I've been running tubes on my gravel bike for years but finally tried tubeless last month after a buddy swore by it. Setup with Stan's sealant took me about 45 minutes per wheel and it's been holding air fine. But I punctured a sidewall on a rocky section near Boulder and the sealant barely did anything - had to throw a tube in anyway. Anyone else find tubeless not worth the hassle for rocky terrain or am I doing something wrong with the sealant amount?
Back in 2018 at The Hub bike shop in Tucson, this guy named Jerry grabbed my arm and said "stop looking at the gauge and close your eyes." He made me listen for the rub instead, and after 3 tries I finally got it - has anyone else had a mentor break them of a bad habit like that?
Met an old guy named Pete at the co-op last Saturday. He builds frames in the 70s and 80s. Told me he never used a tensiometer. Just plucked spokes like guitar strings. Said I was overthinking wheel builds with all my fancy tools. Made me realize I lean on gear too much instead of feel. Been trying it his way on a cheap wheelset. Anyone else ditch the tools and go by ear?
Honestly I spent my first three years as a mechanic just slapping grease on bottom bracket threads before install. Then this old timer at a shop in Portland watched me do it and stopped me. He said grease can actually cause a carbon frame to crack if you overtighten because it reduces friction too much. So now I use anti-seize compound on alloy frames and a very thin layer of grease on steel ones. Has anyone else had a shop change the way you do a basic task like that?
I've been building bikes for like 15 years and always adjusted the limit screws by feel, never really checked the high/low basic setup. Last week I watched a Park Tool video after a buddy pointed out my chain was rubbing on the 11t cog. How long did it take you to figure out something simple that you had been doing bass-ackwards for ages?
I've been messing with this rear wheel on and off for about 4 weeks... it had a wobble that wouldn't quit. Finally sat down yesterday with a proper tension meter and took my time, one spoke at a time. Went from 3mm of lateral runout down to 0.5mm after about 2 hours of tinkering. Anyone else have a wheel that just refuses to cooperate?
I brought a 2013 Trek Domane into the shop last month. The cassette was shot and the chain was stretched past 0.75. The owner wanted to just swap the chain and cassette for $80, but I argued the chainrings had shark fin wear on the big ring from 3 years of neglect. Now I'm stuck between letting him save cash now or pushing for a full crankset replacement at $150. What do you guys do when customers fight you on partial fixes? Is piecemeal worth it on older bikes or just kicking the can down the road?
Last year a customer rolled in with a carbon frame and a torque wrench. I laughed it off. Thought it was overkill for bikes. Then I snapped a seatpost clamp bolt on a $4000 road bike. Had to order a new frame for the guy. After that I bought a Park Tool TW-2. Saved me three times already on carbon steerer tubes alone. Anyone else eat crow on a tool they swore was pointless?
I've been building wheels on and off for about two years and always struggled to get consistent tension across all spokes. Last night I took my time with a new tensiometer and hit 50 straight wheels with readings within 3 percent of each other. Has anyone else had a breakthrough moment where a tool just *clicked* for you?
I always thought the old school chain whip method was the only proper way to take off a cassette, but last week I stripped the lockring on a stubborn Shimano hub after 20 minutes of wrestling with it. A buddy at the co-op handed me a simple breaker bar with the correct splined socket and it popped off in 3 seconds flat. Has anyone else found a specific tool that made you rethink your whole approach to a basic job?
Lady was at the next table at lunch, telling someone her tune-up cost $120 at a shop downtown. She said all they did was 'squirt some oil on the chain and pump up the tires.' I wanted to walk over and ask if she saw them adjust her derailleur cables or check spoke tension on that 10 year old hybrid she probably rides through puddles. My shop charges $95 for a basic service and I spend a good 30 minutes just chasing down shift issues alone. Has anyone else dealt with customers who think a tune-up is just a quick spray and wipe?
I rode about 80 miles in the rain last month on my daily commute in Portland, and my wet lube turned into grinding paste after day 2. On a whim, I hosed off the drivetrain and hit it with silicone spray from the hardware store. The chain stayed quiet for almost two weeks with just reapplies every other day. No gunk, no black goo on my pants. Has anyone else tried this for city riding or am I just getting lucky?
I was at a co-op in Portland helping a guy rebuild a 90s mountain bike and the lead mechanic pointed out that the left pedal is reverse threaded, which explained why those two pedals I cross threaded back in 2017 were so hard to get off. Has anybody else gone that long without knowing this and just got lucky?
I was at my local co-op in Portland last week helping a new guy build up a old Fuji frame. He was about to thread the pedals in dry and I stopped him. He said "they're self-tightening, it's fine" but I've pulled apart too many seized pedal spindles over the years to let that slide. A little anti-seize or grease on the threads costs you nothing and saves a headache down the road, especially on aluminum cranks. Has anyone else run into stubborn pedals that were put in dry?
After chasing a spongy lever for 6 months, I watched a shop mechanic do a full bleed on my Shimano XT setup and he started from the lever not the caliper and my brakes finally feel solid, has anyone else been doing it backwards this whole time?
I was overhauling an old Schwinn front hub from the 70s and used a cheap no-name cone wrench I had in my drawer. The thing flexed so bad I nearly rounded off the locknut. Switched to a Park Tool SCW-13 I borrowed from a buddy and it fit snug with zero play. Made the adjustment in like 2 minutes after fighting it for 20. Anyone else notice that big a difference between budget and brand name tools for this?
At a group ride last month, one guy swore I was wrecking the crank by greasing pedals, while a mechanic I know says dry threads are just asking for seizing. Which side are you on and have you actually seen a crank fail from either method?
Told me just spray it on the shift cables and it'll be fine. Clogged up my housing in two weeks and shifting went to crap. Anybody else get burned by bad advice from a "pro"?
Ngl, I used to swear by black Zip ties on every bike I built, but after 3 years of replacing customers' cut ties that got brittle and snapped, I finally went all in on Velcro straps last month. Has anyone else made that swap and noticed the same thing with the plastic drying out?
At the co-op last week I watched a guy crank a Shimano cartridge down with a breaker bar and it seized up before he even got the crank arm on, has anyone else noticed this becoming a bigger problem than rusty cables?
I started keeping count just for fun a few years ago and never expected to actually reach that number, has anyone else kept a tally and been surprised by their own total?
I saw this deal pop up for a portable bike stand, thought I was saving big money. Got it in the mail and the clamp barely holds my road bike, stripped the plastic tightening knob on the second use. Lost my whole $60 and now I need to buy a real Park Tool stand instead. Anyone else get burned by those too good to be true prices on bike tools?
I was about 60 miles into a 100 mile ride near the Columbia River Gorge when I heard that snap. Had to walk two miles to a gas station where a guy let me borrow a multi-tool to get the wheel true enough to limp home. Has anyone else had to MacGyver a fix mid-ride?
I was always team steel bearings for bottom brackets, thought ceramic was overpriced bling for weekend warriors. But after 3 months of riding a salty winter commuter in Cleveland, my steel BB started grinding while my buddy's ceramic one on the same route is still smooth. He's got a Wheels Manufacturing BB in his Surly and it's holding up way better than I expected. Has anyone else had ceramic last longer in wet conditions?
Saw a guy at a shop in Portland snap a Ti bolt last month because he trusted his torque wrench too much. I've never used one for seatpost clamps or stem bolts. Just use a good feel and check twice. Anyone else skip the torque wrench on most stuff?