I just wanted to get this off my chest. In the above photograph we see a perfect sign of a bike shop that does not pay attention to detail,otherwise known as a chump-shop. The small piece of tape that you see on the brake caliper is installed at the factory to protect the brake in shipping, specially when it is not installed. It keeps the arms from hitting each other.It should be removed and the glue cleaned when the bike is assembled and before it hits the showroom.
If I was to walk into a shop and someone showed me a bike with the pesky little tape on the brakes I would politely say thank you and run.
I am sorry but these small details are what make a shop or not. The cables should be cut same length back and front. Cable should not be too short,so some grease monkey like me can actually pull on it when tuning a bike, or too long. The brake cable is not to be used as a curb feeler.
If not sodered the end should be finished with an aluminum tip and crimped several times. My trademark is "4". I can spot the bike I built by this little indicator. The icky little tape gets ickier as it gets older.
Next topic will be accesories.
Ari
2 comments:
Funny to work on bikes a 2-3 years old with the tape still there. Worse yet, the bmx bike that still has the axle nut protectors. I'm cap crimper "3".
I hear ya on the tape thing. For crimping, I use the crimp part of Park Tool cable cutters...clean, secure.
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