Filed under: Advice & Tips
Some dude came in a few weeks ago looking for a new seat binder pin. Delving into it deeper—because he wanted some advice too—I asked what was wrong with his old one. “Well, this one just spins freely in the hole. It doesn’t matter even if I use two Allen wrenches on it.”
It reminded me of the old co-op I worked at in Seattle: “if you’re unsure, stop and ask a question before you start breaking tools and components.”
Taking two wrenches to that binder bolt is wholly unnecessary for those unfamiliar with the style. Honestly, why there are fittings on both sides is a mystery to me. One side has a ridge that fits into a notch in the frame in order to keep the bolt from spinning freely, and to keep the seatpost set tight in the frame. Well, this guy had never been to that shop in Seattle I guess, and he had rounded that notch out to a point where the bolt’s ridge had nothing to sit into. There goes another old Falcon or whatever disadvantaged vintage frame it was. He shrugged and bought a new bolt anyway, claiming that it would work. Maybe it would, but maybe it wouldn’t for very long.
Other similar destructive actions I’ve come across:
- using too small of a seatpost, causing the seat tube to become malformed
- operating bike for too long with poorly adjusted bearings
- painting the frame with components installed
- seized seatpost or quill stem
- installing a headset with the press-in cups not pressed in, nor right-side-up
- many others I’m sure I’m forgetting—a post unto their own perhaps….
Again, if you’re unsure, stop; don’t blindly proceed. Ask someone. Call a shop. Examine closely. Get online, download a picture or something. Or… bring it to a bike shop and have a professional do it!
3 Comments so far
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that headset pic is amazing! I wouldn’t even be able to hold back on that one. My jaw seriously dropped when the photo came up. FUCKED
Comment by jimmy 04.01.09 @ 5:34 amOut of ignorance I have installed caged bearings upside down. But as an amateur mechanic I can say I’ve never done stuff this dumb. That is unless putting caged bearings in upside down is as dumb as this stuff.
Comment by Mark 04.02.09 @ 5:54 amnot at all Mark. unless you know, the caged bearing mistake is an easy one to make, the entire cup however is just amazing in it’s own right.
Comment by fuckgas 04.02.09 @ 10:23 amLeave a comment
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