i'd like to change the cog on my rear wheel, and i've only ever had my LBS do this for me before. i believe i'll need a chain whip, which i can pick up, but i haven't found a step by step 'how-to' yet. could any of ya walk me through the process?

many thanks

1. unscrew the lockring using a lockring wrench... it is left hand threaded, so loosen it by turning to the right.

2. unscrew the cog using the chainwhip. it is standarded threaded.

if the lockring and cog seem tight, you can try penetrating bolt spray or heat it with a torch to loosen them.

3. light your hair on fire with said torch and run down your street screaming. only stop to punch children's mommies in the stomach.

4. repeat last three steps in reverse order.

it is also a good idea to grease the cog and lockring threads before reinstalling them so you can unscrew them in the future, like michael j. fox. "but doc!..."

thanks a bunch. but, uh, i might be out of hair for round 2 of the 'hair-on-fire' step. i have no problems with punching children's mommies though, just so we're straight on that.

excellent. try the mommies hair for the hair on fire step. it is rather integral.

ah, it's becoming clear now. so, punch, grab hair (theirs), light, punch again, flee. nice one.

wow...I learned something today...that hair thing. Totally missing from my maintenance schedule. Life is clearer now

However, it does sort of restrict you to a 3 month maintenance schedule to allow for proper regrowth.

that's where forsight and planning for cog selection/configuration is key. for that i reccommend a tube you can fart into and breathe from the other end. if that doensn't clarify life, i'm not sure what will. other than the whole hair thing.

FYI - The Performance Shop in Colorado Springs. I knew 2 people who worked there who would do that in the water bottles for sale. I never shop at Performance for that reason alone.

You know, there are other areas that could be set alight if you were so inclined, so the once every three month cycle could be reduced.

that tube idea might catch on... it's definitely a sustainable resource, and you're recycyling in a very, very direct way.

HAHAHA i never shop their either. i hate that place. xcutterx was a mechanic there; he would mainly get revenge on ******bag customers by placing a dab of grease on a bearing and dropping it down their seat tube. after the grease breaks down, you have instant mysterious rattling noise torture for the rider.

when you worked at cyclist, did you work with zeb?

I worked at Cyclist in 99, before I came back to Chitown
I worked in shipping. Don't remember Zeb...

i don't know him either, but just about every bike dike i know knew him. he built wheels and was a mechanic. he moved to b.c before i moved back here from college. a ton of bike dikes around here have "i know zeb" stickers on their bikes. see!? bikes are for jerks.

yeah, losers all around. f-ing bike riders

It's easy!

Take one cog off and put the other one on. It's that simple!

Reminds me how you get an elephant into the fridge.

with an 8 ball of cocaine?

Wow! You've got all the good ideas!

WTF? I know a trials rider in CO with "I know Zeb" on his frame. Who is this guy?

Zeb? No clue. Not really concerned either, unless he makes good beer.

New alternative: Fart in can, set can on fire, light hair (head or pubic, Your choice)with can flame, run down street etc....

zeb used to live here in colorado springs and worked at colorado cyclist. i never knew him, but a few of my friends who did can only say the best. i guess he's a bad ass rider, especially at downhill/freeride. i think trials too. he moved to b.c. to ride i believe professionally. but i really don't know for sure. xcutterx knew him pretty well.

does the trials rider you know live in colorado springs?

the only trials rider I knew at Cyclist was Dan Drain...nothing like watching a Litespeed Tri bike gettin' bunny hopped, wheelied, and stair hopped...