Road Bike Review

Well, it is no surprise that I've had my Road Bike Review account canceled again. Yet again some guy posted something that was perfectly reasonable. He apparently had a steel bit that wasn't shifting correctly, and his suspicion was that the rear derailleur hanger was misaligned due to a crash.

Rather than taking it into a shop and having it aligned, he bought a new Park Tool derailleur alignment tool. Well, I wouldn't have spend $80 on a tool that I would be unlikely to use more than once and which couldn't be used on aluminum or carbon fiber bikes but that was his choice.

I had the old style alignment tool (and probably still have it somewhere) that this nothing more than a bar that has a proper thread on one end. You thread this in and then using a tape measure you check around the wheel circumference and use the bar to align the hanger. The Park Tool is rather more complicated but achieves the same thing.

I said that you can do the same thing by eye using a Crescent wrench, which I have done a million times over the years and which I've watched shops do as well with no problems.

One of the posters who presents himself as a mechanic stated that you could distort the threads in the hanger if you did that. Well I certainly expect you could if you did it improperly but not done in the proper manner.

This gave the three sociopaths in the group (most of whom offer no real help for those asking questions - often harassing people who ask perfectly descent questions as inexperienced riders) and opening to begin telling me things like you could use this tool to straighten carbon fiber and aluminum hangers as well. Firstly, doing so can fatigue damage an aluminum hanger (when a replacement hanger from the dealer only costs $30 and from eBay probably 10% of that) secondly, that is absolutely forbidden on carbon fiber bikes since it can damage the entire drop-out and even the chain stay.

As usual, Road Bike Review not having any real technical experts decides that I'm starting needless arguments and removed my account. This is just one of the reasons that Road Bike Review has become a thing of the past.

I cannot even believe that they are making enough off of their printed magazine to pay for their printing and distribution. And when the largest number of posters on their site is a small group of sociopaths (shown by the fact that the largest string of postings is from 13 years ago) it appears that they wouldn't be willing to have alternate opinions from people that do not believe that helping people in a technical column is something that shouldn't be responded to by not making comedy responses such as

Q. I am installing a new rear derailleur, should I use grease or Locktite?
A. You should use two part epoxy glue and wait a day for it to harden.

On 12/20/2020 12:02 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
Well, it is no surprise that I've had my Road Bike Review account canceled again. Yet again some guy posted something that was perfectly reasonable. He apparently had a steel bit that wasn't shifting correctly, and his suspicion was that the rear derailleur hanger was misaligned due to a crash.

Rather than taking it into a shop and having it aligned, he bought a new Park Tool derailleur alignment tool. Well, I wouldn't have spend $80 on a tool that I would be unlikely to use more than once and which couldn't be used on aluminum or carbon fiber bikes but that was his choice.

I had the old style alignment tool (and probably still have it somewhere) that this nothing more than a bar that has a proper thread on one end. You thread this in and then using a tape measure you check around the wheel circumference and use the bar to align the hanger. The Park Tool is rather more complicated but achieves the same thing.

I said that you can do the same thing by eye using a Crescent wrench, which I have done a million times over the years and which I've watched shops do as well with no problems.

One of the posters who presents himself as a mechanic stated that you could distort the threads in the hanger if you did that. Well I certainly expect you could if you did it improperly but not done in the proper manner.

This gave the three sociopaths in the group (most of whom offer no real help for those asking questions - often harassing people who ask perfectly descent questions as inexperienced riders) and opening to begin telling me things like you could use this tool to straighten carbon fiber and aluminum hangers as well. Firstly, doing so can fatigue damage an aluminum hanger (when a replacement hanger from the dealer only costs $30 and from eBay probably 10% of that) secondly, that is absolutely forbidden on carbon fiber bikes since it can damage the entire drop-out and even the chain stay.

As usual, Road Bike Review not having any real technical experts decides that I'm starting needless arguments and removed my account. This is just one of the reasons that Road Bike Review has become a thing of the past.

I cannot even believe that they are making enough off of their printed magazine to pay for their printing and distribution. And when the largest number of posters on their site is a small group of sociopaths (shown by the fact that the largest string of postings is from 13 years ago) it appears that they wouldn't be willing to have alternate opinions from people that do not believe that helping people in a technical column is something that shouldn't be responded to by not making comedy responses such as

Q. I am installing a new rear derailleur, should I use grease or Locktite?
A. You should use two part epoxy glue and wait a day for it to harden.


A simple Campagnolo Type R tool is easy to use and as
accurate as anything. There's no reason not to use it (or a
modern pretty anodized version) on an aluminum or carbon end
_within the limits of those materials_. Steel ends can bend
severely, like 25~30 degrees, and bend right back[1].
Aluminum cannot. With carbon there are too many variables to
make any statement categorically.

A realigned aluminum end should be cleaned and observed in a
good light for striations indicating crystal slip=likely
failure. The issue is not the tool, it's bending beyond
reasonable elastic limits of the shape and material.

There's nothing inherently wrong with an adjustable wrench
but it would be quite tedious to bend, install changer,
observe, remove changer, bend again. Why? In the field or
for minor alignments one normally uses an allen key in the
top pivot which is sufficient for most minor biffs.
Intimating that a flat-faced adjustable wrench would damage
threads is reaching if not hyperbole.

[1] 'can' but not necessarily 'will'. Some break, as with
anything.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 12:20:44 PM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/20/2020 12:02 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
Well, it is no surprise that I've had my Road Bike Review account canceled again. Yet again some guy posted something that was perfectly reasonable. He apparently had a steel bit that wasn't shifting correctly, and his suspicion was that the rear derailleur hanger was misaligned due to a crash.

Rather than taking it into a shop and having it aligned, he bought a new Park Tool derailleur alignment tool. Well, I wouldn't have spend $80 on a tool that I would be unlikely to use more than once and which couldn't be used on aluminum or carbon fiber bikes but that was his choice.

I had the old style alignment tool (and probably still have it somewhere) that this nothing more than a bar that has a proper thread on one end. You thread this in and then using a tape measure you check around the wheel circumference and use the bar to align the hanger. The Park Tool is rather more complicated but achieves the same thing.

I said that you can do the same thing by eye using a Crescent wrench, which I have done a million times over the years and which I've watched shops do as well with no problems.

One of the posters who presents himself as a mechanic stated that you could distort the threads in the hanger if you did that. Well I certainly expect you could if you did it improperly but not done in the proper manner.

This gave the three sociopaths in the group (most of whom offer no real help for those asking questions - often harassing people who ask perfectly descent questions as inexperienced riders) and opening to begin telling me things like you could use this tool to straighten carbon fiber and aluminum hangers as well. Firstly, doing so can fatigue damage an aluminum hanger (when a replacement hanger from the dealer only costs $30 and from eBay probably 10% of that) secondly, that is absolutely forbidden on carbon fiber bikes since it can damage the entire drop-out and even the chain stay.

As usual, Road Bike Review not having any real technical experts decides that I'm starting needless arguments and removed my account. This is just one of the reasons that Road Bike Review has become a thing of the past.

I cannot even believe that they are making enough off of their printed magazine to pay for their printing and distribution. And when the largest number of posters on their site is a small group of sociopaths (shown by the fact that the largest string of postings is from 13 years ago) it appears that they wouldn't be willing to have alternate opinions from people that do not believe that helping people in a technical column is something that shouldn't be responded to by not making comedy responses such as

Q. I am installing a new rear derailleur, should I use grease or Locktite?
A. You should use two part epoxy glue and wait a day for it to harden.

A simple Campagnolo Type R tool is easy to use and as
accurate as anything. There's no reason not to use it (or a
modern pretty anodized version) on an aluminum or carbon end
_within the limits of those materials_. Steel ends can bend
severely, like 25~30 degrees, and bend right back[1].
Aluminum cannot. With carbon there are too many variables to
make any statement categorically.

A realigned aluminum end should be cleaned and observed in a
good light for striations indicating crystal slip=likely
failure. The issue is not the tool, it's bending beyond
reasonable elastic limits of the shape and material.

There's nothing inherently wrong with an adjustable wrench
but it would be quite tedious to bend, install changer,
observe, remove changer, bend again. Why? In the field or
for minor alignments one normally uses an allen key in the
top pivot which is sufficient for most minor biffs.
Intimating that a flat-faced adjustable wrench would damage
threads is reaching if not hyperbole.

[1] 'can' but not necessarily 'will'. Some break, as with
anything.

I bought the Park alignment tool 30 years ago. https://www.parktool.com/assets/img/...AG-2.2_001.jpg

I've used it many times -- on steel, aluminum Cannondales and on my CF bikes, most recently on my Synapse after a minor crash. Oddly, it is the one Park tool where I think the designers missed the boat compared to later designs, like the Shimano tool, where you can easily flip the gauge out of the way when you get to a fender mount or stay. There are now dozens of el cheapo tools that you can use, too: https://tinyurl.com/ya8gagxs

I wouldn't go to a shop that used a Crescent wrench. You go to shops because they have purpose built tools and people who know how to use them, one hopes.

-- Jay Beattie.

On 12/20/2020 4:42 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 12:20:44 PM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/20/2020 12:02 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
Well, it is no surprise that I've had my Road Bike Review account canceled again. Yet again some guy posted something that was perfectly reasonable. He apparently had a steel bit that wasn't shifting correctly, and his suspicion was that the rear derailleur hanger was misaligned due to a crash.

Rather than taking it into a shop and having it aligned, he bought a new Park Tool derailleur alignment tool. Well, I wouldn't have spend $80 on a tool that I would be unlikely to use more than once and which couldn't be used on aluminum or carbon fiber bikes but that was his choice.

I had the old style alignment tool (and probably still have it somewhere) that this nothing more than a bar that has a proper thread on one end. You thread this in and then using a tape measure you check around the wheel circumference and use the bar to align the hanger. The Park Tool is rather more complicated but achieves the same thing.

I said that you can do the same thing by eye using a Crescent wrench, which I have done a million times over the years and which I've watched shops do as well with no problems.

One of the posters who presents himself as a mechanic stated that you could distort the threads in the hanger if you did that. Well I certainly expect you could if you did it improperly but not done in the proper manner.

This gave the three sociopaths in the group (most of whom offer no real help for those asking questions - often harassing people who ask perfectly descent questions as inexperienced riders) and opening to begin telling me things like you could use this tool to straighten carbon fiber and aluminum hangers as well. Firstly, doing so can fatigue damage an aluminum hanger (when a replacement hanger from the dealer only costs $30 and from eBay probably 10% of that) secondly, that is absolutely forbidden on carbon fiber bikes since it can damage the entire drop-out and even the chain stay.

As usual, Road Bike Review not having any real technical experts decides that I'm starting needless arguments and removed my account. This is just one of the reasons that Road Bike Review has become a thing of the past.

I cannot even believe that they are making enough off of their printed magazine to pay for their printing and distribution. And when the largest number of posters on their site is a small group of sociopaths (shown by the fact that the largest string of postings is from 13 years ago) it appears that they wouldn't be willing to have alternate opinions from people that do not believe that helping people in a technical column is something that shouldn't be responded to by not making comedy responses such as

Q. I am installing a new rear derailleur, should I use grease or Locktite?
A. You should use two part epoxy glue and wait a day for it to harden.

A simple Campagnolo Type R tool is easy to use and as
accurate as anything. There's no reason not to use it (or a
modern pretty anodized version) on an aluminum or carbon end
_within the limits of those materials_. Steel ends can bend
severely, like 25~30 degrees, and bend right back[1].
Aluminum cannot. With carbon there are too many variables to
make any statement categorically.

A realigned aluminum end should be cleaned and observed in a
good light for striations indicating crystal slip=likely
failure. The issue is not the tool, it's bending beyond
reasonable elastic limits of the shape and material.

There's nothing inherently wrong with an adjustable wrench
but it would be quite tedious to bend, install changer,
observe, remove changer, bend again. Why? In the field or
for minor alignments one normally uses an allen key in the
top pivot which is sufficient for most minor biffs.
Intimating that a flat-faced adjustable wrench would damage
threads is reaching if not hyperbole.

[1] 'can' but not necessarily 'will'. Some break, as with
anything.

I bought the Park alignment tool 30 years ago. https://www.parktool.com/assets/img/...AG-2.2_001.jpg

I've used it many times -- on steel, aluminum Cannondales and on my CF bikes, most recently on my Synapse after a minor crash. Oddly, it is the one Park tool where I think the designers missed the boat compared to later designs, like the Shimano tool, where you can easily flip the gauge out of the way when you get to a fender mount or stay. There are now dozens of el cheapo tools that you can use, too: https://tinyurl.com/ya8gagxs

I wouldn't go to a shop that used a Crescent wrench. You go to shops because they have purpose built tools and people who know how to use them, one hopes.

I suppose I wouldn't go to a shop that used a crescent wrench, unless
perhaps the shop guy was a revered old guy with a stellar reputation and
decades of experience.

But then, I wouldn't go to a shop for that at all. I'd use my own
crescent wrench. I'm wondering how often someone must crash to justify
buying their own alignment tool.

My wife's Cannondale (like mine) predates replaceable derailleur
hangers. Hers got slightly bent somehow, probably when a friend
transported our bikes by lying them on top of one another in the back of
an SUV. I straightened hers with a crescent wrench. It wasn't difficult.

(Yes, I know that couldn't be repeated too many times.)
--
- Frank Krygowski

On Sun, 20 Dec 2020 19:31:37 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 12/20/2020 4:42 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 12:20:44 PM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/20/2020 12:02 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
Well, it is no surprise that I've had my Road Bike Review account canceled again. Yet again some guy posted something that was perfectly reasonable. He apparently had a steel bit that wasn't shifting correctly, and his suspicion was that the rear derailleur hanger was misaligned due to a crash.

Rather than taking it into a shop and having it aligned, he bought a new Park Tool derailleur alignment tool. Well, I wouldn't have spend $80 on a tool that I would be unlikely to use more than once and which couldn't be used on aluminum or carbon fiber bikes but that was his choice.

I had the old style alignment tool (and probably still have it somewhere) that this nothing more than a bar that has a proper thread on one end. You thread this in and then using a tape measure you check around the wheel circumference and use the bar to align the hanger. The Park Tool is rather more complicated but achieves the same thing.

I said that you can do the same thing by eye using a Crescent wrench, which I have done a million times over the years and which I've watched shops do as well with no problems.

One of the posters who presents himself as a mechanic stated that you could distort the threads in the hanger if you did that. Well I certainly expect you could if you did it improperly but not done in the proper manner.

This gave the three sociopaths in the group (most of whom offer no real help for those asking questions - often harassing people who ask perfectly descent questions as inexperienced riders) and opening to begin telling me things like you could use this tool to straighten carbon fiber and aluminum hangers as well. Firstly, doing so can fatigue damage an aluminum hanger (when a replacement hanger from the dealer only costs $30 and from eBay probably 10% of that) secondly, that is absolutely forbidden on carbon fiber bikes since it can damage the entire drop-out and even the chain stay.

As usual, Road Bike Review not having any real technical experts decides that I'm starting needless arguments and removed my account. This is just one of the reasons that Road Bike Review has become a thing of the past.

I cannot even believe that they are making enough off of their printed magazine to pay for their printing and distribution. And when the largest number of posters on their site is a small group of sociopaths (shown by the fact that the largest string of postings is from 13 years ago) it appears that they wouldn't be willing to have alternate opinions from people that do not believe that helping people in a technical column is something that shouldn't be responded to by not making comedy responses such as

Q. I am installing a new rear derailleur, should I use grease or Locktite?
A. You should use two part epoxy glue and wait a day for it to harden.

A simple Campagnolo Type R tool is easy to use and as
accurate as anything. There's no reason not to use it (or a
modern pretty anodized version) on an aluminum or carbon end
_within the limits of those materials_. Steel ends can bend
severely, like 25~30 degrees, and bend right back[1].
Aluminum cannot. With carbon there are too many variables to
make any statement categorically.

A realigned aluminum end should be cleaned and observed in a
good light for striations indicating crystal slip=likely
failure. The issue is not the tool, it's bending beyond
reasonable elastic limits of the shape and material.

There's nothing inherently wrong with an adjustable wrench
but it would be quite tedious to bend, install changer,
observe, remove changer, bend again. Why? In the field or
for minor alignments one normally uses an allen key in the
top pivot which is sufficient for most minor biffs.
Intimating that a flat-faced adjustable wrench would damage
threads is reaching if not hyperbole.

[1] 'can' but not necessarily 'will'. Some break, as with
anything.

I bought the Park alignment tool 30 years ago. https://www.parktool.com/assets/img/...AG-2.2_001.jpg

I've used it many times -- on steel, aluminum Cannondales and on my CF bikes, most recently on my Synapse after a minor crash. Oddly, it is the one Park tool where I think the designers missed the boat compared to later designs, like the Shimano tool, where you can easily flip the gauge out of the way when you get to a fender mount or stay. There are now dozens of el cheapo tools that you can use, too: https://tinyurl.com/ya8gagxs

I wouldn't go to a shop that used a Crescent wrench. You go to shops because they have purpose built tools and people who know how to use them, one hopes.

I suppose I wouldn't go to a shop that used a crescent wrench, unless
perhaps the shop guy was a revered old guy with a stellar reputation and
decades of experience.

But then, I wouldn't go to a shop for that at all. I'd use my own
crescent wrench. I'm wondering how often someone must crash to justify
buying their own alignment tool.

My wife's Cannondale (like mine) predates replaceable derailleur
hangers. Hers got slightly bent somehow, probably when a friend
transported our bikes by lying them on top of one another in the back of
an SUV. I straightened hers with a crescent wrench. It wasn't difficult.

(Yes, I know that couldn't be repeated too many times.)

Well, if you call a "crescent" wrench by it's proper name, "Adjustable
Spanner" it becomes quite proper to use one :-)

And, I might add, Channellock makes a 30 inch "Adjustable Wrench" that
looks just like the much maligned "Crescent wrench" and costs nearly
$500. Somebody must be using them. :-)

--
Cheers,

John B.

On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 4:31:42 PM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/20/2020 4:42 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 12:20:44 PM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/20/2020 12:02 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
Well, it is no surprise that I've had my Road Bike Review account canceled again. Yet again some guy posted something that was perfectly reasonable. He apparently had a steel bit that wasn't shifting correctly, and his suspicion was that the rear derailleur hanger was misaligned due to a crash..

Rather than taking it into a shop and having it aligned, he bought a new Park Tool derailleur alignment tool. Well, I wouldn't have spend $80 on a tool that I would be unlikely to use more than once and which couldn't be used on aluminum or carbon fiber bikes but that was his choice.

I had the old style alignment tool (and probably still have it somewhere) that this nothing more than a bar that has a proper thread on one end. You thread this in and then using a tape measure you check around the wheel circumference and use the bar to align the hanger. The Park Tool is rather more complicated but achieves the same thing.

I said that you can do the same thing by eye using a Crescent wrench, which I have done a million times over the years and which I've watched shops do as well with no problems.

One of the posters who presents himself as a mechanic stated that you could distort the threads in the hanger if you did that. Well I certainly expect you could if you did it improperly but not done in the proper manner..

This gave the three sociopaths in the group (most of whom offer no real help for those asking questions - often harassing people who ask perfectly descent questions as inexperienced riders) and opening to begin telling me things like you could use this tool to straighten carbon fiber and aluminum hangers as well. Firstly, doing so can fatigue damage an aluminum hanger (when a replacement hanger from the dealer only costs $30 and from eBay probably 10% of that) secondly, that is absolutely forbidden on carbon fiber bikes since it can damage the entire drop-out and even the chain stay.

As usual, Road Bike Review not having any real technical experts decides that I'm starting needless arguments and removed my account. This is just one of the reasons that Road Bike Review has become a thing of the past.

I cannot even believe that they are making enough off of their printed magazine to pay for their printing and distribution. And when the largest number of posters on their site is a small group of sociopaths (shown by the fact that the largest string of postings is from 13 years ago) it appears that they wouldn't be willing to have alternate opinions from people that do not believe that helping people in a technical column is something that shouldn't be responded to by not making comedy responses such as

Q. I am installing a new rear derailleur, should I use grease or Locktite?
A. You should use two part epoxy glue and wait a day for it to harden..

A simple Campagnolo Type R tool is easy to use and as
accurate as anything. There's no reason not to use it (or a
modern pretty anodized version) on an aluminum or carbon end
_within the limits of those materials_. Steel ends can bend
severely, like 25~30 degrees, and bend right back[1].
Aluminum cannot. With carbon there are too many variables to
make any statement categorically.

A realigned aluminum end should be cleaned and observed in a
good light for striations indicating crystal slip=likely
failure. The issue is not the tool, it's bending beyond
reasonable elastic limits of the shape and material.

There's nothing inherently wrong with an adjustable wrench
but it would be quite tedious to bend, install changer,
observe, remove changer, bend again. Why? In the field or
for minor alignments one normally uses an allen key in the
top pivot which is sufficient for most minor biffs.
Intimating that a flat-faced adjustable wrench would damage
threads is reaching if not hyperbole.

[1] 'can' but not necessarily 'will'. Some break, as with
anything.

I bought the Park alignment tool 30 years ago. https://www.parktool.com/assets/img/...AG-2.2_001.jpg

I've used it many times -- on steel, aluminum Cannondales and on my CF bikes, most recently on my Synapse after a minor crash. Oddly, it is the one Park tool where I think the designers missed the boat compared to later designs, like the Shimano tool, where you can easily flip the gauge out of the way when you get to a fender mount or stay. There are now dozens of el cheapo tools that you can use, too: https://tinyurl.com/ya8gagxs

I wouldn't go to a shop that used a Crescent wrench. You go to shops because they have purpose built tools and people who know how to use them, one hopes.
I suppose I wouldn't go to a shop that used a crescent wrench, unless
perhaps the shop guy was a revered old guy with a stellar reputation and
decades of experience.

But then, I wouldn't go to a shop for that at all. I'd use my own
crescent wrench. I'm wondering how often someone must crash to justify
buying their own alignment tool.

My wife's Cannondale (like mine) predates replaceable derailleur
hangers. Hers got slightly bent somehow, probably when a friend
transported our bikes by lying them on top of one another in the back of
an SUV. I straightened hers with a crescent wrench. It wasn't difficult.

(Yes, I know that couldn't be repeated too many times.)
--
- Frank Krygowski

I straightened a lot of Cannondale hangers, starting with my first generation 1984 cottage cheese welds racing frame. Fun fact -- the derailleur hanger on that bike was ripped off when I caught a stick in the derailleur, and it caused it to get wrapped up in the spokes and ripped the derailleur and the hanger right off. Cannondale sent me a free replacement for reasons unknown since it wasn't a warranty issue. Swanky new frame with smooth welds. That's also when I switched to 7 speed SIS, IIRC, since I toasted my old Campy NR derailleur.

The good thing about the tool is that you get an accurate 360 degree measurement, which is good when you have a multi-plane bend. And getting it straight is really necessary now with electronic shifting, IMO.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Mon, 21 Dec 2020 07:57:06 +0700, John B.
wrote:

And, I might add, Channellock makes a 30 inch "Adjustable Wrench" that
looks just like the much maligned "Crescent wrench" and costs nearly
$500. Somebody must be using them. :-)

$345 on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Channellock-830-30-Inch-Chrome-Adjustable/dp/B00EXX43Z8/
https://channellock.com/product/830/

I only have an 18" Diamalloy adjustable spanner which I last used to
adjust satellite dishes and intimate a prospective thief. 30" would
have been better. According to the company history, it's full name is
"Diamond Calk Horseshoe Company":
http://alloy-artifacts.org/diamond-calk-horseshoe.html
I therefore assume that such large wrench are somehow used on horses.



--
Jeff Liebermann
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On 12/20/2020 7:49 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Mon, 21 Dec 2020 07:57:06 +0700, John B.
wrote:

And, I might add, Channellock makes a 30 inch "Adjustable Wrench" that
looks just like the much maligned "Crescent wrench" and costs nearly
$500. Somebody must be using them. :-)

$345 on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Channellock-830-30-Inch-Chrome-Adjustable/dp/B00EXX43Z8/
https://channellock.com/product/830/

I only have an 18" Diamalloy adjustable spanner which I last used to
adjust satellite dishes and intimate a prospective thief. 30" would
have been better. According to the company history, it's full name is
"Diamond Calk Horseshoe Company":
http://alloy-artifacts.org/diamond-calk-horseshoe.html
I therefore assume that such large wrench are somehow used on horses.




We have a Diamond 30". Nice tool for some things but not
your everyday item. I once dated a descendant of the
founders. At that time it was Diamond Tool & Horseshoe Co

https://reflections.mndigital.org/ca...:4350#/image/0


--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Sun, 20 Dec 2020 17:49:46 -0800, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Mon, 21 Dec 2020 07:57:06 +0700, John B.
wrote:

And, I might add, Channellock makes a 30 inch "Adjustable Wrench" that
looks just like the much maligned "Crescent wrench" and costs nearly
$500. Somebody must be using them. :-)

$345 on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Channellock-830-30-Inch-Chrome-Adjustable/dp/B00EXX43Z8/
https://channellock.com/product/830/

I only have an 18" Diamalloy adjustable spanner which I last used tor
adjust satellite dishes and intimate a prospective thief. 30" would
have been better. According to the company history, it's full name is
"Diamond Calk Horseshoe Company":
http://alloy-artifacts.org/diamond-calk-horseshoe.html
I therefore assume that such large wrench are somehow used on horses.


Well given that adjustable spanners are made as large as 30 inches and
perhaps larger, your 18 inch wrench must have been for medium sized
horses. Something in the 14 - 15 hand size.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 7:57:11 PM UTC-5, John B. wrote:
On Sun, 20 Dec 2020 19:31:37 -0500, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 12/20/2020 4:42 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 12:20:44 PM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/20/2020 12:02 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
Well, it is no surprise that I've had my Road Bike Review account canceled again. Yet again some guy posted something that was perfectly reasonable. He apparently had a steel bit that wasn't shifting correctly, and his suspicion was that the rear derailleur hanger was misaligned due to a crash.

Rather than taking it into a shop and having it aligned, he bought a new Park Tool derailleur alignment tool. Well, I wouldn't have spend $80 on a tool that I would be unlikely to use more than once and which couldn't be used on aluminum or carbon fiber bikes but that was his choice.

I had the old style alignment tool (and probably still have it somewhere) that this nothing more than a bar that has a proper thread on one end.. You thread this in and then using a tape measure you check around the wheel circumference and use the bar to align the hanger. The Park Tool is rather more complicated but achieves the same thing.

I said that you can do the same thing by eye using a Crescent wrench, which I have done a million times over the years and which I've watched shops do as well with no problems.

One of the posters who presents himself as a mechanic stated that you could distort the threads in the hanger if you did that. Well I certainly expect you could if you did it improperly but not done in the proper manner.

This gave the three sociopaths in the group (most of whom offer no real help for those asking questions - often harassing people who ask perfectly descent questions as inexperienced riders) and opening to begin telling me things like you could use this tool to straighten carbon fiber and aluminum hangers as well. Firstly, doing so can fatigue damage an aluminum hanger (when a replacement hanger from the dealer only costs $30 and from eBay probably 10% of that) secondly, that is absolutely forbidden on carbon fiber bikes since it can damage the entire drop-out and even the chain stay.

As usual, Road Bike Review not having any real technical experts decides that I'm starting needless arguments and removed my account. This is just one of the reasons that Road Bike Review has become a thing of the past..

I cannot even believe that they are making enough off of their printed magazine to pay for their printing and distribution. And when the largest number of posters on their site is a small group of sociopaths (shown by the fact that the largest string of postings is from 13 years ago) it appears that they wouldn't be willing to have alternate opinions from people that do not believe that helping people in a technical column is something that shouldn't be responded to by not making comedy responses such as

Q. I am installing a new rear derailleur, should I use grease or Locktite?
A. You should use two part epoxy glue and wait a day for it to harden.

A simple Campagnolo Type R tool is easy to use and as
accurate as anything. There's no reason not to use it (or a
modern pretty anodized version) on an aluminum or carbon end
_within the limits of those materials_. Steel ends can bend
severely, like 25~30 degrees, and bend right back[1].
Aluminum cannot. With carbon there are too many variables to
make any statement categorically.

A realigned aluminum end should be cleaned and observed in a
good light for striations indicating crystal slip=likely
failure. The issue is not the tool, it's bending beyond
reasonable elastic limits of the shape and material.

There's nothing inherently wrong with an adjustable wrench
but it would be quite tedious to bend, install changer,
observe, remove changer, bend again. Why? In the field or
for minor alignments one normally uses an allen key in the
top pivot which is sufficient for most minor biffs.
Intimating that a flat-faced adjustable wrench would damage
threads is reaching if not hyperbole.

[1] 'can' but not necessarily 'will'. Some break, as with
anything.

I bought the Park alignment tool 30 years ago. https://www.parktool.com/assets/img/...AG-2.2_001.jpg

I've used it many times -- on steel, aluminum Cannondales and on my CF bikes, most recently on my Synapse after a minor crash. Oddly, it is the one Park tool where I think the designers missed the boat compared to later designs, like the Shimano tool, where you can easily flip the gauge out of the way when you get to a fender mount or stay. There are now dozens of el cheapo tools that you can use, too: https://tinyurl.com/ya8gagxs

I wouldn't go to a shop that used a Crescent wrench. You go to shops because they have purpose built tools and people who know how to use them, one hopes.

I suppose I wouldn't go to a shop that used a crescent wrench, unless
perhaps the shop guy was a revered old guy with a stellar reputation and
decades of experience.

But then, I wouldn't go to a shop for that at all. I'd use my own
crescent wrench. I'm wondering how often someone must crash to justify
buying their own alignment tool.

My wife's Cannondale (like mine) predates replaceable derailleur
hangers. Hers got slightly bent somehow, probably when a friend
transported our bikes by lying them on top of one another in the back of
an SUV. I straightened hers with a crescent wrench. It wasn't difficult.

(Yes, I know that couldn't be repeated too many times.)
Well, if you call a "crescent" wrench by it's proper name, "Adjustable
Spanner" it becomes quite proper to use one :-)

And, I might add, Channellock makes a 30 inch "Adjustable Wrench" that
looks just like the much maligned "Crescent wrench" and costs nearly
$500. Somebody must be using them. :-)

Wow. My biggest is 16". When I need more torque I slip a heavy walled steel pipe over the
end. More torque yet? I've plugged a steel spud bar in the end of the pipe. That pipe is
stainless, 1 5/8" OD, 18" wall, 2 feet long. I once managed to put a bend into it - maybe it was
torquing the VW bus rear axles or something. I remember calculating where I had to stand on
the spud bar to get the proper torque.

- Frank Krygowski