What have you done with your bike/s today?

[Worty]

Went for a 166m run around Lincolnshire, mostly down side roads - excellent!!   Also, took the wife out for a 34 mile run to see if she's ok with being on a bike - first time she's been on a bike ever!!   Both went very well!  She even wanted to go a bit further (oooerr), which was interesting as she said the bike vibrated a lot!!!!!

Smut aside, the bike coped with both very well.  Only pumped the tyres up a bit and the middle suspension setting was fine.  No clutch slip and plenty of acceleration - do things get any better??

[Dave c]

went to ross on wye autojumble yesterday from evesham on my A65, brilliant sunny weather, the most people and stalls i have have seen down there, got a couple of bits.got talking to someone about my craven panniers and top box telling me the history of them. lovely ride down through ledbury then going back i stopped for a sandwich, got talking to a couple about my bike and how well used it looked, ride carefully the said, its not you its the others you have to watch, how right she was as 15 minuits later a car shunted me from behind! loads of sheep on the road, every one stopped exept for her. oh no my panniers i thought,but they were ok. her bonnet must have just nudged my carrier luckily no damage to bike, could have been a lot worse if she had been going 5 miles an hour quicker. riding home came across another accident, person laid on floor with blood everywhere,thought that could have been me. brings it home to you, be carefull out there

[mikeb]

finally fitted the new 389 to the super rocket. its been sitting on the shelf staring at me for a month, but i've been too busy fixing out leaking house  and its been too rainy to ride much.
the SR starts ok but that's as far as i got. will no doubt need some fettling

[Greybeard]

Dave, lucky escape! I'm glad it was no worse.

One day, when the kids were young we were going on our holidays. I was towing a trailer-tent. I could see that there was a young woman tailgating us. When the traffic all stopped at lights I jumped out, ran back and asked her to please drop back a bit. A  bit later, I had to brake hard for some reason. The car following us ran into the trailer! The young woman driver was aggressively defensive, no apologies! Our trailer tent was never quite the same. If I am being tailgated these days I just slow down and encourage them to overtake.

[Greybeard]

I drained the gearbox to check for glitter, due to the chat about EP oil destroying bushes. Happily there was no evidence of this.

[RoyC]

The young woman driver was aggressively defensive, no apologies!

You should have left with her car keys.   

[lawnmowerman]

I drained the gearbox to check for glitter, due to the chat about EP oil destroying bushes. Happily there was no evidence of this.

I think you are ok with brass or oilite bushes with EP oil GB. I do have a problem with EP attacking the bronze worm wheel on the rear drive of my Sunbeam but it tends to corrode it rather than cause glitter. There was an error in the manufacturers handbook which said EP was ok.
I use Castrol D140 to prevent it but there is still bronze colour in the old oil when it comes out but it appears that they all do it and is normal. It does look worse than it is though.

Jim

[Greybeard]

....there is still bronze colour in the old oil when it comes out but it appears that they all do it and is normal. It does look worse than it is though.

Isn't that just wear?

[lawnmowerman]

....there is still bronze colour in the old oil when it comes out but it appears that they all do it and is normal. It does look worse than it is though.

Isn't that just wear?

Yes it is wear but they are huge teeth on the worm wheel so will take ages to cause problems. The worm shaft is steel so that doesn't help matters but it is possible to re-shim the shaft to take up the wear and reduce backlash.

Jim

[Black Sheep]

Met up with other slightly unhinged Velo owners in Moffat. Hissing it down throughout, superb scenery just the same. Had to feel a bit sorry for the poor cyclists. Don't think lycra is waterproof. Took the long way home, just for the fun of it.

[BigJim]

Took the beastie out get a coffee and meet a buddy. Have changed gearbox oil and needed to check it still goes into gear (told mrs). Truth is i needed a blast and its running really well at mo. Am ignoring oil from breather, if you go fast enough it blows away and leaves less of a mess when parked up. Managed to dodge the showers and returned in the dark which is brave for me.
Really enjoyed letting loose after a couple of tense days at work. Am also pleased with the 22 tooth engine sprocket (previous 21). All the gears are now used as opposed to just a means to get to 4th.
 

[orabanda]

With a lot of input from my genius friend Robert (he's in the pics), my 1938 Square Four frame is now as straight (or even straighter?) as when it left Selly Oak.
The frame was seriously bent; rear wheel, front head stock, tank mounts all had visible twists.

It took all of Sunday in my shed working on it.

The only straight part was the rear upper tube, which became our reference.

My work table is 1” plate, perfectly flat (using Moore & Wright machinery level); weighs 500kg. We used lasers for levelling.

The gearbox sprocket and rear wheel sprocket were 5mm out of alignment; now perfect.

The rear wheel was also 5mm out of alignment (LH side of the bike  has taken a big shunt).

The bottom rails and front engine mount were twisted & engine bolts wouldn’t go in without levering front downtube.

Seat mounting lugs were badly bent out of shape.

Bottom gearbox lug was twisted.

Tank mounts were twisted 3 – 4 degrees out of alignment.

Front end was bent to the right, and twisted.

Most of the straightening was done cold, but some lugs were heated to stress relieve, after making spacers & doing up tight.

Everything is now straight; seat mounts, sprocket alignment is perfect, steering angle is as per factory (62 degrees), tank mounts aligned, gearbox bolts screw in by hand, all engine studs slide in by hand.

Happy camper; thanks Robert!!!

[orabanda]

In 2000, when I bought a Ariel Red Hunter the seller threw in some rusty frames that were found on the rubbish tip at the family’s farm in rural Western Australia

The serial number on this one proved it to be one of 970 Square Fours made in 1938 (factory records show it was supplied to a dealer in Aberdeen, Scotland). Wonder how it ended up in W.A?

[Greybeard]

With a lot of input from my genius friend Robert (he's in the pics), my 1938 Square Four frame is now as straight (or even straighter?) as when it left Selly Oak....

Fascinating! Good work Robert!

[muskrat]

G'day fellas.
Well not quit as involved as Richard's work.
Over the last few evenings I applied paint to the plungers repaired fuel tank. Painted silver in place of chrome then masked up for the black sections. Last night blew some clear over the lot. Today cut it back with 1500 w&d then applied the pin stripe. Then another 6 coats of clear. Tomorrow I'll buff then put the badges and knee pads on.
Trying to have it ready for a run up to Crookwell on Saturday.
Cheers