Got completely humbled by a rusty chainring in a Philly park

I was doing a quick bike repair pop-up at Clark Park last Saturday for a local group ride. Some guy rides up on this old Schwinn that looked like it had been sitting in a creek for a decade. I grabbed my Park Tool chain whip and tried to break loose the rusty chainring bolts. The whole tool just slipped off and I went flying backward into a trash can full of empty water bottles. Everyone on the sidewalk heard the racket and turned to stare. Turns out the bolts were seized so bad I needed a breaker bar and a ton of PB Blaster. After 20 minutes of soaking and swearing I got it free, but my pride was still dented. Has anyone else had a tool fail on them in a super public embarrassing way?

2 comments

2 Comments

reese5515d ago

I used to roll my eyes at guys who brought a full socket set to a simple bike repair. Then I snapped the teeth off a brand-new chain whip trying to break free a bottom bracket cup that had fused itself to the frame. The sound echoed off the concrete in a park pavilion and the whole pick-up soccer game stopped to watch me cuss out a piece of metal. Now I keep a breaker bar and a can of PB Blaster in my bag every time I head out for a group ride. That old Schwinn story is exactly the kind of thing that changes your mind about being prepared.

jennifer_fisher5d ago

Come on @reese551, a whole bottom bracket meltdown seems a bit dramatic for a group ride.