The view of the countryside has been like this from work -Green!, lush green grass, fields, woodland,
The gorse has lost it`s yellow flower and blends into the scenery again..
Showers have swept over the county all week and just in time has arrived my new lightweight Paclite jacket i bought out of the Birthday money present from family...
The Alpkit Gravitas looks like going to be a popular jacket going by the growing success of Alpkit products that are proving to be functional and yet great value as you don`t pay for a big name in the outdoor equipment world....
Alpkit stuff in my own house is growing; Bivi Bag, head torch, Titanium Mug and Spork, Gourdon waterproof back packs-a brilliant design, packable body warmer, Sleeping Matt, Tarp, Bikepacking bags...
And i have not had to return a single product yet-tribute to good product testing before going on sale.
I will no doubt try out this jacket soon enough with the recent unsettled weather-well it is Wimbledon season!...
Tuesday after work and postie had delivered two packages ordered on Friday evening; Spokes, 24" tubes and Tyre sealant, and a pair of MAXXIS 4" Fat tyres, 120 tpi Mammoths at £60 a pair from Planet X, loads of friends have also ordered a pair at that price..
Also the steel Rivi nuts arrived needed to fit the bottle cages to the new build Surly KramPug...
While drizzle came on i sat in the house and laced up the front Fat wheel for the new KramPug...
Laced and roughly tensioned in half an hour, while i watched an episode of `Shed n Buried`...
Shed and Buried?, it`s an ace series on a free Sat channel which goes in search of mechanical bargains in men's sheds, and there is some amazing sheds full of stuff here in the UK, here is a preview...
Thursday...
Again overcast and spots of drizzle and plenty other evenings to go cycle, so i finished the Fat wheels and mounted the bottle cages on the new KramPug...
First off mark up where to drill the holes...
Measure from the bottom mark to the axle (120mm) and copy on the other side...
Turn the bike upside down and mark the holes for the down tube cage and the down tube crud catcher- not a `Crud catcher` but a flat `Cycraguard` i think these fit steel frames better than Crud catchers that seem to fit hydro formed alloy frames better...
The Rivi nut fitting tool and 3 drill bits; 2mm pilot, then a 5 mm, then a 7mm...
Centre punch the marks first, my centre punch is actually an old Phillips screwdriver!...
Center punch all holes, then pilot drill them all in each size to save swapping drill bits etc...
The Rivi nut screws on the tool then you insert in the hole and just squeeze the tool tight and hob done...
First though mix and apply a little Araldite, the Rivi nuts can slip and spin and not allow a seized Allen bolt to un screw...
Just a little bit is needed...
Applied then unscrewed and Rivi nuts in place...
Last wee job is copper grease the threads, i use an ear bud to apply...
And copper grease the 5mm Allen bolts...
All mounted up...
Fat Wheels; Ghetto split tubeless...
You know the drill by now on doing this...
If the tyre is slack like this and you can get a finger underneath then remove tube and add too layers of foam...
And sorted, inflates with the track pump...
Happy with tight fit, deflate again and add 160ml of Stans sealant per wheel...
Give the wheel the `Stans Shake` to coat and seal all inside and i will leave them up at 20 psi until i use them to get the bead properly seated and true...
Excess inner tube trimmed and job done...
New life to an old frame and two bikes in one...
More soon...
