After taking the dog for a long ride with the mountain bike (note to self: spend more time maintaining bikes than tinkering with them this winter), I got into the final adjustments on the S3X.
- Adjust the cones.
- Throw away the aluminum washer and replace it with one of the old thick anti-rotation (tabbed) washers. Looks pretty slick. The aluminum washer had already smashed into the thin steel washer, and was locking up on the axle threads. I don’t think I can get the aluminum washer off the steel, since it’s kind of grown around it.
- True up the wheel. Easy peasy. I’m still doing the Jobst “only quarter turns” thing, but I still don’t like it. It makes it easier to grab the nipple, but I don’t feel you can get the wheel as true as using 7/8 turns and 19/32 turns.
- Mount the new Schwalbe Marathon 47-622s I just got. Yeah, yeah, they shouldn’t fit on the Quickbeam with metal fenders, and they rub on the brake bridge mounting bolt, so…
- Pull the rear fender and clean up the mounting. Replace the brake bridge hanger with a rivet! Rivets are low profile, and leave enough room for the hanger bolt. Also cut a new leather washer for under the mount, and file the mounting slot longer, to get the fender a micron higher. Replaced the cork chainstay bridge mount with an old bearing. Looks cool. These fenders need a respray, but I’m out of the Quickbeam-matching spray paint.
- Mount the fender and wheel and Yay! It fits pretty well. That top fender mount nut had been a killer, even on smaller tires. Feel so good about the rear, I mount the front Marathon as well.
- Whoops. Appears to rub on the nut mounting the fender to the Nitto rack. There may be a way around this, but I doubt it. The clearances are minuscule. I’m putting a different tire on tomorrow.
