Bicycling
Home
Bicycle Repair Shop
By Captain Dondo at
PerformanceBike
Home Bike Shop, Part
2
Space, the Final Frontier
I was recently busted by my wife for using
her crappy old Dartmouth blanket to cover the fancy cream-colored rug while I
did some bike repairs in our apartment. Big mistake. We used to live in a house
with a nice basement shop. Now we live in an apartment. If I keep misbehaving,
I’ll be living in my car before long. Here’s the poop for setting up
shop in each of these situations.
BASEMENT
Floor: Freshly painted concrete. Red is best
for locating the small parts you always drop.
Tools: Hang from nails and sheet rock screws
on a ½-inch or thicker piece (4x4 feet for starters) of plywood. Forget
pegboard -- the spacing is all wrong. Make holders for screwdrivers, allen
keys, and pliers by drilling holes through a ½-inch-thick board. Most
frequently used tools go dead center on the big board. The rest fan out from
there.
Bench: I like a smally right under the tool
board for placing parts. Then a bigger one across the room for the bench vise,
truing stand, grinder, etc.
Tunes: Run wires for extra speakers and tap
into your main home sound system, or go for a good CD boom box. Works out about
the same price-wise.
Décor: Old race number bibs, stickers
(for stand and tool board), inspirational posters, medals, trophies, rejection
letters, college diploma, pix of spouse and kids (so you dont forget what they
look like).
APARTMENT
Floor: NOT the Dartmouth blanket. Use
a plastic drop cloth. Extra style points for using your old Twister
game.
Tools: A small rollaway tool chest is really
the way to go. Frequently used items go in the chest on top, the rest go in the
bottom. Segregate tools (pliers, screwdrivers, etc.) into their own drawers.
Stash the whole thing in a closet when you’re done. The top part can be
your traveling tool kit for events.
Bench: I’ve been using a folding camp
table that wipes clean.
Tunes: There’s no place in my apartment
that I can’t hear the stereo. So thats a plus.
Décor: Pretty much
limited to stickers on your stand and rollaway. Wear a funny hat if you feel
deprived.
CAR
Floor: Swipe the Dartmouth blanket when you
get booted out. Parts disappear forever when dropped into dirt or
grass.
Tools: Get used to working out of a toolbox.
Mine is an electrician’s model that has a mini tool board in the lid for
small stuff. Big stuff goes in the bottom.
Bench: Grab the folding camp table as
well.
Tunes: Walkman for stealth. Car stereo
(mucho basso profundo) for annoying the neighbors in your
campground.
Décor: Coleman stove with espresso
pot on folding table. "My Other Car is a Bicycle" bumper sticker.
_____________________________________________________________________
OK, you got the tools (Part One) and you got the space, now its time to
actually start doing something to your bike. What? In the
next installment, Captain Dondo lays out a
do-it-yourself maintenance schedule. |
