Do I have bragging rights?

Probably not, but I'll do it anyway. What about? Well, my tools, obviously, doh! Ha, I'm just pulling your collective legs. Although I have to say I'm rather pleased with my bike tool collection and I'm not ashamed to say it. I'm a bike mechanic, after all, and what a sad sod of a bike mechanic would I be without tools to work on bikes?

Cyclo fourth hand tool

Weldtite grease gun

Four often-used tools

Park WAG4 wheel dishing tool

XLC 6mm hex key

Talking about bikes: last post was about my procrastinating of building up my new frame, which I call new, although it's technically an old frame which I'd had for a while now. New as in: restored; powder coated, decals and all. I'm pleased to announce that I stopped procrastinating and instead went ahead with the stripping of Shawn, using a few of my shiny new toys tools. Although I have to say that it's not pleasant without a work stand. Also, it turns out that my next 'important' purchase will be a big adjustable spanner. Perhaps not as huge as this--I actually am just posting the link because I find this photo hilarious, but I'm easy to amuse. Does this look right to you?

Space invasion at Micycle

Anyhow, back to my project. So I'd removed the cables, seat post, handlebars, shifters and what else could be stripped, but when I came to the cranks, I encountered a problem. The crank puller was screwed in, but I didn't have anything to turn it in order to get the cranks off, as my miniature adjustable spanner didn't do the trick. Frustrated, I took my frame with the stuck tool to my friends at Micycle and asked if I could use one of their stands. Luckily, it wasn't too busy and I could finally finish the job. Even better, I had the opportunity to get the headset out as well and clean all parts at their fancy washing station. Voila! Now I just had to go and swap the old frame with the new one in order to put all relevant parts onto it. When they closed for the holidays I'd got far enough to be able to finish it at home. That's what I'm going to do tomorrow. I really can't wait to ride my 22" Viscount Aerospace Sport and, as it happens, it'll be this Saturday with someone from my newly founded local Cycling Club which I've failed to tell you about. I'll report how it felt.
In the meantime I'd like to share pure beauty with you:

Viscount press-fit bottom bracket

The question is why?

Why I'm procrastinating, that is. I mean I have a perfectly ready frame--graphics and all, with the bottom bracket already fitted; I have Shawn, with the cracked seat tube, but am I doing what I wanted to do for ages? No! Drives me insane. It's not that I don't know how to do it; I even have most tools needed to make the job of stripping Shawn and putting the components onto the new frame easy. Yet, I'm procrastinating to do so. Okay, I don't have a work stand, but it's not necessarily a must, is it? Until the end of gear setting, but I can do that at the shop. I have a back garden and the weather's on my side, so what's holding me back? I haven't got a clue. Admittedly, because I was waiting for some important parcels I didn't really want to leave the house, but that didn't keep me from spending hours at Micycle, playing with wheels.
Maybe it's because I worry to damage the precious frame. It's all brand new (old) and doesn't have a mark
on it. Yet. On the other hand, it'll get some marks at some point as I plan to ride the bike. Perhaps I just need to kick myself in the backside and get things done. If the weather stays like this over Christmas, I'll be going for some rides. The good thing is: I'd planned the wheels I'd recently build for Shawn originally for the new Viscount, so maybe it was fate that had Shawn's seat tube cracking. I'll definitely keep that frame, get it repaired and resprayed. Oh, yes!
Talking about wheels: I'll be building wheels to order soon. Mainly because I love doing it, but also because I'm passionate about restoration projects. Anyone can slap on any ol' 700c wheels off the peg, but I'd like to offer hand-build Vintage wheels: with high flanges and 27 1 1/4. They look really nice and, from own experience, they also ride pretty nice.
Anyway, I'm waiting for the Park Tool WAG4 dishing tool, and am saving for a TS 2.2 wheel truing stand. After that nothing holds me back. :-)
And as for the Viscount: I think I'll get it done tomorrow, or Sunday, perhaps on Monday, or over Christmas ... definitely this year. I hope.

What's that noise?

So there was I, merrily cycling around London, enjoying my new wheels, with my backside becoming used

Clissold Park, London

to the rather hard Selle San Marco Regal, cool wind in my face and whistling in my ears, when I noticed a slight crackling noise, very low, and a bit like ice cubes in a drink, just very subtle. What the heck? I pulled out my headphones, grabbed the rattling right brake (I somehow don't get round to tighten that damn screw) and listened. Crackle, crackle. Right, brakes aren't the problem, maybe the cables snapping against the handlebar? Unlikely, but I tried to hold them in place, too. Silence for a few seconds, then again: crackle, crackle. I stopped, dismounted, and examined the handlebar closely for anything that could hint to it breaking. Something I do regularly, since old alloy parts are always more likely to sudden failure than steel. And if a handlebar snaps in the midst of London's busy traffic ... Well, I'm not in a rush to be the next one in the news. I found nothing on the handlebar. Weird. Perhaps it's the spokes, I thought, the wheels are new and maybe the tension still needed settling. After a nonchalant shrug I hopped on the bike and continued my journey.
Over the next week, it went on with its crackling and because it got on my nerves, I decided to give good ol' Shawn a once-over. It's an old bike with very thin-walled fillet-brazed frame, therefore it's necessary to check the joints, which prone to breakage, regularly. I checked the front, the bottom bracket, the seat- and chain stays and finally worked my way up to the seat tube, where horror was awaiting me with a wide grin.

Cracked seat tube

There! I found a crack about 1cm long. It's exactly where I had suspected one ages ago, when Noah and I removed the stuck seat post. Read the full blog here. Someone before us had tried that already and must have damaged the seat tube in the process. We hadn't been sure if it was a crack, as it could well have been just a scratch, and we'd decided to wait what would show up.
As the old seat post had been scrapped, I'd got another one, 26.8mm, a size quite standard for all Aerospace Sport frames. Somehow, though, I felt it was a bit too big. I believe that it caused the crack to finally open up and become bigger. Not really what I had wanted. This means for now, I'll have to leave Shawn in the shed and ride either the blue one or the Lococo. I was playing with the thought of stripping the bike and transfer all the components onto the restored red frame, with Viscount graphics, which I have sitting in my bedroom. Given that I have new wheels, NOS Weinmann centre pull brakes and a cable guide knocking about, too, it would make sense, but I'll wait a bit longer to make up my mind. I mean, it would be great to get this frame onto the road, and it would give me the opportunity to get Shawn re-painted as the frame isn't exactly in mint condition and the graphics are all faded or peeled off. Maybe it's a great way of honouring Shawn, by giving him a complete overhaul and restore him to his former beauty, while riding the other Sport frame which has been patiently waiting to be completed. Oh, so much to do, so little time and even less money ...

Micycle Ferme Park Rd.

I went to report my bad news to the boys from Micycle. A latte and laugh later, I was back to my cheery self, riding away on my Japanese city bike.
Note to self: check your bike regularly from top to bottom; don't ignore any weird noises, search for the cause until you find it.
Safe cycling, everyone.

Proud as

I've been cycling around on Shawn and his new wheels and am happy to announce they've not fallen apart yet. Okay, it's not been that many miles, but still ... I built the wheels and so far, they're still running true. See how pretty Shawn now looks? A proper Viscount.

Viscount Aerospace Sport with 27" wheels

Funny thing is that Noah initially assumed that I'd hate building wheels as it takes concentration and patience, both of which I have a clear shortage on--particularly when tired. Contrary to his assumption I'm actually quite loving it. Admittedly, I still haven't done spoke measuring, but it's really not that difficult--be it by hand or with the aid of one of the many websites. I'll probably use Wheel Pro, which is by Roger Musson, who has published an easy to follow wheel-building guide. Caution: do not calculate when under the influence.
Back then, I had the help of Arup; he showed me how to measure the ERD (effective rim diameter). He said that even when one orders the rims online, he'd rather measure himself than take a manufacturer's word for granted, and rightly so. My rims weren't what they were supposed to be. Phew, seeking his advice certainly saved me money. In general, building wheels yourself costs less and they're also stronger.
I bought Ridiga rims--27" 1 1/4 polished alloy from eBay for £25 the pair. And I had the high flange Viscount hubs for about £25 from a jumble. The spokes (DT Swiss Champion and Competition), plus nipples and postage (Rose bikes) were about £35. That's the wheels done for £85. A decent pair of wheels would start at about £120 (so I was told). Since I didn't want any ol' rims or hubs, but particular ones, I would've paid £40 for Arup to build them. In the end, I've saved exactly that amount and got the pleasure of producing something I can be proud of myself. 

Three-cross on Viscount hub

It is a labour of love if you're just beginning; it takes me about ten to fifteen minutes to lace a wheel (36 holes, 3-cross), but anything from an hour to three to make it round and true. I remember my first try of just truing a wheel of a mamachari, and hell, did I make a pretzel out of it. I had no idea what to do, about spoke tension, or which way to turn the spoke key. Luckily, I had Noah, who had enough calmness to deal with my tantrums. I found it really difficult to 'get' which direction I had to turn the spoke key to loosen or tighten the nipples. Drove me insane. I struggle with nuts and bolts anyway--no idea why I can't get it into my head, but in the world of bicycles with its left-threaded where it should be right is screwing with my head. Excuse the bad pun. After hot tears of fury, I eventually found a way to remember and simply learned it by heart. That's wheels sorted--pedals, however, remain a source of confusion. I'll get there ... one day.
Anyway, I just wanted to share my thoughts on wheel-building and that it's a very good skill to have, particularly if you are a keen rider with more than one or two bikes. I'd like to encourage you to do a course, don't be scared. It's fun, it's wonderful, and it's given you a great sense of achievement.
Safe riding.

A girl's guide to bike tools and it doesn't stop here

One thing I've learned while working on bikes is that nothing's straight forward, particularly not on Viscounts. They're quite something. Try getting those sealed bearings out of a hub without damaging either. Or even worse: the bottom bracket. Equally challenging is putting everything back together.
Or maybe that old skip-tooth freewheel I have on my blue Sport. Yeah, if you don't have the right remover tool, you're basically fucked. Or, if you choose to use brute force, then most likely your freewheel or/and hub won't come out of it that pretty. Personally, I try to treat my bikes with kids' gloves; it's possible to do that even with a hammer, trust me, but I always keep in mind that Viscounts are rare.

My hammer and mullet are still hiding in the kitchen

Now, I know where to go when I need my freewheel off the hub, but I'd rather have that freewheel remover tool in my big bicycle tool box. Or better: the one I'm going to get myself in the near future. At the moment my tools live in a cardboard box, together with grease, parts, and lubricants; possibly not the best place as my ever growing collection needs more space. And I need more storage for parts, too. Let alone for the bikes, but that's a different matter. (If you know a place with a garage or large shed in Hackney area or N4, please get in touch. I'm looking for a quiet place with a decent landlord.)

Bursting tool and parts box

Anyway, back to tools. I think I've got the basics for a tune up service for Viscounts or other bikes, but I'm still far from having all the tools I want. I'm soon getting a--drum roll, please-- a Profikurbelschraubenschluessel/Ratsche. Yep, that's quite a mouthful and I'd like you to try pronouncing it after four pints. In short it's a socket ratchet wrench 14/15mm. Not that I necessarily need it for my Viscounts as they're all quick release, but my mamachari has 14mm front and 15mm rear nuts, just as most other bikes have. I do have the Icetoolz (see pic.) non-ratchet version, but I'd like to go more 'profi' and since the Hozan, which would be my favourite, is far too expensive to get here, I looked around for an alternative. The Unior doesn't look too bad either, but it's still too expensive. I expect the VAR to be of excellent quality; after all, I want to work on bikes all day and if I can make life easier for me, then I'll do it. I have a list of tools I'm planning on getting, but since money's a bit tight right now, I'll have to collect them bit by bit. Quality costs, unfortunately for me, but it's well worth spending the money. On my list are:
Handy all round tools:
T-handle allen key, this one is particularly useful for adjusting front derailleurs as it gives good leverage and, since it hasn't got a ball end, it's a great all-rounder. Good quality, too; I've worked with it for months. There are cheaper alternatives, which may work equally well, but I have an emotional attachment to this particular brand as it's the one I borrowed from the shop for my last assignment of my level 2 bike mechanic course--I believe it brought me luck. I'm getting this one very soon.
Park Tool hex wrench tool again, another all-rounder of superb quality. I want this in the sizes 6, 8, and 10mm. The first is great for adjusting headsets, and/or seat posts (clamps) and the latter is useful for crank arm bolts. Due to the angle, it comes in handy whenever you need more leverage working with other tools. Again, I've worked with it in the past month and it's a must for my collection.
Hozan cable puller (or otherwise known as forth hand) another amazing work of quality from Japan. Great to work with. I've tried Pedros, but here's where splashing out makes all the difference. I've failed finding anything that compares to the Hozan.
Cone wrench set Mainly for cap & cone hub adjusting. The Park Tool ones are great, but every time I look at the price I faint.
Shimano cable cutters In this case I'm trusting Noah, who said he'd tried plenty, but nothing seems to work as well. They have this little blue pin attached, which serves the purpose of widening either end of the cable Very practical. We also used it for digging out objects from tyres when repairing punctures.
Large adjustable spanner Okay, here I'll try to go with a no-name product. In the shop we had Park Tool's, but I'm willing to try something else. A very important and handy tool to do all sorts of bending on a bike, particularly centre pull brake arms to toe in the pads or when tending to bent chain rings.
File set A necessity for any workshop. There's always something to file, be it bolts, drop outs or brake pads. Not sure if these are any good. By the time I'm getting a file set, there's probably another offer. I'll report.
Bike chain rivet extractor There are different ones on the market, I'll have to look closely and see. Preferably something with a bigger handle. VAR has one, for two sizes of chains, but it's not quite as perfect.
All common freewheel tools I only need Shimano ones, but I'd like to collect all of them.
Park tool CC-3 chain wear indicator If you click this link and read the review, you know why I want it. I've worked with it in the shop and it's a great device. Unfortunately, Park Tool has discontinued this model and all avenues I've tried were unsuccessful. Even Park Tool said they don't have one knocking about anymore. Truly sad news.
Park tool offset brake centering tool A must for anyone with caliper brakes. And that goes together with this one. I never used the latter, to be honest, but it's a thin wrench, so while holding the brake in centre position with one tool, you can tighten the nut with the other.
And most wanted: the bearing puller tool that will hopefully be made for me at some point. 
Okay, I'll stop here. There are more tools I desire, but just thinking about the costs makes my head explode.
I already have a power drill/screwdriver and angle grinder. However, I will need a work stand, a bench with swivel vice, a wheel truing jig and dishing tool for all the work. And how about the bottom bracket facing tools and headset press? Let alone my wishes for a bench grinder and polishing wheel, and I think if I get to that stage I may as well look for a workshop to stick up a sign saying 'Stella & the Viscounts'.