First Wheel, a Finicky CycloComputer & a Feast for Fathers!

Grandpa Jay, DartreDame's Father or "GJ" as I call him, holding my first ever hand-built wheel. This wheel is not for my new bike but rather for a commuter fixie. My earlier post on my inauspicious wheelbuilding beginning can be found here.

Dartre's mother Maya, or AmmaMaya as I call her, holding my wireless cyclocomputer. It took me a long time to figure out how to measure the kilometers for each leg without resetting the trip distance. Whew!

But it wasn't all bicycling this Fathers' Day. We Fathers--GJ, SingingCyclist's Dad Alan, and I--were treated to this fabulous Indian dinner. Can't quite make out the dishes? How about a close-up?

Peas and Mushrooms. Yum!

AmmaMaya's Special Eggplant & Yogurt. Scrumptious!

Dartre's Potato Concoction: Sukhi Aloo (Potatoes roasted with Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric, Cumin, Coriander, Fennel, Chili Powder, and Oil). Delectable!

Salmon Molee. Heavenly!

Saffron Biryani with Cashews and Raisins. Texturalicious!

Tomato and Cucumber Salad. Simply cleansing!

AmmaMaya

Alan

Dartre

GJ

Janak, the SingingCyclist

Keep it spicy,

CurioRando

Sputnik Hub Detaches from Orbiting Cog

In previous posts about repairing the Sputnik Hub I created by failing to remove the cog and freewheel before removing the spokes and rim, I told all about my boneheaded maneuver. I was left with what the owner of one bike shop called a "beautiful paperweight". Nothing could be done, he said.

Well, that just left me determined to find a way, and thanks to one of the commenters, Will deRosset, I finally did it. Will suggested putting several spokes back into the hub and lace them back onto the rim. I still had a tough time though and even with a chain whip I couldn't crack it.

VAR Tool 365, Freewheel Vise, depicted here from none other than Sheldon Brown's reprint, helped me hold the fixed cog fixed while I turned the wheel as shown below.Voila!

You'll notice I removed the axle and bearings so the hub would sit onto the freewheel vise (VAR 365).

The now fixed cog has now been liberated from the hub, and I only have to remove the spokes/rim and reassemble the axle and bearings. TA DA!

Thanks, Will!

Keep it as a lesson learned,

CurioRando

Sputnik Hub Coming in for a Landing?!

Sputnik Hub as she sits today.

In a previous post about trying to take apart a flip-flop wheel for sew-up tires, I tell of my foolishly conjuring up a disaster hub. I called it my Sputnik hub, because after removing the nipples and the rim I couldn't remove the spokes! They were jammed in by the freewheel and fixed cog.

Above is a photo of our friend, Kian, holding the monster Sputnik hub I had conjured up. He and his sister got quite the giggle out of my absurd misfortune!

Goofy me, I'd had a hard time removing the freewheel and fixed cog, so I preceded with spoke removal without finishing that step.

Oops. That meant that once I'd removed the tire and rim, I no longer had any leverage for removing the freewheel and fixed cog. When I last left this story I was headed off to a local bike shop. That was about nine months ago.

The bike shop guy told me I was out of luck. He also told me he only worked there once per week, and if I hung around for a while the owner would be back soon. The owner, he said, was much more experienced.

But alas, the experienced owner said I should resolve myself to the fact that I had a very beautiful paperweight. Nothing to be done but accept the lesson learned. Grrrrrr.

So, I've been ruminating on this for some time, and last night while watching Apolo Anton Ohno win his final Olympic medal (I used to get my hair cut at his Dad's hairdressing shop!) in my basement bicycle lair I hit upon it! I brought out my VAR vintage axle vise (VAR is a venerated French bicycle and motorcycle tool maker), and clamped in Sputnik.

Venerable VAR #117, Axle Vise

With a chain whip and freewheel remover, I was able to get leverage on the fixed cog so I could remove the freewheel. Voilà!

The photo at the top of the post is where I stand today. I can imagine ways to remove the cog somewhat violently that will leave my hub intact now, but I'm not giving up. I believe I can yet remove the cog with both the hub and cog intact if I can just get the right leverage.

Stay tuned: restored hub and fixed cog OR paperweight?

Keep it venerable,

CurioRando

Energy efficient rimless bicycle wheel with Sputnik hub?

Hardly!

I've always wanted to build a wheel, so I decided to remove the spokes from my flip-flop wheel that utilized a sew-up rim I've decided to abandon. As you can see from the photo, the outcome that our friend Kian is holding looks like Sputnik. He and his sister were laughingly incredulous that it had once even been a bicycle wheel!

I attempted to remove the fixed gear and single speed cogs before I launched in, but couldn't budge them. In my eagerness, I plunged forward with them intact only to discover I had a worse mess. I can't easily slip the spokes through the hub to remove them as the cogs are in the way. I can jam them through but likely ruining the threads in the process. Even if that worked, it would be trouble trying to thread new spokes through. And, after unscrewing the nipples, it is even more difficult to remove the cogs as there is no tire/rim on which to get some purchase.

The idea was to rebuild the wheel using a 650B rim so I'll get a more forgiving commuter bicycle, especially through the industrial zone and over rough railroad tracks. Also, the idea was to learn to build a wheel. Too bad I needed a lesson in unbuilding a wheel too.

So, off to the LBS where they can get a good laugh!

After that, hopefully less embarrassing updates on wheelbuilding coming soon.


Keep it Curious!

CurioRando