Tuesday
Oct072008
Creaky bottom brackets
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 11:02PM
Today I visited the Hackney Bike Workshop for the second time. The first time I came away with a slightly improved bike and a promise that they'd have a special tool that I needed when I returned.
The workshop is a help-yourself type place with some very knowledgeable people who wander around giving tips and lending a hand.
I had some help from Paul, thanks Paul, who helped me track down and treat my bike's particular creak and pop to the bottom bracket.
The process was incremental. First taking off the pedals, cleaning the thread, applying fresh copper grease, and re-installing. No change in the creak/pop.
Then out with the crank bolts. Application of a special crank pulling tool that works with the Shimano octa-link crank/axel combo.
Once the cranks are off you need another pair of special tools (splined?) for unscrewing the bottom bracket cartridge and the matching plug on the other side. Oh, and a fucking massive crescent wrench. 2 feet long! Lots of torque.
Pull out the cartridge / clean and grease the threads with copper grease.
Reinstall everything.
Tighten thoroughly.
Sorted, no more creak/pop. It is very satisfying to be able to fix something like that myself.
So, why bother with the workshop? Why not just go it alone?
Tools: they have lots of them and that saves cash.
Work stands: expensive to own in terms of space and cash, they have lots.
Know how and experience: when you're applying ludicrous force to a rather expensive and soft aluminium bolt it is very nice to have someone there to reassure you that you're doing the right thing. They're as hands-off as possible too, letting you get the feel of things yourself.
They take small donations. Isn't that nice of them?
Hackney Cyclist's maintenance workshop
I also recommend Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance (2nd Edition)
- it is damn fine for telling you things like "the right hand side of the bottom bracket has a left hand thread so you turn it the other way to loosen it.
Bottom line, never get reamed by a bike repair workshop again. This stuff is easy and having someone to show you the ropes is a great confidence builder.
Other random notes: they have a barrier cream. If you use that before you start working on stuff then all the grease washes off pretty well at the end. Bring your own band-aids if you have a habit of skinning your knuckles on bike bits when working on them. They seem really good at helping people learn basic preventative maintenance too.
I'll probably go along most of the time now as I ride enough that my bike is always in need of some sort of servicing. When I leave London and move somewhere that owning your own bike stand is feasible I'll have the experience and know-how to be a self sufficient cyclist.
Next year I might use the workshop to build a cool-kid single speed / fixie from salvaged parts... if I can find any.
The workshop is a help-yourself type place with some very knowledgeable people who wander around giving tips and lending a hand.
I had some help from Paul, thanks Paul, who helped me track down and treat my bike's particular creak and pop to the bottom bracket.
The process was incremental. First taking off the pedals, cleaning the thread, applying fresh copper grease, and re-installing. No change in the creak/pop.
Then out with the crank bolts. Application of a special crank pulling tool that works with the Shimano octa-link crank/axel combo.
Once the cranks are off you need another pair of special tools (splined?) for unscrewing the bottom bracket cartridge and the matching plug on the other side. Oh, and a fucking massive crescent wrench. 2 feet long! Lots of torque.
Pull out the cartridge / clean and grease the threads with copper grease.
Reinstall everything.
Tighten thoroughly.
Sorted, no more creak/pop. It is very satisfying to be able to fix something like that myself.
So, why bother with the workshop? Why not just go it alone?
Tools: they have lots of them and that saves cash.
Work stands: expensive to own in terms of space and cash, they have lots.
Know how and experience: when you're applying ludicrous force to a rather expensive and soft aluminium bolt it is very nice to have someone there to reassure you that you're doing the right thing. They're as hands-off as possible too, letting you get the feel of things yourself.
They take small donations. Isn't that nice of them?
Hackney Cyclist's maintenance workshop
I also recommend Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance (2nd Edition)
- it is damn fine for telling you things like "the right hand side of the bottom bracket has a left hand thread so you turn it the other way to loosen it.Bottom line, never get reamed by a bike repair workshop again. This stuff is easy and having someone to show you the ropes is a great confidence builder.
Other random notes: they have a barrier cream. If you use that before you start working on stuff then all the grease washes off pretty well at the end. Bring your own band-aids if you have a habit of skinning your knuckles on bike bits when working on them. They seem really good at helping people learn basic preventative maintenance too.
I'll probably go along most of the time now as I ride enough that my bike is always in need of some sort of servicing. When I leave London and move somewhere that owning your own bike stand is feasible I'll have the experience and know-how to be a self sufficient cyclist.
Next year I might use the workshop to build a cool-kid single speed / fixie from salvaged parts... if I can find any.
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