Broke Brake Mole Hill

M 9000 guts.

It's all because my left brake lever got stuck and then I had to replace it and of course bleed the front brake when I got it all put back together.

Can't have a fresh bled front brake and a who-knows-when-it-was-bled-last rear.  If I'm bleeding both brakes, might as well push the caliper pistons out and clean and lube them while we're here.

Good enough?

Something has been creaking.  Sounds like mebbe when I installed a new Cinch chainring, I didn't get cinchy enough with the lock ring.  Pull the crank and check... nope.  Tight as a bull's butt in fly season.

Since we're here...

Why not break out the Wheels Manufacturing bottom bracket bearing extractor I bought months ago and put in the new bearings I picked up from Bike Source recently?

BTW:  I'm super stoked on this tool because I've been just pulling the outer seal off the bearings and blowing them out with Triflow and an air compressor before regreasing them.  That's it.  And probably not often enough.  More than once I've ignored them after a wet ride/race to find them sorta... stuck?  Meh.  I'll be pulling the bearings all the way out, removing both seals and soaking them for now on.

And... let's pull the bottom bracket ups completely out because I don't know when they were last out of the frame and no one likes seized cups... and because I'm tired of looking at them, swap the faded ano spacers with some new ones that came from I don't know where but there they are.

Wheels out, frames upside down, so mebbe a good time to pull out the sliders that haven't been so slidey lately and lube them... and anti-seize the titanium 12 point 10mm bolts.

Well, shit.  I've done almost everything possible... Industry Nine wheel bearings feel fine and that problem is gonna solve itself soon enough anyways.  Drop the fork, look at the Cane Creek 110 headset that I've ignored for more than two years since I built the bike up on day one.

Pull the bearings, remove the seals... disappoint.  Not nearly enough contaminants to justify getting into this... but we're here now.  Triflow, air compressor, grease.  Smooth.

Notice some drooper cable rub in two spots because I'm all up in the headset business.  Dammit. Remove old, worn-out protective sticker.  Clean.  Grab some Crankskins thingies and get to it.

Wheels are still out so pull down the Stickle from the wall and see if the 29" wheel fits in the super tight 34X20 position (16.mustache hair inches) that I've got the 27.5 set at currently.  Fits.  Barely.  Start thinking about trying the .75 worn chain right there on the floor but realize I'm going down a wormhole that I have zero intentions of really exploring until... June?

Put the wheels back in the frame and flip it over even though I'll probably be taking them back out... tonight?

I don't think there's anything else I could possibly do... mebbe take out the seat post, clean, relube?

I'll save that for later so I have something to do while I drink beer some other night.


And this is what happens when you're anal compulsive and you have a defective brake lever.

True story.