R
Ride-A-Lot
Guest
The Ellsworthless Id is becoming a nightmare. First the cranks (which I
have decided to leave on and buy a new set for the new bike) and now the
stem. Having stripped everything else off the bike, I try to loosen the
stem and one bolt comes out but the other doesn't budge. Maybe it was
too many OTB's or too much dust from riding out in the desert (where
this bike has mainly been), but the dang thing wasn't moving. I try a
fresh hex wrench and nothing. Then the final step (or blow) was the
impact wrench and hex bit. Stripped the bugger good! One Thomson stem
down the drain.
Then I think, I can salvage this. Out comes the drill. Yeah, don't put
a drill in my hands cause it ain't pretty. I have that evil look on my
face as I lay the frame on the floor (cushioned on foam - I am not that
dumb). Try the small drill bit first (yes I checked that it can go
through metal) and it's going, going, snap. Now there's a part of the
bit stuck in the bolt! Me give up? Never! Ha ha! Another drill bit!
I'll try going through the other side. Going, going, snap! What the
heck is Thomson using? Some kind of space age material? Now it becomes
a thing of just getting the damn stem off so I can sell the frame (fork
and cranks included).
What's that hanging on the wall? Oooh a hammer! I'll just bang the
f!cker off. Bang, bang, bang, WTF? Doesn't move. So I pile the kids
in the car cause daddy's gotta get more drill bits - yeah I'm gonna do
that again). Of course they want breakfast so I turn into the
Chik-fil-a parking lot and the colored lights go on? Uh Dad, there's a
cop behind you. WTF?!? OK, what did I do? I was clearly under the
speed limit, stopped at the stop sign, didn't make any bad turns. Roll
down the window, license, registration, and insurance please. I fumble
for six minutes (yes, the kids were watching the clock as I try to get
all the paperwork out of the glove box) and hand the license and
insurance to the officer who says I'll save you the trouble because your
registration has expired. WTF!!!!!! I didn't get anything from the
state and my inspection isn't due until next October. Officer
Make-My-Monthly-Quota says the state changed the way they are doing reg
and inspections. Well, isn't that special. Comes back with ticket and
tells me that I have to leave the car here and get the reg today (the
only state office open on a Saturday) and that he's doing me a favor
because I had the kids. Call my dad to come get me and the kids, get
them bfast (we're there anyway), get the reg, go back to the car, get
the bits, and go home.
Back to the drilling and two more bits bite the dust. I figure all hope
is lost and I go and call a machine shop. Of course it's Saturday and
they are all closed. Being the INTJ that I am I just will not give up.
I go back down and shine a light in the stem. I notice a slight space
between the two pieces that squeeze the steering tube. So I take a
small screwdriver, stick it between the space, hit it with a hammer
twice and kaboom! The pieces fly across both sides of the room like
they were shot out of a cannon. Stem off (not usable) and bike ready
for sale!
--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws
have decided to leave on and buy a new set for the new bike) and now the
stem. Having stripped everything else off the bike, I try to loosen the
stem and one bolt comes out but the other doesn't budge. Maybe it was
too many OTB's or too much dust from riding out in the desert (where
this bike has mainly been), but the dang thing wasn't moving. I try a
fresh hex wrench and nothing. Then the final step (or blow) was the
impact wrench and hex bit. Stripped the bugger good! One Thomson stem
down the drain.
Then I think, I can salvage this. Out comes the drill. Yeah, don't put
a drill in my hands cause it ain't pretty. I have that evil look on my
face as I lay the frame on the floor (cushioned on foam - I am not that
dumb). Try the small drill bit first (yes I checked that it can go
through metal) and it's going, going, snap. Now there's a part of the
bit stuck in the bolt! Me give up? Never! Ha ha! Another drill bit!
I'll try going through the other side. Going, going, snap! What the
heck is Thomson using? Some kind of space age material? Now it becomes
a thing of just getting the damn stem off so I can sell the frame (fork
and cranks included).
What's that hanging on the wall? Oooh a hammer! I'll just bang the
f!cker off. Bang, bang, bang, WTF? Doesn't move. So I pile the kids
in the car cause daddy's gotta get more drill bits - yeah I'm gonna do
that again). Of course they want breakfast so I turn into the
Chik-fil-a parking lot and the colored lights go on? Uh Dad, there's a
cop behind you. WTF?!? OK, what did I do? I was clearly under the
speed limit, stopped at the stop sign, didn't make any bad turns. Roll
down the window, license, registration, and insurance please. I fumble
for six minutes (yes, the kids were watching the clock as I try to get
all the paperwork out of the glove box) and hand the license and
insurance to the officer who says I'll save you the trouble because your
registration has expired. WTF!!!!!! I didn't get anything from the
state and my inspection isn't due until next October. Officer
Make-My-Monthly-Quota says the state changed the way they are doing reg
and inspections. Well, isn't that special. Comes back with ticket and
tells me that I have to leave the car here and get the reg today (the
only state office open on a Saturday) and that he's doing me a favor
because I had the kids. Call my dad to come get me and the kids, get
them bfast (we're there anyway), get the reg, go back to the car, get
the bits, and go home.
Back to the drilling and two more bits bite the dust. I figure all hope
is lost and I go and call a machine shop. Of course it's Saturday and
they are all closed. Being the INTJ that I am I just will not give up.
I go back down and shine a light in the stem. I notice a slight space
between the two pieces that squeeze the steering tube. So I take a
small screwdriver, stick it between the space, hit it with a hammer
twice and kaboom! The pieces fly across both sides of the room like
they were shot out of a cannon. Stem off (not usable) and bike ready
for sale!
--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws
