And Lambert-equipped, of course. As of now I'll be able to press or remove those wonderfully designed--yet complicated--bottom brackets. I mean they're rather simple, but anyone who has ever tried to remove one of those without damaging the spindle or frame will agree that it's not an easy task; and don't get me started about pressing them in. I had the honour doing both once and it wasn't really a pleasure. You end up dirty and sweaty, with results that leave a lot of room for improvement (getting the spindle in the right position).
I need not to fear anymore, for now I'm the proud owner of a Viscount and Lambert bottom bracket puller and pressing tool.
My lovely friend Steve, the one who's the father of all things Viscount and Lambert has had one made for me so we can both go into battle with local bike shops who prefer the rough method of 'just hammering' the spindle out. In even worse cases probably recommending to toss the old BB, tap the shell and replace it with something modern! Urgh! That's just wrong. Those bottom brackets are sexy; something that just cannot be said about anything modern. Sorry, my lovely carbon fibre loving friends, but in this case the simplicity is absolutely stunning.
Agreeable, servicing them is--for the average knowledgeable cyclist--a plain pain in the arse. Aren't I the lucky girl to have such a wonderful tool at my disposal? Damn right! And I will not stop trying to 'educate' people that this beautiful bottom bracket needs to be conserved. Mind, I'm feeling a bit like the woman from the council denying planning permission for PVC windows in an area with single-glazed sash windows. And you know what? I'm feeling good doing that. I love 2014--mod cons an' all, but some things should be left alone as their beauty lies in their 'unmodern' appearance. Of course a bike--even a Viscount--is just a transport, but it'll transport you just as well with the bottom bracket it came with. The only problem with the old bottom bracket is that the spindles are extremely difficult to find.
We, as Viscount enthusiasts are trying to find solutions for this problem. Phil Wood bottom brackets work a treat, but they're more on the expensive side of things.
In any case, if you're having difficulties with your bottom bracket, please get in touch and I'm sure we can find a way of getting it out (or in) preserving the frame for many years to come.
I need not to fear anymore, for now I'm the proud owner of a Viscount and Lambert bottom bracket puller and pressing tool.
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| Heavy duty Viscount bottom bracket tool |
Agreeable, servicing them is--for the average knowledgeable cyclist--a plain pain in the arse. Aren't I the lucky girl to have such a wonderful tool at my disposal? Damn right! And I will not stop trying to 'educate' people that this beautiful bottom bracket needs to be conserved. Mind, I'm feeling a bit like the woman from the council denying planning permission for PVC windows in an area with single-glazed sash windows. And you know what? I'm feeling good doing that. I love 2014--mod cons an' all, but some things should be left alone as their beauty lies in their 'unmodern' appearance. Of course a bike--even a Viscount--is just a transport, but it'll transport you just as well with the bottom bracket it came with. The only problem with the old bottom bracket is that the spindles are extremely difficult to find.
We, as Viscount enthusiasts are trying to find solutions for this problem. Phil Wood bottom brackets work a treat, but they're more on the expensive side of things.
In any case, if you're having difficulties with your bottom bracket, please get in touch and I'm sure we can find a way of getting it out (or in) preserving the frame for many years to come.
I'm a wee bit jealous of that tool but loving your blog. It's starting to move into epic, "Lovely Bike" territory with the regularity of your posts and step by step pics. Keep it up! b
ReplyDeleteBendo! You just made me do the 'awww' sound. Sitting here with my friend who hadn't seen how her (now very, very stunning yellow) bike looked like beforehand. Pictures of the Yellow Flash to follow, complete with her routing cables and that.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the big compliment. :-)