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Quote:

Originally Posted by ryand

a phil wood suicide hub.

and i thought i had heard it all.

you guys could probably sell that and get a decent track/fixed specific hub.

edit: yes i know its not as easy, but i'm just saying. probably because i'm an ass.

Bwahahaha.
Yes, it could be sold... And yes, it could be replaced with a track hub. But then that'd be too easy, much less fun, and unworthy of a post in the DIY thread.

...besides, there's nothing quite like running brakeless with a hub that could (in theory, and if we hadn't applied a lockring and plenty of red loctite) toss your cog right off any ol' time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by djembob02

You're right its actually really easy. I found that even if an old wheel is very fubar it still isn't rocket science. Just be sure you know which way is tightening, which is loosening. Also use a good spoke wrench. The first time I did this I used a real cheap wrench that has 12 or so different sizes. The smallest size was not small enough for the nipples. This meant that I rounded many of them. If I remember right, you would turn your spoke wrench counterclockwise. Here's a step by step

1. Check the wheel, make sure it seems to be in good structural shape. Make sure no spokes are broke, might as well check the hub.
2. Especially on an old wheel. put a small drop of thin oil (transmission fluid or some all purpose lubricant) on each spoke. spin the wheel so that the oil goes into the nipple threads. This step is to prevent the spoke from braking or stripping.
3. If you don't have a trueing stand (I don't) put the wheel on the bike and turn the bike over. If you have a brake tighten the brake so that it barely touches the wheel. If there's no brake, you can clamp something to the fork/seat stay that sticks out. You could even do something crude like rubber banding a pen (with cap on) to the bike. Adjust it so that it barely touches the rim. (the easiest way to detect it is to listen for when the wheel is rubbing.)
4. Spin the wheel. In the spot where it hits the pen/brake/whatever, tighten the spoke on the opposite side. Also note that if you have to make significant changes, you will likely need to loosen the other spoke. For example, if the wheel is wobbly to the right, you would tighten the left spoke and loosen the right. Only make small changes, half a turn at a time.
5. After the correction, spin the wheel. If it still rubs, do it again. If it rubs somewhere else on the wheel, do it there.
6. After the wheel doesn't rub, tighten the brake or move the pen closer, Repeat previous steps.
7. Keep doing this until the wheel is true.
8. Adjust the brake back to normal, or remove the pen.

To redish the wheel, maybe to improve chainline or to use a "suicide" hub. loosen all the spokes on one side one turn, tighten all the spokes on the opposite one turn. This will move the whole rim a small amount. Then true the wheel as desribed. If it needs to go over more, do it again.

Hope this helps, it really isn't that hard. Sorry I don't have any pics. If nobody else posts some, I can probably add some tommorrow night. I don't think my wheels need it, but I can demonstrate anyway.

So I got a spoke wrench today, where does flicking the spokes and listening to the tone it makes play into all of this? I don't think the wheel I'm practicing on isn't very much out of true as it is, but hypothetically if my wheel is perfectly tensioned, all spokes should have the exact same tone when flicked, correct?

Also, when the spoke is on the top of the wheel, righty tighty and lefty loosey, correct?

Quote:

Originally Posted by andre nickatina

Also, when the spoke is on the top of the wheel, righty tighty and lefty loosey, correct?

If you are looking at the nipple from the top (that is, through the rim), then it is righty tighty lefty loosey. Imagine you are tightening and loosening the nipple like a screw with a screwdriver if you get confused.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SingleSpeeDemon

I recovered my saddle.

I'm interested to hear how that holds up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SingleSpeeDemon

I recovered my saddle.

that came out looking very good. if i did it, i'd be afraid of getting lumps, bubbles, and ridges in it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by br995

I'm interested to hear how that holds up.

I imagine it should do quite well. The heavy marine vinyl is thicker and adhered better than the original cover, but only time and long miles in the saddle will tell.

Did you staple it down? Just use a staple gun?

Quote:

Originally Posted by queerpunk

that came out looking very good. if i did it, i'd be afraid of getting lumps, bubbles, and ridges in it.

I was afraid of that too, but the first important step of using the righ adhesive and following instuctions EXACTLY made it easy to mold the vinyl to foam base. It took a bit of work to tension and attach it around the bottom edge and I couldn't have done it without using staples. I think next time I cover a saddle, I will use small binder clips around the lower edge to hold the cover in place until the adhesive sets.

The original cover had a sewn in edge around the lower edge which allowed for smooth easy attachment. I had to carefully pleat and trip the vintly on the bottom using an X-Acto and then finally I sealed the edges with a smelly type of glue meant for reapiring leather, vinyl, etc to ensure a stong bond.

Trust me, it's easier than you'd think.

Quote:

Originally Posted by br995

Did you staple it down? Just use a staple gun?

The saddle had staples originally, so I used staples too. I thik once the edhesive sets, you could remove these and put a final seal of adhesive over the seam where the vinyl meets the plastic shell.

Thanks for the updates. I've added them to the original post.

http://www.bikexprt.com/bicycle/tension.htm ended up answering my own question, an article on wheel truing based on musical tones. i'm now practicing daily to try and perfect this method...

edit: seems to me i knocked my front wheel out of true. i guess i'm just gonna take a class on this ****.

Quote:

Originally Posted by andre nickatina

Surprise surprise. A truing stand costs a lot less and works a lot better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aeroplane

Surprise surprise. A truing stand costs a lot less and works a lot better.

This technique is for tensioning the wheel and not just truing and has been used since the spoked wheel came into existence.

the pitch chart on that site doesn't mention crossings. that seem weird to anyone else? you'd think # of crossings would have an effect on pitch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by killsurfcity

the pitch chart on that site doesn't mention crossings. that seem weird to anyone else? you'd think # of crossings would have an effect on pitch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tha article

If spokes are laced, pluck them where they cross. You will be listening to the sound of two spokes at once.

If the tension of two laced spokes is very different, you will hear a dull thud. Pull the spokes across each other with your fingers to see which one is looser. Lift the looser spoke away to pluck the tighter one alone and check its pitch.

no matter the crossings, spokes should only touch one other spoke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rikardi151

no matter the crossings, spokes should only touch one other spoke.

don't forget 4x and three leading three trailing although rare they are still out there

Make some DIY Toshi double straps

I made some Toshi-style double toe straps! :

(Click on the pictures if you want to increase the size)

Materials:

Leather strap (mine is a leather guitar strap)
Scissors
Rivets (or nuts and bolts if you're super-duper DIY)
Drill bit to make holes in the straps (I used the tip of an X-acto knife)

Attachment 37919

Step 1: Cut the strap into lengths about 12"

Step 2: Remove a section from the middle of the strap so that you leave two strips thin enough to fit in your pedals. Also leave a section uncut at the ends of the strips about 4" long.

Attachment 37920

Step 3: Remove a very small section from the middle of that large tab you previously left uncut so that you can secure the clips for the straps.

Attachment 37922

Thread the tab strips through the strap clips and secure them somehow (I used bolts and nuts because I'm ghetto fab like that...).

Attachment 37923

Thread the straps through the pedals and rock your new DIY Toshis!

Attachment 37924

Attachment 37925

To the forum's more discerning and fastidious mechanics and DIYers, please disregard the fact that I am using those crappy, plastic Well-Go cages... I am poor and haven't found enough change in the parking lot of my LBS to buy Cristophe cages.

I think you mounted your buckles backwards. They should be facing the outside, not the inside of your pedals.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swampy

I think you mounted your buckles backwards. They should be facing the outside, not the inside of your pedals.

You got me... I was in a rush to finish the project since it was like 4 in the morning. I noticed the clips after I posted this but didn't think anyone would notice. They have been corrected.

ooo man, i just bought some new double toshi. but u did a great job. id say cut those straps a lil shorter or you could keep the cool streamer look

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gyeswho

ooo man, i just bought some new double toshi. but u did a great job. id say cut those straps a lil shorter or you could keep the cool streamer look

Yeah, I kept the straps long to match the handlebar streamers which I will be posting a tutorial of later!

*note to self: Double-check all pictures for 4:00 AM rushed mistakes or you will be called out on each one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hockeyteeth

Rivets (or nuts and bolts if you're super-duper DIY)

How are these working out? They look like they might hurt your feet or at least mess up your shoes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marqueemoon

How are these working out? They look like they might hurt your feet or at least mess up your shoes.

I made the heads face the inside of the straps so it's really only 1/16" inch off from flush with the strap. I think the bolts are the only thing ghetto about the straps, but I don't know how else to secure the clips.

Attachment 38063

you can get a rivet set for cheap from tandy leather

DIY double toe strap holders... the leather ones above look a lot easier though.

enjoy.

HERE

Quote:

Originally Posted by hockeyteeth

any hardware store should have a little rivet kit, composed of the two sides and a little anvil to hammer them in on. should fit right into the holes you made for the bolts.

Updates added. Thanks!