The nut might be worn on the backside where the little grippy teeth are -- just get a new one

You're not providing any details aside from the fact that you might just be a wimp. If the axle nuts you're using aren't the good kind that have a rotating washer attached or the serrations facing the dropout are worn, that may be your problem. If your dropouts are aluminum and have stainless steel inserts, that may also contribute to the problem.

If my 115 lb wife can tighten her axle nuts without her wheel slipping forward, so can you.

/unclerico

If my 115 lb wife can tighten her axle nuts without her wheel slipping forward, so can you.

/unclerico[/QUOTE]

My wife weight about 115 lbs too. I'll get her to tighten the axle nuts for me. Thanks.

why are you using a pedal wrench?

i know they are both 15mm but still. why?

After reading this I immediately went to retro-gression.com and bought a set! Thanks Scrod

Scrod

First off, thank you for having the best selection of quill stems I've seen so far (between Amazon, nashbar, performance, and niagara).

Second, help me understand them better.

I bought this one. In the 180x60x26.0 size.
Here it is on the bike (top pic)

I'd like to get a shorter one, and I keep reading about minimum/maximum insertion levels, and blah blah and I don't have any idea how far down the stem goes into my head tube because I'm a beginner.

I'm looking at the quills on retrogression and I'm hoping you can help me pick one out. I'd like to move up to a 80 for reach, but I'm not sure what length I should be looking at.
I love the cinelli 1A but it's sold out, and it also doesn't say what height it is.
So I'm looking at the Nitto Dynamic 80mm 26.0. Can you help me understand if it's significantly shorter than my current stem?
I'd be happy to do some measuring on my bike when I get home if that's needed.

Or can you suggest others?

Must be silver.

Thanks 'zilla

The vast majority of quill stems have similar minimum insertion and height measurements. If you want something longer to put your bars up higher get yourself a Nitto Technomic, which is basically a Dynamic with a longer quill.

For that thread stripping leverage, fo sho

Scrod,

Hey the KMC710SL I bought from you not long ago. Don't know how I managed to do it but I got the Magic Link installed with the flat side "in" not out like it should be (like the rest of the chain). I made a mental note to install it correctly and presto!! Will this cause a problem? Should I change it? Not familiar with these chains enough to make an educated guess. Also, better to put a new Magic Link on or is that one ok? No mileage on this chain yet.

My one Dumb Bass award for today.....

Flip it to match all the other links. You can re-use it.

No I am looking to make my bars lower than they currently are.

Hack saw and a file. I've done it many times. Just make sure it's long enough to position the wedge completely below the threaded portion of the steerer.


Not Scrod.

The quill on your stem isn't that long. Lower it.

Hey Scrod,

I am wanting to get a longer seatpost. The listed length of seatposts is what measurement? I ask so that I can measure my current one and make sure the one I am getting is for sure longer. Thanks!

The length.

https://media4.giphy.com/media/3o7TK...cCS4/200.gif#6





Specifically, from the bottom of the post to the center of the clamp.

Awesome, exactly what I wanted to know. The saddle-rail clamp is a separate piece on my current seatpost, and I didnt know if the listed measurements were to the min-insertion line or total length.

It does seem that min insertion length to center of clamp would be a more uesful measurement than the total length.

When using common sense the minimum insertion is pretty much the same on every seatpost, so not necessarily.

Either/or, neither/nor.

Scrod, do you have a preferred method for pressing new bearings into Formula hubs (or any hub with a threaded axle)? The last time I did it I just used the old bearings as drifts with a washer on either end and used the axle nuts to press them in. This seems sub-optimal.

That's one way to do it.

If I have time I usually put the bearings in the freezer for an hour, then just push them in by hand.

No kidding? I will try that, thanks!

Yeah, freezing them will make them shrink just enough to make them easier to press in.

I usually keep a bag of 6000 & 6001 bearings in the freezer at the shop all the time, just in case. Suzue Pro Max SB hubs can be especially stubborn.

The last time I changed bearings I had a hell of time getting one of the rear hub bearings to seat completely. I had to crank on it super hard. I will definitely try the freezer this time.

Project: lacing high flange hubs to 32-hole TB14 rims. I was thinking about butted spokes, maybe Sapim Laser; LBS recommended straight gauge, Sapim Leader.

Specifically, he recommended against using butted spokes due to the TB14's flexiness. However, I've also had a lot of problems at my local shops (just one example, from a different shop: their trying to give me a 113mm BB for a crankset spec'ed at 103mm), and I've found this forum to provide much better information.

So, what say you--Is there a safety issue with butted spokes? Is the ride going to feely noodley? Is it totally ok? Any specific recommendations aside from the spokes I already noted?

For reference, I'm 175lbs and most of my riding is on decent but far from pristine paths.

I went through the same experience when I started building my own wheels a few years ago. I wanted butted spokes, but my LBS gave me a whole "straight gauge spokes are stronger and the weight savings are negligible" argument. Turns out he was wrong on both accounts, and that he just didn't stock DB spokes. I can't figure out the why behind this, except that maybe the shop did this to keep their wheel build costs lower than other shops in town (high % of customers can't tell the difference).

You could find a copy of my wheelbuilding bible, or just trust the words of Sheldon:

"Double-butted spokes do more than save weight. The thick ends make them as strong in the highly-stressed areas as straight-gauge spokes of the same thickness, but the thinner middle sections make the spokes effectively more elastic, allowing them to stretch (temporarily) more than thicker spokes.

As a result, when the wheel is subjected to sharp localized stresses, the most heavily-stressed spokes can elongate enough to shift some of the stress to adjoining spokes. This is particularly desirable when the limiting factor is how much stress the rim can withstand without cracking around the spoke holes." Link

Scrod can probably give more insight on this one. I will say that the additional cost of doing a DB spoke build vs. straight gauge stacks up quickly depending on your spoke count.

Yeah, the guy doesn't know what he's talking about and probably just doesn't have doubt;e-butted spokes on hand.

The 32h TB14s I built for my own bike are laced to Phil low flange hubs using Sapim Race spokes and they're the most comfortable wheels I've ever ridden on the crappy San Diego streets. I've also never had to true them and have been riding on them for a few years now.

Personally I wouldn't go with Lasers because the butted section is really thin and they will probably end up making those wheels too springy. A springy wheel will be stronger, hold its shape and stay true a little better but too springy will feel like you're fighting your bike. If Sapim is your jam, stick with Race spokes, which are 2.0/1.8/2.0mm.

Also: when you calculate your spoke lengths for a wheel built using TB14 rims, round up and add 2mm. You'll thank me. ;)

Awesome, thanks Scrod.

So should I probably be looking at 14/15 gauge spokes exclusively? I can get a good deal on Hoshi 15/16, but it sounds like you think those might be too springy, if the gauge itself is a reliable indicator.

EDIT: Just found out I can get 14/15 for the same deal.

Just to add my .02¢ like it matters

I ride butted spokes on my mountain bike, which travels America hucking off jumps and doing various kinds of lunacy which quite literally puts my life in my own hands on almost every ride.

I ride butted spokes on my commuter bike which not only weighs close to 50lbs, but is often loaded with another 40lbs of groceries, me (160lbs) all the while wearing a messenger backpack loaded with another 30lbs of laundry or god knows what.

I ridebutted spokes (lasers) on a track bike thats seen about 5k miles on nyc streets and some gravel paths. If you've been to nyc thats all the information you need to know.

None of these wheels have broken any spokes and only only a single spoke has needed 1/8th of a turn in all the thousands of miles of these wheels history

In fact: the only spokes i ever have broken, have been straight gauge SS spokes.

I think you'll be ok

What spoke calculator do you generally use? I am about to rebuild some DA 7400 road hubs to some TB14s and I have generally used QBP and at least one other (usually Sapim) to check. We have a PW spoke cutter so it isn't a huge deal if I go longer (and I might just go long and buy in bulk and cut them down myself) but I am curious why add 2mm?