My Bike Project...

665ae · **on:** July 07, 2007, 01:41:20 AM

With my daughter finally starting to ride a bike, I figured it would be a perfect time for me to get one for myself so we can ride together. I didn't want anything fancy, (or expensive) since the majority of our riding will be down to the end of the street and back. Here's a fast/short review of the project...

The bike itself cost me $55 from WalMart. I'm not expecting much of a bike, but the model they had in the store "looked" cool

Here's what it should look like when I'm done.

I was trying to figure out how I could make this project interesting and useful to this forum. So, I decided I was going to try to put it together with just a multitool. (Ok, I actually decided to use two

)

The first tool I chose is the only one I have that's at all bike related. It's a Schwinn bike tool that I received as a gift last Christmas (pictured above), and has been sitting in my drawer since.

The second tool I decided to use was the SOG Powerlock w/ V cutter (pictured above). I chose this one mainly because it's big and heavy duty. I figured it'd be good for tightening any nuts/bolts I encounter.

The first step was getting the parts out of the box. The SOG worked well for pulling out the staples. I didn't notice any flexing in the pliers when I twisted the staples out. The pliers also gripped the staples really well and made the job easy.

Here's the bike out of the box. It came out in one piece! Now I have to seperate the parts.

The compound leverage made cutting thru the zip ties very easy. I was impressed with how smooth the cutters sliced thru the hard plastic with very little effort.

I was screwing around with using the V-cutter to cut the protective padding off of the pieces. The cutter went thru the tape like it wasn't there. It did bind up a bit when I tried cutting thru some cardboard.

The pic above is of my helper, and the reason I bought a bike

The specialized tools on the Schwinn really helped with some of the different fasteners used on the bike. The Allen head bits on the tool were really useful, and kept me from having to scour the house looking for the right sized Allen head wrench.

Here's where I ran into my first problem. The nuts holding the front tire on are 15mm. With the way the SOG opens, I couldn't get the pliers on the nut and get a grip on the pliers. The handles just ended up way to far apart. The Schwinn tool didn't have anything on it that would tighten the nuts, so I had to resort to using a 15mm wrench.

The Schwinn tool had three different wrench sizes. They seemed well fit to most of the smaller fastners on the bike. Adjusting the brake was a breeze with this tool.

I have to admit, the Schwinn tool was a lot more useful than I thought it would be. You can really tell it's made for biking. I found the Allen wrench's the most useful, since a lot of the different parts of the bike are adjusted by tightening/loosening Allen head screws.

And there it is, finished!

Aside from tightening the nuts on the front tire, everything was assembled/adjusted using either the Schwinn tool or the SOG Powerlock. I have to admit, this project was a bit more enjoyable than I expected. I think though, that it's probably because it gave me a chance to use some of my multi's

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #1 on:** July 07, 2007, 01:49:39 AM

Very cool Mike! Pretty neat that you managed to do it all with just a couple of multis!

That is the biggest flaw in the SOG compound leverage design though. Sure you get twice the pressure in the head, but that's got to come from somewhere- the handles have to open twice as wide. I'll bet you could have managed that with a Leatherman or SwissTool without a problem.

Those allen screws are everywhere on bikes nowadays. I found them to be a bit of a pain in the butt when I was biking, but I'm sure there's a reason for them.

Def

665ae · **Reply #2 on:** July 07, 2007, 01:53:23 AM

I didn't think of it at the time, but I should have grabbed the LM Surge to try to tighten those 15mm nuts. If I can remember, I'll try to snap some pictures of the LM and the SOG on the nut to show the different in how far the handles open.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #3 on:** July 07, 2007, 01:56:41 AM

You should also contact On Scene Tactical and see if he'll set you up with a frame mounted kydex sheath for a multi of your choice!

Def

665ae · **Reply #4 on:** July 07, 2007, 02:19:52 AM

Here's some more pics...

The first two are the SOG Powerlock and the LM Surge on the wheel nut.

These two are to show the difference in distance that each tool has to open to grip a 15mm nut

parnass · **Reply #5 on:** July 07, 2007, 02:59:33 AM

You can increase the jaw capacity of the SOG PowerLock pliers somewhat if you fold the handles as shown in the photo below.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #6 on:** July 07, 2007, 03:13:31 AM

I hadn't considered that... isn't it awkward to use like that though?

Def

665ae · **Reply #7 on:** July 07, 2007, 04:12:02 AM

I don't think I'd be able to get enough torque using it like that...

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #8 on:** July 07, 2007, 04:13:37 AM

I'd bet a Wenger SwissGrip would be a heck of a good tool in that situation....

Def

665ae · **Reply #9 on:** July 07, 2007, 04:20:26 AM

Hmm... send me yours and I'll try it out

Although, now I'm wondering how the ToolClip would have worked... I'm going to need to buy another bike!

I'm Still Bison · **Reply #10 on:** July 07, 2007, 04:22:16 AM

How about the Allen wrenches on the Schwinn tool? Did you find them well made,and run true to the size marked on them?

665ae · **Reply #11 on:** July 07, 2007, 04:57:40 AM

Quote from: Bison56 on July 07, 2007, 04:22:16 AM

How about the Allen wrenches on the Schwinn tool? Did you find them well made,and run true to the size marked on them?

I did find them well made, and they didn't warp when used to loosen a couple of tough screws. I didn't compare them to any other allen wrenches I have, but they fit the screws well with little "play."

Spoonrobot · **Reply #12 on:** July 07, 2007, 07:13:35 AM

Nice pics!

I'm glad you did most of the assembly yourself, I still have nightmares trying to unsuck my girlfriend's Target-assembled Magna cruiser.

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #13 on:** July 07, 2007, 11:07:48 AM

nice to see some tools in action

I love it when your kid,s try and ''help'' ;D

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #14 on:** July 07, 2007, 12:39:24 PM

Just don't forget to put that nut back on before you go riding!

Def

I'm Still Bison · **Reply #15 on:** July 07, 2007, 03:49:15 PM

You could make yourself some extra pocket change,undoing and making right the "assembly" work that gets done at the Walmarts and Targets.The mechanic at my local bike shop does a fair amount of that.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #16 on:** July 07, 2007, 04:40:52 PM

Yeah, I love the job they do sometimes! Every spring there are hundreds of ads in the paper for "Bike Assembler Wanted: No Experience Required" and it shows!

Def

J-sews · **Reply #17 on:** July 07, 2007, 05:43:51 PM

Great project and report Mike! I enjoyed it a lot.

Now you should tear the whole bike apart and reassemble it using a different set of tools! Y'know, over and over again. Let us know which combination works best!

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #18 on:** July 07, 2007, 08:47:07 PM

If you are like most of us, you'll have more fun playing wit hthe tools all day than going biking!

Def

665ae · **Reply #19 on:** July 08, 2007, 03:45:14 AM

Quote from: Defender on July 07, 2007, 08:47:07 PM

If you are like most of us, you'll have more fun playing with the tools all day than going biking!

Def...

Hehe... my daughter and I rode to the end of the street and back... I forgot that biking requires effort

I think I might just take it apart... then I'd have an excuse to use new multi's AND get out of riding

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #20 on:** July 08, 2007, 03:50:37 AM

"I'm sorry sweetie, but it wasn't put together right. Daddy needs to get a new Leatherman with the right tools to put it together properly so he can ride safely with you."

Keep practicing that!

Def

665ae · **Reply #21 on:** July 08, 2007, 03:58:53 AM

It does have a slight wobble in the front tire... I think I need to take the whole bike apart to diagnose the problem

I'm Still Bison · **Reply #22 on:** July 08, 2007, 04:04:35 PM

Sounds like a thorough inspection is in order...you'll likely need some extra tools for the job..more SOGs,LMs..Vics,etc

Don't forget,that in a while,things will need adjustment as they settle in,and get broken in..something will always need some tweaking...keep them tools handy!

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