New Raven build -- advice sought

[djd828]

Much of this whole thing started with you asking questions about the eccentric.  Have you figured that all out by now?

Mickeg, yes, that seems ages ago.  I know all I ever wanted to know about eccentrics and more.  Actually, I know a lot more about bikes in general and that's a very good thing.  I am now much more comfortable working on my bikes and have done a little more on the new Raven tonight...mounting the brake arms on the frame and fork.  Not sure if my LBS will have anything left to do if I keep this up. 

I also learned a lot about gearing calc, BB spindle length/chain line calculations and Q factor.  Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge.

As for the bar tape, I am using a Jones Loop bar and I only taped the inner section that will be closest to me....no cables in that area.

[djd828]

Good evening---

I bought some of the Schmidt coaxial wire from Peter White to start building the sections of wire for the lights but have a question.  Other than hiring a brain surgeon, what is the best way to strip the outer black insulation to preserve the uninsulated ground wires that wrap around the inner insulated cable?  I tried to do it very carefully using some wire strippers but cut right through those ground wires.  I was thinking maybe an Exacto knife? 

I did test a nice cheap crimper I bought and it does a great job on the small connectors that will go on the Son and Luxos making me wonder how many folks actually buy the $240 Knipex crimper on Peter's website.

Dave

[John Saxby]

Great to see Things Happening, Dave!

I know all I ever wanted to know about eccentrics and more.

The Brits treasure eccentrics, bless 'em

[Danneaux]

...what is the best way to strip the outer black insulation to preserve the uninsulated ground wires that wrap around the inner insulated cable?

The best method I've used for separating the wheat from the chaff (or the mesh from the center conductor) on coaxial Schmidt cabling is to use the scissors on a small Victorinox "Classic"  Swiss Army Knife. In the States, WalMart has them at the sporting goods desk for as little as $8-12, depending on location.

I cut the wire off using v-jaw cutters (for a clean end; think cable/housing cutters), then approach from the end with the scissors.

If you place the fixed jaw of the scissors down, then push ahead gently, the effect is like a seam ripper, and the cover opens without snagging the outer mesh. When I've gone as far as I need, then I just make a 90-degree cut each side from the end until  I've gone 'round and severed the insulation.

From there, I slice and move the mesh to one side, twisting it lengthwise to make a separate conductor I can solder to or secure separately. An alternate and equally viable method is illustrated here: http://www.wikihow.com/Strip-Coax-Cable

Works a treat. 

[Dave Whittle Thorn Workshop]

Or these http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/schmidt-automatic-wire-stripper-prod23933/ 

[mickeg]

Great to see Things Happening, Dave!

I know all I ever wanted to know about eccentrics and more.

The Brits treasure eccentrics, bless 'em

I thought he was talking about us.  <Insert chuckle here>

[djd828]

Or these http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/schmidt-automatic-wire-stripper-prod23933/ 

Dave, if I worked in your shop, I would definitely have that item but for my one off project, I think I will try Dan's suggestions and see how I make out.  If you see me place an order for one of those in the next day or so, you can assume I failed.

Dave

[mickeg]

I think you meant you would follow Dan's suggestions, not mine.

I did not use the fancy wire you have.  I think mine was 20 or maybe 22 gauge multistrand.  And zip tied to the fork blade.  The wire is yellow in the photo.

My wiring system is not grounded to the frame, thus I need two wires.  My taillight is battery powered, thus I only need wire from the hub up to the light unit which is also attached to the fork.  Thus, very simple wiring system.

I have two 26 inch wheel touring bikes (Sherpa and Nomad Mk II), but only one wheel with dyno hub.  That is why I have a separate set of connectors are the top near the light unit.  Thus on each bike I ran wires along the fork blade and have a connector at the bottom on each bike that plugs into the hub. 

This way I can easily move the dynohub wheel from one bike to the other.  Well, not that easy, I have to also switch brake pads since the dynohub wheel is a CSS rim and my non-dynohub wheel is not CSS.

[djd828]

I think you meant you would follow Dan's suggestions, not mine.

Yes...corrected.  I believe I will have a similar setup as yours and then have a second wire run from my Luxos U back to my taillight, although I am still trying to determine exactly how I want to do that.  I think I will take the simple approach for the moment and zip tie it from the rear rack and then follow the brake or shift lines back to the front of the bike.  I know I had ambitions of drilling the fenders and installing connectors in several places but for now, I think I will wait to do that.

Dave

[Andre Jute]

That's smart, Dave. Wiring is one of those things you don't want to hurry.Two reasons: Lamps are actually the thing that you change most often on a touring bike, in part because the science of LEDs right is moving so fast, in part because until very recently every road-legal lamp was £$%^&*() so upgrading was seen as a safety measure beyond considerations of cost. (My wife actually said one day, "For a 140 euro that will make you more visible to drivers, you're hesitating?" She didn't like my explanation that in a year there would be a still better lamp.) And you really want to give yourself time to think carefully before you drill components or solder on bits -- and, human nature being what it is, the first assembly of a new bike is not an ideal moment to take time out to think carefully.

For now, tiewraps are your friends.

[David Simpson]

Dave --

I have the Luxos U headlight with a tail-light, and I didn't use any bike-specific wiring. I went to a local electrical supply shop and bought a length (3 metres?) of sheathed 2-wire wiring. I couldn't find a photo of it on the Internet, so I'll try to describe it. Inside are two wires, each with its own insulation. Around both wires is a plastic sheathing, and there is some kind of cotton string padding inside the sheathing with the wires. Unlike some other wiring that I have seen, the outer sheathing is not molded to the inner wires, so it is easy to cut the sheathing away to expose the inner (still-insulated) wires. The diameter of the sheathing is slightly less than that of coax TV cable (at least, the North American type of coax cable). Of course, the wires inside are not coax.

I can upload a photo if that would help.

It was much cheaper than bike-specific wiring. However it is thicker but perhaps less fragile (and uglier too?). I use tie-wraps to fasten it to the frame. I route the wiring along the bottom of the top tube then back through the middle of the rear rack.

I also used Supernova gold connectors for all the connections. Expensive, but great. For connections that are disconnected somewhat frequently, they are much nicer than spade connectors, which can be hard to disconnect without yanking the wire out of the connector.

My wife actually said one day, "For a 140 euro that will make you more visible to drivers, you're hesitating?" She didn't like my explanation that in a year there would be a still better lamp.

Andre, your wife asks why you aren't spending more money, and you argue with her?

- Dave (another Dave)

[djd828]

Dave--thanks for the advice.  I did get 10 feet of the special Schmidt wire from Peter White along with a couple packages of the Supernova connectors so I think I am all set.  The Supernova connectors are crimp connectors, not soldered correct?

I am going to run a short length of cable from the Son hub and terminate it with a pair of the Supernova connectors.....about 8-12 inches of cable so I can remove the front wheel without having to remove the connectors from the SON.  I believe Dan gave me that suggestion a while back.  Then I will run another cable length from that short cable to the Luxos.

The light I have in the back is one of the new Son taillights....a very small but powerful light.  That has a permanently attached 8 foot cable that I can either run directly back to the headlight or I can use the Supernovas again to split the cable.  I am leaning towards the split cable, creating a short cable from the headlight terminated with the Superonovas then terminating the taillight with the Supernovas also and connecting near the fork crown...again this is similar to what Dan suggested.

As Andre mentioned, no need to get fancy at this point....I just want everything installed and working and then I'll revisit everything a bit later on down the road (literally and figuratively).

Dave

[David Simpson]

The Supernova connectors are crimp connectors, not soldered correct?

I crimped (actually, squashed) the Supernova connectors, although they probably can be soldered, if that is your preference. As a side note, a friend of mine is an aircraft mechanic, and he told me that wiring on airplanes is always crimped, never soldered. Due to the vibrations in the airframe, the soldered connections can come loose, because they are brittle.

I am going to run a short length of cable from the Son hub and terminate it with a pair of the Supernova connectors.....about 8-12 inches of cable so I can remove the front wheel without having to remove the connectors from the SON.  I believe Dan gave me that suggestion a while back.  Then I will run another cable length from that short cable to the Luxos.

This is exactly what I did, for the same reason ("because Dan did it"). I'm glad that I did.

The light I have in the back is one of the new Son taillights....a very small but powerful light.  That has a permanently attached 8 foot cable that I can either run directly back to the headlight or I can use the Supernovas again to split the cable.  I am leaning towards the split cable, creating a short cable from the headlight terminated with the Superonovas then terminating the taillight with the Supernovas also and connecting near the fork crown...again this is similar to what Dan suggested.

I have a B&M Toplight taillight, and I did the wiring the same way. A short (6 inch) pigtail, with a Supernova connector.

I also have some other very bright taillights (a pair of Niterider Universal taillights) which used a Niterider 6-volt battery pack. After 7 or 8 years of use, the battery doesn't hold a charge anymore. So I bought a cheap (from China) battery holder that holds 4 AA batteries in series, and thus outputs 6 volts. The battery holder had a bare wire connector, and I cut the end of the wires from the taillights, and then made my old wiring and used the Supernova connectors. It works great. I'm not beholded to Niterider to buy their batteries, and when (not if) the AA stop holding their charge, I can just buy new ones. (If only there was a way to power them from my SON28...) I'm a bike commuter, not a bike tourer (not yet!), so it isn't a problem to recharge my batteries at home a couple of times a week.

- Dave

[djd828]

Note: The VO fenders don't rub on the bottom edge of the Raven's head tube, because the fender bolts screw into the tapped hole in the bridge across the steerer, and the top of the fender is cushioned by a nice plump leather washer

While everyone helps me sort out the lights, I wanted to circle back and discuss the fender install one final time.  I know John mentioned in a previous post that he mounted his VO to the brazen on daruma on the underside of his Raven's fork crown.  I received my fenders today and took a look at my fork again and thought I would see a single tapped hole in the bridge on the underside of my fork crown but notice the bridge has two screws with a bunch of spacer washers.  I assume I will use both screws to mount the fender? 

I'll see if I can attach a pic in a bit.

I think I will have my LBS mount the fenders but I was just curious because it looks like I may be one leather washer short if I need to user both bolts.

Dave

[John Saxby]

I received my fenders today and took a look at my fork again and thought I would see a single tapped hole in the bridge on the underside of my fork crown but notice the bridge has two screws with a bunch of spacer washers.  I assume I will use both screws to mount the fender?

Dave, my fender is mounted with just one bolt into one of the two holes in the daruma (the forward one, if memory serves.) Works fine, though I guess the mounting would be more secure with two bolts (make sure your LBS gets 'em in line!)  I check my bolt for tightness periodically -- have to remove the wheel to do so, as VO's mounting bolt has an allen hex-head. Good idea to use a spot of blue Loctite. The leather washers tend to dry out and get squashed by the pressure as well. VO does sell spare fender hardware, incl washers.

Cheers,

John