Your C&V Ride's Quirks

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

I was thinking about how each of my C&V bikes has a little quirk to it. I don't think that's a bad thing, rather more like part of the reason why I enjoy them so much.


So do tell....what are the quirks of your C&V bikes? ..who knows we might even wind up fixing a few in the process!



Here's a few of mine:

'72 Schwinn Varsity - Due to a lack of a nubbin I was unable to keep the shifters from sliding down the downtube so I installed them on the top tube and used the brake cable guide as a nubbin. I had to flip the shifters around to make it work though and now the Left lever controls Rear Derailleur and the Right, the Front. Gotta make sure to tell folks that before they ride it!


'84 Team Miyata - When downshifting from the big chainring to the small chainring on an uphill, the Chain will sometimes fall between the chainrings and get lodged in there.


'73 Raleigh Twenty - When shifting the 3 speed trigger its impossible to go from 1st to 2nd. The way to hit second is to Shift all the way up to 3rd and then pull the trigger into second from there. Then it works fine. - No Pic unfortunately

[lostarchitect]

'73 Raleigh Twenty - When shifting the 3 speed trigger its impossible to go from 1st to 2nd. The way to hit second is to Shift all the way up to 3rd and then pull the trigger into second from there. Then it works fine. - No Pic unfortunately

Why not just get another trigger?

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Why not just get another trigger?

Then it wouldn't have a quirk

and who the heck are you with your intelligent answers!?!

[lostarchitect]

Then it wouldn't have a quirk

and who the heck are you with your intelligent answers!?!

I only posted that because my bikes don't have quirks; they're all super perfect.

[20grit]

My crank arms come loose on my Gazelle every time I ride with other people. I never have a problem commuting to work.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

I only posted that because my bikes don't have quirks; they're all super perfect.

you need more bikes!

[Sixty Fiver]

Lemme see... quirks.

Nope.

Had a sticky trigger on my 1950 Sports and the wrong indicator spindle when I got it and once those were replaced the shifting is as smooth as warm butter on glass.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

crap...maybe my problem is sitting between the saddle and the handlebars!

[atmdad]

When I take this bike out on a weekend afternoon it usually winds up parked outside a bar somewhere.

[top506]

Several of my bikes suffer from 'Biopace chain launch'. Every 2-3hundred upshifts will launch the chain off the big ring.

Top

[RobbieTunes]

The only quirks I experience are some shifting issues on 8-sp Ergo systems. Sometimes, my Chorus group likes to shift itself, or balk at a shift. The Mirage shifters on another group are more consistent.

Can't say as I've experienced any other quirks that weren't results of my mechanical anti-prowess.

Wait, there's one. The alloy fork on my Ironman Carbon, coupled with the flexibility of the frame, created a "gyro" effect on the fork while being ridden. It would tend to one side, then tend to the other. You simply couldn't take your hands off the bars, period. You got used to it after a while. I swapped out the fork and adjusted the headset, and 90% of it went away.

[shipwreck]

My three speed conversion used to have the same shifting problem. I just dealt with it, untill one day I was wandering around with a can of three in one, and foolishly decided to drip some into the shifter. Now it shifts great, robbing me of what I now know is a quirk.

My nintys KHS work/farm bike gets left outside more than it should. every once in a while when I start up a big hill I have to kick the front derailer with my heel to get it to downshift to the little ring. My Sentinal has mafac brake levers that rattle like crazy on rough roads, so I always keep one finger on the levers. It always shifts so smooth, unless I am riding with anyone else, then it jumps gears, won't shift in the front, all sorts of stuff. Then on the ride home, it acts fine.

[marley mission]

cool topic

yeah most of my rides have little issues

what i do is keep notes on each bike from ride to ride and also track work i do to each - i try to resolve or improve the issues from ride to ride

but i have this one bike that rides so smooth - but makes intermittent odd noises (rides like tarzan screams like jane) - i've chased noises all over this bike - replaced parts - overhauled others - etc - TOO much time i spent on this bike

it came with issues - i knew this - anyway - this bike knows who it is - and it has been on punishment (aka rain duty) until it resolves its issues

[lostarchitect]

you need more bikes!

You said it! What I really need is a garage, in which to put said bikes.

[due ruote]

My Motobecane has pulled a bit to one side since the day I got it in 1979. The frame seems dead straight but I think the fork needs a little tweaking. I'll get around to it, I swear.

I'm quirkier than most of my bikes, at least I'd like to think so.

[Sixty Fiver]

If there is some quirk everyone should know if they should borrow any of my bikes... it is that they are all have right hand front brakes.

Could cause issues for anyone who likes to do rear wheel skids but then if I catch you doing that, I will revoke your riding privileges.

[gaucho777]

All of my bikes make pathetic wheezing and groaning sounds when going up steep hills.

[JohnDThompson]

The spring on my Jubilee rear derailleur lacks the "oomph" to pull the chain onto the smallest cog on the freewheel, so I need to "twang" the derailleur cable to make it drop all the way. Fortunately, I seldom have a need to use that cog.

[zukahn1]

The Jeunet I built recently and posted on this sight has a wierd quirck. Every 5 to ten miles of riding on speeding up I get slight chain pop clunk. I stop to check it out and everything checks perfect I double check stuff at home and all is fine. Then again when I ride it same thing no major malfunction just the hard chain pop at times.
I don't find this a problem just it just seems to bee this bike quirk.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...et.?highlight=

[jr59]

Good thread.

My 620 ghost shifts sometimes.
And it does not do it often, but it will do it about once a week for a mile or two then work as it should.

[auchencrow]

My Trek 310 flatted the left front tire of an oncoming car with its left crank arm.
Subsequently, I did some frame work and got it to track in a straight line again, but the bb shell is still 1" off from the bike's C.G., so it leans quite a bit - but only when you ride with no hands!

Hands-on, you probably wouldn't notice anything was wrong, but now I can never sell it because my buyer would think I put a hex on it .





I changed the 18T SA cog for a 22T on my '51 Armstrong.
I then found that the gearing is too low for me, but because the larger cog O.D. encroached in my chain guard clearance, the chain slaps audibly whenever I go coasting over a bump.

I'd go back to 18T, but the chain slap is so endearing, that I think I won't.

[Captain Blight]

Well. My VeloSoleX has two lights on the front, so I need two dynamos. The bottom bracket dyno is getting old and rattly and squeaks pretty good (I know I can overhaul it but it's a total PITA); and the bottle dynamo is like I've just upshifted two gears. When they're both going, though, I sound just like the whirling gates of doom. Sure does light up the night, though.

My Trek ghost-shifts from the 19T to the 17T on anything steeper than dead-level. Probably worn cogs, but still annoying. Not enough to worry about.

The Pro is perfect. Perfect. But I'm on tubies so I'm all skittish about glass and metal in the road... I guess that's one of my quirks more than the bike's.

The Super Course is a skittish, foul-handling pig, but it's easy to work on so I use it for a testbed. And of course the Pugs are... the pugs. They are what they are.

[JReade]

The univega will not track with no hands. I blame it on me, as I am not great with no hands regardless. I'm very tall and tend to sway. It will also shift into the big ring on the stand and 75 percent of the time on the road. Not 100 percent, but just random.

The Pinarello brakes are a bit off..mainly because I cut the housing too short on one

The Fuji is a grocery bike, and the thing is a monster. It rides like a cloud, but if you're not used to a sprung gel seat, look out, it feel like it will throw you of the bike.

[zukahn1]

As I guy who has ridden large road frames 58-62 this is not a great issue. Does it tend to ride strait when on the handlerbars are in a confertable position.

[JReade]

Yeah, It doesnt seem to pull when I'm on the hoods or drops etc, so I just attribute it to having the center of gravity 5 feet off the ground. This is a 61cm frame, so I'm way up there.