Comments on: Street Beat Altal

By: Wooden Shoe Biker

Wooden Shoe Biker — Fri, 07 May 2010 12:43:03 +0000

Center pulls also need the guide at the stem insertion into the headtube which limits choice of stem on some and the cable must come from on high also limiting the choice of lever. Did you put the brake on front of Grand Prix or sell it without. It must have come with center pull. My 85 marathon has side pull and work and feel the same as center pull. The V brake stops the fastest from my experience but the pads were also the newest and the most surface area on the alloy rim of a rebuilt Twenty done up by a Pro bike mechanic in Colorado.

By: Luftmensh

Luftmensh — Fri, 07 May 2010 03:46:50 +0000

Sounds good Steven. Can’t wait.

WSB: center pull brakes are a pain in the ass to tune as I’m sure you know but I worked on a friends and now they’re like brand new.

By: Steven

Steven — Fri, 07 May 2010 02:45:37 +0000

Hey everybody,
I just sold this bike to my brother last weekend… He’s taller than me and it fits him better. As for the chain ring, he’ll keep the two so he can switch ratios as he pleases…
I’m working on a gold Pake track frame right now. I’ll post pictures when its finished.

By: Wooden Shoe Biker

Wooden Shoe Biker — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 03:38:22 +0000

Hola again, is that a cottered crank? Not easy to get off! Takes a big vise and ingenuity. I have a Raleigh and it had two chainwheels also and rivetted. As I recall the 52 tooth ring was machined onto the crank. i.e. lose the 42 and you will change the ratio of your bike and need a longer chain and different cog. No longer economy but fun experience. Suggest 2nd bike while this one is in Labor.

By: Wooden Shoe Biker

Wooden Shoe Biker — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 03:29:21 +0000

Steven, in the close up of the Head badge and brake it is obvious the brake needs to be adjusted and snugged up. I have found that once it is close, take off one brake shoe and squeese the calipers against the rim while eyeballing the missing pad and tighten the 10 or 9 mm. screw where the cable passes thru the yoke. Put the pad back on the caliper and hopefully it will be close and the lever will have minimal travel before the brake engages. If it is too tight it is easier to let it up a bit than to pull it tighter. Grease lightly the cable so it slids nicely at the yoke. If it is an old cable and housing remove and grease the whole wire. I use grease but maybe light oil is better but rust is a problem with old steel and wire is cheap if you must replace.

By: Mike Fuller

Mike Fuller — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 01:06:25 +0000

Ahh….. the tried and tested ‘take a grinder to it’ method gets suggested again eh Al?
I like the frame though- the chrome parts look great with the white. Even better you’ve kept the head badge on top of the chrome.
I’ve tried having my saddle like that, but kept getting numb hands cos of the pressure on the nerve. I do like the power you can get into pedalling when you’re leaning forward like that though

By: Alan Flint

Alan Flint — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:00:29 +0000

Sort the saddle out. It just looks daft and uncomfortable. As for the extra chainring. Borrow a mates angle ginder. Take the heads off the rivetts and you should be able to punch the remainder out, If stuck, you may have to drill the rivetts. Half hour job, tops. p,s, Please sort that saddle out. My eyes are watering just looking at it.

By: Jin

Jin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 01:59:22 +0000

I agree.. nice paint job.
@JQ I know what you mean.

A lot of guys tend to do that when inexperienced with properly fitting and setting up their bike (I know I did). It is putting most of the weight and such on your wrist. If you arms get tired, numb, or ache… well, it’s the seat. level it out and try raising and lowering it a bit at a time to find that sweet spot. Also, on longer rides (anything more than a quick jaunt to the store) a squishy seat is more likely to put pressure on that nerve. It’s the sit bones that are suppose to support the majority of your weight and a squishy thing distributes it to all areas.

As for the brake… Keep it… If you REALLY want a new brake check the crown for a hole that would fit a regular road caliper and then just cut off the rivets. They are probably not in the right spot to be replaced with anything like a 990 brake anyways.

By: Steven

Steven — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:40:10 +0000

@cs: They are a pain to work with…
I don’t know how to remove it because it is connected by rivets. I took it to a couple bikeshops but they were hesitant to try. Suggestions welcome
Also, the bike is a tad big for me, rather than too small.

By: jqnyc

jqnyc — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:02:00 +0000

I used to set-up my seat like that –thinking that the family jewels would be safer. I wonder if the frame is too small for him. The seat should be parallel with the top tube. Otherwise, great job.