keepin that chain tight
 

My chain on an 47 17 with track dropouts always seems to have a little play. It never gets worse, but it never stays perfectly tight after adjusting. any suggestions? is this normal? I have never ridden someone elses fixie.

it's cool

Not sure if this has been posted, and for all of y'all who never run a brake on any bike, feel free to ignore, but:

To adjust toe in:

1. fold a lil piece of cardstock in half - that should be about 1.5mm thick, give or take a few microns
2. wedge that piece in between your rim and the back of the brake pad.
3. loosen up the brake pad holder bolt
4. squeeze the lever good and hard. While maintaining pressure, adjust your pad so that it's square to the rim, and hitting it at the right height.
5. While maintaining death grip, wrap electrical tape around the lever and bar to hold the lever in position.
6. tighten up the brake pad bolt
7. rinse and repeat.

To centre your brake pads (info courteousy of Dave Moulton):
1. place a punch or a big old bolt against the brake spring on the far out side. Tap the bolt with a hammer.
2. Is it centred? If not, do it again until it is.
3. squeeze the lever a few times. If the brake pads don't stay centred, either your brake bolt is too loose or your housing is too long (and is pushing the brake back into wonky position). Fix that.

I always found that mine worked just fine on this kind of dropout without any modification. Just get the two little pronges either side of the curve and hold it in place as you tighten the tug nut.

OK, I'll edit the how-to a bit.

unstuck - part of the RESOURCE thread - please keep giving input here!!!!

Cool.

Thanks for the RAM, too.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/4...2008c8b2_o.jpg

Since I was looking for this thread (which was hard to search for, for some reason)
for like 40 pages, figured I'd up it.

You could always just go to the resource thread sticky yknow.

jesus ch***t. oh well.

I remove headset cups using a pitch fork and a hammer....just line up one of the pitch fork teeth with the edge of the bearing cup and wail on the top of the pitch fork until it comes out....ghetto, but it works.

Here is my chain whip:
recycled part of a fork with a chain attached to the fender hole.
Tools used: hacksaw, chaintool.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...r/DSC02215.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...r/DSC02217.jpg

That's cool, but how do you get any leverage without a second length of chain? Maybe you could cut slots in the fork blade to grip the cogs' teeth!

I don't know. but it works well :)

Alzonder,

It's not much of a DIY without instructions. Can you edit and add them (with pics maybe)?

replace the bearings on your formula hub

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1138/...3dd9aea447.jpg

please add this thread about how to tape bullhorns (by c0urt):

http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=6158792


kthxbye!

Added. Thanks!

http://icanhascheezburger.wordpress....-cat-dolls.jpg

I have a welder, extra chain, and random pieces of metal to work as a lever but no chain whip... why haven't I thought of that before. Thanks for the inspiration.

I've never made one but I don't see how it would be hard. from the photos i've done similar work with a sawz-all (can be done with a hacksaw but that would be danm annoying). Place tubing in vice vertically, make 2 cuts at 90 degree angles and pry the tabs outwards. I'll try to get around to posting photos but no guarantees, hopefully you get the idea.

HEY So did I, was it a schiwnn world?

I'm going to throw my tutorial on making a belt with a bike tube up on here in a few days or so once I make my second one and take pictures while in the process, so it'll be very thorough and with pictures each step. what do you guys think? is there already one for bike tube belts, should i post it?

Dude, this is pretty awesome! I guess you used the fender attachment to lock the chain onto?

Leather Saddle Restoration

Thing's you'll need:

1. Old saddle in need of love
2. Beer
3. Proofide / Snoseal/ or some other wax based leather treatment
4. C-Clamps /Twine
5. Oven
6. About 1.5 hours

Ok time to get started.

Step 1. Open Beer
Step 2. Turn on oven to about 200 F
Step 3. Apply proofide to saddle (Focus more on the underside, but get the top too.)
Step 4. Place in Oven for about 5 min. In the mean time enjoy beer.
Step 5. Remove from oven. Let cool another 5 min. Enjoy more brew.
Step 6. Repeat step 3
Step 7. If the sides are splayed outwards clamp them in in the seat rails with seat clamps. if not skip this step.
Step 8. Place back in oven for another 5 min.
Step 9. Remove, and repeat above steps as necessary.

!!!!Be sure to let Saddle cool/dry over night before removing clamps!!!!!

The DIY thread should be sticky!!