Home Bike Shop

My shop is, alas, in my basement, as far away from the basement as it
could get. On the other hand...

Two things I really like about it:

1. I put in a vent fan to clear things out when I have to solder or
use noxious chemicals

2. I have a sink in the shop. Cleaning parts is a lot easier, and the
rest of the house stays cleaner.

Velo Psycho said:

I've finally gotten rid of everything I dont need in the garage... and
now I am going to go through with my dream of building my own bike shop
in my garage. (not for commercial purposes -- for myself and my
friends).

Anyone got any hints or tips? What would you do if you could start
from square one, had limited funds (of course), but were willing to
spend where and when necessary? Has anyone built a nice workshop they
would send me some pics of? Just share your experience?

Thanks!

I would get

- a workbench

- a freestanding bike stand for repairs. The Park one is expensive. The
heavier the better.

- a truing stand. Again, the heavier the better. If you get the Park
one, you could put it in a vice.

- a vice on the workbench. Again! the heavier the better.

- headset tools

- bottom bracket tools

- spoke wrenches

- combination wrenches

- adjustable wrenches

- various pliers

- screwdrivers

- wire cutters

I would put a pegboard against the wall for hanging the small tools.

--
Tom Reingold
Noo Joizy

Velo Psycho said:

I've finally gotten rid of everything I dont need in the garage...

and

Quoted message said:

now I am going to go through with my dream of building my own bike

shop

Quoted message said:

in my garage. (not for commercial purposes -- for myself and my
friends).

Anyone got any hints or tips? What would you do if you could start
from square one, had limited funds (of course), but were willing to
spend where and when necessary? Has anyone built a nice workshop

they

Quoted message said:

would send me some pics of? Just share your experience?

I also sometimes dream of having my own bike shop (probably won't ever
happen). But besides all the tools and inventory (which I already
have) I have this vision of a coffee shop atmosphere, with overstuffed
chairs, bookshelves, and the ability to purchase Gatorade, Cappuccino,
muffins, etc. I sort of envision it next to one of the favorite
weekend cycling routes and cyclists sitting around on the chairs before
and after their ride.

We can all dream.

Tom

"Andy M-S" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My shop is, alas, in my basement, as far away from the basement as it
could get. On the other hand...

Two things I really like about it:

1. I put in a vent fan to clear things out when I have to solder or
use noxious chemicals

2. I have a sink in the shop. Cleaning parts is a lot easier, and the
rest of the house stays cleaner.

Andy, I have been in both and you have no idea how important these two
considerations are!!! I have been in both the basement and the garage. The
garage is great for getting the bikes in and out and the fact that some
chemical smells tended to get me in big trouble with the boss in the
basement (you were smarter than I and put in the vent).

The basement was much better though in that it was warm in the winter and
cool in the summer, had a sink (this is a big deal, more than you let on)
and was easy to keep mosquitos and the neghobour kids out of.

Alas, I think the basement was better 🙁

Dave <relegaged to the garage> Reckoning

Per Velo Psycho:

Quoted message said:

Has anyone built a nice workshop they
would send me some pics of? Just share your experience?

Not a workshop and not what I'd call "nice", but one thing I did was purchase a
steel frame shelf module from Sears. It's about 3 feet wide, 18 inches deep,
and six feet high with five shelves that can be put anywhere the user wants.

Then I put it on Sears' lockable wheels.

What's convenient about it is that I can unlock the wheels and easily move it
anywhere in the garage....handy when that little brake washer falls on the floor
and is magically drawn under something-or-other and I want to make sure it's not
under said rack.

The rack was really cheap - like 20-30$. The wheels, as I recall, cost an arm
and a leg....

http://www.fatbelly.com/Shelves.jpg
http://www.fatbelly.com/ShelvesWheel.jpg
--
PeteCresswell

Basements are nice, but ours is finished (two kids' bedrooms, family
room, etc. My spouse planned it out, though, and did see fit to put in
a linoleum path from the bottom of the stairs to the shop (nice!) so
that I don't mess up the family room carpet. The shop room has a bare
concrete floor, and no direct heat, but that's OK. It's just the #$%@!
stairs from the kitcen to the family room that I could do without (bike
route: from the garage through the laundry area into the kitchen.
Turn left past the dining area. Down the stairs, turn sharp right
(180) at the bottom. Ahead to the hall, turn right. Navigate past the
downstairs bathroom (L) and bookcases (R). At the end of the hall,
turn left into the shop.). However it's worked out pretty well. And
yeah, it IS nice not having to deal with the Wisconsin State Bird down
there!

"[email hidden]" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Velo Psycho said:

I've finally gotten rid of everything I dont need in the

garage...

Quoted message said:

and

Quoted message said:

now I am going to go through with my dream of building my own

bike

Quoted message said:

shop

Quoted message said:

in my garage. (not for commercial purposes -- for myself and

my

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

friends).

Anyone got any hints or tips? What would you do if you could

start

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

from square one, had limited funds (of course), but were

willing to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

spend where and when necessary? Has anyone built a nice

workshop

Quoted message said:

they

Quoted message said:

would send me some pics of? Just share your experience?

I also sometimes dream of having my own bike shop (probably

won't ever

Quoted message said:

happen). But besides all the tools and inventory (which I

already

Quoted message said:

have) I have this vision of a coffee shop atmosphere, with

overstuffed

Quoted message said:

chairs, bookshelves, and the ability to purchase Gatorade,

Cappuccino,

Quoted message said:

muffins, etc. I sort of envision it next to one of the

favorite

Quoted message said:

weekend cycling routes and cyclists sitting around on the

chairs before

Quoted message said:

and after their ride.

We can all dream.

I've got your dream -- or perhaps nightmare. I have a misserably
dirty basement shop that is adjacent to a kitchenette in a
daylight ranch (complete with retro formica counter and chrome,
leather-top stools. The original house plans colorfully
designate the kitchenette as the "snackbar" and the basement shop
as the "dark room."😉 The shop has a long counter and a
relatively shallow sink. I have jig-sawed some old birch ply
that fits in the sink and gives me more counter when I need it.
The problem with the room is that it is too narrow, and it is
hard maneuvering bikes around. The benefit is that screws cannot
roll too far. To its credit, though, it is adjacent to an
outside door.

Apart from the usual tool choices, etc., I would recommend:

1. Really good general lighting and perhaps spot lighting that
can be positioned to illuminate BB shells, tube interiors, truing
stand jaws, etc.

2. Peg board for only the tools you use regularly. Tool
drawers for everything else, unless you want a tool display area
like some of the local shops. I have a nice rolling cart like an
autoshop.

3. Parts racks, drawers, cupboards etc. to put parts. Make
the effort to separate small parts.

4. Painted/linoleum/indoor-outdoor carpet on floor -- something
to contrast to the dropped parts and grease globs (if you clean
your bike there, watch for [censored] that sticks to your shoes and
gets tracked into the house). In a garage, you can drop a nut,
and it will roll 20 feet, so it is nice to have some
indoor/outdoor carpet just to create some drag.

5. Cheap office chair/mechanic's stool: I am tall and hate
bending over all the time.

6. A parts cleaner would be nice, but for a home shop, a nice
plastic tub and an assortment of brushes is good enough.

7. Broom and dustpan

8. Space heater unless your garage is heated.

9. If you get a Park truing stand, spring for one of those
adjustable plastic bases.

10. A really big, long tool bench -- that, of course, you keep
clean at all times (not).

11. Hooks for all your wheels. Wheels can take up so much floor
space and become a tripping hazard. I have a million old wheels,
and they are always in the way unless I hang them up. Same goes
with my parts boxes. I have some wire racks, but I am going to
build shelves over the sink to get the boxes up and out of the
way. These are my legendary boxes filled with broken Campagnolo
NR parts, five speed hubs, worn out free wheels that I am afraid
to throw away for fear that there will be a nuclear war; all
current manufacturing will cease; we will go back to the stone
age, and they will become necessary again. -- Jay Beattie.

Per Tom Reingold:

Quoted message said:

I would get

Long, long ago and far, far away I built a small boat.

One of the books I read in preparation opined that two extremely important tools
that many people miss are a small refrigerator full of one's favorite brew or a
smalll stereo and a comfortable chair.

The rationale was that there comes a time when things just aren't going right
and continuing can lead to trouble that could have been avoided if the worker
had just stopped, sat down in a comfortable chair, and either listened to some
music or sipped a little beer.

Worked for me.
--
PeteCresswell

In article <[email hidden]>,

Velo Psycho said:

I've finally gotten rid of everything I dont need in the garage... and
now I am going to go through with my dream of building my own bike shop
in my garage. (not for commercial purposes -- for myself and my
friends).

Anyone got any hints or tips? What would you do if you could start
from square one, had limited funds (of course), but were willing to
spend where and when necessary? Has anyone built a nice workshop they
would send me some pics of? Just share your experience?

Make sure you have a really solid workbench, because that's what you
need to bolt your bench vise and (perhaps more importantly) your
bench-mounted repair stand to. The biggest failing of my current
workspace is a lack of a good bench and vise.

After that? Wait for a bike shop to go bankrupt and bid on their tools.
Cynical, but that's an easy start to getting a bunch of obscure bits.

-RjC.
--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

"Velo Psycho" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I've finally gotten rid of everything I dont need in the garage...
and now I am going to go through with my dream of building my own
bike shop in my garage. (not for commercial purposes -- for
myself and my friends).

Anyone got any hints or tips? What would you do if you could
start from square one, had limited funds (of course), but were
willing to spend where and when necessary? Has anyone built a
nice workshop they would send me some pics of? Just share your
experience?

Thanks!

I have a pretty good setup with ground level back door access, a
normal workbench, table saw, drill press, grinder at one end and a
bike workbench with a bolt-on stand on one wall with my tools above
it.

It's all about the ferrules.

Keep a big magnet on the benchtop to catch and hold ball bearings.

Get a digital camera and use it to photograph things as they come
apart so you can put them back together the same way (now where did
this little doohicky come from?). It will also come in handy when you
need to sell excess inventory on ebay.

Get a dremel tool and a composite type (not the ones that come with
those extra parts kits that come with the tool- they shatter easily)
cut-off wheel for it. Great for cutting anything and everything,
including cables and their jackets, bolts, chains, locks, etc.

hhu said:

Keep a big magnet on the benchtop to catch and hold ball bearings....

Using a magnet on bearings can magnetize them. This can lead to
increased bearing wear, since the magnetized bearings will attract iron
particles that otherwise would be suspended in the grease lubricant.

--
Tom Sherman - Earth

Quoted message said:

Velo Psycho said:

I've finally gotten rid of everything I dont need in the garage... and
now I am going to go through with my dream of building my own bike shop
in my garage. (not for commercial purposes -- for myself and my
friends).

Anyone got any hints or tips? What would you do if you could start
from square one, had limited funds (of course), but were willing to
spend where and when necessary? Has anyone built a nice workshop they
would send me some pics of? Just share your experience?

Tom Reingold said:

I would get
- a workbench
- a freestanding bike stand for repairs. The Park one is expensive. The
heavier the better.
- a truing stand. Again, the heavier the better. If you get the Park
one, you could put it in a vice.
- a vice on the workbench. Again! the heavier the better.
- headset tools
- bottom bracket tools
- spoke wrenches
- combination wrenches
- adjustable wrenches
- various pliers
- screwdrivers
- wire cutters
I would put a pegboard against the wall for hanging the small tools.

I would not. Good list except for the pegboard. I just
hate the stuff. Is it just me? 3/4" ply with drywall screws
or box nails gives you more freedom to position. The darned
pegboard hooks chronically fall out.

http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfromthepast/blutool.jpg

That's our standard board. There's a master pattern so each
station has basically the same layout
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Tom Sherman said:

Using a magnet on bearings can magnetize them. This can lead to
increased bearing wear, since the magnetized bearings will attract iron
particles that otherwise would be suspended in the grease lubricant.

And get a demagnetizer. A handheld one is enough for most things, plus
they're pretty cheap.

To the parent of this thread:

One of the most important philosophies of any shop is to have a place
for everything. Chucking stuff in drawers isn't enough. It also seems
to be that there are never enough organizers for the small parts,
either. A Gerstner & Sons oak roll-away with riser and large chest on
top is worthless if you've thrown things in it without any forethought.

Hang wheels from the ceiling. Get everything possible up off the floor.
Hang your bikes from the wall by their wheels instead of having them
collect in a corner. As for tools, just buy quality stuff as you need it.

Have a plastic tub to catch the degreaser, oil drips, and general crud
that falls down when you're working on a bike in the stand.

Get a good stand. Get a good vise.

Have a small fridge, for the beer.

Have a good radio.

Mostly, have fun.

Oh, btw, for the world's best tool chests:

http://www.gerstner.net/

--
BMO

Tom Sherman said:

hhu said:

Keep a big magnet on the benchtop to catch and hold ball bearings....

Using a magnet on bearings can magnetize them. This can lead to
increased bearing wear, since the magnetized bearings will attract iron
particles that otherwise would be suspended in the grease lubricant.

I have always found slightly magnetized bearings to be much less of a
problem than missing bearings...

OK... lets not get into a tiff over magnetism....

I've started the project -- based in no small part on some of the good
advice in this thread.

Step one.... clear out and seal the concrete floor in the garage.
(right side)
Step two .... paint over the sealed floor -- settled on Swimming pool
blue/green. Figured it would show small parts that fall, whether they
are silver or black. (right side).

Step three - built up a workbench,
Step four -- got a workstand (ultimate consumer - selected so that it
could be moved around. A floor stand would have been possibly better,
but then it wouldnt really have been all that moveable.

Step five - got hooks for wheels and wall bike mounts. Home depot
sells the bike hangers for $5. Same thing that sells at the LBS for
$15.

That is all that is done so far. I'll post updates and pics somewhere
so that anyone else who is doing such a project can follow along and
learn from my mistakes and emulate my successes.