Chuck's Tech Opinion: List of parts to build a bike - record all bicycle components

Total geek-out posting today, but I hope you find it useful! When I build a bike, in my opinion it's best practice to keep a full list of all the parts used. I've found that it becomes an incredibly useful reference guide for later on. It's also quite satisfying to do while you go about actually building the bike.

How to do that?

Well, this is what I use. Here's my list of components that are needed for building a bike (note that some of them may not be required for a particular type of machine):

FRAME & MAIN BEARINGS

Frame

Forks

Headset

Cable hanger for front brake,steerer-mounted or fork mounted up-hanger

Bottom Bracket

Protective sleeve for lining BB frame shell
Chainstay protector

STEERING

Stem

Shim for stem

Spacers

Star nut or expanding bolt for carbon steerer

Stem top cap and bolt

Handlebars

Gel cushioning for bars

Handlebar tape or hand grips and finishing tape

Handlebar end plugs

TT extensions, clips and all bolts

SITTING

Seatpost

Saddle clamp

Seatpost frame clamp or bolt

Seatpost shim

Saddle

DRIVETRAIN & GEARS

Front mech

Front mech mounting bracket

Rear mech

Rear mech hanger

Chain catcher or dog fang

Chainset

Chain

Chain connecting link

Pedals

Cassette or freewheel

Rear hub spacers

Gear shifters

Gear cables inner

Gear cables outer sleeves

Inline cable barrel adjusters

Downtube cable barrel adjusters / stops

Bottom bracket mounted cable guide and bolt, washer(s)

BRAKES

Brake levers

Brake cables inner

Brake cables outer sleeve

Front brake mechanism

Front brake shoes and pads

Rear brake mechanism

Rear brake shoes and pads

Barrel adjusters

Rear brake cable hanger, seat tube clamp mounted

CABLE RELATED

Cable end caps, crimp on

End ferrules for cable outer sleeve

Cable grommets (anti-scratch)

Tape for fixing outer sleeves to bars, etc

WHEELS

Wheels

Rim tape

Inner tubes
Valve extenders (for deep rims)

Tyres

QR skewers or axle & track nuts or anti-theft bolted skewers

ACCESSORIES

Bottle cages and bolts

Computer, sensors and mountings

Light fittings

Mudguards

Luggage mountings

So what I do is list these in a spreadsheet, e.g. on Google Drive so as to be able to access it from anywhere. Then I note details next to each, such as cost, supplier, brand and model/type, frame number, and anything notable, etc. As I said, total geek-out, but well worth it when three years later, you're trying to remember the specs of something or where you bought a part from. The spreadsheet can also be used calculate how much the bike cost to put it together, and more importantly, whether resources are being spent wisely on important stuff, or not!

Challenge Tyres: sealing side walls Seamgrip v. Copydex

These Challenge Grifo are beautiful clinchers. Note that Challenge call them Open Tubulars meaning they're made like their tubulars before fitting a clincher style bead. Extremely high TPI, so very supple. Since they're made of cotton, it is advisable to seal the tyre walls. I've done an experiment here, top one is sealed in Pritt Copydex (latex base solvent free glue). It had nil effect to the feel of the tyre. 

The one below is sealed with McNett Seamgrip, a tent and camping equipment sealant. Of the two, I found that Copydex is much less messy to apply, but no where near as robust as the Seamgrip. In the photo above, you can see the edges peeling. However, after a number of cross races, the Copydex had not come off. So, it's worth doing, even though the Seamgrip is better. The Seamgripped carcass was perhaps a tad less flexible, but the main drawback was it's gloopy consistency and difficulty in application. Ideally, if the Seamgrip could be diluted down a bit before application it may be easier, but I fear that can only be done with pretty nasty benzene based solvents. If anyone knows of a harmless solvent for Seamgrip, please do comment below!

Argon 18 E-80 Build Log: Part 1

New project a real TT bike. Here are the first photos:

It's a 2009 frame, interesting because the central trapezium is alloy tubing, but the rear triangle is carbon. So there is a carbon-alloy bond all down the seat tube (like the old Mercury) although it's been tastefully painted over:

Here is a piccie of the old Argon 18 Mercury, showing the carbon-alloy join, for comparison:

The headset is a FSA IS-2 (a standard integrated type). No major news there, except that I'm now wondering whether I've cut the steerer too short. Now that'd be a schoolboy error, if ever I saw one!

Let's see. More to come soon.

British Cyclocross Championships 2014, Derby

The best of UK cyclocross talent were at Moorways Leisure centre today. Here are some photos from the elite mens race. The pit is always a busy place:

Power washers at work. I wonder what's in the yellow wheelie bin...

 Ian Bibby getting down. Now that's not a Genesis bike, is it? It be a Ridley.

Salsa in the mud. Look at those feet go! 

Balletic movement by Ian Field. Total concentration he was, all day, on the way to what I think is a threepeat national title. 

Mucky sticky mud everywhere, causing errors. But he was probably thinking "this is not as nasty as Namur!"

Take a look at Ian Field's Focus (yes, that's a Specialized, but I was referring to his eyes, not the bike brand!).

 He made it look so easy... He dealt with the pressure really well. It's tough at the top!!

 Nick Craig, proper punchy power.

 I love this picture. This is what Cyclocross is about!

 Hargroves lead out on to the "dancefloor".

 Stu Bowers getting shouted at:

Vicious Velo, looking well vicious. 

Yep, an interesting day out (remember to take a spare pair of shoes though!)  Plus there was the womens event (won by Helen Wyman, her 8th title), Juniors and U23 (which we missed). All this for the price of a small donation to the local Scout organisation - you've gotta go watch some cyclocross. 

Neat Exustar CK2 Covers for SPD Cleats

These are fantastic, and great value for money too. I bought two pairs. No more Bambi-on-Ice moments in the Cafe!

Here you can see the other side of the little rubber cap. They slot very easily over the cleat and when you're about to get on the bike, they remove easily and occupy a tiny amount of space in your jersey pocket. 

The packaging. Sorry, I couldn't rotate these photos, so you'll have to rubber neck a little. Click them to enlarge. 

Exustar do various versions for different cleat types, as per the table below (click to enlarge).

And a little bird on a fencepost, just for the sake of it!

Genesis Equilibrium Build Log Part 3: "Pretty Weirdo"

As a build log, this will be rubbish! I say this because the bike is finished, but I didn't take any pictures along the way. So, I present to you: Pretty Weirdo!

Why that name? If you remember, the build criterion was use whatever stuff I have lying around. Because of that, I ended up with a good looking 6 speed road bike, running cross tyres!

Rear derailleur: Shimano Tourney RD-TX35

Cassette: Shimano 6 speed 14-28T (screw on freewheel type)

Chainset: Mighty 170 alloy cranks 44T steel teeth

Bottom bracket: Neco Shimano compatible square taper cartridge

Chain: KMC with quick link

Front chain-keeper: Deda dog-fang

Shifters: Sunrace 6 speed bar mounted lever

Headset: Ritchey Logic V2

Handlebars: ITM Vitus alloy 46cm (I think this is the o-o measurement, but haven't checked) 

Bar tape: Deda, champagne

Stem: Ritchey Comp 120mm

Brakes: Miche Performance dual-pivot caliper, long drop 57mm

Brake levers: Tektro

Frame: 56cm Genesis Reynolds 725 heat treated chro-moly steel alloy butted (rear dropouts standard road ~130mm), two bottle cage mounts, mudguard eyelets.

Rims: Weinmann AS23X alloy, nutted axles

Hubs: Quando alloy

Tyres: Maxxis Raze 700x33 folding

Basic pedals. Below, grab your steed and jump on! 

Seatpost: Alpina alloy 27.2mm

Saddle: Charge Bucket

Forks: Genesis carbon, alloy steerer 1 1/8", (standard road width ~100mm)

The frame looks beautiful and feels great to ride. Comfortable, yet lively. However, it is too small for me and I can't get over that fact. Therefore, she's on sale now (please see the CTC forum, and later next week, on eBay.co.uk).

Snow!

Time to have some fun on the cyclocross bike. There's nothing like it! The tyres are Challenge Grifo  700x33 clinchers (what they call "open tubulars", but they are not tubulars!).