Getting very bored and the problem with that is money starts burning a hole in your pocket exponentially. Buy one thing and before you know it you need a loan.
So the efficient boys at BikeTorque landed the new bobbin kit and brake pads on my doorstep this afternoon. Unusually efficiently I had put the bike up on the stands ready to work, and been out to stock up on brake cleaner at the local B&Q. Consequently this turned out into a SWMBO supplies mission and I ended up with a bag of peat, 3 different kinds of plant food, a bottle of brick cleaning acid and a bottle of and stone cleaner for the jet wash. As you do I happened to pick up tin of WD40 cos you can never have enough, a bottle of wheel cleaner and 2 Dremel wire brushes that I figured would come in handy top clean up the paint free areas on the forks. And no brake cleaner. So I had to go to Truro for that.
Having duly washed all the nasty Covid bugs off everything I'd bought in accordance with the SWMBO regulations, I started to take things to bits. Off with the mudguard and on to the callipers. This was the front left. As you can see one pad is hardly worn. More of that later
Front right was a bit more even but not great
Then just for all those fretting about paint peeling off here and there here's the front right fork
And the front left fork
I'll chip off the loose paint after washing all the crap off. I have some silver Hammerite in the shed and am wondering whether to put some of that on, or just leave them until I get the forks completely repainted at some point. Maybe.
I then started investigating the front right brake disc where some of the spring washers have sprung into another life somewhere. Tugging at the disc and looking to see which ones had gone I began to feel there was something awry. Firmly grasping the top and bottom of the wheel I gave a good shake and sure enough movement, so the bearings are buggered. So I thought well I have this fancy front stand, I can take the wheel out and get Ocean to do the bearings. Undid the right pinch bolt and could not move the spindle. Double joy.
So decided to take out the pads and clean up the calipers. Well I found out why the brakes have been feeling pathetic recently. RHS calliper one piston popped its head out, and over an hour later all 4 were grudgingly moving. Onto the LHS calliper and beginning to lose the will and run out of brake cleaner, I found again 1 happy piston and 3 stuck. 2 came free but the 4th is seized, hence the almost unworn pad above.
Anyway now I know why the front of the bike has been feeling a bit odd recently and the brakes have been needing a bigger and bigger handful over the last few rides
Just composed an email to Ocean saying I need to come in so they can look at the starting problem, the wheel bearing and free the piston. What the hell, maybe I'll get them to chuck on another front tyre while they're at it. Contemplating writing another email to Captain Sir Tom Moore seeing if he'll do some more laps to raise cash for the bill
