Bicycle Mechanics - Your Home Workshop

It could just be that I am inept at searching these forums correctly, but I couldn't find a link to a thread about how people have set up there own work spaces for the bike at home. I've collected quite a few tools over time as I have become more adept at fixing/installing/overhauling things on my bike. Several Hundreds of dollars have gone into my tools/repair books/worskshop setup. I've seen snippets of other members' work spaces in posts about what bike they are riding, but I think people would be interested to see what other people have done and the other ways that people have organized their own home shops. I know some people here have pretty elaborate setups. Some good lighting and an organized set-up can make repairs go a lot smoother.
Here are a few pics of mine (If they work):

A view from the side:

One wall of tools:

Sorry about the number posts - I haven't mastered posting more than one pick in a post yet.

And another wall of tools:

And finally an overview of the whole thing. It's small, but there is enough room for a bike at a time and it does the job:

Well your shop is much, much better then mine, right now I am using my den! I must get organized! Last weekend I bought a tool storage unit and every now and then I will buy more tools. I hope to have a set up like yours by the end of this summer.

Here's mine before I started to make it into my workshop. One of these days I will post an after piccie.

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/masong4/images/workshop.jpg

Cheers...Gary

Mine is a freakin mess. I don't even want to take a picture of it. Most of the stuff in my workshop is car stuff from the my dad. I recently went on a tool binge and bought metric hex wrench sockets (for torque wrench) and metric spanners, and a really nice Snap-On adjustable wrench. I highly reccomend the Snap-On brand, it is probably the nicest adjustable wrench ever, feels very solid.

Ah, space ... the final frontier! My "shop" is a code-minimum 2-car garage (the largest I could add to my house, without violating either earthquake or building setback codes or my wife's rose garden ... I never promised her a rose garden, so she planted her own!), which the bikes, hand tools, power tools, electronic test equipment, shop manuals, and workbench share with two mid-sized cars. I am getting adept at using every cubic cm of space, with lots of shelves (for books and boxes), lots of pegboard (for screwdrivers and wrenches), and lots of bicycle storage hooks (for wheels and bikes) screwed into the rafters.


**** I, too, ride a REAL Schwinn! ****

Moabrider47,
you have a well organized workshop, now I feel like a slob, mine is a mess
oscar

moabrider47, I noticed in the third picture that you posted, the screwdriver 4th from the right is crooked.

I had to find something to complain about, otherwise your setup is absolutely perfect.

My backyard fixing area is looking pretty shabby right now.

i have a question, where could i get good bike stands not too expensive?

He's my team mechanic and he never let's me down there :( .

-Middi-zon

My work space is a huge mess right now. I stripped the beater down to paint the frame and everything is just a mess. I'll get around to cleaning it one day. Don't know when though.

Moabride,

So just how much time did you spend cleaning up vs. taking photographs?

SteveE

I was in between projects in that pic so the shop was in a relatively rare state of being organized. After a few projects, though, it doesn't look like that.

-Moab

anyone else got any cool pics???:)
thanks
Ryan

Here's my "shop"

Moabrider47, Nice looking shop you have. I'm jealous!

Another

Somone was asking about a stand. I built a repair stand at the weekend for about $20. Its 30mm box tube with a cheap 'G' clamp for holding the top tube. I cut a 5" peice of scaffold tube lengthways then hammered it into a larger circumference (about 4 hits with a 2lb lump hammer), welded one of the peices to the clamp (the bottom but this would normally be the top as its inverted) lined that with a firm foam and used the other half of tubing lined with foam on the top of the tube. THis way it hold it as firmly as you like without doing any damage or costing you any real money. Granted it dosent adjust but the last time I I looked I hadnt grown much since I was 18 :)
If you get down to a home depot or some place, get them to cut it for you so everything is square it will take you about 30 mins to weld up (or the guy at the gas station for the price of a beer :) 1 can of spray paint laying around the garage and its done!

sounds great, thanks so much
Ryan

Originally posted by Simon Ed
Somone was asking about a stand. I built a repair stand at the weekend for about $20.

hey simon ed, do you happen to have a picture of this you can post? i'm all about cheap, and have been reluctant to buy a stand because they're all too expensive.

Moab, you are too neat and organized. Nice shop.

I'm ashamed to post a picture of my shop area. It looks too much like a nuclear disaster.

so anyone else got any cool pics???
thanks
Ryan

well, mine started out as a workshop then turned into something else.

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=4150

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=4151

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1707

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1712

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1706

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1763

now thats a sweet room!!! man talk about a killer movie setup...
very nice!!!
Ryan

The forum will not let my picture post, apparently there is to much junk in my shop

Thanks. I can set up the I-magic trainer in there and ride the velodrome on the 10 foot screen. Almost like you are there. Here is a pic of the i-magic veleodrome and one more pic of rear view of theater. ok two more pics of theater.

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1691

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1709

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1710

lowracer1, you make me sick! just kidding, bad ass room you got there!

keep them coming all...:)
Ryan

Here's my little corner of the basement.

And another.

Yes you all have nice workshops, lowrider I deffinetly think your room is better that way rather than a workshop :) home cinema is also one of my love's, Iwish I could have a dedicated room like that.
And I like your idea simon Ed for a bike stand thats the sort of thing I'm trying to make.

Evo

We have been here a year, so I thought it was about time. There are a few piccies of my shop, and one of my office. Both spaces could be better, but the place was built in 1757, so I have to deal with what I have.

BTW - the shop is in what used to be the stable.

Cheers...Gary

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/masong4