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Spare parts - A-Bike web site down for maintenance?

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Spare parts - A-Bike web site down for maintenance?

Postby szeliga on Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:38 pm

I've been using my A-bike a lot to get to work and back over the last few weeks since the price of petrol has gone stupid.

I'm lucky that I live near to the tram line in Manchester - but wasn't lucky today when I got off the tram and noticed the rear tyre had gone flat while I'd been reading the paper.

Tonight it must have taken me an hour to get the rear wheel bolts undone. Well, the right-handed bolt was easy but the other was a complete *******. The inner tube turns out to be irreparable, so two questions really:

(1) what do people use to lock the rear wheel while undoing the bolts? I noticed the small holes in the rear wheel itself but their diameter is so small that pretty much anything you put in bends when you exert enough force to loosen the bolt!

(2) I noticed that the A-Bike.co.uk web site is "down for maintenance". How long has it been like that and where am I supposed to get a new inner tube?!! I'm not looking forward to phoning local bike shops in the morning and asking for a 6" inner tube :roll:
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Re: Spare parts - A-Bike web site down for maintenance?

Postby Amuro Lee on Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:30 pm

Answer 1:
http://abikesupport.ning.com/video/vide ... ideo%3A130
http://www.abikecentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=260

Answer 2:
The site has been down for weeks, I think. :roll:
I think you can always e-mail them at sales@a-bike.co.uk to requesting the parts.
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Postby Nigel Kellett on Tue Jun 10, 2008 7:26 am

You could always telephone Mayhem (A-bike Store) on 020 8752 8443 for spares.

The videos on the Official A-bike Support Network are excellent, and I have replaced a cracked rear tube, broken layshaft, both chains, rear inner tube & tyre without too much more hassle than an ordinary bike.
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Postby newcross on Tue Jun 10, 2008 12:43 pm

Nigel Kellett wrote:You could always telephone Mayhem (A-bike Store) on 020 8752 8443 for spares.

The videos on the Official A-bike Support Network are excellent, and I have replaced a cracked rear tube, broken layshaft, both chains, rear inner tube & tyre without too much more hassle than an ordinary bike.


Nigel, how the layshaft breakage happened? I know when A-bike went to Japanese market, its layshaft had been upgraded to more durable one, but I'm not sure which 'shaft' that was...
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Postby szeliga2 on Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:10 pm

(can't login - just get a blank page after entering username/pwd..)

Thanks for the replies, guys. The problem I had with taking the wheel off is that one of the bolts was so tight that no matter how hard I grabbed the tyre, the aluminium wheel hub still moved when I rotated the spanner. In the end I had to slip one side of the tyre off so that I could carefully insert a screwdriver through the valve hole to hold the wheel still - that is why I was wondering if there is some sort of specialised tool to brace the wheel in position.

I did a combination of those things you suggested (email/phone) the other day, starting with emailing Keith in the sales department who wanted my A-bike's serial number! Couldn't see the point of that at first, but after thinking about it I'd rather those of us with genuine bikes had access to what is presumably a limited number of spare parts! Call me selfish if you want :wink:

My new inner tubes (I ordered a spare one too) should be here by the end of the week so just a few days of walking to catch the tram!
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Re:

Postby Nigel Kellett on Mon Jun 16, 2008 11:40 am

newcross wrote:Nigel, how the layshaft breakage happened? I know when A-bike went to Japanese market, its layshaft had been upgraded to more durable one, but I'm not sure which 'shaft' that was...


Hi newcross,

The layshaft's smaller 8-toothed cog cracked on Boxing Day, which seized the larger chain running on it, because the 2 teeth either side of the crack moved apart, therefore the chain no longer fitted, in effect. :shock: I stopped cycling immediately, and walked back the short distance remaining.

It was a little disappointing, because my A-bike has been treated very gently on generally smooth & pretty-much level surfaces without any untoward stress, apart from being over 85kg, since being purchased in May last year. :cry:

Since then, Mayhem have been most helpful (by telephone), and I methodically replaced my lower rear tube (the usual crack), the layshaft (lying midway between the crank & the rear wheel; the magic gearing between the 2 chains, enabling the normal pedalling of 6" wheels) & both chains, which had both sustained shock-damage from the sudden failure of the smaller cog. I also took the opportunity to replace the worn rear tyre. I even used threadlock where required. All of this was thanks to Alex's helpful videos on The Official A-bike Support Network. :D

Unfortunately :( , 20 minutes after completing all repairs to a pristine state a few months ago, all the air suddenly wheeshed from the rear inner tube, because the seal between the rubber sleeve from the inner tube and the valve just gave up! :o I had always kept my pressures up to 90 psi.

Anyway, I eventually went to Mayhem last Tuesday, which is a story in itself, bought 2 new inner tubes, replaced one on Wednesday, and got cycling again. :roll:

At least I am now a qualified A-bike mechanic, and have got very used to inner tube/tyre replacement, which gets much easier with practise! :lol:

Maybe I'll get an A-bike plus 8), which should alleviate such problems.

All the Best
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