Time to fix the bike

[CotterPin]

Not sure if this is a commuting type of thing or a bike maintenance type of thing. Cycling to work yesterday morning in glorious and finally get onto London Bridge going south. After the traffic in the City now is the chance to go for it.

I stomp on the pedals.

Graunch! Click! Ping! (And there may have been a few other noises in there as well).

Suddenly all power is lost and I look down to see what is happening.

One of the bolts had disappeared from the chainset and the chainring had bent away from the crank.

Trouble is, I knew the bolt was missing and I knew I was riding on borrowed time as it were.

So now I need to get at the least a new chainring and some bolts. Oh, and probably a round tuit as well!

 

[Origamist]

And you call yourself CotterPin!

 

[Bollo]

And you call yourself CotterPin!

Just how good are you with paper? Mmmmm?

 

[Origamist]

I can unwrap a portion of chips pretty fast.

 

[swee'pea99]

We all do it. Or at least some of us. I've been riding for must be upwards of a year now tightening the cones on my back wheel every few months, despite fingers wagged on these very boards. I'll doubtless still be musing 'really must get a cone spanner' when my rear hub explodes in a shower of sparks and splintered metal...

 

[CotterPin]

And you call yourself CotterPin!

I know, I know

But that was what put me off bike maintenance - cotterpins were such a nightmare. I am still mentally scarred by the years of my early youth spent in my dad's garage trying to (a) get the old cotterpin out and ( trying to get the new one in. Most of this seemed to be done in the freezing cold and I would usually bash my thumbs several times.

To be fair I do try to maintain my really nice bikes - just the commuting bike tends to get ignored.

 

[ChrisKH]

I know, I know

But that was what put me off bike maintenance - cotterpins were such a nightmare. I am still mentally scarred by the years of my early youth spent in my dad's garage trying to (a) get the old cotterpin out and (B) trying to get the new one in. Most of this seemed to be done in the freezing cold and I would usually bash my thumbs several times.

To be fair I do try to maintain my really nice bikes - just the commuting bike tends to get ignored.

I once spent an entertaining and informative day in a bike shop; at aged 13 we were very keen to learn how to maintain our bikes and not pay for the privilege. The guy there said if we helped him, he would teach us. Learned to do cotter pins and a number of other tricky things that day.

 

[Nigeyy]

Well, you've learnt the hard way. If something is missing, it's usually there for a reason! Alas, when something goes wrong, it's usually more expensive than the maintenance (E.g. cost of chainring and bolt versus cost of bolt). You could try bending the chainring back into shape -something I did successfully with a bent one recently -but usually chances are it's had it.

I sympathize with you about cotter pins -terrible design and I have had my frustrations in my youthful past with them as well. Mind you, I also strongly dislike the current crank puller design -I've had the puller threads on the crankarms strip before now and it's a real pita when that happens!

 

[jimboalee]

I've still got a tin of cotter pins. I've still got two bikes that use them.
The secrets with installing the little blighters is 1/ file the flats more than std, and 2/ grease them thoroughly.
Hit them home with a large hammer. Do NOT try and pull them by tightening the nut. Use a spring washer and a plain washer.

They're a pound each to buy now, and they could be made of plasticene, seeing how readily the thread strips.

They CANNOT be used twice.

 

[Domestique]

The secrets with installing the little blighters is 1/ file the flats more than std, and 2/ grease them thoroughly.
Hit them home with a large hammer. Do NOT try and pull them by tightening the nut. Use a spring washer and a plain washer.

Thank f$5k those days are gone, forever

 

[fossyant]

Oh god no - don't ride my bike with anything not right - I just know I'll be sprinting or going down a hill and it will fail....wouldn't want to scratch the bike in a fall..... bones will heal !!!!

 

[Twenty Inch]

The Drop Test! Pick the bike up three or four inches, drop it. You'll soon get used to the noise it makes. Anything coming loose will rattle and sound different, giving you a chance to sort it before it's an issue. Should be practised before every ride.