From: praetzel@marconi.uwaterloo.ca (Eric Praetzel)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Re: 0 Re: caged vs. loose bearings
Date: 8 Oct 92 12:27:51 GMT
Organization: University of Waterloo

In article <-205339992@hplred.HP.COM> jbrandt@hplred.HP.COM (Jobst Brandt) writes:
>Eric Praetzel writes:
>> Story of my bikes brief fling with life and its one year decline to a
>>  one piece rust structure which has no use for nuts.
>
>I don't know what you think is worth telling about your apparent
>ineptitude in bicycle maintenance.  If the bike is really in the
  I am glad to see that you are back but not quite happy that I am at the
end of you whit.
  No the bike does not have a rusted chain and does not squeek.  Most of the
bikes problem was the result of its hi quality of production ($170 special at
a dept store) and one winter where I had no place to do any service.
  As for failure of components.  Well the rusted and bent stem may break but
then the steerer bolt will hold me on long enough.  Aside from that I have
learned to live with braking cables and such.  I guess I should be happy that
the bike has made it past the 3,000 km mark but it was never made with that in
mind.  I can't help think of stories of bikes in China and such places that
last for decades.  Within the first 500 km of purchasing this bike:
  1) The front left brake boss broke off so I rebuilt them (front brakes).
  2) The 2" steel rim pretzeled and could not be replaired so I got another
      from a similar bike that suffered another fate.
  2) Both rim strips were improperly installed and punctured the tubes in
      multiple places and the cheap tires ripped appart (UV exposure?).
  3) The derailleur went into the spokes, self destructing and taking out 
      several spokes whilst destroying my second wheel.
  4) The front wheel died in some interesting fashion that I don't remember but
       I replaced it with one of my MTB racing wheels.
  5) Rust in the steel rims punctured my tubes.
  6) The canti's were replaced by the brakes on my cheap ($600 Cdn) MTB because
      the stock ones could not hold any alignment.
  7) Numerous changes of the BB bearings in an attempty to get the darn thing
      to work properly.  My only conclusion is that the cups are misaligned.
  9) 24 hours/day outside and one winter resulted in one spindle/crank joint
      to sieze and I tried everything short of a torch to seperate them.
 10) The 42/52 rings are rivied together and after 1.5 years of use the rivits
      are getting loose and will no doubt break in another year or so.
 11) After a summer one axel nut is rounded and can't be removed while I have
      been riding the bike without the other nut and using penetrating oil in
      an attempt to get the crank arm off.
 12) Two days after I put on my "sealed bearing" front wheel the bearings
      started to bind due to lack of lubrication from the saltwater/slush
      slurry getting inside.  Since them I have been unable to remove the
      steel dust shield from the Al axel but have discovered the usefullness
      of drilling a hole in the axel for oil lubrication.

Aside from that I did notice that both wheel bearing cones where way too tight
and the headset had play.  Also the original brakes could not withstand one
hard stop without shifting the pads by about 30 degrees.  All replacement
wheels I have obtained from similar bikes also had bearings that were way too
tight.
  All in all this was my first bike.  At the time $170 seemed like a lot of
money to spend on two wheels.  I did not get proper tools and did not have
any experience to go by.  The result was that a lot of nuts and bolts were
rusted in place before I knew rust was a problem.  Going back to your attack
on non-mechanically minded females (whilst pointing out such males existed),
I would have to classify myself as non-mechanically minded until I got some
experience with my first MTB (thanks to Nashbar for reasonable prices and
thanks to local shops for charging what the market will bear).
  Right now I have just discovered that over the summer months the front quick
release has rusted into the axle and the bearings and the spokes seem to be
quite firmly attached to the nipples even though I did grease them during 
assembly.  In short I am still learning.  My pants have grease on them from
the rings and I have even caught some problems before they became major.  If I
did not know people who had bars, pedals, wheels and whole bikes stolen I
would use a good bike for going to work but this campus seems to have a
theft problem.  I have even had someone cut my lock; leave the bike behind
but take the cable I was using to lock the bike.

>I see no reason to be proud of such wasteful behavior.  A bicycle may
  Nor do I but I will be happy if someone steels (pun intended) this hunk
of ferrus junk.  Most likely they will harm themselves before they discover
that the freewheel sometimes does and sometimes does not and that the braking
takes forethought and it is usually best to have an escape route in mind
(that depends upon how many months ago I last replaced the cables and their
housing).

> A bicycle may
>not be waterproof but it is built to withstand foul weather when used
>moderately.  The condition of the bike probably isn't as bad you
  No these bikes were designed to hang on garage walls.  I don't think that
any bikes are designed to withstand winter use without a major bearing
overhaul every few weeks.  A one way 5km commute with slushy roads leaves
my chain dry and rusted so I am not surprised that bearings would need daily
lubrication in the winter (winter season assumed).

>describe but the message one could derive from its description is that
>you are proud of being a true mechanical klutz.
  I was a clutz.  This bike has been my learning experience.  In fact so was
my $600 MTB which would be considered cheap junk in the USA.  Had I learned
more mechanical skills when I was young this may have been unnecessary.  And
no I do not have a dislike for oil.  I do remember oiling the brakes on my
fathers tractor because I wanted to stop the rust from spreading.

>I suppose the description of willful neglect isn't enough to prove the
>case so to make sure, you cite Fred Flintstone's arsenal as your
>favorite tool.
  Another wonderfull quote.  I shall treasure this and keep it close to my
harddrive.

  And finally a description that is worthy of Jobst.
Now riddle this.  I have spent a life being ridiculed and bullied by most
people I ran across in school.  People who get good grades and speak another
language more fluently than English are not appreciate.  My mode of adoption
was withdrawl.  I do not have a wealth of expience from my many years of
school with the exception of what I read and my hobies (electronics and
computers).  Right now the one thing that I could wish upon you is a phone
call from a friend of mine several years ago.  She shot herself in the
stomach as she talked to here parents who were half a contient away.  Physical
abuse can be tolerated.  The solitary precipace of being alone for many years
in a sea of others can destroy the soul.  Verbal attack is often more dammaging
than any physical trama.  I value your experience but pale at the thought of
what some people think when they fall under your gaze.  The first insult is
surely enough.  A second tells of the intent of the sender.
  - Eric 
// To understand the reason for life; first understand that we are born alone
//   and exit this world alone; and yet never learn what we are; merely that we
//   exist in these vessels.
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech