Who’s got my tool?!Oliver Woodman / Immediate Media
No TT bikes on a FridayOliver Woodman / Immediate Media
The trouble with rims and tyresOliver Woodman / Immediate Media
Access issues can lead to mechanic issuesOliver Woodman / Immediate Media
Aah, bottom brackets…Oliver Woodman / Immediate Media
The joy of internal cabling… or not!Oliver Woodman / Immediate Media
Please clean your bike!Oliver Woodman / Immediate Media
It’s fair to say that being a bicycle mechanic can be a difficult job. With a huge list of different maintenance tasks to perform it means that not every day is equal in the workshop.
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Here at BikeRadar we had a word with our full-time mechanic, Jonny Ashelford, on the things that really yank his crank. With that in mind, here are eight ways to stress out your local mechanic.
Nope, we wouldn’t want to work on it eitherOliver Woodman / Immediate Media
The last thing a mechanic needs is to be covered in road grime, mud or even worse — a top tube that’s still soggy with sweat.
2. Anything that involves internal cable routing
But it looks so prettyOliver Woodman / Immediate Media
Yep, it might look slightly better but it’s a lot of time and effort for something that offers no real mechanical advantage. A real pet hate of Jonny’s is the recent generation of disc-equipped road bikes with hoses that route through the fork.
3. Press-fit bottom brackets
Press-fit, where creaking is the normOliver Woodman / Immediate Media
We tried to press (LOL) Jonny further on this topic, but feared he’d punch us in the face. For an epic rant on press-fit bottom brackets refer back to this brilliant piece, I’ve had it with press-fit bottom brackets, from BikeRadar‘s former Technical Editor, James Huang.
4. Chainstay mounted brakes
Good in the wind tunnel, bad in the workshopOliver Woodman / Immediate Media
A nightmare to access and set-up, these aero-friendly stoppers sure aren’t a mechanic’s best friend.
5. Tyre and rim combinations that just refuse to cooperate
Not all tyres and rims get alongOliver Woodman / Immediate Media
Fact: some rims and tyres simply don’t go together well and others refuse to work at all.
6. TT Bikes in general
TT bikes: not a Friday afternoon jobOliver Woodman / Immediate Media
From fiddly fairings to the time consuming assembly of aero bars, the TT bike is not a Friday afternoon task.
7. Asking to borrow their tools
Have you seen the 5mm?Oliver Woodman / Immediate Media
This one’s for those who are lucky enough to work alongside a mechanic. Should you be fortunate to gain access to a mechanic’s toolbox, you best make sure you put anything you borrow back where you found it.
8. “Can you just…”
Better leave him to itOliver Woodman / Immediate Media
The phrase that precedes a task that’s considered both quick and easy… but it never is.
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Are you a mechanic? Have you got more to add to this list? Let us know using the comment box below…
Now officially part of the furniture, Oli enjoys bicycles of all sorts and has a keen eye for technical detail. An unhealthy interest in older motor vehicles keeps him poor but happy
