SquidPuppet

Ahh. Not square taper. I'll let the outboard experts weigh in.

TejanoTrackie 

OK, that explains it. Your problem is that you have a SRAM product.

UltraManDan

Hahaha.. Yeah, I guess that plays a big role in it. lol.

hairnet

the NDS arm should have a self extracting bolt, but then how did he remove the bolt alone?

ThermionicScott 

Yes, use lots of grease when installing the pedals so that they'll be easier to remove next time.

Leukybear 

He must've screwed out the outer dust cap as well or is missing it. It doubles as the part that the inner bolt backs into for that self-extracting action.

A simple fix really, screw the dustcap back on and skip to unscrewing the inner bolt instead.

Some people choose to remove the dustcap to prevent theft as all you need to remove a gxp crankset is a single hex key.

UltraManDan

Yes, the dust cap came off with the bolt. That would prevent the crank arm from sliding off the spindle? So if I keep the dust cap on and only take off the crank arm bolt it will slide off?

TejanoTrackie 

The bolt acts like a puller to remove the crankarm. As you unscrew it, the bolt pushes against the dustcap, which in turn causes it to push against the spindle that is part of the right crankarm. Make sure the dustcap is fully threaded into the crankarm before trying to unscrew the bolt.

UltraManDan

Makes sense now that it's explained. Thank!!

I am still getting some significant creaking, so I will disassemble tonight. Thanks guys

bonsai171

Hi,

The front brake caliper on my fixed squeaks when I stop. I couldn't find anything on bike forums on how to quiet it, and was wondering if anyone else has encountered this issue and how to fix it. Thanks!

Dave

scoho

Anyone know anything about Araya TX-733 rims?



They're pretty heavy, but that doesn't bother me too much. I'm mostly curious whether the finish is as nice as other Araya rims, plus any other feedback on their general quality.

I've never seen much about them, and I can get them waaay cheaper than anything comparable ($35 vs. $100+ for TB14s), so I just want to make sure there's nothing obviously deficient about them that I should be worried about.

edit: Went ahead and ordered a pair. Worst case scenario is I've got a $70 pair of decent rims to build a backup wheelset with.

Unkle Rico

You've got to toe out the pads it sounds like..

Loosen the bolt that holds the pads to the calipers, line everything up (how the pad meets the brake track on the wheel) and then place a penny on the end of the pad towards the back of the bike. Pull the brake lever tight (as if you breaking) and then at the same time tightening the bolt that holds the pad to the caliper.

This should stop your pads from making noise. Its also possible your pads just need to be replaced if the rubber has become to hard.

j_e_r_e_m_y

Probably a dumb question, but I'm not having any luck finding an answer through the google. I just ordered a KMC HL710 halk link chain, and I started to wonder, with 100 half links vs a normal chain with 100+ full links, is it going to be half the overall length? Will I need to combine 2 of the HL710's to fit a bike with 48x18 gearing?

ThermionicScott 

It's too bad Araya rims aren't more prevalent outside of Japan these days. They come out with neat stuff now and then (for example a new 650B touring rim TX-310F), and it mostly flies under our radar.

The 733 doesn't have eyelets, so that probably explains the heavier weight (beefed-up spoke bed) and lower cost. Hard to tell from online pictures whether the silver ones are polished, or have more of a bright matte finish.





Keep us posted on how they work out for you.

TejanoTrackie 

No. A link is a single 1/2" long piece of the chain between pins. On a normal chain what we commonly call a "full" link is actually two links, one inner and one outer. A half link is a hybrid that is outer at one end and inner at the other end. So, your half link chain with 100 links will be the same length as a regular chain with 100 links.

j_e_r_e_m_y

Thank you, TT!

scoho

Yeah, I'm just now noticing that Araya has a lot of cool stuff that's just not really available in the US.

Just got a shipping notification on the 733s, so I'll find out soon enough and report back.

SquidPuppet

Attempting to be helpful. Beware.

https://www.amazon.com/KMC-HL710L-Bi...ews-filter-bar

bonsai171

I think it's the caliper spring. It's a metallic sort of noise (it can be replicated by squeezing the brake lever, even when the wheels aren't spinning). What could be done for that?

Dave

j_e_r_e_m_y

Yikes, that's not terribly reassuring. I've already ordered it and it's on the way, so I'll still give it a try - I ride single speed and not fixed, so hopefully I'll survive if it fails.

SquidPuppet

I love regular KMC chains but evidently the half linkers have issues. There was recently a conversation here about how noisy they were because they are intended to be used on BMX drive trains which evidently have slightly different tooth profiles. And did you see how many of those reviews said the snapped without warning when they were new? I wouldn't want to experience that while climbing a hill out of the saddle or trying to burst through a yellow light at an intersection.

UltraManDan

I was able to take apart my crankset and inspect for cracks or anything that would be causing the creaking sound. Didn't find anything, so I just cleaned it all and re-greased everything and the creaking seems to have stopped. I guess time will tell.

Back to my fork/ headset issue as the tiny bit of play is driving me crazy. I only notice it a little when going over bumps/ rough spots without putting any weight on the bars. I can hear it kind of rattle a bit. I can also feel a little play if I lift the front wheel off the ground, turn it 90* and rock it forwards and backwards. It is a tiny bit, but it is there enough to concern me. Especially with having a carbon steerer tube; I don't want it over stressing it and breaking.

When I installed the headset, I did not use the spacers under the red arrow in the picture below. If I were to install them, what order do they go in? Do they go on the outside of each headset bearing, or inside? I am confused.

Also, the beveled part of each headset bearing sits down in the head tube cup, correct? This would make the flat part for the bottom bearing against the crown race, and the flat part of the upper bearing against the headset cap.

Thanks!

j_e_r_e_m_y

Good points, I should have done some research on that chain first - since it was KMC, I didn't think there'd be any quality issues. Oh well, at least it wasn't terribly expensive.

IAmSam

Warning - this post is not 100% SS/FG specific

Hallelujah - my wife has finally shown an interest in joining me in the bicycle world. I am very happy to buy her a bike, but am cognizant of the fact that she may not stick with it, and think I should take that into consideration.

I've got it narrowed down to 2 bikes:

1) A fairly cheap IG 3-speed Mixte that should be more than adequate for her to get started on, but is practically worthless if she does not get into bicycling.

2) A pretty nice retro-modern Donna-style step-thru single-speed that is several hundred dollars more than #1. If it turns out my wife does not get into riding - it is a bike that I kind of like and it could come in handy for me as I am aging and developing joint problems that are starting to make it harder for me to swing my leg over my bikes lately.

BTW - it wouldn't hurt to have the extra few hundy to spend on my own bikes which have been trouble-free the past couple years but now are starting to need some work.

TIA for any advice/suggestions in this matter...

UltraManDan

Not a very active thread anymore..

Fixed the headset issue. Took it all apart and noticed the top bearing had a little play in the headtube cup, so I swapped it to the bottom and the bottom to the top. Both fit much better this way and eliminated the little bit of play that I had.