Swappin' Cranks

So Saturday night was interesting. I got in my car after five days of not looking at it and realized that all the seatbelts were buckled, except the driver's. I'm sure I locked it.

Total mystery. Does a stranger's Honda clicker also unlock my car? And this is a way of telling me, without malice? Nothing else was disturbed - CDs were there, iPod charger, ice scraper, everything. The change was still in the change thingie.

So I picked up Jessie's crank-puller and went to work on Tuesday swappin' cranks between Miss P and the Nishiki. Crank puller worked like a dream once I figured out its secret. But then I hit a snag - that stupid stuck chainring bolt on the new crankset! This was holding up EVERYTHING and my tinkering soul needed satisfaction. So I got in the car and drove down to Light St. and ordered up some crank bolts (needed) and a couple tubes (also needed) and then asked if they could help me out with the chainring. No problemo, they have the tool. I even found a nice parking space in this side street, where a 12 year old girl holding a very small dog was saving a spot for her mom.

No, I didn't take her mom's spot, there were two. I'm not that evil.

So I got home and switched the 42 tooth chainring off the Nishiki crankset onto the new crankset and everything was going gangbusters until I put the new crankset on the Nishiki. I tightened it up and voilà!

Nothing turned.

It went on too far, and the chainring was up against the chainstay. Drat!

So I had a beer and took off everything and put all the cranks back where they had been originally. Just for kicks I put the new cranks on Miss P's shiny new bb and they spun so nice I thought I'd been visited by angels. If only I could find the right tool (36mm wrench; I have the lockring tool) to tighten up the fixed cup. I think I'd be all set.

Now I'm waiting for those wheels to arrive and to find a 42tooth crankset. And Jessie's crankpuller worked so hot I want one for myself...good thing old bike hands move into retirement homes and have to clean out their garages every so often....