The "what does your shop look like" thread.

[hozn]

@ShawnoftheDread 86980 wrote:

That’s fine, because several of the bikes cluttering up my carport would fit in that stand quite nicely. Darn kids and their n+1 shenanigans.

Hey, I will buy that 16″ Isla bike off you if it is getting in the way

[ShawnoftheDread]

@hozn 86981 wrote:

Hey, I will buy that 16″ Isla bike off you if it is getting in the way

She’s coming along nicely on it but still insisting on riding the 8-years-old, falling apart, wooden push bike most of the time.

[hozn]

@ShawnoftheDread 86985 wrote:

She’s coming along nicely on it but still insisting on riding the 8-years-old, falling apart, wooden push bike most of the time.

Yeah, my son took a long time before he stopped tending to choose the Strider. (He has the 14″ Isla.). And — big breakthrough — the other day actually suggested to his little brother (8mos) that he was ready to pass along ownership of the Strider.

[NicDiesel]

We’re buying a place and I’ll finally, after years of rentals, have a place I can build a bike workshop. Since we’re a one car family and will have a two car garage I’m curious what everyone would recommend as “must haves” for a bike workshop. Keep in mind that this space will not be heated so at least two months out of the year (January and February) I can’t really leave anything that will freeze. I’m starting from pretty much nothing so here’s the list of things I’m planning to buy right now:

Park Repair Stand
Park Pro Wheel Truing Stand
Park Pro Tool Kit

Is there anything that you all could think of that the Pro Tool Kit doesn’t have that you’d need to do most repairs and builds?

[jrenaut]

@NicDiesel 87074 wrote:

We’re buying a place and I’ll finally, after years of rentals, have a place I can build a bike workshop.

I am eager to hear answers to this, too.

[Steve]

@NicDiesel 87074 wrote:

Is there anything that you all could think of that the Pro Tool Kit doesn’t have that you’d need to do most repairs and builds?

You mean besides a beer fridge?

The one thing I wish I had when doing minor repairs or especially cleaning my bike is an adjustable height stool. Certainly not a must have, but I wish I had room for one.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@NicDiesel 87074 wrote:

Is there anything that you all could think of that the Pro Tool Kit doesn’t have that you’d need to do most repairs and builds?

You’ll definitely want at least one set of general automotive metric box-end wrenches, from 7mm to 19mm – I know the pro kit has combo box-end wrenches, but I find them hard to use (too small, not enough leverage) and the flats of the wrenches are narrow and tend to ding up aluminum parts. Also, depending on whether you’ve got (or plan to have) bike frames/wheels that use cartridge bearings, Wheels Manufacturing has a decent threaded press for about $40, and you can buy individual drifts for whatever bearings your bike(s) use. There’s no real need to buy the full Wheels Manufacturing press and drift set. In addition the the taps in the Pro kit, I’d also recommend getting a decent metric tap plate and die set (Craftsman stuff from Sears is a good middle ground). Lastly, if you’re really anal retentive, consider getting two torque wrenches, one 3/8″ drive inch-pound, one 1/2″ drive foot-pound, and an accompanying set of metric sockets in both drive sizes. Again, Craftsman offers good value, and Sears will re-calibrate their torque wrenches for free if you take them to a store.

Oh – forgot, a blind bearing puller set and slide hammer, if you’re doing any cartridge bearing work.

[hozn]

Park Pro Wheel Truing Stand

If you are gonna build a lot of wheels this is worth it. But if you are going to build a couple of wheelsets, I don’t think it justifies the cost. Something like this works just fine and is less than a quarter of the cost: http://www.amazon.com/Feedback-Sports-Truing-Station/dp/B003RZ52OY . (That is what I used for the first 8-10 wheelsets I built.)

Park Pro Tool Kit

That looks pretty comprehensive, but at $900 it sure had better be! Are you servicing lots of different bikes? If not, seems like most of those tools would go unused — e.g. e.g. how many bottom bracket specs do you need to support and does anyone actually use a cone wrench to service a modern bicycle? Many of those tools can also be found much cheaper elsewhere (e.g. Nashbar has good headset extractor and crown race seat tools and crown race pullers — not sure if that’s on there). Or built from scratch. E.g. a couple of pieces of wood and a long bolt works perfectly to seat headsets. But of course if you just want to have them all just in case, that would be cheaper than buying them all individually.

Actually a couple of additional things come to mind.

You’ll want a torque wrench (or two).

If you do plan to build wheels (I assume you do if buying the Park Pro Truing stand), you’ll want a better spoke key. Like this: http://www.parktool.com/product/master-spoke-wrenches-sw-20 . And you’ll probably want a nipple driver.

[cyclingfool]

@hozn 87085 wrote:

And you’ll probably want a nipple driver.

Cheap, easy to make DIY nipple driver that works. (I’ve used this on my wheel builds, and it works a charm.)

http://urbanvelo.org/diy-nipple-driver/

@hozn 87085 wrote:

Something like this works just fine and is less than a quarter of the cost: http://www.amazon.com/Feedback-Sport…/dp/B003RZ52OY

Good to see another positive review of this stand. It’s on my Amazon wish list, and likely to be purchased before I build up my spare wheelset for next winter.

[hozn]

@cyclingfool 87094 wrote:

Cheap, easy to make DIY nipple driver that works. (I’ve used this on my wheel builds, and it works a charm.)

http://urbanvelo.org/diy-nipple-driver/

Ah, that is also useful. I was thinking more for the initial threading of nipples onto the spoke — something like: http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Nipple-Driver-15mm/dp/B00F665S5K/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=07EKS11X5RFK5H4YZ636

Or am I misunderstanding the DIY article and it does that too?

For loading the nipples (and not losing them) I actually did splurge and buy one of these: http://www.bikehubstore.com/product-p/mfg.htm

I’m sure the DIY solution above works just as well — and costs a lot less One only has to lose a few nipples, though, before even $18 sounds completely worth it.

[cyclingfool]

@hozn 87095 wrote:

Ah, that is also useful. I was thinking more for the initial threading of nipples onto the spoke — something like: http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Nipple-Driver-15mm/dp/B00F665S5K/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=07EKS11X5RFK5H4YZ636

Or am I misunderstanding the DIY article and it does that too?

Does that, too.

Edit for explanation/clarity: If you tighten a nipple all the way on as shown in the link, there are enough exposed threads to thread a little bit onto the outside of another nipple and begin threading the actual spoke for the wheel being built.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@cyclingfool 87094 wrote:

Cheap, easy to make DIY nipple driver that works. (I’ve used this on my wheel builds, and it works a charm.)

http://urbanvelo.org/diy-nipple-driver/

pro tip: use a locking nipple like Sapim Polyax on the tool and you can set the number of threads that’ll be exposed in the nipple on the wheel being assembled.

@cyclingfool 87094 wrote:

Good to see another positive review of this stand. It’s on my Amazon wish list, and likely to be purchased before I build up my spare wheelset for next winter.

I picked one up from Competitive Cyclist for dirt cheap and I’m pretty impressed. I’ve only used it for one wheel build so far, but it was actually pretty easy to use once you get the hang of the feelers.

[cyclingfool]

@Harry Meatmotor 87103 wrote:

I picked one up from Competitive Cyclist for dirt cheap and I’m pretty impressed. I’ve only used it for one wheel build so far, but it was actually pretty easy to use once you get the hang of the feelers.

Most anything would beat the socks off of the used bike frame and fork with clipped zip tie feelers that I used for my two wheel builds so far.

[oldbikechick]

This is what the “bike shop” looked like where I spent the summer at the beach in Turkey. People park their cars outside of the beach community and everyone bikes or walks around inside the community, so there are bikes of every kind in every state of disrepair (and it is awesome!). This guy keeps them all running. His shop is a clearing in the woods. If you look closely, there’s a carpet that he uses as his work surface. There’s a hammock for slow periods and a huge pile of junk bikes for parts. He charged us $5 to repair a flat and adjust a brake while we waited. When the patch didn’t take, we brought the bike back the next day and he re-did it for free and delivered the bike back to our house. I will miss this place!
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[Supermau]

My bike shop is currently located on this slab in my back yard. The porch didn’t work anymore as I would inevitably drop an important screw or washer between the slats to be lost forever. So far my limited tool collection fits in a tidy tool box. I try to buy something useful every month to add to it. Finally got a good work stand too…what a difference that makes.

Here’s my wife’s bike in the shop after it’s ten year overhaul.

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