Had a regular tell me my bottom bracket was too tight last week

This older guy named Roy came in with his old touring bike and after I did a quick check he said my preload felt off. He showed me how he sets his by feel with a little back and forth before tightening, and sure enough I was overdoing it. Has anyone else gotten good tips from customers who know their stuff better than you?

3 comments

3 Comments

jennifer_jones175d ago

It's wild how the best advice comes from the people paying you to fix their stuff, lol.

aaron8805d ago

Right on, @jennifer_jones17. But that's usually the smartest person in the room. They've already tried all the wrong fixes before calling you. So they know exactly what didn't work and what they're hoping for.

davis.olivia5d ago

I used to think I had to be the expert in the room when someone rolled their bike in, you know? But that's backwards. There was a customer last month, a retired mechanic, who showed me a trick for truing a wheel that I'd never seen in any manual. He just had this feel for the spokes, like he could hear the tension. It really humbled me. Now I listen way more than I talk in the shop. Some of these folks have been riding since before I was born, so yeah, they know things.