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Worst Tuesday I've had in 8 years of wrenching | Bicycle Mechanics - The Design Community Hub

Worst Tuesday I've had in 8 years of wrenching

Last month I had a day where 3 different bikes came in with stripped bottom bracket shells. First one was a cheap department store frame, the second was a vintage Schwinn someone overtightened, and the third was a carbon frame that the owner tried to install a new crank himself. I spent 6 hours total between heli-coiling two of them and telling the carbon guy he needs a new frame. On top of that, a customer yelled at me because their disc brake rub came back after I "fixed" it. Has anyone else had a day where you just want to walk out and never come back?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana_bell744mo ago

Bruh that carbon frame story hurts my soul. The audacity of some people thinking they can just DIY a bottom bracket on a $3k frame without checking anything. And three in one day? That's a sign from the universe to go home and drink. The disc brake lady would have sent me over the edge though, like ma'am your rotor is bent because you leaned your bike against a wall funny not because I didn't torque it right.

john_hunt24mo ago

People who treat a high end carbon frame like it's a beater bike from a yard sale just don't get it. You don't just jam a cheap bottom bracket into a frame that costs more than a used car. That disc brake thing also happens way too often where people blame the mechanic for something they did themselves.

river1833mo ago

Those three bottom bracket jobs in one shift sound like the universe testing your patience on purpose. @diana_bell74 nailed it though, the carbon frame guy probably spent $200 on tools to save a $30 install fee and now he's out a few grand. Did you at least get a good story out of telling him he needed a new frame or did he just stare at you like you were the one breaking the news? I had a guy once bring in a dented carbon fork and tried to argue that it was fine because he hit a pothole, not a car.