The stupid, ugly, messed up bikes thread.

[SpikeFC]

This is a cool story to tell.

One of my clients went last year to another workshop, cause his brake was loosing fluid. The guy there first bleed the brakes without taking out the brake pads (great idea) and literally flooded them with brake fluid. Every normal (or at least with a little bit of decency) workshop guy would just buy new pads for his own money, and tell that his sorry, but since those pads were a little bit expensive Shimano radiated pads, he just heated them up in an oven .

So the client came to my workshop with a problem that he's brakes are screetching like crazy, and won't even loose speed while braking. Hm, what could be the problem...

Even the flat spring that was holding the brake pads was cut out to almost nothing.

Brake "pad" thickness...

1.45mm is the thickness of the brake disc. Nominal is 2.1mm

I will not quote the multi-layered curse that the client told towards the guy from the other workshop...

 

[SpikeFC]

Oh, and another thing that I just remembered.

Remember for someone this might be shocking! Bicycyle repair guys hate this method, cause it leaves them without a job!

Your hub cones are too loose? Zip-Ties!

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Ewwwwww

 

[deorman]

 

[Grant]

 

[Grant]

I remember seeing people tell about zip ties being used as cassette spacers.

Oh, and another thing that I just remembered.

Remember for someone this might be shocking! Bicycyle repair guys hate this method, cause it leaves them without a job!

Your hub cones are too loose? Zip-Ties!

 

[Grant]

I would actually like to build this up, but a 1x.

 

[rickpaulos]

I would actually like to build this up, but a 1x.

I see bikes like this every week. Our local bike coop is near the homeless camps. This is what they tend to build up. Any part that fits gets put on. Makes the bikes less of a theft target. Who would steal a pile of junk? Only the homeless (or some police) take bikes from the homeless. I also see these from the local challenged people who do have homes. They use bikes as transportation (good) and are not driving (better). They do what they can. My guess is someone found it dumped somewhere. Typical. Someone stole it from a homeless guy, rode it a while and just dumped it. Anyhow you have a blank canvas. As long as the frame/fork are solid to start with. Don't waste your time if they are ruined.

A black rattle can spray job just screams "Stolen".

 

[Grant]

I see bikes like this every week. Our local bike coop is near the homeless camps. This is what they tend to build up. Any part that fits gets put on. Makes the bikes less of a theft target. Who would steal a pile of junk? Only the homeless (or some police) take bikes from the homeless. I also see these from the local challenged people who do have homes. They use bikes as transportation (good) and are not driving (better). They do what they can. My guess is someone found it dumped somewhere. Typical. Someone stole it from a homeless guy, rode it a while and just dumped it. Anyhow you have a blank canvas. As long as the frame/fork are solid to start with. Don't waste your time if they are ruined.

A black rattle can spray job just screams "Stolen".

I can relate.

Here is one that was stolen.

All of these bikes were stolen. This is only half of this room.

 

[Grant]

 

[Grant]

I see bikes like this every week. Our local bike coop is near the homeless camps. This is what they tend to build up. Any part that fits gets put on. Makes the bikes less of a theft target. Who would steal a pile of junk? Only the homeless (or some police) take bikes from the homeless. I also see these from the local challenged people who do have homes. They use bikes as transportation (good) and are not driving (better). They do what they can. My guess is someone found it dumped somewhere. Typical. Someone stole it from a homeless guy, rode it a while and just dumped it. Anyhow you have a blank canvas. As long as the frame/fork are solid to start with. Don't waste your time if they are ruined.

A black rattle can spray job just screams "Stolen".

Where I live, there is so much bicycles for so cheap, that usually people who are homeless ride $200-$300 bikes that are normal looking. Bike shop gives anything that is newer and less expensive away for free.

 

[Grant]

House flies anyone?

 

[SpikeFC]

- I'm missing a few spokes in my wheel, but I don't know the lenght...
- Don't worry! It doesn't matter...

 

[LeMad Hatter]

 

[LeMad Hatter]

- I'm missing a few spokes in my wheel, but I don't know the lenght...
- Don't worry! It doesn't matter...

I've recently used the Kahaki app to calculate spoke length and it works beautifully. It tells you everything you need to measure to get the correct spoke lengths

 

[SpikeFC]

I've recently used the Kahaki app to calculate spoke length and it works beautifully. It tells you everything you need to measure to get the correct spoke lengths

I'm using Sapim Spoke Calculator. After a few tries i figured out that you don't have to calculate perfectly, use whole numbers (like 39mm instead of 38.5mm), and subtract final lenght to even numbers (like 230 instead of 231 etc.)

 

[Grant]

Clipless pedals, freewheel, and no brakes.

 

[Grant]

Đůmb

 

[deorman]

And a high bar with down tube shifters to maximise crashability.

 

[Grant]

And a high bar with down tube shifters to maximise crashability.

Then there is clipless pedals with no brakes.