One for the bike mechanics…

You know you’ve been there. You’re supposed to install fenders on that bike with the internally geared hub, coaster brake, and, in this case, those big chrome domes of the Shimano Coasting bike. The fenders retail for $25. The actual time it would take to install the fenders because you have to take the rear wheel off and then reinstall it approaches 1/2 hour and at a shop rate of, oh say, $60/hour, the labor to install the fenders exceeds the cost of the fenders themselves but your dumb boss (I gotta talk to that guy) tells the customer “no problem, we’ll install them for free.”

So you sit there and think “I got better things to do than take the rear wheel off this Coasting bike just to secure one bolt on the chainstay bridge.” What a PITA. Wait a minute. What if I let the air out of the tire, can I get the bolt in there without taking the wheel off? Almost, not quite. Wait another minute. What if I wrap a toe strap around the tire and make some more space? Yep, that does it.

Well, that’s exactly what I did and wrapping the toe strap around the deflated tire gave me just enough room to get the bolt started and then plenty of room for an 8mm open end wrench to secure the bugger and the rest of the fender install was a snap.

(What’s playing: Tom Waits Rain Dogs)