The first of several new tools have arrived for my foray into bike mechanics! This is the Park tool BBT-22. It will help me remove the old failed square taper bottom bracket. Will it work? Will I use it ever again? Who knows!
Still waiting for the rest of my orders for this Trek upgrade.
I should buy a new bike. Should. I won't though, I'm a congenital tinkerer, to my own detriment. I'm going to upgrade this 2016 workhorse to make it good as, well, almost sort of new.
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| Trek, the Toyota of the bike world |
This poor 2016 Trek Xcaliber 7 I picked up new a decade ago is just wearing out. I've never changed the chain, the old bottom bracket square taper sealed cartridge is clunking with every pedal stroke up a steep grade. The most cleaning it gets is when it rains and I've left it outside. I slop oil on the chain and the accumulated grit has worn down the chain ring. I probably shouldn't be a bike owner. Certainly not a new bike owner.
So let's upgrade it! I need a climbing gear, drive train, better brakes...You know what I know about bike mechanics? Nothing. Turns out there is a lot to learn. Thanks ChatGPT!
First there is the vocabulary. What does your foot rest on? The pedal of course, that's easy enough, unless you have the oxymoronic clipless pedals. I don't. So what is the pedal attached to? The crank arm. Which in turn is attached to the bottom bracket. (BB) When you pedal, the front sprocket that your chain runs over is called the chain ring. Then there is the chainline, that is how well your chain lines up from the chain ring to the rear cassette.
Of course you need to learn the geometry of your bike so you buy the right parts. Again, thanks ChatGPT and google.
Then you order a bunch of parts and tools and hope it works out. That's the stage I'm in now. I've got a used Shimano M7000 11speed crank and bottom bracket coming. This will be an upgrade to Hollowtech II technology. I assume that's good? Also have a Wolfs Tooth 30T chain ring coming at the required M7000 standard 96bcd. What's 96bcd? That means 96mm Bolt Circle Diameter. Oh, and make sure it's compatible with the asymmetric Shimano bold pattern. The more you know.
Anyway, I'll keep you updated.
