Zen and the art of Cycle Maintenance.

Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a book we have often discussed on our rides. Though not for a while now, but something happened last week that reminded me of that special problem solving approach you need when trying to identify mechanical misbehaviour.



Zen and the art of cycle maintenance.


Easy to diagnose a loose crank arm...it squeaks and rocks on the bottom bracket spindle when you jiggle it from side to side. I was a little agitated that I would round off the inside of my pedal arm so that it would never ever fit properly again. So I stopped at cycle shop mid ride for a running repair (kindly carried out for free) by a geezer in a cycle shop in Sandwich. I had tried to tighten it myself earlier in the day to find it was already tight? So I asked the geezer to take off the arm, clean up the faces and tighten it back on......no worries....went back on and it seemed nice and tight. But soon after continuing on home the noises increased and a baggy pedal arm got worse and worse. So much so that any thoughts of silver foil to pack out a 'little play' seemed hopeless. The gap in the pedal stroke felt as big as a missing tooth in your mouth. My colleagues kindly suggesting that hairy string and gaffer tape would make a handsome repair in keeping with the rest of the accessories on my bike. Which would not look out of place leaning against the milking shed in 3 inches of silage!  

I had resigned myself to having a confrontation with the supplier of this pedal arm, as it was brand new along with a whole transmission replacement. I took it into the shop and and explained what was wrong. He tried it on a handy bottom bracket and concluded nothing was wrong and the wear on the inside of the arm was in no way proportional to what I was describing. I don't think you need you need an arm at all. Put it back on your bike, and bring it back so we can see.

The long and short of it is.........is actually long. After hands on experiments the conclusion could only be that the bolt which tightens the arm to the spindle is a fraction too long. It tightens but hits the bottom of the threaded hole in the spindle just before firming up the arm, so your tightening sensation is there, but not onto the interface between crank arm and spindle! So a shorter bolt is now fitted and all that is required is a test ride? Haven't done that as yet, on my to do list.

ZEN like powers of perception required.... as a new pedal arm was a fag paper away from being purchased for only the problem to repeat again, as I would have used the same bolt to secure it. 
Robert Persig wrote the book and its sequel Lila, and I heartily recommend them both to this house, and my right honourable friends, who for the moment can keep their tape.