Most/Least Liked Wrenching Tasks
06-26-19, 10:40 AM
#76
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Maryland
Posts: 3,800
Bikes: Lots of English 3-speeds, a couple of old road bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 hybrid, and a couple of mash-ups
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Like: Cleaning and polishing a frame that looks like crap but has durable paint.
Dislike: Cleaning rear gear clusters that have been neglected for years.
Dislike: Cleaning rear gear clusters that have been neglected for years.
06-27-19, 10:50 AM
#78
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 9,193
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
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Having to restore the pivots on Weinmann/DiaCome centerpull calipers which are binding due to someone bending the arms and the pivots then having to be re-tightened (or from someone simply having heavily-tightened the bolts).
It's just easier to reach for an unmolested replacement caliper, though frustrated by the fact that the label on the arms may not match or be correct for the model of vintage bike.
My "opt-out" repair for such molested pivots has occasionally been to leave the bolts barely tensioned, then apply a drop of penetrating-grade LocTite to the nut/bolt interfaces at the back side of the caliper. Then lube the bushings in-situ and hope for the best.
It's just easier to reach for an unmolested replacement caliper, though frustrated by the fact that the label on the arms may not match or be correct for the model of vintage bike.
My "opt-out" repair for such molested pivots has occasionally been to leave the bolts barely tensioned, then apply a drop of penetrating-grade LocTite to the nut/bolt interfaces at the back side of the caliper. Then lube the bushings in-situ and hope for the best.
06-27-19, 12:05 PM
#79
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: East Tennessee
Posts: 251
Bikes: 2002 Trek 800 Singletrack, 1982 Bridgestone Spica
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My favorite things:
Getting grimy, dirty, unloved, good bikes looking nice.
Adjusting and fine tuning derailleurs (especially nice C&V ones)
Overhauling bottom brackets, hubs, headsets and their bearings.
Detailing work on a bike.
Getting a $50 or less nice vintage bike running like a precision watch.
Riding and enjoying the bike after I finish.
My least favorite things:
Stuck seatposts!
Seriously rusty bikes, poorly neglected to the point of unrepairable or severely difficult to repair/restore (especially such examples priced when new, beyond my means and budget). I do try to get them back to nice daily riders when possible.
Huret or Simplex dropouts on really fine European bikes. And dropout modifications to be able to fit reliable, modern alternative derailleurs.
Damaged rare parts, or rusted beyond restoration unobtanium parts on a C&V bike.
Repairing a wheel with more than 2 or 3 broken spokes, or more than slightly out of true wheels (I use my LBS when this happens)
Dealing with certain models of Simplex and Huret derailleurs when they have issues.
Repairing/overhauling hub gears of any kind.
Dealing with parts so rusted, they're difficult to remove, if not impossible to remove.
Losing small parts or tools and not finding them.
Getting grimy, dirty, unloved, good bikes looking nice.
Adjusting and fine tuning derailleurs (especially nice C&V ones)
Overhauling bottom brackets, hubs, headsets and their bearings.
Detailing work on a bike.
Getting a $50 or less nice vintage bike running like a precision watch.
Riding and enjoying the bike after I finish.
My least favorite things:
Stuck seatposts!
Seriously rusty bikes, poorly neglected to the point of unrepairable or severely difficult to repair/restore (especially such examples priced when new, beyond my means and budget). I do try to get them back to nice daily riders when possible.
Huret or Simplex dropouts on really fine European bikes. And dropout modifications to be able to fit reliable, modern alternative derailleurs.
Damaged rare parts, or rusted beyond restoration unobtanium parts on a C&V bike.
Repairing a wheel with more than 2 or 3 broken spokes, or more than slightly out of true wheels (I use my LBS when this happens)
Dealing with certain models of Simplex and Huret derailleurs when they have issues.
Repairing/overhauling hub gears of any kind.
Dealing with parts so rusted, they're difficult to remove, if not impossible to remove.
Losing small parts or tools and not finding them.
Last edited by Kent T; 06-27-19 at 12:08 PM.
06-27-19, 02:09 PM
#80
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,332
Bikes: '72 Motobecane Grand Record, '72 Gitane tandem, '72 Raleigh Super Course, '73 Raleigh Gran Sport, '73 Colnago Super, '76 Fiorelli Coppi, '78 Raleigh SBDU Team Pro, '78 Trek 930, '81 Holdsworth Special 650B, '86 Masi GC, ’94 Bridgestone RB-T
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Least favorite: Installing headsets without having the correct tools.
Most favorite: Installing headsets, now that I got a nice headset press. So smooth!
Most favorite: Installing headsets, now that I got a nice headset press. So smooth!
__________________
The man who dies with the most toys…is dead. - Rootboy
The man who dies with the most toys…is dead. - Rootboy
06-27-19, 03:11 PM
#81
“Senior” Member
Having to change out handlebars since you have to unwrap and re wrap bar tape, uninstall and reinstall the brakes, work the new bar in without scratching it, and then reset the bar angle and all. Just a lot to do for one fix.
06-29-19, 12:50 PM
#82
Edumacator
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Goose Creek, SC
Posts: 6,803
Bikes: '87 Crestdale, '87 Basso Gap, '92 Rossin Performance EL-OS, 1990 VanTuyl, 1980s Losa, 1985 Trek 670, 1982 AD SLE, 1987 PX10, etc...
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Apparently cabling hates me...twice cut too short on the brifter to stops housing (for two entirely different reasons, too!). Then I forgot I needed a step down ferrule for the braze-on.. So much for finishing today... poop.
06-30-19, 03:43 AM
#83
Steel is real
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Posts: 1,105
Bikes: 40 - accumulated over 40 years
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Love: building wheels - closely followed by applying paint to frame.
Hate: cleaning used rims - closely followed by masking frame before paint.
My personality makes me do the "hate things" almost religiously though because otherwise I can not live with the result.
Hate: cleaning used rims - closely followed by masking frame before paint.
My personality makes me do the "hate things" almost religiously though because otherwise I can not live with the result.
06-30-19, 05:31 AM
#84
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Portland Oregon
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Truing wheels is my favorite, assuming they'll come back decently. laser straight and round wheels are magic!
Least favorite? Any job I don't have the tool to do...
Least favorite? Any job I don't have the tool to do...
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