boston bicycle mechanic

disc brake pad spreader

2012-02-17T20:56:00.001-05:00

this is made from a mavic hub adjustment tool/tire lever. chop the tire lever portion off and sharpen it with a file. nice little tool to push the pads apart. macro button was not cooperating

praise to the pedro's bb socket holder

2012-02-02T21:28:00.000-05:00

one of the few pedro's tools that i like. when you need to lay down the power this is the tool you need to keep the bb tool from slipping. easy to make at home but you will need to source a few things. i like the pedros version because it works on isis and octalink bbs. a m8x1 fully threaded bolt and nut. m8x1 is not too common but you should be able to get it at a industrial supply place. m8x1.25 is common at most hardware stores so watch out

wrench flats for your hollowtech tool

2012-01-30T19:17:00.001-05:00

wrench flats for superior leverage

cup and cone bb adjustment without taking the crank off

2012-01-22T13:06:00.001-05:00

quick way to tighten most fixed bb cups without taking off the crank is to use a 36mm headset wrench. it fits most of the time to check the tightness of the fixed cup. i also grind down my pin spanners to sneak it past the left arm. new style ones that use a 20 tooth spline are a bit harder to do without taking the arms off. drive arm must come off but the non drive side i can usually wedge a screwdriver to turn the cup

stuck or corroded threadless fork

2012-01-07T08:20:00.000-05:00

many will want to just drive the steerer tube straight down but this is wrong or much harder than attacking it differently. if you try to drive it straight down you are breaking the bond of everything at once. there is lots of surface area. driving it down also wedges the split wedge tighter and grips the tube. very hard to do. knock off 1 piece at a time. spin each spacer to break the bond. sometimes i use some rubber around the pliers but if its stuck good go for the teeth. after one is spun drive it up with a screw driver or putty knife. now sand the corrosion off the tube. repeat until you win

disc brake squeal

2012-01-01T09:48:00.003-05:00

you can get the squeal out of the rotor by cleaning and sanding. you can't get the squeel out of pads by sanding, or lighting them on fire, fun but doesn't work. replace the pads. also test ride the bike to test the braking performance. can you skid the rear tire? can you lift the rear end when you apply the front brake? if the power is low i would question the condition of the pads if the lever feels ok.

nipple shaker or tray

2011-12-27T21:49:00.001-05:00

made this for wheel builds. toss nipples in, shake. now all your nipples are lined up. i use a straight pick to stab the nipples and start em on the spoke.

campagnolo chainring bolts

2011-12-17T19:03:00.001-05:00

campy chain ring bolts are tough to remove once they are corroded. the t30 side of the bolt has a lot of surface area for corrosion. the best way i have found to remove these is the clamp a t30 torx in the vise and use an impact screwdriver. set the crank on the t30 wrench and use the impact screwdriver with the biggest flat bit you got. should free it up. i have used an impact gun on the t30 side but it can strip out. the t30 on the crank arm gets the impact gun or normal wrench. i use a pick to pick out the anti tampering plug

crank puller

2011-12-17T13:37:00.002-05:00

tired of cranking hard on the crank puller? crank seems seized on? use the crank puller as usual, when you build up a lot of pressure and tension give the crank puller a good hit with the hammer. should loosen the crank right up

2011 trek portland for sale

2011-12-11T21:50:00.001-05:00

2011 trek portland for sale. size 56cm. will be overhauled soon. new cables/housing. hubs repacked. chain/cassette. bar tape email if interested. reptilezs@gmail.com

drywall screw

2011-12-11T17:26:00.001-05:00

another trick for pulling out jammed ferules in shimano road levers. brake ferules inside a shimano road lever is a no no. if one is stuck then grab a drywall screw to pull it out.

screw starter for starting nipples

2011-11-24T16:03:00.001-05:00

use a screw holding screwdriver to start nipples in double wall or deep rims. ullman d-2 or kd 2282 are good choices with a magnet on the other end for fishing cables. ebay or amazon are good places to get them. under 10 bucks. i also use the straight pick to start nipples.

cleaning out bottom bracket threads

2011-11-22T08:17:00.001-05:00

head to the plumbing section at the hardware store and grab a wire brush for cleaning out 1 inch copper pipe. buy the cheap one with the twisted wire handle. chop the handle off and chuck it in your drill. use this to clean out bottom brackets. run the brush through then wrap a towel or rag around and give it another spin. squeaky clean now

Fork/Stem transfer tool

2011-11-03T19:28:00.001-04:00

copied this from efficient velo tools. when you need to do some fork work just pop the top cap off and slam this tool on top of the steerer. holds the stem and spacers in place. no more dangling bars and kinked housing. made from an old stem and a steerer tube cutoff piece. end of the steerer tube is tapered for easy insertion.

self extracting cranks

2011-10-29T17:38:00.000-04:00

some self extracting crank caps are left hand threaded and this prevent the cap from coming off when pulling the crank. for normal right hand caps give it a shot of lube under the cap before you pull the crank. this lubes it to fight the friction between the bolt and cap. this helps to prevent the cap from coming off

barke cable

2011-10-27T19:42:00.001-04:00

crap pic

housing ferules

2011-10-15T13:10:00.001-04:00

we stock 5mm derailer and brake housing for the most part. 4mm shimano housing is used occasionaly for the newer finicky shimano 10spd stuff. 5mm ferules come in two flavors, one for brake and one for index or derailer housing. brake ferules are low quality and should be avoided. i only use the derailer style ferules for the 5mm housing. give your ferules a quick squeeze between the thumb and index finger to check the quality. the brake ferules will just collapse. derailer ferules have thicker walls and bottoms.

front brake or fork shuddering

2011-10-15T13:06:00.000-04:00

getting shuddering while slowly going down a steep or bumpy road while applying the front brake? check your headset adjustment

disc brake squeel

2011-10-03T21:34:00.000-04:00

noise can come from many factors. a good bed in is the first line of defense. grease the back of the brake pads. i use a thin smear with my finger on the backing. be careful to not get any on the pad material or rotor. does not work on oil soaked or contaminated pads. for contaminated pads douse it in alcohol and set it on fire or torch em, or get replacements. .

screwdriver tip camming out?

2011-09-13T19:44:00.001-04:00

if the tip is caming out make sure your screwdriver tips are in good condition. if the screw head is getting chewed up dip the screwdriver in some carbon assembly paste for some extra traction.

securing housing under bar tape

2011-09-12T19:35:00.003-04:00

here is a quick way to secure the housing to the bars before taping them. uses 1 piece of tape. 2-3 wraps in the corner, then loosely wrap towards the stem finish of with 2-3 wraps at the end. works great. pic is not great but hope it helps

cables without weld cut ends

2011-09-11T17:42:00.003-04:00

cables without weld cut ends are much harder to thread through a shifter. most cables have weld cut ends these days but some cables are double ended. for cables without weld cut ends, take the cut end to the grinder and shape them for easy insertion. twisting slightly in the direction that the cable is wrapped also helps

brake ferule in a shimano shifter body

2011-09-07T18:05:00.002-04:00

you know someone puts a ferule/housing cap in the shimano shift body when they are not supposed to. now how do you get it out? easy, grab your easy outs or screw extractors and pop it right out. works like magic

blob o grease, like glue

2011-09-05T21:36:00.003-04:00

rattling noise in the frame or rims? cant or don't want to get the offender out? inject grease through the water bottle bosses or in the rim. shake until noise stops. great for when you drill out rivnuts

shifter tune up in a can

2011-08-30T20:03:00.002-04:00

bike looks new under the dust? shifters not working too well? the grease inside the shifters probably dried and and turned gummy. grab some wd40, liquid wrench or similar product and hose the inside of the shifter down. for older trigger shifters push the thumb lever upwards a bit and it will catch most of the time.

presta air chuck

2011-08-27T09:28:00.003-04:00

this is what i have at work. its from united bicycle supply. pretty easy to make at home too

removing pedals without wrench flats

2011-08-11T20:04:00.004-04:00

high end pedals don't have wrench flats. the pedals can be a bear to remove with a allen wrench even if you have a long one. my favorite tool for this job is the bent handle flex ratchet(also called a spark plug ratchet), a 6 in extension, and a socket bit in 6 or 8mm depending on the pedal. bent handle for chainring clearance(AWESOME). long length for leverage

rear derailer adjustment

2011-08-08T18:42:00.001-04:00

first step is derailer hanger alignment. you can find the rest of the instructions elsewhere

non striking pry bar to striking conversion

2011-07-31T20:20:00.002-04:00

picked up this mac 28in pry bar on the side of the road a while ago. handle was cracked on the end from the previous user striking the handle all the way through exposing the steel. i pushed the handle about 1/2 way off the shaft and gave it a quick buzz with the circular saw to cut the cracked stuff off. hammered the handle back flush. looks better and functional now.

golf ball file handles

2011-07-31T17:48:00.003-04:00

read about using golf balls as file handles on the internet a while back. passed some golf balls on a commute home so i picked them up for some files that needed handles. drill a hole in the ball and bang it on. epoxy if you must.

park tns-1 or star nut setter repair

2011-07-30T12:53:00.002-04:00

no need to order the set screw to replace your bent up one. remove the old set screw. grab a disc brake caliper mounting bolt or v brake mounting bolt. these are usually hardened. i know for sure that avid cps bolt are hardened. screw it in the star nut tool and cut off the excess with a hack saw. clean up the thread with a file or on the grinder. good as new and ready for service. for future repair just stick the stub in the vice and twist, should come right out

keep bits and screws in place

2011-07-10T13:23:00.005-04:00

use a piece of plastic bag to keep your bits in your tools. prevents the bit from falling out. good for starting socket cap hex screw too. wrap some plastic around your hex key and stick the screw on, now the screw wont fall off. works like a screw holding screwdriver. you can also do the same with bolts and sockets. to remove the original bit from the torqkey i heated it with a lighter and pulled with my knipex pliers wrench

why so long specialized?

2011-06-20T20:18:00.002-04:00

get your act together

trek portland wheels and hubs

2011-06-12T13:35:00.003-04:00

just overhauled the hubs on my portland. quality is about deore level. polished cones. the wear track on the drive side rear cone was a a little off axis. i suspect the freehub or cone is not perfectly straight, axle looked good. front hub could have gone till the end of the season but i expected that. drive side rear cone was pretty dirty and showed the most wear on the cone. non drive rear cone had the same cleanliness level as the front hub. the wheels are holding up just fine straight and true

rubber pad for clamp arm

2011-05-30T20:32:00.005-04:00

cut up an old tire and zip tie it to your clamp head on the repair stand. keeps the saddles scuff free. pic also shows what i keep in my work tray at all times. cable end crimps. grease tub. boshield t9. pedal wrench. 5mm t handle is for adjusting fd height/rotation and cable pinch bolt. yellow pin spanner for 1 piece cranks. t9 can has the patented never loose your straw attachment. take a piece of tape and create a tether for the straw. even if it falls off the nozzle it is never far away.

temporary bar tape clamp

2011-05-30T20:27:00.002-04:00

use your park pin spanners to clamp on to bar tape. great for when number 2 calls, answering the phone, tending to walk ins, eating etc. you know you don't pull those pin spanners out much anyways

quick and dirty 4th hand tool

2011-05-28T19:41:00.003-04:00

i use this "trick" to pull the slack out of cable systems. pinch end cap/crimp with thumb and middle. use index to push brake arm and pull the slack out. rarely do i pull out the real deal. i use the real one on bmx u brakes or brakes that have a lot of spring tension

hauling with the trek portland

2011-05-14T11:28:00.007-04:00

hauled this tool box about 5 miles on flat ground. avg about 8-10 mph. got it home just fine. paid 7 bucks for the box and 2 tools. good ol made in the usa. the box is made by metal box and cabinet corp (MBC). they used to make boxes for snap on long ago

terrible products

2011-04-20T20:08:00.003-04:00

avid shorty ulitmate brake and sram red FD. if you want to give your mechanic a headache then go ahead and have him/her install the avid shorty ultimates. sram red fd is too flexy, get the force one.

spray can straw

2011-04-16T20:33:00.003-04:00

prevent loss of the little red straw from spray cans. wind it around the rim of the can. i also keep a stash of straws around from used up cans

trek mt220 fd cable routing

2011-04-14T17:51:00.002-04:00

hey trek can you fix this. route the fd cable properly. i have been seeing this on mt220s for over 3 months and yes they know about it. stop using the crappy RD with the plastic washer on the mounting bolt too, it comes broken and i bet you love doing the warranty on them. ok done ranting

knipex pliers wrench

2011-04-14T17:35:00.002-04:00

get yourself a set of these bad boys. the 10 inch size will be the most versatile if you only get one. parallel jaw pliers. the jaws always stay parallel unlike other smooth jaw pliers. good for gripping seized spokes, threaded headset adjustment, 1 piece cranks, and more

bontrager hard case tires

2011-03-19T11:39:00.002-04:00

not impressed with these tires on the trek portland. got 3 flats already. big chunk of glass the rear and two slow leaks in the front from unknown causes, the debris probably got knocked out. the gutters in the roads are still a mess from the winter but i try to avoid riding in the gutter as much as possible.

modified cone wrench for disc hubs

2011-03-15T18:34:00.005-04:00

this is for locking down the cone and lock nut on the disc side of the hub without removing the axle. file or grind away the sides for clearance on the disc bolts and put a 15 degree bend to clear the other bolt under it. to bend it stick it in the vice with the open end facing up and put an adjustable wrench on it to bend it. to use it lock down the disc side and flip the wheel over to adjust from the other side

trek/gary fisher marlin

2011-03-15T18:32:00.002-04:00

clear sticker/packaging film under the crown race. good job trek

specialized crosstrail rim tape

2011-03-14T17:57:00.002-04:00

cheap rim tape and poor qc. that flap was sticking out of the mounted tire

trek portland hub update

2011-03-03T18:45:00.002-05:00

so i looked into the hubs some more, namely mine. the older porland's did indeed have a 130mm hub. the 2011 rear hub is 135mm OLD. i just measured mine today. so trek does indeed get a clue, sometimes

trek portland hub

2011-03-01T20:01:00.002-05:00

hey trek why did you use a 130mm OLD disc hub? 135mm disc hubs are readily available and some 29er wheelsets would make a good set of wheels to thrash on.

presta valve extender tip

2011-02-13T15:52:00.007-05:00

there are 2 types of valve extenders. one is a glorified straw and the other requires the removal of the valve core, threading the extender and rethreading the core on the extender. the one that requires core removal is far superior. if you are using the straw type give the lock nut of the tube a crimp before putting the teflon tape and extender on. the crimp prevents the lock nut from spinning down in the worst moments.

screen for oil bucket

2011-02-07T20:07:00.002-05:00

we keep a bucket around for oil. it is mostly used for fork oils. got tired of dropping parts and fishing them out of 5 gal bucket half full of oil. take some window screen and loosely secure it around the top with zip ties(big band around the rim). prevents loss of parts and a good place to drain dampers and lowers while you clean the uppers.

take care of your tools

2011-01-22T12:38:00.003-05:00

its winter time here in new england. the shop slows down to a crawl. we got plenty of time on our hands. now is the time to inventory your tools and order any new tools that you may need. it is also time to maintain your tools. chain tool, crank puller, ratchets, etc should be cleaned and lubed. for the park hanger alignment tool i pull out the inside shaft and clean and grease it. the grease provide a hydraulic buffer between the shaft and tool. this reduces play and gives smoother operation.

crows foot cone wrench

2011-01-19T19:59:00.003-05:00

this is for working on fox fit dampers. torque wrench on a cone wrench. plug in a park cone wrench and turn it 90 degrees so you don't have to do any calculations.

snap rings

2011-01-19T19:49:00.002-05:00

square edges of the snap ring should face the snap ring pliers. the snap rings wont fly off and get lost on the floor anymore. one side of a snap ring is rounded from the stamping process and the other is squared off, easy to see by eye and feel

extend the life of your park dag 1

2011-01-11T20:50:00.003-05:00

if you have a older park derailleur alignment tool you will find that the alignment boss is quite large. the large boss interferes with the smaller hangers on many new road bikes. a quick fix is to grab a axle washer and slip it on over the stud. this will reduce the diameter of the boss and give you some room to work with. for example trek madone hangers and the DAG 1 dont play well but slip on the washer and its good to go. the pic above is for illustration. the washer i have is larger than normal and the tool is the newer DAG 2

pedro's tools

2011-01-09T17:00:00.003-05:00

junk

trek portland update

2010-12-25T09:23:00.002-05:00

bike is great. i love it. i took it on some errands around town in the snow/slush. bike handles fine in the snow. need to be careful with the brakes because it is easy to lock up the wheels in packed snow. the brakes are noisy when they are wet but that is to be expected. let me know if you have any questions about the bike

grip tape scraps

2010-12-18T19:10:00.003-05:00

i save the bar tape scraps and sometimes i have a long enough piece to wrap around my tools. wrapped my breaker bar with some bar tape. makes laying down the power a little easier on the hands. i also wrap my headset wrenches with bar tape.

cheater pipes and extra leverage

2010-12-18T19:01:00.002-05:00

yes i know better than to use cheater pipes. sometimes though the cheater pipe is needed for extra leverage and to get the job done. i have breaker bars and long ratchets but sometimes need more. i keep old steel seatposts around for this purpose. strong and designed to resist bending. pump shafts are good too but they get messed up easily. the walls are too thin but there is an almost endless supply of pump shafts in the scrap pile.

good shop scissors

2010-12-18T18:30:00.003-05:00

i use these EMT shears in the shop. good for cutting handle bar tape. they are cheap to replace if they grow legs. they work well too. try them out if you need some new scissors.

put a magnet on your chain whip

2010-12-12T19:12:00.004-05:00

put a magnet on the tag end of your chain whip. this will keep the end from flopping around and falling off when you are laying down some serious power. i used an old shoe lace and stuffed a small 1/4 diameter magnet in it. put a few knots it in and attach to the end of your whip. you will like this one

tube tip

2010-12-04T19:47:00.002-05:00

i hope all of you carry a spare tube and tools while out on a ride. keep your spare tube in a old sock. this keeps the tube from getting holes and abrasion from rubbing in the seatbag with other things. the sock is for wiping your hands after you swap your tube.

identify the left pedal quickly

2010-12-01T19:05:00.003-05:00

while i can identify pedals by looking at the thread there are other ways to identify them. most pedals are marked in some way. a quick way to identify the left one for most cheap pedals is to look near the wrench flats. the spindle with the stripes is the left one. so in my pic above the left pedal is on the left

roto ratchets save time

2010-11-28T20:13:00.007-05:00

these roto ratchets save time. long length handles for extra leverage. break the fastener loose in the 90 degree position and then straighten the handle to spin it out like a screw driver. great for 8mm or 14mm crank bolts. i like to keep a 5mm hex bit socket on the little 1/4 drive one. the gearwrench 3/8 and 1/4 drive set runs about $30 on sale at sears.

magicshine mj 836 bracket again

2010-11-26T19:38:00.002-05:00

this bracket is a piece of crap. to be expected but whatever its a cheap light. the angle adjustment knob is garbage. with the knob tight for the angle adjustment, the head still has some play in it. this play over time will loosen the angle adjustment. in the middle of a ride the light will just rotate and blast your face. i put loctite on it to prevent loosening. adjust the angle by rotating it on your bars.

bontrager and ritchey torqkey

2010-11-25T09:38:00.002-05:00

these torque keys are handy to keep around. ritchey is probably the first company that made these popular. bontrager has a version of this tool that is much easier to use. the handle is larger so its easier to use. the bit it not removeable on the bontrager one. there are reports of people removing the bits with heat or prying it out but i have not tried. the ritchey one has replaceable bits, i keep a t25 torx on it for disc brake rotor bolts. these run about $20 each

gator grip socket and locking skewers

2010-11-21T09:27:00.003-05:00

when somone leaves you a bike to work on and it has the pinhead/onguard locking skewers, have no fear. they are easily removed with vise grips. the key that comes with the skewers are very short, so the skewers are not on very tight. a gator grip socket also makes quick work on them.

trek portland initial thoughts

2010-11-18T19:53:00.005-05:00

just got the bike today and rode it home. bike rides incredibly smooth with the carbon fork. handles very smooth and fluid like. brakes work great once the pads bedded in. assembling the bike was straight forward, no real issues except the wheels. the wheels needed to be tensioned. the tension was pretty balanced but low around 75 kgf. i brought the tension up to 110-120 kgf. the rear rack is pretty sturdy too. the included fenders do not provide enough coverage so i will be installing planet bike hardcore fenders.

magicshine mj 836 bracket

2010-11-17T17:26:00.004-05:00

the bracket that comes with the light is pretty bad. the inside has some ribbed rubber pads. they suck and the mount moves around with the ribs squirming around. the bracket is only suitable for a 31.8mm diameter clamp area. i removed the rubber pads and it fits fine on 31.8 bars.

home made magnetic pick up tool

2010-11-11T19:18:00.004-05:00

made this today. piece of brake housing. 1/4 inch diameter magnet and 3/8 shrink tube. stick the magnet on the end of brake housing. i ground the end of the brake housing flat. slide on shrink tube and heat it up. i let the shrink tube roll over the front of the magnet so it holds well. use this to fish cables that are routed internally

pre stress your cable/housing system

2010-11-10T18:29:00.002-05:00

when installing new cables/housing or assembling a new bike, always prestress the cable systems. this will seat the housing ferrules firmly. this will make your adjustments last a lot longer. for the brake system i grab a handfull of brake to really seat the ferrules. for derailleurs i grab the exposed cable run, pedal and tug at the same time. you should see an increase in the time between adjustments.

Lizard Skins DSP Bar Tape, dont pull too tight!

2010-11-08T19:38:00.003-05:00

i have been seeing more of this grip tape lately. feels good in the hand if you like a rubbery type feel. the tape also has some good cushion to it. i was wrapping some bars today with this tape and promptly ripped it. so don't stretch this stuff like your normal cork tape, it will rip.

homemade headset press

2010-11-07T13:26:00.002-05:00

make a headset press at home. pick up some all thread, nuts and fender washers at the hardware store. i used 1/2in all thread in this one. bring the headset cups to the store to get the right size washers. grease the threads before use, it will make it work smoother. use a ratchet or wrenches to press the cups in. don't forget to grease the cups before install. I also press 1 cup at a time.

lock ring pliers, make your own

2010-11-03T18:04:00.001-04:00

made my own lock ring pliers from a cheap set of import water pump pliers. these run about 12-15 new. real lock ring pliers? well about triple that. these can be made in about 10 minutes with a file and vise. have a few lock rings to test fit. a grinder can be used to remove bulk material but i used the files to shape the notches/teeth. they work great for fixie lock rings and bb lock rings. make your own!

quality tools cheap

2010-11-03T17:57:00.000-04:00

good USA made tools can be found at yard and estate sales. pliers, ratchets, wrenchs, screwdrivers. i have found snap on, craftsman, channellock, and other great brands for pennies on the dollar. generally about 1-2 dollars a tool when i get a few of them. you wont find much metric sized stuff but SAE sizes are plentiful. i get the ratchets to keep my favorite sockets, bits, bb tools loaded and ready to go to save time. no need to swap bits etc. 4,5,6mm hex bit sockets get their own ratchet. i will have more posts about some of my favorite tools

first post

2010-11-02T19:59:00.000-04:00

so im just going to start off and say my writing will not be the best. this blog will be about bicycle mechanics. i would say the mechanics part would be geared more towards the experienced or shop mechanic but new people wanting to learn will benefit too. the trek portland will be my commute bike and ill review it on an on going basis. it will be arriving in late november. dont expect a lot of miles in the winter.