Unpopular opinion: Keeping a kitchen spoon in my bike apron isn't as crazy as it sounds

So I was trying to tune up this clunker in my backyard, and my real tools were locked in the shop. Got desperate, grabbed a big spoon from the kitchen drawer to crank on a stuck bolt, and it actually worked, though I nearly launched the bolt into the neighbor's yard. Now that spoon lives with my wrenches, and I've used it for everything from prying off grips to tapping a derailleur back into line. It's become my weirdest but most reached-for tool this season.

4 comments

4 Comments

noah8721mo ago

My butter knife straightens brake pads better than my actual alignment tool.

the_finley1mo ago

Have you tried using the spoon to scoop old grease out of a chain? I used a tablespoon to clean my drivetrain last week and it was perfect for the job. Sometimes the weird tools just click!

paulw5321d ago

That "weird tools just click" thing is true... but honestly, a spoon is just a bad wrench that bends when you really need it.

wade2501mo ago

You know, @noah872, that butter knife trick is clever but it COULD mess up your brake pads if you're not careful. Soft metal might bend and then your braking gets all weird. Spoons are decent for prying stuff open, but for grease removal, a old toothbrush works WAY better to scrub the gunk out. Honestly, these kitchen hacks are fun but they often just move the problem to later. I'd say use them in a crisis but maybe grab the right tool when you can.