fine craftsmanship in bike assembly

You don't appreciate it until later, but anti seize on fasteners, even the water bottle screws is
thoughtful. Tom

--
Bruni Bicycles
"Where art meets science"
brunibicycles.com
410.426.3420
Kyle.B.H <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:LWuQb.110697$5V2.509560@attbi_s53...

Quoted message said:

This morning while watching New Yankee Workshop, and as ususal being

amazed

Quoted message said:

by the craftsmanship and attention to detail that Norm gives all his

pieces,

Quoted message said:

I thought to myself - what things define "'fine craftsmanship' in the
assembly of a bike? What are the little details that separate the hackers
from the masters? A few that come to mind:

- filing or grinding the ends of cable housings to a neat sqaure finish
- applying a little circle of stay tuff where the cables rub against the
head tube
- installing (Shimano) derailer cables such that they form a nice,

symmetric

Quoted message said:

(interlocking?) arc between the brifters and cable stops

what else?

Kyle

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 14:03:23 GMT, "Kyle.B.H" <[email hidden]> may

have said:

What are the little details that separate the hackers from the masters? A few that come to mind:

- filing or grinding the ends of cable housings to a neat sqaure finish
- applying a little circle of stay tuff where the cables rub against the head tube
- installing (Shimano) derailer cables such that they form a nice, symmetric (interlocking?) arc
between the brifters and cable stops

what else?

Many are not immediately obvious, such as:

Filing off the burr at the top of the seat tube that always scars the post.

Opening up the non-cartridge bearings on a new hub and properly greasing them.

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Kyle.B.H said:

This morning while watching New Yankee Workshop, and as ususal being amazed by the craftsmanship
and attention to detail that Norm gives all his pieces, I thought to myself - what things define
"'fine craftsmanship' in the assembly of a bike? What are the little details that separate the
hackers from the masters? A few that come to mind:

- filing or grinding the ends of cable housings to a neat sqaure finish
- applying a little circle of stay tuff where the cables rub against the head tube
- installing (Shimano) derailer cables such that they form a nice, symmetric (interlocking?) arc
between the brifters and cable stops

Use of anti-seize or threadlock (where appropriate - threadlock has some anti-seize properties too.

Use of torque wrench, although for an experienced mechanic the added value of this is debatable.

greasing the bar-stem interface to stop it creaking.

a chainstay protector, assuming the RH chainstay isn't chromed. The best product I've found for this
is self-amalgamating rubber tape, but it looks naff on a racing bike.

bar tape applied starting at the ends, not the stem. Feels better and the rain runs off it.

bottom tips of brake levers should lie on a line extended from the last straight section of
the drops.

"donuts" on the exposed section of the rear brake cable.

all frame threads run through with a tap before assembly starts.

greasing the pear nipple on brake cables.

grease (or better - anti-seize) on pedal threads.

fitting tyres with the label in a consistent position (I put mine next to the valve - whether it's
the LH or RH side may be determined for me if the tyres are directional).

Wheelbuilding is a completely new ball game and I won't go there, but there are some "conventions"
that good builders like to follow.

Kyle.B.H said:

This morning while watching New Yankee Workshop, and as ususal being amazed by the craftsmanship
and attention to detail that Norm gives all his pieces, I thought to myself - what things define
"'fine craftsmanship' in the assembly of a bike? What are the little details that separate the
hackers from the masters? A few that come to mind:

- filing or grinding the ends of cable housings to a neat sqaure finish
- applying a little circle of stay tuff where the cables rub against the head tube
- installing (Shimano) derailer cables such that they form a nice, symmetric (interlocking?) arc
between the brifters and cable stops

Mechanics who worry about that sort of thing, as I do:

Pay attention to location and orientation of tire labels. (Facing right, at the valve)

Pay attention to hub and rim labels (readable either from the right or from riding position. Hub
label readable through the valve hole.

Cut cables to the optimal length.

Criss-cross routing of shift cables when applicable.

Select color-coordinated cable housing.

Squish cable end crimps so that the flat sides line up with the airflow...this makes a typical bike
0.00000000000000000173% faster.

I also use color-coordinated cable crimps when appropriate.

Grease all threads.

Make sure the looe end of the front derailer cable won't tickle the rider's calf.

Stress relieve the wheels.

I'm also quite fussy about handlebar tape, but that's another story.

Sheldon "Aero-squished Cable Crimps Are The Most Important Part" Brown +-------------------------------------------------------
+
| Le beau est aussi utile que l'utile --Victor Hugo | (The beautiful is as useful as the useful) |
+-------------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 18:05:38 +0000, Zog The Undeniable <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"donuts" on the exposed section of the rear brake cable.

How does one immobilize the donuts? I often find mine bunched up at one end or the other.
--
Rick Onanian

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 15:59:26 -0500, Rick Onanian <[email hidden]>

may have said:

Zog The Undeniable said:

"donuts" on the exposed section of the rear brake cable.

How does one immobilize the donuts? I often find mine bunched up at one end or the other.

A drop of glue works for me.

--
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"Kyle.B.H" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:LWuQb.110697$5V2.509560@attbi_s53...

Quoted message said:

This morning while watching New Yankee Workshop, and as ususal being

amazed

Quoted message said:

by the craftsmanship and attention to detail that Norm gives all his

pieces,

Quoted message said:

I thought to myself - what things define "'fine craftsmanship' in the assembly of a bike? What are
the little details that separate the hackers from the masters? A few that come to mind:

- filing or grinding the ends of cable housings to a neat sqaure finish
- applying a little circle of stay tuff where the cables rub against the head tube
- installing (Shimano) derailer cables such that they form a nice,

symmetric

Quoted message said:

(interlocking?) arc between the brifters and cable stops

what else?

Kyle

Well, this question lets me give a small plug to my LBS. He put up a website with the steps that he
takes when assembling a bike. You can see it here: thebikestand.comframeprep.htmOpen ↗.

-Don

I think that we are digressing somewhat from craftsmanship to correct assembly. But why not...

What about:

Wrapping the handlebar tape in the correct direction, bottom to top, so that it does not unwrap.
Also, symmetrical spirals.

Greasing the part of the seat post that goes in the frame. Like the old Bike Warehouse (or Nashbar?)
photo of a cute young lady holding a seat post saying "remember to lubricate before insertion"

Steve

add to the "must-do" list: remove all threaded cable adjusters AND derailleur set screws and
liberally grease before reassembling prior to the build. there is NOTHING worse than discovering a
seized set screw a year later.

e-RICHIE www.richardsachs.com

Rick Onanian <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Zog The Undeniable said:

"donuts" on the exposed section of the rear brake cable.

How does one immobilize the donuts? I often find mine bunched up at one end or the other.

Dear Rick,

If you patronize a higher class of grocery store, immobilization will cease to be an issue.

Your doughnuts will be lying contentedly in a neatly spaced row, awaiting your gluttony, when you
open the box.

Bagels, on the other hand, must be hunted down and dispatched like vermin as they cower in the
corners, sliced in half with a sharp knife and their corpses camouflaged with strange pastes.

Carl Fogel

Sheldon Brown said:

Sheldon "Aero-squished Cable Crimps Are The Most Important Part" Brown

What, you don't solder cable ends? :o jeffb

Rick Onanian said:

How does one immobilize the donuts? I often find mine bunched up at one end or the other.

I like to play with my donuts while riding ;-)

rbt-<< - filing or grinding the ends of cable housings to a neat sqaure finish
- applying a little circle of stay tuff where the cables rub against the head tube
- installing (Shimano) derailer cables such that they form a nice, symmetric (interlocking?) arc
between the brifters and cable stops

what else? >><BR><BR>

I think the first and most important is to prep the frameset, completely, including the BB shell,
headtube, fork crown and all threaded pieces.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Kyle.B.H said:

This morning while watching New Yankee Workshop, and as ususal being amazed by the craftsmanship
and attention to detail that Norm gives all his pieces, I thought to myself - what things define
"'fine craftsmanship' in the assembly of a bike? What are the little details that separate the
hackers from the masters? A few that come to mind:

- filing or grinding the ends of cable housings to a neat sqaure finish
- applying a little circle of stay tuff where the cables rub against the head tube
- installing (Shimano) derailer cables such that they form a nice, symmetric (interlocking?) arc
between the brifters and cable stops

what else?

All that might be interesting or aesthetically curious but most bike assemblers skip things like
opening bearings to add grease, tensioning wheels, lubricating BB threads, frame alignment, etc etc.

Our industry is enamored of "ten minute assembly" as any service mechanic will attest. Ever wonder
why hype-laden LBS always throw in "five free tune-ups' with a new bike? That's just in case some
customer actually tries to ride the thing.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

In article <LWuQb.110697$5V2.509560@attbi_s53>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

This morning while watching New Yankee Workshop, and as ususal being amazed by the craftsmanship
and attention to detail that Norm gives all his pieces, I thought to myself - what things define
"'fine craftsmanship' in the assembly of a bike? What are the little details that separate the
hackers from the masters? A few that come to mind:

- filing or grinding the ends of cable housings to a neat sqaure finish

Depending on what tool you use, you may not need to do this. I have a dremel with a cutoff wheel and
it cuts clean and square.

Quoted message said:

- applying a little circle of stay tuff where the cables rub against the head tube

Many bikes come with this already installed, so the bike shop does not have to do it.

Quoted message said:

- installing (Shimano) derailer cables such that they form a nice, symmetric (interlocking?) arc
between the brifters and cable stops

This is really a requirement to good shifting.
-------------
Alex

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 07:05:23 GMT, jeffbonny <[email hidden]>

may have said:

Sheldon Brown said:

Sheldon "Aero-squished Cable Crimps Are The Most Important Part" Brown

What, you don't solder cable ends? :o

Funny you should mention that. The last four cables that I tried to solder wouldn't wick any of the
solders I have, with or without any of the fluxes. I think they were all galvanized steel.

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Yes, I have a killfile. If I don't respond to something,
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Werehatrack said:

The last four cables that I tried to solder wouldn't wick any of the solders I have, with or
without any of the fluxes. I think they were all galvanized steel.

Did you clean it with at degreaser first? I find that helpful at times. WD40 works as a degreaser,
and even though it probably leaves a film, it seems to do the trick.

Dave

[email hidden] (Steven Gee) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I think that we are digressing somewhat from craftsmanship to correct assembly. But why not...

What about:

Wrapping the handlebar tape in the correct direction, bottom to top, so that it does not unwrap.
Also, symmetrical spirals.

Greasing the part of the seat post that goes in the frame. Like the old Bike Warehouse (or
Nashbar?) photo of a cute young lady holding a seat post saying "remember to lubricate before
insertion"

Steve

AFAIK, that appeared in a Bikeology (aka Supergo) catalog in 1980 or thereabouts.

Jeff

On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 15:32:22 -0500, dvt <[email hidden]> may have

Quoted message said:

Werehatrack said:

The last four cables that I tried to solder wouldn't wick any of the solders I have, with or
without any of the fluxes. I think they were all galvanized steel.

Did you clean it with at degreaser first? I find that helpful at times. WD40 works as a degreaser,
and even though it probably leaves a film, it seems to do the trick.

Yes. No difference. I also tried two type of torch, and three electric soldering guns. The cables
just refused to wick the solder. (I was out of cable tips, and really wanted to get the ends
secured, so I tried everything I could lay hands on. I finally mixed a little epoxy and dipped the
ends. I'll put tips on them later.)

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Yes, I have a killfile. If I don't respond to something,
it's also possible that I'm busy.
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