I hate my sloppy, stupid thinking. Would like to choke myself.
Posted by: Michael Slater in Dahon Mu XL Folding BicycleSUNDAY. Tweaking my Dahon bicycle.
Actions:
1) Lubricate seat post
2) Replace platform pedals with Shimano SPD clips
3) Rotate brake levers 20-degrees around the handlebars
4) Rotate shifter-grip 20-degrees around handlebars to permit #3.
5) Tighten bolt that links handlebars/headset/fork.
6) Test ride bike with my powerful new pedals
Observations
1) Clicking/popping noises coming out of the transmission when I pedal hard in low gears
2) Rear brake mal-adjusted and rubbing the wheel
3) One rear drop-out has severe scraping marks from the bolt of the axle.
Attempted Solution
1) Turn the adjusment knob on the shifter to make sure the two yellow lines are aligned on the hub, which should mean the hub is in correct tuning, alignment.
Results
1) Continue failure, problem.
My next ideas?
1) Hub is broken internally?
2) Twist shifter is somehow internally broken so the indexer doesn’t operate
3) Cable path is screwed up and somehow shifting or unshifting the bike
Narrative…
So I fixated on #1 being the issue after I confirmed #3 was ok, and that the only adjustment on #2 was my loosening/retightening the handlebar clamp. I even posted notes on some forums about the problem. Nothing answered me exactly. And I got some things like, “is the chain clean?” “is the chain loose?” etc.
Anyway, I was disgusted so threw the bike in my trunk so that I could take it to the store after work. While at work I was thinking, “even if the chain is loose (it was a bit floppy), there is no way there is enough slack for the chain to slip puling around the cogs.”
After work, set off to the store (in the west part of singapore, where I always get lost). Halfway there I start wondering if maybe the chain driveline is not straight. That’s the first thing I said to the guy when I arrived at the store.
Then as he’s looking at it, the whole answer falls on top of me like that scene at the end of The Usual Suspects when suddenly (and too late) everything is apparent:
I put on SPD pedal clips, which allows me to pedal with substantially more power. This pulled the axle so hard that it slipped in the dropouts, scraping them and also pulling the wheel tight against one brake pad. The noise was the chain coming off the final tooth of the cog, not from internal to the hub. (which I should have known — it was a chain-noise similar to what I’d hear from a derailler).
If I had thought about this properly, for two minutes, I should have realized this, and could have fixed it in ten minutes, instead of embarassing myself by having to take it to a bike shop. Ugh. Cursed myself all night for this. All the clues were there, noticed, and totally ignored.
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You need not be so hard on yourself over misreading the issue. The way I see it is you gave it some consideration then took it to an expert, nothing wrong with that.
Is there one best way to troubleshoot something? I am not sure, however what was done last sure is a good place to start especially if it used to work.
A visual inspection looking for straight and plumb and rubs is certainly a good first activity. You would be amazed at how many times I go to a site where 20 people are sitting around a table discussing the problem and nobody has gone out an looked.
I was working on Megan’s bike with flat tires and noticed the tube had rotated on the rim causing the stem to be cocked. I removed the front tire to facilitate rotating the tire on the rim. When I put the wheel back on I puzzled over how tight the flip lock should be. I put it back tighter than I found it, but still don’t know the correct answer. I did not remove the rear tire as it looked to complex an issue.
Oh well, it won’t likely get you again.
So far I have not located your bike seat and believe Megan may have it or it fell into a crack in the basement.
Am on my way to Long Beach to troubleshoot an intercept valve that wont open. The Customer has been working on the problem so I guess first thing I should do is go look at it. Right?!
I think I’ve narrowed my next purchase down to the Mu SL but want to talk to someone bout it first who owns one. Sounds like your pretty happy with it. Have a few questions for you if you don’t mind. Is the gear range enough for you? How about the not riding part? How does it store at your office, cafe’s, busses, etc?
Tried to hit the “Contact” button on website but it took me nowhere so my email is egjokaj@mac.com if you get a chance.
I have a mu XL not an SL.
I am very fond of the bike. It’s one of my favorite bikes I’ve ever owned.
Gearing? For ME it’s fine on my commutes. Thing is, I live in Singapore, which is comparatively flat. Well, quite flat compared to almost anywhere else. The biggest hill I climb, the first gear is sufficient. On the longer descents, the 8th gear is fast enough. I think I could cope with conditions 20% steeper or faster. Beyond that, you’d probably find yourself grimacing a bit.
I think it helps having shimano SPDs, it makes my pedalling more efficient.
I love the form factor of the bike, it’s great for filtering traffic, quick and narrow.
Storage? It’s ok. I don’t find that I fold it up that much. When I do, it takes about 30 seconds. It fits in my car trunk fine. It’s not necessarily that light, so carrying it long distances would suck if you didn’t have some sort of bag to put it in I think.
Anyway, I like it a lot and would recommend it as a great urban commuter.