Sunday 28 April 2013

Cycles, Parts & Accessories

If you're looking for parts/accessories for your bike, then I can supply anything from the Raleigh Online Shop.
I can also supply bikes from the DBR range such as the Summit Air...


or the Sprint...


or if you fancy something different and and are a regular commuter what about Dahon folding bike.
2013 Dahon Jifo 16 Green Folding Bike

I can try and match most prices you find on-line but remember the bike is being assembled to British Standards BS 6102: Part 1: 1992 by a C&G Level 2 qualified technician and will included the first service and delivery in the Vale free.

If you've interested in a new bike or needs parts/accessories then please contact us on either 07812 033 064, 01446 796 959 or via email at peter@valecycleserving.co.uk.

Thursday 25 April 2013

Gallery - Prevention Is Better Than Cure

I thought it would be good to post some images that say it all and why regular maintenance is so important for your bike and your pocket.


Rear wheel bearing as they came out of the hub.
 

Removing a stuck carbon fibre seat post from the frame.


The top of the seat tube is alloy wrapped in carbon so the deposits on the post is corrosion from the tube.  Regular use of a grease specifically for carbon would eliminate this.

If you've got any questions about bicycle builds then please contact us on either 07812 033 064, 01446 796 959 or via email at peter@valecycleserving.co.uk.

Wednesday 24 April 2013

SAB Team Takoni Bike Build - Handlebars & Shifters

Handlebars and Shifters


One of the most important parts on your bike as this is one of the interfaces between you and your bike. 

Get the handlebar position or shifters in the wrong position and it can make your ride really uncomfortable.  

A good starting point for levers is to set them with the bottom of the lever level with the bottom of the handle bar.  At this stage don't wrap the bars with tape until you've tried the bike and the handlebar/lever position and your happy with them.

  

If your fitting new kit you have a choice of where the brake/shift lever sit.  The pictures below show the difference the inserts supplied make to the lever position and by adding/removing the inserts you can change the angle by 8deg's.

Having the levers without the inserts make it easier to apply the brakes with your hands on the 'hoods'.


The final part is to make sure both levers are at the same height on the bars.



If you've got any questions about bicycle builds then please contact us on either 07812 033 064, 01446 796 959 or via email at peter@valecycleserving.co.uk.

Thursday 18 April 2013

SAB Team Takoni Bike Build - Frame

As you can see the frame has arrived but as most things there's prep to do.

When I got the frame in the stand it was time to ensure everything was OK. This mainly involved chasing out (i.e cleaning) threads and preparing the bottom bracket for the hollow tech BB bearings.

Being an Italian bike the threads are Italian and are both right-handed unlike an English BB where the threads oppose each other so the rotation of the cranks is the tightening direction of the bearing fittings. 

With the Italian thread there is a slight chance the LH bearing could come undone with the rotation of the crank, but if thread-locked in there's not much chance.


 
Next up is the head bearing. This frame uses full integrated sealed bearings which drop into a machined cut-out in the headset. 

The bearing outer race is chamfered to sit snugly. Be careful as there are different angles for the bearing to sit against - both the top and bottom bearings for this headset are 45 deg.

I like to sparingly grease the exposed surfaces to discourage corrosion. Once the bearings are re-fitted with the forks and stem just nip up the top cap as the final adjustment can't be done until the bikes is on its wheels. 


Final jobs for the day was fitting the handle bars, the seat post and seat. The final position of these is determined once the bike is on its wheels with the rider on-board.

I'll leave the handle bar tape until then so the levers can be moved if required. 


 


If you've got any questions about bicycle builds then please contact us on either 07812 033 064, 01446 796 959 or via email at peter@valecycleserving.co.uk

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Great value bike - £320 from Vale Cycle Servicing in Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan

It's time for our first Vale Cycle Servicing offer!!!

How's this -
i
f you're looking for a great value bike try this DBR Sprint.

Designed by Raleigh, this bike is an ideal introduction to riding with STI gears, runs on 700 x 28mm tyres with mountings to allow the fitting of carrier and mudguards making it suitable for anything from commuting to light touring.



  • Gearset: SHIMANO 2300 16 speed STI gear set and levers with Shimano 50/34T chainset and 12-25T cassette
  • Brakeset: Alloy Caliper brakes and levers
  • Wheelset: Deep section alloy rims with QR front hub and 28mm tyres
  • Controls: Alloy oversize drop bar on an alloy aheadset stem finished with black tape
  • Finishing Kit: DBR road saddle, alloy micro adjust seat post, alloy pedals with toe clips
  • Frame: AL6061 aluminium compact frame with mudguard clearance
  • Forks: Steel racing fork with mudguard clearance and eyes

Available in 47 or 55cm frames - these bikes will be built to British Standards BS 6102: Part 1: 1992 prior to delivery with the first service and delivery in the Vale free. All this for £320.

If you've got any questions about bicycle builds please contact us on either 07812 033 064, 01446 796 959 or via email at peter@valecycleserving.co.uk.

Saturday 13 April 2013

SAB Team Takoni Bike Build - Wheels

As good a place as any to start with the build is what wheels to use. 

One of the most important things to consider is not how light the wheels will be but what is its intended use.


Therefore, we need to ensure the rims, hubs and spokes are correct for the rider’s weight, riding style and discipline?

Only once we have established those things can we select the wheels.


  
In this case, I'm looking for a fairly inexpensive rim that can be used for leisure / training rides with a reliable hub. 

I've selected from Raleigh a set of their Trubuild Mach1 CFX rim which should handle our pot-hole epidemic without being too heavy.    


  
These are partnered with Shimano Tiagra hubs, 9/10 speed freewheel for the back and quick release axles. 

These make a fairly reliable but inexpensive wheel set ideal for Sunday rides or everyday commuters.



It's also important to use rim tape - on cheaper rims it's a barrier between the tube and spoke nipples while on rims like the CFX (which are double-walled) it cover the spoke nipple holes in the inner wall and stops the tube bulging through the spoke holes. 

When fitting rim tape ensure it's centred on the rim and not off to one side which can cause problems getting the tyre bead to seat properly on the rim. 


The tyres we're using are Schwalbe Lugano. Not too expensive but with Kevlar®Guard protection belt to help prevent punctures.

When you've got the tyre on the rims - preferably without the use of tyre levers - it's time to inflate them fully. 

Carefully read the side of the tyre as it will give you a maximum pressure.

However, what people don't realise is that the rim also has a stated max pressure and this is the one you should not exceed. 

If there's no stated max pressure - then for 700 sized tyres - 110psi will suffice for the road.
If you've got any question about bicycle builds then please contact us on either 07812 033 064, 01446 796 959 or via email at peter@valecycleserving.co.uk.

Friday 12 April 2013

SAB Team Takoni Bike Build

This is the first bike I'm building to show what can be built on a smallish budget:

 It will feature full 2013 Shimano Sora groupset.


Mach 1 rims, Tiagra hubs and Schwalbe Lugano tyres.


The rest of the bike will be Deda.


As you can see most of the parts have arrived, just waiting for the frameset.  

After this build I will feature a NOS Giant OCR Team Once being built-up as a mid-price road/race bike. I'll post the spec soon when I've decided what to fit.


If you've got any question about bike builds then please contact us on either 07812 033 064, 01446 796 959 or via email at peter@valecycleserving.co.uk.