Getting nowhere fast

   I can't say that I really have progress to report! I thought that I had finally found a freewheel, purchased along with some nice Campagnolo wide flange hubs. My winning bid factored in the money I would receive after polishing the hubs and skewers and re-selling them. One drawback was the difficulty of removing a freewheel that no longer had spokes and a rim attached, since using them for leverage when turning the wrench in the opposite direction is rather useful!
 

 

   I searched the 'net for some advice and found some interesting solutions, including the partial rebuilding of a wheel. Because the cogs get in the way of inserting spokes in that side of the hub, one would essentially just rebuild the non-drive side. However, I was concern with the torque put on the part, since it is made of relatively lightweight materials (keep reading for an example of torque horror), and I didn't like the idea of potentially twisting the hub out of alignment.

   I came up with the idea of making a simple jig with a board that had a hole cut just big enough to fit the narrower axle through. I would then cut the board in half so that the hub can be inserted in the hole, between the two halves of the board after they are realigned and clamped together.

   Using the holes in the non-drive end of the hub as a guide, I would then drill holes and insert bolts that would fit up into those larger holes that serve as a weight-saving and decorative element on the flanges. The bolts would be just long enough to fit up underneath the freewheel without making contact, so that the little bit of downward pressure I would be using while turning the wrench would keep everything in place, but not gouge the underside of the freewheel as it turned.

   All this clever thought was for nothing, because what the seller listed as a Campagnolo six-speed freewheel, was actually a Regina freewheel, clearly marked on the smallest cog. Regina makes great stuff, but...oh, you get the point by now! I had already taken out the skewers and polished them up nicely, so it was clear that the seller was going to have this item returned in better condition than that in which he had sent them.

   I was met with a bit of a dispute about what a "full refund" meant, in that the seller intended for a buyer to pay return shipping. After I opened a claim and sent a note explaining the error in the listing, all I received was the eBay "eligible for full refund" form response. I asked for a personal response from the seller and simply added that the incorrect listing was his fault, and that I should not be paying anything, since I wasn't getting anything! Fortunately he was quick to send an email and settled everything to my satisfaction.

   Unfortunately the freewheel search continues.

 

   I went on a ride on my Colnago the other day and experienced a ping during every revolution of the pedals. I looked down and noticed the bottom bracket had rotated out towards the right and the left crank was tapping the chain stay when I turned the pedals. This is one of those wacky Italian bicycle features that cause complications, and nobody in the design/repair world knows why they have yet to change it.

   All non-Italian bicycle builders thread the bottom bracket sides in different directions to account for the pedaling motion and its tendency loosen, or in my case, completely unscrew the part. I can't believe I am that focused when I ride that I didn't notice it sooner, but apparently I didn't have the Herculean strength (or so I thought, but stay tuned) to permanently secure the bracket cup against the frame.

   I had to remove the cranks (which I hate to do, faced with the prospect of putting them back on) in order to insert the bottom bracket tool, make the adjustments and tighten everything as much as I possibly could. It all went downhill from there when the crankarm mounting bolt sheared off. I can only assume the part was bad because I've seen the guys at the shop wrestle with this job, and I know they are putting more torque on the tools than I can - not just because they are younger, but their muscles are more used to this very job-specific exercise.

   I am now into the frustrating process of aquiring/attempting several tools to remove the broken bolt from the pedal axle. At this point I have a small pilot hole started, and after finding that a larger bit makes the bolt turn deeper into the hole, I conducted a fruitless hunt locally for a lefthanded drill bit. I'm convinced this will work to back out the broken bolt, so I'm awaiting an eBay delivery on the bit, along with a replacement Campagnolo bolt set.

   By the way, I did not pay the $40 MSRP for the parts - no bolts should cost $20 a piece!! I found a couple used - no bolts should cost $6.50 a piece!!                ...but I'll live with it.