1
Vent: Everyone says a torque wrench is a must-have, but I fixed a whole fleet of rental bikes last week without one.
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
margaretramirez1mo ago
Yeah, but you're not the one renting it next season when that stem bolt works loose.
8
moore.beth1mo ago
A torque wrench isn't for the bolt you're tightening now. It's for the bolt you tightened six months ago that hasn't shaken loose. Those rental bikes will be back in the shop with loose cranks and handlebars by next season.
3
susansingh1mo ago
Come on, that's a bit over the top for rental bikes. Those things get beat to death anyway, so a loose crank is the least of their worries. Most shops just need stuff tight enough to not fall off right away, and a good mechanic's feel gets you there. You ever see how people treat those rentals? A perfect torque spec won't save a bike that's been jumped off a curb a hundred times. They're built to be fixed fast and cheap, not to museum specs.
2
phoenix_lewis1mo ago
Remember this one time I rented a bike on vacation and the front wheel felt weird the whole time. Got back and told the guy at the shop, and he just grabbed a wrench and gave the axle a half turn while sighing about tourists. It wasn't even about the crank, susansingh, but your point stands. Those bikes live a hard life and the fixes are about stopping the immediate problem, not some perfect future state. The mechanic's feel is for getting it out the door now, because another beaten up bike is coming in right behind it.
3