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RogueMechanic
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Dear Lennard, I appreciate you mentioning my approach to the Campagnolo Ultra Torque issue in your most recent column in Velonews, even though you don't think that it's a good option for Franck. I agree that the external shim kits that he mentioned is not a good option, specifically because it will not work with his press fit bottom bracket. In light of this fact, there is no way for Franck to damage his nice ceramic bearings performing the "Rogue Mechanic" tip using one of my shim kits designed for threaded bottom brackets. Additionally, since Campagnolo uses angular contact bearings... Continue reading
Posted Oct 26, 2017 at RogueMechanic
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I'll cut right to the chase. After countless requests for shim kit that works with the press fit variants of Ultra-Torque systems, I finally came up with a solution that I am happy with. This approach is different than the approach that I took with the shim kits for threaded bottom brackets because these shims are installed inside the NDS bottom bracket cup and are designed to work in conjunction with the wave washer to increase the preload on the bearing to ultimately reduce axial movement and thus noise. These shims are PTFE and are made in the USA. Each... Continue reading
Posted Nov 16, 2016 at RogueMechanic
Hey All, It's been quite some time since my last post. As you can imagine, I've been crazy-busy. For that, I am grateful. Among other things, I just wanted to give you a heads-up regarding the roll out of my new online storefront. The time has come to make a change. I should have everything moved over and updated within a week or so. Here's the link: RogueMechanic Store. This is were you can order RogueMechanic Shim Kits for Campagnolo Ultra Torque as well as Mavic spokes and other parts. Thanks for checking it out! Continue reading
Posted Apr 24, 2015 at RogueMechanic
Here's a link to a spreadsheet of a partial Mavic parts list that I normally stock. The green cells are items that I usually have available. Currently, this parts matrix only goes back to 2006, but I plan on adding to it as soon as I have the time. Keep in mind that I have a lot of pre-2006 parts still available that even Mavic no longer stocks. Just click on the yellow RogueMechanic Store link located to the upper right side of this page or click on the Store menu tab above. If you need an item that I... Continue reading
Posted Jul 29, 2014 at RogueMechanic
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I recently added another tab on the navigation bar above named "Mavic Info". There you will find Mavic tech manuals, photos to help ID what model and/or year your wheels are, FAQ's, and more. There isn't a day that goes by that I get several emails regarding Mavic parts availability, wheel ID, and the like. Hopefully, this page will help. The current offerings include but are not limited to spokes, parts, rims, and tools for Ksyrium, Crossmax, R-SYS, etc. I also do special orders if you need something that I do not have listed. Hit me up if you need... Continue reading
Posted Apr 17, 2014 at RogueMechanic
I received this email last week and I felt compelled to share most of it... Dear Rogue Mechanic, ...My intent was to build the Colnago CX-1 myself with Campy Super Record components as I couldn’t allow having Japanese parts installed into the Italian frame. I’ve been a cyclist for over 40 years and 30 of them were with Campy components, and the last 10 with the Dura Ace. As I started shopping around on the internet for comments / reviews and prices for the 2014 Super Record group, I stumbled upon the issue of the knocking noises for the Ultra... Continue reading
Posted Apr 15, 2014 at RogueMechanic
Last month I was fortunate enough to attend the 2014 NAHBS show in Charlotte North Carolina and I was glad that I did. Near the top of my list of "to do" list was visiting the Campagnolo booth. It was actually one of the first that I visited that Friday morning. I ended up stopping by to chat with the good folks there several more times that weekend. I asked them to convince me why the axial movement is acceptable and to give me a reason to stop producing the shim kits. All of the discussions that we had were... Continue reading
Posted Apr 15, 2014 at RogueMechanic
I've been crazy-busy this season. Substancial growth in the number of new clients each usually having multiple bikes paired with my existing clients equals a huge increase in my workload. I am greatful for each and every job that I get. If you need Mavic spokes (including Tracomp), freehub bodies, or other small parts, it's more than likely that I have them. I'm shipping multiple orders daily....to just about everywhere. Go here if you need some. I'm still making and selling the RogueMechanic Shim Kits for the Campagnolo Ultra-Torque issue that Campy continues to ignore. If you need one go... Continue reading
Posted Aug 30, 2013 at RogueMechanic
As I mentioned in a prior post, my first scheduled time in Atlanta is just about two weeks away. Since this is just around the corner, I wanted to take some time to better explain what RogueMechanic is all about. I do bike repairs, maintenance, and custom builds. The majority of my jobs involve road and multi-sport but I also work on a lot of CX and mountain bikes. Here in CLE, I seem to have cornered the “problem solver” market. By this I mean that I get the bikes that have an issue that the local bike shops can’t... Continue reading
Posted Jan 4, 2013 at RogueMechanic
Hello Dugg, Yep, everybody seems to do different things and have different prices for overhauls, complete tunes, ultimate tunes, etc... It can be confusing to the customers as to what they are actually paying for. I charge more if I'm replacing cables and housing sections. Thanks for your comment! -John
Toggle Commented Dec 11, 2012 on RogueMechanic Complete Tune at RogueMechanic
The Complete Tune is by far the most popular maintenance package that I am asked to do at least annually on my clients bikes. Since it seems like everyone does different things when it comes to tune-ups or overhauls, I figured that it would be a good thing to list exactly what I do. By doing this, you know exactly what you are getting. 1. Inspection of the frame and fork for any damage. 2. Inspection of the chain, cassette, and chainrings for wear and/or damage. 3. Inspection of remaining components including headset, bottom bracket, pedals, cables and housing sections... Continue reading
Posted Dec 10, 2012 at RogueMechanic
After bouncing the idea around in my head for quite some time, it is finally going down. I am excited about the opportunities and potential for growth in Atlanta, so I’m heading South. Here's the scoop so far... When: January 18th-19th, 2013 Where: Still to be determined. I can say that for now, it's going to be inside the Perimeter. How: By appointment only, with limited availability. Contact me to reserve your spot as soon as possible. Pick-up and delivery service will be added in the future once I get up and running- for now I will need for you... Continue reading
Posted Dec 5, 2012 at RogueMechanic
Here's a list of Mavic spokes and other replacement parts that I currently have available at my online store that can be found here. or you can click on "Store" on the menu bar above. Mavic Zircal spokes for Ksyrium SSC, SL, ES, Premium, SR, and SLR wheels: 120-302-01- Bladed, Black 120-303-01 - Bladed, Black 120-304-01 - Bladed, Black 324-178-01 - Bladed, Black 324-179-01 - Bladed, Black 324-180-01 - Bladed, Black 324-181-01 - Bladed, Silver 324-182-01 - Bladed, Silver 324-183-01 - Bladed, Silver 323-456-01 - Bladed, Silver 323-457-01 - Bladed, Silver 323-458-01 - Bladed, Silver** M40679 - Bladed, Black Mavic... Continue reading
Posted Jul 29, 2012 at RogueMechanic
Recently it was broght to me attention via a comment (thanks Ken!) that it's been several years since I originally got into this Campy UT mess. Ken wanted to know if there has been any updates regarding the issue with the axial movement or the approach to the fix using the shims. Well, as of now, Campagnolo is still choosing to ignore the problem that some folks (quite a few actually...) are continuing to have. In the meantime, I'm still getting emails and comments about it. To date, I have yet to hear from anyone who has installed the shim... Continue reading
Posted Jul 25, 2012 at RogueMechanic
Hello again Pierre! Herein lies the problem! Some crankset designs work better than others with the press fit BB's. I've gotten reports of some bad cup movement with the UT press fit cups... I do not like to make the assumption that the Bottom bracket is round and square... they want us to just trust that they are. Did you see the post I did about the Cervelo R5 with the BBright pressfit bottom bracket? If not, you might enjoy checking it out. Thanks again for writing! -John
Hello Pierre, I hope that this message finds you well and thank you for your comments! It just so happens that I just posted a video here on my site showing step by step how I install the shims. You might want to take a look at it... warning, it's not fancy! I'm a bike mechanic and not a video producer! Anyways, regarding splitting the shims between the DS and the NDS, I found that it really not necessary because the amount of shims rarely is more than 3mm. I agree that the UT is nice, but the inability to account for shell width differences is a substantial flaw in the design. Fortunately, if installed properly, I've seen very good results using the shims. Thanks again for writing and for your kind words! -John
Hello Martin, I hope that all is well on your end. I haven't had the opportunity to test this shim application with Powertorque design just yet though I plan to as soon as I get a chance because I've heard of folks with Power Torque having similar issues as those with UT... I'll post any further info on a fix for PT here and/or on Twitter. Thanks for writing! -John
Hello Jeroen, I hope that this finds you well. The short answer is that with threaded bottom brackets, the shim kit is still the best solution. If you take your time and do the installation right I think that you will be satisfied with the result...a smooth spinning noise-free UT system. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for writing. -John
Toggle Commented Jun 5, 2012 on Campagnolo Ultra Torque Problem? at RogueMechanic
For those of you that are having issues with your press fit bottom brackets, I just completed a post with photos documenting what I did to correct a serious issue with a 2012 Cervelo R5 that has was is basically a modified PF30 bottom bracket that they call BBright. Here's the link to the post. Continue reading
Posted May 26, 2012 at RogueMechanic
Hello Sean, I hope that this message finds you well and I am sorry that you are having this issue with your UT. One way to narrow it down to the crankset/bottom bracket is to have your mechanic install a FSA crankset (only if you do not have to buy it...) and you ride it and see if the usual noise is still there. If it is, then it's probably safe to say that it's something other than the UT. If the noise is gone, then the opposite is probably true... If your mechanic is still hesitant to remove the wave washer and install the shims, well then maybe you need to find another mechanic that is more open minded to finding a solution to your problem. I hope that this info helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for writing! -John
Thanks for your comments Ken. Bringing this to light sure hit a nerve or two...I'm just glad that I can help those who are experiencing this issue. I would just like Campagnolo to step up and make it right....that would be nice. -John
Steven, thank you for writing and thank you for your kind words. I actually used your comment in my latest post. Sorry that you have to deal with this issue. Let me know if there is anything that I can do to help. -John
Here's a comment that I recieved earlier this week. I'm sorry that he's having this frustrating issue and it's frustrating to me as well that Campagnolo still chooses to ignore this. It's not just me folks. Thanks SD for taking the time to share your first hand experience with me. -John Greeting from a not-so-sunny UK. I tell you what, John - some people out there must run some seriously poorly maintained bikes (I know for sure they do!). Those who claim that there is not a problem with UT BB's are either very lucky or ignorant. I run two... Continue reading
Posted Apr 6, 2012 at RogueMechanic
Just a heads-up that I now have 2012 Mavic Crossmax SLR Disc spokes instock. The part numbers are 30864101 for the Drive side and 30864201 for the front and nondrive side. Click on the yellow box to the right or Store in the menu above. Additionally, I have a good selection of Mavic Zircal spokes for Ksyrium and Crossmax wheels going back to 2000 in some cases. Besides spokes, I have replacement freehub bodys, pawl and spring kits, seals, and other small parts. If you do not see what you need, just shoot me an email. In closing, I've been... Continue reading
Posted Apr 4, 2012 at RogueMechanic