Old 09-11-11, 04:23 AM
  #14  
tmac100
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Coimbra, Portugal
Posts: 969

Bikes: More bicycles than I can ride at one time: 2 custom made tourers, a Brompton 6-speed, and an Indian-made roadster.

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Over 10 years ago (before I got into touring) a neighbour had a garage sale and I bought an ill-fitting Chinese-made junker "mountain bike" for maybe $20. Once I fixed the flat tires it was not too bad at all - except for the poor fit. No matter. I put on a junker CCM rear rack and bicycled to my summer job as a lecturer at a local university. One day the left crank got loose so I stopped at a garage and torqued the bolt a bit. Every few days the bolt got loose again - as others stated. Finally I got some blue Loc-Tite and torqued the bolt one last time. It held ...

Each year when I return to my Mom's farm in rural Canada I take the Chinese-built out of the grainery and visit friends, still on their farms, by pedalling the gravel roads near home. The cranks have stayed tight, so the Loc-tite is still working.

I now have a custom built touring bike (my blue arvon1) and a BRG dis-assemblable mini-velo (the arvon2) on the way. I have come to the conclusion that nothing lasts forever, and if it stays together - then great. If not, then fix it as best I can in the situation I find myself in and seriously LOOK at REPLACEMENT. My arvon1 had a BB problem 5 years ago on the Savannah Way in Australia. A welder fixed the problem - temporarily because it eventually broke (again). Back in Canada another LBS (not the klutz who did the first installation) found the real reason and I replaced the cartridge with a PW which works fine - so far, after my latest tour in Australia. BTW, thanks again Rowan and Machka for your hospitality
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