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[D]

Right, I am trying to teach my lil un to cycle without balancers. To make my life easier, I purchased one of these:

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/balance-buddy-bike-handle-id62753.html

Unfortunately, it doesn't want to fit to my son's Islabike which has a odd axle nut. I have worked out that if I reverse the supplied nut/bolt I can get it to fit the stabiliser attachment/thread. However to secure the handle I will need a new pair of bolts and a new set of washers.

Question is where can I get an appropriate pair of bolts and washers (dont ask what size, I do not have callipers to measure them) without having to buy a few hundred in a pack. Being someone who is not DIY friendly, I have no clue.

Suppose I could try BnQ, but they dont have loose bolts to ensure that they fit and usually come in larger than required packs.

[Entwood]

Find a "proper" old fashioned hardware shop .. they do exist if you look for them.. the one near us sells nuts/bolts/washers as individual items, excellent place and if we don't use them we will lose them 

[05omegav6]

Somewhere like this place...

http://www.bunce-co.co.uk/closed.asp

One in East Street in Horsham, if you still come down this way

[Andy B]

... and if we don't use them we will lose them 

Indeed. I can think of a few that have closed locally to the likes of B&Q 

[D]

Somewhere like this place...

http://www.bunce-co.co.uk/closed.asp

One in East Street in Horsham, if you still come down this way

Every other Wed usually, but this Wed, I have a day off.

Thanks for the advice. I will go look for a local hardware shop, hopefully there are still some open in Leeds.

[symes]

or try local motor factors--they sell odd nuts and bolts etc 

[CaptainZok]

You could try looking for a local engineers merchants.

[dad1uk]

Have you a 'proper' cycle shop nearby, I don't mean Halfords or the like but a small shop who specializes in cycles?

[cleggy]

I've got to agree with the small local hardware shop, we have an excellent one, sells the number of screws you need, nails by weight, small tins of paint ETC . They stock almost everything you'll ever need or will get it for you in a couple of days, along with practical advice. It is like going back in time with the racks of little drawers and shelves full of all sorts of wonders, you can spend ages just looking at all the useful stuff, they have candles and fork handles

We try to support all local business's or else we lose the lot.


As for the bike, do what my old man did, hang on to the saddle and send them on their way with a little push, it's only when the child realises that your a 100 yards away and not holding them  that they wobble and fall off. " There you see you did it " works wonders and cheap.  

[biggriffin]

As for the bike, do what my old man did, hang on to the saddle and send them on their way with a little push, it's only when the child realises that your a 100 yards away and not holding them  that they wobble and fall off. " There you see you did it " works wonders and cheap.

as above,its how i learned,its how little griffin learned. But some people like to spend money on,new fangled toys.
 take about half a day to teach little person to ride a bike the above way, fall off enough times soon learn to stay on

[D]

Thanks for all the advice.

My preferred local bike shop is a fair few miles away in SE London and I dont want to go there just for a bolt.

The new fangled toy is more for my back than the child per se. But it also helps the child by not putting them off riding, due to to various factors inc. fear. They are little people, but do have their own personalities and what works for one child doesn't necessarily work for everyone else.

[D]

As an update to this, I did try a few local hardware stores. The issue seems to be that the hardware stores do stock an M10 bolt, but the thread is too coarse/wide to fit. Tried a few LBS as well. The biggest bolt they have is a crank bolt and that is too small to fit.

Ebay seems to bring up some M10 bolts with a fine and super fine thread, but how do I know which one to choose?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M10x1-25-x-40-Metric-Fine-Thread-Bolts-x-4-/321116658082?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

The super fine version seems to have a 1.0 mm pitch.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M10-X-25-EXTRA-FINE-PITCH-1-0mm-ALLEN-SOCKET-CAP-SCREWS-FULL-THREAD-12-9-QTY-4-/380916362001?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

 

[Rods2]

As an update to this, I did try a few local hardware stores. The issue seems to be that the hardware stores do stock an M10 bolt, but the thread is too coarse/wide to fit. Tried a few LBS as well. The biggest bolt they have is a crank bolt and that is too small to fit.

Ebay seems to bring up some M10 bolts with a fine and super fine thread, but how do I know which one to choose?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M10x1-25-x-40-Metric-Fine-Thread-Bolts-x-4-/321116658082?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

The super fine version seems to have a 1.0 mm pitch.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M10-X-25-EXTRA-FINE-PITCH-1-0mm-ALLEN-SOCKET-CAP-SCREWS-FULL-THREAD-12-9-QTY-4-/380916362001?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

 

Use a thread gauge, most tap and die sets contain them. If you don't possess such a tool then use a mm ruler and measure the distance between the thread peaks.

[aaronjb]

"standard" M10 thread is usually Metric Coarse or M10x1.5 - that's what most generic DIY places would carry.

My guess would be you want M10x1.25 or Metric Fine, but as Rods says you either need to measure peak to peak (1.5mm, 1.25mm or 1.0mm) or use a thread gauge set.

Are you replacing the bolts because they're too short or something along those lines?  If you have old bolts you need to match but in a different length I can have a look in my big box of bits, if you like - you could post me the old ones and I'll match them?

[Marks DTM Calib]

In my experience, any device that bolts to the bike to teach them to ride without stabilisers will ahev such a very very short term use its not worth bothering with.

In both my cases, I held the back of the sadlle for probably less than ten minutes all told!