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Apparently... SapientNitro is a leading integrated marketing, commerce and technology services firm, that creates and engineers highly relevant brand experiences, to accelerate business growth and fuel brand advocacy.
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Professional pedal spanners are durable, but the extra leverage is only useful for removing siezed pedals. For installation a normal spanner is more than enough to get pedals on super tight. It is also made out of forged steel like a pro pedal spanner so is super strong & durable. Ive always used normal spanners, even when working in shops as a bike mechanic, to me they are much better.
Agree totally with this. Most high quality spanners like Facom, Teng, Halfords Professional (thats not a piss take btw) have slim jaws that fit pedals well. Never owned a pedal spanner in my own tool set - simply not needed.
I do think that most 'specialist' bicycle tools are overpriced tat - for example you can get this http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=62927 for less than many pedal spanners, and it will last a lifetime. If it doesn't - there's a lifetime warranty backing it up.
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/pro139-16pce-metric-hex-torx-hey-set/path/screwdrivers-bits-hex-key-sets-2 is another great example. This 'specialist version' http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Pedros_Pro_Hex_T~L_Wrench_Set/5360049486/ is 20 quid more.
It is a pleasure to work with decent tools - spend a little money on key items and they will last a lifetime. Often people who will spend fortunes on tat like carbon fibre headset caps will baulk at the price of a decent spanner or screwdriver.
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Deffo freewheel remover in a vice and turn the wheel - safer and greater leverage.
With bottom brackets, most pedal wrenches have a nice hole in them that you can get the crank bolt through - then through the bb tool to lock the splines in for the initial turn to get things moving.
Lock rings - always use the genuine tool with the axle pin for shimano (TL-LR15) as this is much easier...
Good quality tools help here also - a decent socket and breaker bar combo is invaluable for removing things like bottom brackets
Often its worth leaving something and coming back to it - use plusgas dismantling lube if something is really seized solid.
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We had one old tosspot come in and ask my colleague for parts for his 'Zephyr', my colleague asks 'Sorry, could you tell me who the manufacturer is please'. Old tosspot goes ballistic 'You've never heard of a Ford Zephyr before? It was the best selling car in the country!'. Yeah, in 1960.
Used to get that sort of thing all the time. I had one bloke who just stood and demanded a water pump. I asked what car it was for - the one word answer came back 'cossie'
So I politely enquired "Escort, Sierra RS500, Sierra RS, or Mercedes 190 - also what year is the car and has it been modified?
At which point he became violent, shouting for me to just get his fucking water pump and stop being a cunt... Needless to say, he didn't get a water pump.
We also used to get a lot of chavs wanting alloy wheels and drop kits fitted - often it couldn't be done and the car would be unsafe without major structural work. One in particular wanted an 80mm drop on a Corsa that was on 17" wheels.
I told him it couldn't be achieved on a standard car - he then started on about me knowing fuck all and he had seen it in Max Power. (this was a normal fuckwit line - all show cars like that are invariably owned by people who work in body shops and have been heavily changed to accommodate big wheels)
So I parted him from 800 quid and got him to sign the disclaimer saying he had been warned and accepted full responsibility for the modification to his car.
He arrived in his barry mobile for fitting on the Saturday - we fitted the coilover kit, and couldn't get the corsa out of the workshop as it was so low. He kicked off big style, we pointed to the disclaimer and charged him another 150 quid to put it back to standard.
Final laugh came as we put his coilover kit in the boot of his car and he asked if he could return it for a refund - told him to fuck off as it had been fitted to a car. At this point two of the mechanics and the duty manager escorted from the store.
Ahhh happy days dealing with morons...
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No word of a lie. We used to get all sorts of fuckwits coming in and asking for stuff. Mostly requests for food and cigarettes, niether of which we did, or advertised. Occasionally people would ask for more random stuff, kitchenware, tools(!) and once even paint...Which is when we would break out the standard "down the back, next to the pineapples" line.
It always gave us a giggle when they left, and it's the little victories in retail that get you through the day.
Oh yes - random requests were common in Halfords.
Fuse box please? Which make and model Sir? It's for my house. Homebase is next door Sir.
Do you sell bouncy castles? No. Oh, do you know where I can get one?
Also the car enthusiast who was disgusted that we didn't stock the piston rings for a 1956 Rolls Royce and it would be Monday before we could order them.
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I used to have the honour of working in Halfords while in university on the Parts counter with occasional overtime in cycles (some years ago now mind...) I can totally identify with the 'I was just riding along when the frame snapped and the wheels went a funny oval shape' - usually on Boxing Day, accompanied by an irate parent who would shout about how their child didn't do jumps like the other kids.
Invariably this would be said parent who 2 weeks before Christmas was advised to buy a jump bike as that was what the little darling had asked for, but had declined as they were 'too expensive'.
On performance we would repeatedly get chavs coming in with questions such as 'How do I make my car go faster?' - my reply of 'use the pedal on the far right under the dashboard' was often met with some confusion from them.
One time we had a bloke come in with a broken tyre pressure gauge - which was clearly branded 'Charlie Brown Autocentres' insisting on a replacement. We pointed out the obvious flaw in his plan - but to no avail. He eventually stopped swearing and threatening us and stormed out of the store.
Later that week we had a message from customer services in head office - he had written and complained about our attitude. Head office wrote to him, offered to exchange it and gave him a 20 quid voucher. Twat was back in the next day with said letter, all smiles.
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Form follows function. Diving/Pilot watches are more attractive to me than artisan, serif, roman numeraled, asymmetrical, diamond encrusted 'luxury' brands. Having said that I think a lot of modern 'function' watches have gone down this route, with OTT bezel/dial/strap design (Breitling/Jaeger leCoultre). Dare I say it, I think the World Wars and their aftermath produced the most beautiful time pieces and set the benchmark for simplicity and perfection. Every cloud?
Agreed - I do think that Breitling in particular have become cluttered. My preference is for pilot and diving watches also. My Omega Dynamic Chrono is based on a classic pilot watch from that era
I've seen that catalunya video many times - I still get sweaty palms and jangling nerves watching it.
Heres hoping that the new GP12 will be as good as the M1 and the RC213V and we can see a bit more of that....
Probably been posted before, but....
Brands Hatch BSB 2011 Final Race - YouTube