re: [CR]Tandems and Tools...Whew!

(Example: Framebuilding)

Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 20:04:42 -0400
From: "Harvey Sachs" <hmsachs@verizon.net>
Subject: re: [CR]Tandems and Tools...Whew!
To: tsan7759142@sbcglobal.net, Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, OROBOYZ <OROBOYZ@AOL.COM>


I fear that Tom Sanders and I may be a bit ahead of the curve in love of the tools themselves.

Several years ago, I built up a board, maybe 18" x 50" (~45 x ~125 cm), with various specialty bike tools mounted to it, and took it to Cirque. It got surprisingly little attention (relative to my expectations that others liked these things).

I also shot pix of most of the tools, and sent Dale a CD with them. Maybe if others ask, he'll find a place for them on the CR site one winter day. Or, I'll just have to activate my Wool Jersey pages, and put them there.

I do think it would be fun to have a few pages of tools posted, including the occasional mystery find. Sort of like the vintage pedal museum at http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=pedalmuseum.intro, which is an absolute hoot on a rainy afternoon.

harvey sachs mcLean va. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ While visiting Matt Assenmacher today to get a decal put on a friend's bike I noticed that he had two lovely Assenmacher tandems on the floor for sale...both used...one more so than the other. A green one has those gorgeous TA cranks on it and is $700, the other older blue one is in some ways nicer, to my eye, but hot as minty and I didn't get a price on it, but the Store Manager implied it was less money. Anyone interested can call (810) 635-7844 and talk to Matt or Steve. While talking with Matt (a most agreeable past time...he is one of the world's nicest people) I mentioned that I was having trouble with marring up fixed cups during removal and that I was not happy with my standard Park wrench. He wrinkled up his nose and told me that was no good and showed me what he said I needed. It was a lovely Var Fixed Cup Tool that seemed about a third the size of a Buick. Blew me away...I had never seen one before. I asked if he had an extra one and it turned out he did. He looked up the wholesale price of it and gave me a 20% discount off that...Darned things are priced nearly like a Buick, too, but it resides in my tool chest now! I am probably the least mechanically inclined of anyone on this list, but of late I have been seeing big beautiful Pro bike tools and have been smitten by the bug. I just bought a set of Pro crank removing tools, too...never knew they existed. At any rate, I am wondering if I am way ahead of the times or way behind the times with my new found passion. Any of you folks infected by the Professional Quality Tool Bug? You sure can fit a lot of tools into a small
space. Neat!
Tom Sanders
Lansing, Mi