I am also busier than normal while working from home. The new custom frame hangs on the wall mocking me.
I finally bought professional headset installation and removal tools over the past couple years - Park and Efficient Velo Tools. The culprit was the IRD 1-1/8 threadless double roller bearing headset - dummying it up off the bike is deceptive if you have never seen one before. The trusted LBS took a couple of trips by me to show him how to install it correctly. Then I needed another one installed while he was on vacation; I tried another LBS and they installed the headset upside down. I have lost the patience to use my threaded rod, hammer and punches. I had the money (or credit) and decided it was time to bite the bullet and get the proper tools. I will be installing another IRD 1-1/8 threadless double roller bearing headset on the GBW whenever it arrives and retrofitting the Hubbuhubbuh. I installed a 1" Tange/IRD NeedL BlastR on my Custom with the new tools. Life is better with the proper tools. If you can afford them, you will not regret buying them. Laing Delray Beach FL On Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 10:11:08 AM UTC-4, Coal Bee Rye Anne wrote: > I've also considered Clem headset replacement! Mostly to move the rinko > style cups onto another project frame which may have more rinko-like > adaptability and use a new spare Tange headset on the Clem. Unfortunately, > this is unlikely to occur anytime soon with my general lack > of spare time... even during quarantine I'm finding I have little extra > time for projects. It's weird how this has impacted so many people so > differently. I'm extremely fortunate to still be working but work is > keeping me busier than ever without even leaving home and it's been a > struggle to maintain work/life balance lately. I need some cabin fever > projects but can't seem to get to them. This reply itself is a much needed > distraction from both work and home. > > I've only done a few DIY headset installs and found the threaded > rod/nuts/washers press has served me well as long as I go slowly and press > one cup at a time... but I eventually added the following tools to my bike > toolbox: > > Headset cup remover! - after multiple frustrating attempts at DIY cup > removals (brass rod, flathead screw driver, etc.) I finally ordered one of > these and it's entirely worth it... takes a single whack or two with a > mallet per cup and keeps your cups intact - good trick I learned (Sheldon, > maybe?) is to use a rag and rubber band around the headtube to catch your > cups so they don't fall onto the hard floor and risk damage. > > Crown race setter - I went with the Park Tool version which has a few > inserts for 1" and 1-1/8" > > Crown race puller - forget the model and it's ok but finally got one after > struggling with a particular crown race and fork which left little room for > any other kind of punch. > > All of these were eventually acquired over time along with several other > bike specific tools and after finally deciding to undertake relatively > simple tasks on my own following some highly unsatisfactory LBS services... > not one particular occasion but more of a series of occasions at > multiple local shops which just left me with a bitter taste and lack of > confidence with levels of service and communication and/or a general lack > of interest in some of my particular projects which I think further > promoted the poor attention to details and lack of quality service and > communication. It's funny, but after a few particular botched jobs or > non-existent communication I later found myself testing out different shops > in the area with small individual services to vet them for potentially > bigger jobs. Several failed at even communicating their completion of a > job which I found even more frustrating and they lost out on more business. > > If you have any inclination for future headset replacements or have run > into a situation where it has stalled potential projects I'd strongly > encourage you to consider adding a few of the basic headset tools to your > box. It's entirely worth it considering the time it saves if/when you are > able to do the rest of the build yourself. > > If not and this is likely a one time job and you have a good LBS then I'd > recommend letting the LBS do it rather than potentially damage your headset > during a botched removal like I have. > > Best wishes and good luck! > > Brian Cole > Lawrence NJ > >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/05c50f4c-4226-4b43-a393-47c05c109c50%40googlegroups.com.
