Remember when you could just feel a bottom bracket was worn out?

I was at the big trade show in Philly about five years back, and a rep from Park Tool had a demo stand with a torque wrench and a new bottom bracket. He made me tighten it to the exact spec, 35 newton meters. I'd always just gone by feel before, a good solid crank. That one tool changed my whole shop's process. Now I wonder how many I overtightened before that day.

2 comments

2 Comments

the_drew15d ago

That's just modern life, specs over instinct.

angela_perry15d ago

Man, that story hits home. I remember helping a friend build up a bike and we just cranked on everything until it felt solid. Years later I found his old fork steerer tube was cracked under the compression plug. The shop guy said it was classic overtightening, and I felt awful. Makes you second guess every "good and tight" you ever did. What's the worst damage you've seen from a simple mistake like that?

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