Spraying aluminium or steel wheels single speed hack

I have a few wheels which needed painting as they did not fit with the colour of a bicycle I have. Also the chrome or aluminium never cleans as well as it should. So I decided to paint then.

First of all I cleaned the wheels with a little soap and water to get the grease off. I then wiped the down with a little degreaser or white spirit.

I then sanded then with p240.

I didn't worry about sanding them to much as the paint goes on quite thick.

I then hung the wheel in the shed on a nice sunny day. I started from one side and sprayed all the spokes and the hub. Then did the other side.

The paint I used was plastikote lacquer paint. This stuff is amazing and spats quite thick. With little effort the results are nice and smooth and consistent much better the cheaper paints. This paint cost around £12 which is twice as expensive as other sprays but is much better and can spray around 4 wheels.

This is the final result.

On this bicycle I sprayed the stem, seat post and the crank and still have enought left for the chain and another wheel.

 Have you had experience with good sprays. 

Cut handle bars bar wrap hack single speed hack

I have been looking in the internet at possible ways to wrap bars and there seems to be 2 schools of thought. 

First wrap bottom up, I believe the parks website shows this method but this means the top needs taping. 

Second top down but this means the tape is facing the wrong way.

I like to do it top down as it makes for cleaner bars as you do not need the tape at the top.

With cut bars it is quite difficult to install the brake but I have a solution that seems to fit quite well.

First I cut the bars and install the brake, I make sure the lever is in a comfortable position to pull the lever. 

I then install the cable as you would normally do. Ensuring all the blocks are in the right places and that it works as it should.

I always leave plenty of cable as I like to run this under the tape. With a little cable sticking out ensuring that it works.

I then start the wrap the bars after the first twist I then lay the cable behind the the tape.

Once it is installed you might have to loosen the cable slightly as when it is bent it takes up a little of the tension. 

Cutting drop bars down single speed hack

I like the look of cut bars and have tried to do this a number of times, this is how I did it. It is very simple and very quick. Once it is done there is no turning back so make sure that you have a spare set just invade it goes wrong. 

First remove all bar tape so that you can see the bars.

First make sure that the levers are both inline with each other so that when you cut you cut in the right place. 

Make sure you use a shape new hacksaw blade as it will take seconds and make a clean cut.

I then line the cut part off with the other side and cut.

Your bars should look like this and should be nice and equal. Use a file just to smooth the edges. 

I now turn them the other way round and fit a lever.

You can leave them the other way round but I only do this if I put the lever in the centre of the bars or on a fixie.

Non single speed bicycles I have fixed

I do like to single speed most of the bikes but sometimes I think it is right to leave the bicycle as it was. 

Especially if the bike is original and complete.

Here are some of the bikes I have left in original state.

Raleigh élan 591 tubing with biopace 390ex group set. As it was complete I didn't have the heart to single speed it. 

This was a univega alpina 5.3 aluminium frame. I quite like riding this and had never heard of the brand before. I added the panniers as I was using it for work. 

One of my favourites, Kent mini bike. Ideal for riding indoors if you have the space.

Peugeot sitting bull, with rare stag group set. What was nice was that it was all original including the saddle and the specialized tyres, 

Old Handle bar tape fix single speed hack

Handle bar tape can be very expensive, and in some town hard to find. There is not a bike shop near where I live so I thought I might try to repair what I had. Please do not think I did this, I bought the frame and bars like it. 

This is the sorry state to tape looked in when I started.

First I unwrapped the tape very carefully. Make sure you do not pull at it as it will rip easily.

Once it was removed I checked all the cables to ensure all work working as the should

I then started to wrap the longer pieces around the top of the bars thinking this is were I mostly hold it.

When I had finished the section and needed to join another piece I used double sides tape to hold it down. I used quite a lot to ensure it stuck.

I then carefully wrapped another piece around the tape overlapping slightly to ensure the end did not come free.

Here is the other side this was in very poor condition, with lots of insulation tape to hold it together.

And finished looks much better. 

This is the finished bars both sides used were around 3 pieces and it is very hard to see we're they joined.

This job took around 15mins. And is worth having ago.

From ten gears to single speed in an hour.

I thought I would time it takes to create a single speed bicycle. The first being a bicycle with all it's parts attached and the second just a frame, (another post)

This first artical I will list the stages I took and hopefully this will help others try it.

Before I started I made sure I had all the tools I needed, including

Chain link remover

Chain whip

Socket set

Bottom bracket tools

Grease

Wd40

Selection of spanners 

Free wheel remover

Allen key set

Tyre levers

To start the task i bought a bike which was complete and fully working and for £40 I managed to get a holdsworth 531 Reynolds tubing frame with sunshine wheels and campagnolo parts. The frame is a les west model and unsure of its date. Believed 1979s

An absolute bargin.

To start I removed the rear wheel and remove the freewheel and replace with a single speed.

I use the chain tool to remove the chain, (leave in some degreaser) and clean.

I them remove the front and rear mechs and shifts. I also leave these in the degreaser so that I can clean and polish later. These items I will sell as not needed. 

Nice and clean 

I remove the cotter pins, carefully making sure that I do not bend the tops when removing and usually use a punch to hammer them out.

Once this is removed I take the crank off and remove the 3 bolts retaining the second ring. 

With the rear wheel back in position I applied the chain and ensured it was the right length and used the tool to re attach the links.

I then like to tension the chain to make sure it is in place correctly, I usually do this by pumping up the tire and applying a little force to the wheel so that it tensions the chain.

I always remove the seat post and apply a little gease as sometimes these old bicycles tend to rust if left outside for to long making it very difficult to remove the seat post in the future.

I'm not a fan of mud guard so remove and clean, these will also be sold. 

When the guards are off I check the brakes and tighten and adjust we're needed.

I also like to lower the stem as I feel this looks more aesthetic.

I always check headset and wheels spindles to ensure they are tight and working as they should. 

I washed the bicycle and give everything a little grease.

With this bike the gb handle bars never had any tap so I fitted some cloth tape. I will varnish later.

Bicycle finished.

Laser cut sunglasses to promote a club

I created these for a club I am running, to give away free to the students to promote the club before it started. Nice and easy to cut and only took around 1:30 seconds on the laser cutter. 

I gave these out to the students and they really liked them. 

Made from polypropylene and have a little engraving on the side.

Single speed Safety brake lever removal hack

When creating a cheap single speed often the parts you have might need modifying to gain the look you want. 

I have removed a few safety lever arms but always have the extension piece left.

In this post I will show how to remove this .

Here is the lever with the safety lever attached.

To remove it first unscrew

Now remove the centre screw so that you can take it appart fully 

Now you have done this you can cut off the end, were the extension sits.

Do this with a vice and a hacksaw.

Once this is removed file it down to make sure all the edges are smooth. 

Re assemble the lever. You can polish the extensions and sell on eBay. Some extensions especially the Dia compe ones can be worth around £8 

If you have any hacks for single speeds please post.

Toffee bonbon man (jones)

Meet jones, we lived in a flat and we're not allowed to have a pet so I decided to make my own. 

Jones is a toffee bonbon man. He current lives under the TV with many other small figures we have found along our way.

If you would like to make your own follow this guide.

1. Buy a pack of bonbons, eat somemsonyoh can feel guilty in eating your bonbons friends/ family.

2. With a cocktail stick break in half and press in to 2 bonbons

3. Break the head off a match and place in his belly

4. break 2 more sticks and press in to bonbon for arms and legs

5. Roll up 2 small pieces of tinfoil and press on legs for feet

6. Cut a cornflake box for hair. Chose your own style.

7. Use a gel pen to create face features 

8. Give him a man and take picture and post. 

Here is a picture of him sleeping.

#jones:)