SJS delivery

[Matt2matt2002]

Always excited to receive a parcel from our friends at SJS. Even when I know what's inside! 😉

[energyman]

.......and always well packaged !

[Andre Jute]

Seems almost a shame to open such a neat parcel...

[Matt2matt2002]

Seems almost a shame to open such a neat parcel...

Funny you should say that André. I left it sitting on my table for a couple of hours.
Inside?

[Aleman]

Always excited to receive a parcel from our friends at SJS. Even when I know what's inside! 😉

Oh Yes  and even better when they are this sort of size 

[Matt2matt2002]

Always excited to receive a parcel from our friends at SJS. Even when I know what's inside! 😉

Oh Yes  and even better when they are this sort of size 

Excellent.
Let us know your contents.

Mine:

Jtek single ring chain ring bolts

Rohloff twin 250ml oil change kit

KMC X8 3/32 8 speed chain speed chain grey/silver

Jtek threaded 17T rear sprocket

Surly 110mm BCD 5 arm s/steel front ring 38T

As I went to store them away I found I already had x3 single oil change kits and also a KMC X8 3/32 8 speed chain speed chain grey/silver!
So I'm well stocked up.

Front and rear rings have only done 6 and a half years under a Chainglider and 14,000 miles / 23,000Km.
So when I change the chain ( not yet at 0.5 & not the chain that went on when I fitted the rings! ), I'll think of flipping the rings.
Any thoughts on that? They don't look worn.

[Andre Jute]

Front and rear rings have only done 6 and a half years under a Chainglider and 14,000 miles / 23,000Km.
So when I change the chain ( not yet at 0.5 & not the chain that went on when I fitted the rings! ), I'll think of flipping the rings.
Any thoughts on that? They don't look worn.

There's a school for even wear which will have you turn them over, and a school for wearing the side out, which will be in favour of keeping them in their current orientation. To confuse matters even more, there's a school for throwing off the chain, as the cheapest component, at 0.5 on the gauge (I belong to it), and a school which says that on a single speed (which perversely includes hub gearboxes) all the power delivery components wear equally, so just run them until the chain starts skipping or falling off or exhibits some other irritating behaviour.

You might want to read the late Sheldon Brown on these matters. Besides knowing what he talked about, he was possibly the first Thorn owner in the US; he was the first and only bicycle mechanic The Times of London honoured with an obituary.

[Matt2matt2002]

Many thanks again Andre.

Yes, I'm a S Brown fan - very wide ranging knowledge.

I am interested in first hand experiences since - as you say - there are many schools of thought out there.

For example - my Facebook Rohloff groups reveal quite a few subtle variations/ methods for oil changes.
Lets not get started here on that or other subjects!

Although I'll confess to a double flush yesterday. Absolutely no 'used/dirty' oil came out on the initial drain.
The first flush was filthy thick. So an executive decision was made for a second flush before the final filling.

My ride just now around the soft rolling hills of Aberdeenshire in rain and hail was exceptionally smooth.

Chin chin

Matt

[Aleman]

Oh Yes  and even better when they are this sort of size 

Excellent.
Let us know your contents.

Well to be fair mine was from last year, but It had all this stuff in it. ... A Bit to much to mention 

MkII Size 5 Raven Twin


Wheels


Transmission and braking bits


More Bits


A better view of the bits

[Matt2matt2002]

Excellent.
Many thanks for sharing.
What a great set of packages.
I bet it was fun putting it all together.

And the finished bike?

[PH]

Well to be fair mine was from last year, but It had all this stuff in it. ... A Bit to much to mention 

I think we have a winner!
My packages are nearly always very well wrapped, the one time it wasn't resulted in some damage which was quickly rectified. 
I also like that SJS hasn't followed the trend of replacing service with speed.  I've never needed a bike part on a next day basis, I can't imagine I ever will.

[Aleman]

I bet it was fun putting it all together.

Oh yeah, it was great fun. Considering that it's well over 25 years since I did any maintenance on my bikes (a big child gap, and then living a few miles from an ex British Cycling mechanic) I was surprised at just how easy it was, a couple of beginner mistakes like putting the Eccentrics in the wrong way round, and cutting the chain too short. ... I think I've also "Wired" my Roholoff gear mech the wrong way round 1st is Largest gear inches, 14th Smallest. I also haven't yet fully trimmed the fork steerer, making the first cut was sort of fine, but fine tuning it now is getting into squeaky bum time.

I think it says a lot of Robin's faith in the design of the frames, and the selection of the components that go into his bikes for him to offer a customer a "Frame and a box of bits" as it would have taken months to assemble the bike given covid and demand for bikes. It also helped that I was talking to him about converting our older tandem into straight bar, and going from 6 Speed Derailleur to a Rohloff, must have given him a bit of confidence in me as well.
 

And the finished bike?

Oh that! You sure you want to see it??  This is the bike pretty much completely built as of last year, after I added the SON Dynamo lighting, but before I decided where the wiring was going. I have also fitted the Thorn Decals since then as well

[Matt2matt2002]

Pretty fine, as the locals here say.
Thanks again

[leftpoole]

Fabulous-but.
It is a crying shame that Thorn are no longer having decals applied at point of sale under lacquer!!