Left crank fell off!

[Farmfield]

My thought is, if the crankarm fell off w/o any warning before, it's probably the bolt that snapped - and then you hopefully haven't destroyed the taper...

Getting that boltend out might prove difficult, but not impossible... Pictures would really help here...

I'm kinda amazed a member here isn't mechanically enclined, hehe, thought that was part of the fascination - and that's not ment to be insulting, I'm just stating a curious fact, hehe...

 

[PurpleFrog]

I'm kinda amazed a member here isn't mechanically enclined, hehe, thought that was part of the fascination - and that's not ment to be insulting, I'm just stating a curious fact, hehe...

I used to be reasonably mechanically competent - I could tune the derailers, cantis, spoke tension, get through bigger jobs with a manual. But I've forgotten an awful lot more than I expected and it turns out that this is a very bad time to get my mechanical skills back, due to a family medical problem that means I need a stress busting exercise machine asap, not stress promoting battles with hardware.

I bought an older bike because for versatility and toughness I still don't think a classic hardtail MTB has been exceeded. Plus this was the sort of bike I used for courier work as a kid.

 

[drcarlos]

I used to be reasonably mechanically competent - I could tune the derailers, cantis, spoke tension, get through bigger jobs with a manual. But I've forgotten an awful lot more than I expected and it turns out that this is a very bad time to get my mechanical skills back, due to a family medical problem that means I need a stress busting exercise machine asap, not stress promoting battles with hardware.

I see this as very therapeutic, tinkering and fixing problems can be very good for stress and will act as a nice distraction from lifes troubles for a few hours. View it as a stress busting escape rather than a ball-ache is the best way to do it, then you don't have to rely on and then get pissed at your LBS.

Carl.

 

[PurpleFrog]

I used to be reasonably mechanically competent - I could tune the derailers, cantis, spoke tension, get through bigger jobs with a manual. But I've forgotten an awful lot more than I expected and it turns out that this is a very bad time to get my mechanical skills back, due to a family medical problem that means I need a stress busting exercise machine asap, not stress promoting battles with hardware.

I see this as very therapeutic, tinkering and fixing problems can be very good for stress and will act as a nice distraction from lifes troubles for a few hours. View it as a stress busting escape rather than a ball-ache is the best way to do it, then you don't have to rely on and then get pissed at your LBS.

Carl.

I think that's a question of

1. Personal disposition

2. How many bikes you have. Right now I need something rideable asap!

 

[drcarlos]

I used to be reasonably mechanically competent - I could tune the derailers, cantis, spoke tension, get through bigger jobs with a manual. But I've forgotten an awful lot more than I expected and it turns out that this is a very bad time to get my mechanical skills back, due to a family medical problem that means I need a stress busting exercise machine asap, not stress promoting battles with hardware.

I see this as very therapeutic, tinkering and fixing problems can be very good for stress and will act as a nice distraction from lifes troubles for a few hours. View it as a stress busting escape rather than a ball-ache is the best way to do it, then you don't have to rely on and then get pissed at your LBS.

Carl.

I think that's a question of

1. Personal disposition

2. How many bikes you have. Right now I need something rideable asap!

True but.

1. Disposition can be altered with perception, ie not viewing it as a ballache but as something interesting and worthwhile doing.

2. Can be sorted with task management and just concentrating on the one machine until you have time for the others.

Just trying to help by putting a positive spin on things.

Carl.

 

[PurpleFrog]

I used to be reasonably mechanically competent - I could tune the derailers, cantis, spoke tension, get through bigger jobs with a manual. But I've forgotten an awful lot more than I expected and it turns out that this is a very bad time to get my mechanical skills back, due to a family medical problem that means I need a stress busting exercise machine asap, not stress promoting battles with hardware.

I see this as very therapeutic, tinkering and fixing problems can be very good for stress and will act as a nice distraction from lifes troubles for a few hours. View it as a stress busting escape rather than a ball-ache is the best way to do it, then you don't have to rely on and then get pissed at your LBS.

Carl.

I think that's a question of

1. Personal disposition

2. How many bikes you have. Right now I need something rideable asap!

True but.

1. Disposition can be altered with perception, ie not viewing it as a ballache but as something interesting and worthwhile doing.

2. Can be sorted with task management and just concentrating on the one machine until you have time for the others.

Just trying to help by putting a positive spin on things.

Carl.

Re. 2 most of my non-work time at the moment is spent talking to my father's doctors or to him about his (rather serious) current health problem, the rest being exhausted. This is a time when I need to keep my health up and burn stress. I *know* you're trying to help, but I need this damn bike back on the road before I go crazy! Really. Anyway, I shall just take it around to the LBS...

 

[7x]

exactly what service was the bike in to the lbs for? if it was a tune up they should have tightened it and should replace it. if it felt like crap when they tightened it they probably should have left a note on the service ticket and owe you an apology but not much else. sometimes you do the best you can with what the customer brings you......on the plus side, popping on a new arm is about a 30 second job once you have the parts. unless you need more frustration in your life (like multiple trips back to the shop) i wouldn't bother reinstalling an arm that's been 'ridden off'- odds are the taper is no longer the PERFECT shape required to be reliable.

 

[PurpleFrog]

Thanks guys - new crank on. The other had burred - as it had come lose then my over powerful left leg had clearly done some damage. I think I'd normally have realized that it was coming lose, but I was trying out my new Enormous BMC Type Pedals instead of riding spds/toeclips, so I just blamed those and Grant Peterson.

Another reason I didn't want to start getting my skills back with this job - I really do think it calls for a torque wrench, especially as I do I have a history of torquing too much.

However, I'm ordering Bike Repair For Dummies, which looks pretty good and covers fitting bar-end shifters, which I will want to do when I switch the bike to drops. And some kind person who I probably shouldn't name sent me an interesting link.

 

[Farmfield]

So you're pedalling so hard crankarms is falling off and you have a problem not overtorquing, hehe... We're talking SuperFrog here, hehe...

Nice that you got it sorted though, riding should absolutely come before admiring, dreaming, painting, scheeming, socializing here, buying, mounting & dismounting stüff a.s.o...

I'd be riding right now - if I had a bike here - or at home ready to ride and not in a million pieces (several actually) - or if it wasn't' in the middle of the night - or this beer wasn't so tasty... I'm almost ashamed...