Education We Like to Ride Bicycles

Well yeah, we're not archeologists

Good to know HED are decent people and like to help.

 

haha ! well TBH it's a very standard technology that they are still using today. Apparently they still refuse to use sealed bearings in all units too, swearing by the old loose ball tech.

Which is what saved me. If that were sealed bearing? you can't get the ones they used on the same version of the wheel with sealed bearings. So it could have been a very expensive ornament, but instead is very cheap to repair. Now I need to get my head around using tubular tyres. I have a feeling that's going to piss me off a smidge. I would be worried about that, but I ride it on sunny days only on a beach path only. I've never ever had a puncture in the 6 years I have been riding it.

 

Now you've bloody gone and done it

 

Right? I will probably find every bit of glass and dog **** I can now

I only ride the cycle lane on the beach path though. Which is meticulously cleaned every day. I suppose it would be lawsuit city if a kid got hurt.

 

It only took me about four days to realise the disc brake would not longer work god I am such a dunky sometimes. I did buy a posh Campagnolo brake for the front about two years ago but never got around to fitting it. It's a black TT brake. Sadly it doesn't fit the rear, and I can not find a TT brake for the rear, only the front. Sooo, I got a new front brake for £25. Which I thought was decent, because it too is Campy.



It's certainly nice and chunky.

 

Right. It is now time to make the whole damn bike killer. To add to the parts I got already. A rear tubular tyre.



25c, same as I have now. I bought two of these clinchers for the front by mistake, but they were £12. I will gladly have a spare at that price.



Again, 25c. Oddly enough the only thing that's shot and manky are the grips. So I got these.



Whilst I am there I am going to ditch the horrid cheap Avid levers I bought for £12. I wanted Paul levers, but they are £90 each. Instead I got some BLB levers. I have a strong suspicion these are made by Paul, as BLB (Brick Lane Bikes, Brixton) are the main distro for Paul. Either way they are lovely CNC levers and £33 each. I got them in white, pic is of the silver.



Then stuff I have to have, like proper grease for the wheel bearings and freehub.



Tub tape for the rear tyre.



Bearing magnet.



And a freehub cog lock tool and chain whip.

 

There's a rather wonderful chap I use to fix mine, should you ever get a pop in one and require a mend.

 

Awesome cheers!

 

Got a front wheel. Was only £30. Decent hub too.





Should be super light too.

 

Last bits. Some orange chainring bolts.



Wheel bag.



Water bottle and cage.





As I am sick of having to stop, take off rucksack, have a drink then put it back and etc. I also got some 3M 2080 vinyl (just an A4) to make the HED logos.

 

I don't believe that for one second mate

 

Hah. There really isn't much more I would replace tbh. I've done everything else, the wheels I had were a stand in until I was sure I could be easy on it.

A carbon front wheel would be nice but I like spokes on the front and I am not sold on carbon spokes as I have seen a lot fail.

A full bike bag would be nice though. Both for hiding it in winter and or taking it places. With the wheels off it would fit my bedroom closet.

 

@Vault-Tec over the years I think you've bought all the BMX

Edit: is the latest BMX or not? Come to think of it when is a BMX a BMX and when does it veer into road bike?

 

Oh it's not a BMX at all tbh. I have just made it infinitely more comfy to ride by adding taller bars. BMX bars. This is how it mostly looked factory.



I sat on it once, hunched over leaning forward and staring at the ground and without even riding it a little poo came out. So they were the first thing to go before I even rode it. So were the original wheels. My history with racing bikes has been bending wheels and destroying gears, so I was worried. I ordered those alu mags before the bike had even arrived. And the gravel tyres. The originals were white, and rotten and hard. The bike had been NOS for 9 years sat in the box. Which I must have been psychic over, as one of the wheels was damaged too (the original Velocity rims had a big dent in it).



That is how it came. It is a 2008 PK Ripper fixed. RRP was £999, I paid £300, hence why I wasn't bothered about the wheels or tyres as I had already bought replacements. A big mistake by SE bikes was the cro mo cranks. This sort of bike should have nothing of the sort, and they are heavy. So they were next. I bought some FSA SLK carbon for £50.



Physically perfect, just a bit scratched and some black paint missing. I don't like shiny carbon, so I redone them in matt.



Sooo much nicer. Rear wheel is getting that too ! It then got a hollow Kooka ISIS BB with ceramic bearings. Then a carbon post and seat, then carbon bars. Once the fork is refurbed (the new one, it's carbon) and the wheels replaced etc? there won't be anything left to upgrade. Well, obs it is getting the new brakes too and levers etc. It got these too



I actually gave the wheels away on FB.



As TBH man I wouldn't ride those if you paid me. Good thing is I have now learned not to jump up and down curbs or ride down steps etc, so I am pretty confident to go even lighter on the main things I would be terrified of.

 

I mean, when buying anything the first question I ask myself is "will this make me shite myself".

 

It turned out to be a good call. When I found out how fast it goes I soon realised I would have bottled it staring straight at the ground.

I had a bike fail on me in 2001. Bad enough to need two ops on my elbow. It was 12 years before I looked at another bike, let alone rode one. So every time I push my legs into the pedals I have it in the back of my mind.

Plus I don't like riding leaned over like that. Plays havoc with my back.

 

Got those. I have a brand new orange anno stem in stock, so I am going to change it out. The one I have now is the wrong size and needs shims, and would be much better with the correct size stem.

 

Hah ! I found something else I need. Chain tensioners.

When I fitted the disc brake adapter I did not have enough axle to fit any. As such it was a nightmare getting the wheel straight. Given there is about 3mm between the tyre and frame it made it worse. Now that I am not using one and have a big long axle I can use some. So I got some nice ones.

 

For a moment I thought 'ooh look, they are a pair of chunky headshells'...

 

The rear wheel is fine. Actually better than fine. The freehub feels like new and the rebuild will be ultra simple. It's in very good shape too, but the alu has a lot of oxidisation on the lip so I will do that when I redo the clear. Waiting on the front wheel and other stuff now, but totally stoked with what I have.