chainrings, re-installed the crank arm
- replaced the chain
- tuned up the derailleurs
- fixed a couple of loose screws on a fender
- checked the tire pressure and aired up the tires.
I then took off for a test ride, only to quickly discover that it didn't feel "quite right."
Once I took a look at the bike, and discovered my bone-headed mistake, I decided to grab a camera to document my achievement:
Last edited by BengeBoy; 09-21-08 at 09:18 PM.
09-21-08, 09:29 PM
#4
just keep riding
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09-22-08, 04:16 AM
#5
Boomer
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Great for a lower center of gravity. Your friends will think you slightly eccentric however.
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09-22-08, 05:37 AM
#7
Senior Member
Gets rid of the dead spot on the top of the pedal stroke. Now, if you could just figure out something for getting rid of the dead spot at the bottom of the stroke you'd be all set.
09-22-08, 05:45 AM
#8
Squirrel
Make sure you store those biopace away nicely. Or sell them on ebay. They're tre-desirable.
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09-22-08, 07:01 AM
#9
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Gonna have to limit the beer intake the next time you wrench on your bike! 
09-22-08, 10:18 AM
#10
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I've seen that done before. Not by me of course, but some of the other guys.
09-22-08, 10:27 AM
#12
Time for a change.
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Now if you were clipless- You could pedal in 3/4 circles.
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How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
Spike Milligan
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
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09-22-08, 12:54 PM
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The Improbable Bulk
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I sure wish I could see the images from work... I'll assume you did something like I would do until I see the pic. 
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People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
09-22-08, 01:00 PM
#16
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09-23-08, 02:03 PM
#18
feros ferio
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This reminds me of the debate on tandems -- should captain and stoker be in phase, per convention, or 90 degrees out of phase, to operate like a 4-cylinder engine?
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Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
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09-23-08, 02:16 PM
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In the immortal words of my former Drill Instructor. "Lovely. Simply ****ing lovely."
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It's all downhill from here. Except the parts that are uphill.
It's all downhill from here. Except the parts that are uphill.
09-23-08, 02:55 PM
#20
Ol' Paint
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Been there.
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09-23-08, 03:22 PM
#21
Time for a change.
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And the debate goes on.We tried it and it did not work for us but if we wanted "Extra" speed- Pilot and stoker worked with one pushing down on the pedals and one pulling up. Had to switch over about every minute or so but for the Extra turn of speed for 5 minutes or so, it did work.
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How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
Spike Milligan
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.
Spike Milligan
09-23-08, 04:18 PM
#22
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Cool idea but you need a different bicycle to pull it off.
See if you can find one of those vintage Roy Rogers bikes and set the cranks up that way. It'll give you the feeling of a galloping horse the way that we used to do when we were kids.
See if you can find one of those vintage Roy Rogers bikes and set the cranks up that way. It'll give you the feeling of a galloping horse the way that we used to do when we were kids.
09-23-08, 04:20 PM
#23
aka Phil Jungels
Sure makes it easier to stand up on while coasting!
09-23-08, 04:43 PM
#24
His Brain is Gone!
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If I posted a picture here of every fix-it job that I screwed up, it would make for a large photo album. I get so tired of it. I can almost always get it right eventually, but I'm just not attentive enough. I can see myself doing exactly what you did.
I wish I could say that looking at your pic makes me feel better ... but it doesn't. But it did make me laugh.
I wish I could say that looking at your pic makes me feel better ... but it doesn't. But it did make me laugh.
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09-23-08, 05:38 PM
#25
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I think for that set up to work, both pedals have to be on the same side of the bike.
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Truth is stranger than reality.
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'01 Bianchi Eros
'05 Giant OCR Llimited Carbon Fiber + upgrades