Mett Posted May 13, 2019 Share I’ve been following this since day one, and learnt so much! Really cool project man! DJR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 14, 2019 Share Oooops, almost forgot .... did say I would check the "B-screw" setting once the chain was on .... And look at this massive gap - And a few turns later the gap seems fine - Nope, as soon as I "switched on" the clutch setting the derailure body touches the largest cogg !! Back-up 1/8th of a turn and the gearing is sorted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 14, 2019 Share Time to fit the brakes, replace the hoses, and bleed the system. Glad I bought this universal kit when that shop in Bellville had their specials .... DISCLAIMER - this post is based on my experiences with SHIMANO brake But for our modern bikes we now use this "pod-and-needle" set - Place the pod in the base Insert the needle and pour in some mineral oil Loosen the clamp and turn the brake lever such that it is horizontal on the handlebar, remove the screw, and turn in the pod (LIGHTLY!) Remove the needle and you are ready to bleed the brakes. Typically you could tap the brake lever assembly lightly and see how a few air bubbles rise into the pod. Pulling the brake lever may cause a few more bubbles to rise. Often this is all you need to sharpen up the feel of the brakes. Insert the needle, un-screw the pod, replace the screw, wipe away any mineral oil. For a "full bleed" you may need to do a bit of web-surfing .... NOTE - newer Shimano breaks (using this pod) is bled TOP DOWN only ! Now the Mongoose is showing its age when we look at these components. These older brakes dont use the pod. Rather you remove a cover. Here you have the option to bleed "top-down" OR you can bleed "bottom-up" ... So here is what we did with the Mongoose - Fit the rear brake caliper Unpack the new hose kit The basic components being the "nut", "olive" and "needle". With the hose kit you also get the handy half-clamps to hold the hose while tapping in the needle with a mallet. With the hydraulic hose connected to the rear caliper, we ran the hose to the front. Now the nerve racking part starts !! Deciding on the optimal length for the hose .... For a fully grown adult it is so much easier to install it with the optimal length ... but as Maritz is growing I need to allow for future growth of the steering system .... So we test the limits ... With the hose cut, we go through the olive and needle process again. Now it is time to bleed the brakes. And so we opt for the "bottom-up" approach. Loosen the bleed nipple, and pump mineral oil into the system from the bottom up. You need about half this quantity per brake Litterally childs play to bleed these brakes ... You can SEE the bubbles come up into the pod, and then clear fluid. Install the rubber bladder, making sure it pushes out a bit of fluid (making sure all air is removed from the pod) Put the cover back on. Almost forgot to say .... Best to REMOVE the brake pads when doing this, as you may just get some oil onto the brakes .... DO use one of the blocks to ensure you dont pop the brake cylinders .... Your best bet is to pseak to your LBS, they have boxes full of these bleed-blocks ... this comes with new brake sets .... not easy to buy this separately .... THANKS Mark ! And the process repeats for the front brakes .... Note to self - need to play with the levers .... need to set it closer to the bars for Maritz's small hands ... BuffsVintageBikes, DJR and Farrnus 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 14, 2019 Share Time to "blow" on the grips. This should be quick, my airgun system really works well for this. NEVER EVER get over confident when busy with such a project .... I normally fit these ESI grips in seconds with the airgun ... for some reason these are SUPER TIGHT in going over the bar-end ..... O-well, did get it done. Need to set the lever angles and few small setup items ... but the bike is done Saddle heights are very close .... BUT the "stand-over" height of the Mongoose is still too high for Maritz .... going to be a few months before he parks the TITAN. Patensie and DJR 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 14, 2019 Share A couple of garage shots .... will get a few sun-light pics as soon as possible ... Patensie, Mongoose!, Wayne pudding Mol and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 14, 2019 Share Some logistics.... Taking the bike apart ... 2 to 3 hours, a workshop stand does make it a lot easier. The paint process allows you enough time to get the bits and bobs you want for the re-build / upgrade. The actual rebuild ... even with all the stoppages for photos it took us less than 6 hours. Painting .... getting quotes was a bit of a mission.... at least until I contacted CBR. ONE phone call, and was invited to visit them, Justine was able to give me a verbal indication of the costs immediately. A few emails later it was confirmed in writing. Just more than a week before we could hand it for painting, and they took exactly 10 days as advertised on their website. VERY happy with the quality of the paintwork !! IF you are going to go the route of a 1x conversion, do speak to your LBS. SO HANDY to have a local specialist that can assist with knowledge and those odd parts that need mid-project ... Mark and his team was simply brilliant !! the new era of YouTube videos is both a blessing and an infernal curse ... It is so handy to see people do what you want to do ... and then you pick up that different videos do the same thing differently ..... coming from a mechanical back-ground I cringe when I see "good videos" make fundamental mistakes ..... Please do your homework, and make sure you know "how to" before attempting a project ... even better if your LBS is willing to help you with valuable information costs ... uhm ja .... Mark knows I dont take receipts when buying parts for these projects ... Yea, I have a decent idea what this project cost..... more than a new "kids bike", but less than a decent custom ordered bike. So we hardly saved money going this route - comparing the same spec bikes (and this Momsen is certainly a VERY nice spec now!) The experiences Maritz and I had in the garage far surpass any financial costs !! The technical skills is an obvious positive. The life lessons are simply price less ! Learning to plan a project, to do your homework and to set your plan in motion. Dealing with the dissapointment of a dirty BB thread stopping the day early, and learning how to deal with such dissapointment. shaper, DJuice, DJR and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJuice Posted May 15, 2019 Share Well done ChrisF and Maritz.May you have many happy miles and great memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MORNE Posted May 15, 2019 Share snip costs ... uhm ja .... Mark knows I dont take receipts when buying parts for these projects ... Yea, I have a decent idea what this project cost..... more than a new "kids bike", but less than a decent custom ordered bike. So we hardly saved money going this route - comparing the same spec bikes (and this Momsen is certainly a VERY nice spec now!) The experiences Maritz and I had in the garage far surpass any financial costs !! The technical skills is an obvious positive. The life lessons are simply price less ! Learning to plan a project, to do your homework and to set your plan in motion. Dealing with the dissapointment of a dirty BB thread stopping the day early, and learning how to deal with such dissapointment. It always is more expensive but you usually end up with something you appreciate a lot more because you hypothetically 'brought it to life" and it is one of a kind. Not to mention if you are a kid. Thats the equivalent of a fully custom chopper to them. It is so rewarding building/putting a bike together from scratch and solving the problems as you go. Yes it is a lot more fun if you are a tinkerer i guess, but the journey is part of the fun and when you get to the destination it is so much more epic. If you are not a perfectionist you probably wont get it. I know alot of people like plug-and-play and thats fine too, but I honestly look at catalogue bikes a bit differently because i'll probably see another one within a few days/weeks. It's almost like a custom bike has a soul and a catalogue bike is a clone well done. DJR and ChrisF 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ouzo Posted May 15, 2019 Share well done.Like has been mentioned, the sum of the parts does not equal the quality time together and the lessons learnt.Had the bike been bought and handed over the memories Maritz would have would be much less. And then he also would not have the skill set he is busy developing. As a youngster I would help my dad with every conceivable DIY project, everything from home maintenance to car and boat maintenance. The result being I am not scared to tackle any task around the house that needs to be done, stuff that has mates and acquaintances googling for repair men. ChrisF and DJR 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted May 15, 2019 Share ... so just checking... when are you taking more applications to be your godson and where do I send my form? What an awesome project and result! DJR and ChrisF 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffsVintageBikes Posted May 15, 2019 Share Well done Chris, it turned out brilliantly and you're quite right, one can't put a price on the life experience by going this route. You now also have a bike that you'll be able to pull apart and service in your sleep once the laaitie starts hammering it. ChrisF 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grease_Monkey Posted May 15, 2019 Share Awesome thread Chris! I'm sure Maritz is going to enjoy the bike and skills! It will save him lots of money in the long run i.t.o maintenance. ChrisF 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clinton - theCOW Posted May 15, 2019 Share Loved following this thread and build! The technical knowledge Maritz will carry forward is immense, he'll be able to "maak n' plan" when he needs to get the bike across the finish line. Too often people don't know how their bikes work and throw in the towel when a simple fix is available. I prefer to do my own bike maintenance, besides knowing my bikes, there's a bit of stress relief in doing what you love. Looking forward to your next project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ouzo Posted May 15, 2019 Share Loved following this thread and build! The technical knowledge Maritz will carry forward is immense, he'll be able to "maak n' plan" when he needs to get the bike across the finish line. Too often people don't know how their bikes work and throw in the towel when a simple fix is available. I prefer to do my own bike maintenance, besides knowing my bikes, there's a bit of stress relief in doing what you love. Looking forward to your next project have to agree. How many times have we seen a rider on the side of the road with a flat that they have no idea how to change ?Thats just the basics, now know how to fix the more technical stuff just adds to fun factor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edkin Posted May 15, 2019 Share Is CBR based in Johannesburg or do they have a Cape Town branch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisF Posted May 15, 2019 Share Is CBR based in Johannesburg or do they have a Cape Town branch? Interesting question ... Almost phone the joburg guys myself ... The "CBR" I refer to in my posts are Carbon Bicycle Repairs, in Durbanville - https://www.carbonbicyclerepairs.co.za/ James and Justine Perry. All my communication was with Justine. VERY friendly and efficient lady And for us working folk, call Justine and you can arrange to see them on a Saturday morning. There is also Carbon Bike Repairs in Joburg - https://carbonbikerepair.co.za/wp/I can not comment on them at all ... In the Western Cape we also have :Bogus Designs, in Brackenfell (few blocks from our house). But he only does email correspondence .... He is popular, obviously does a decent job, and his work carries a steep price premium ... There is also a gent in Cape Town. I dont have his details ... Edited May 15, 2019 by ChrisF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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