Wrenching Trick

Since I put disc brakes on the Troll, I've always been annoyed by the canti pivot posts on the fork. If you know much about the Troll frame, you're probably asking yourself, "Aren't those removable?" Yep. They're supposed to unscrew right off, which they did on the rear triangle of the bike months ago. But I couldn't get the front ones to budge. Several failed attempts left the posts stripped and rounded at the very point at which your wrench should grab. I had resigned to the fact that I wasn't getting these things out.

Do they get in the way? No. But I didn't like the looks of them and I'm annoyed when something doesn't do what it's supposed to do. What do you do when you have a problem you can't solve? To the internet!

I saw a couple forums that said to take a blow torch to the bike. Heat up the metal and they'll come right out. I don't have a blow torch. Plus, I saw several replies to those suggestions where people violently exclaimed the danger of torching your beloved ride. So I gave up and did nothing.

But this weekend, I sat in my shaded garage in a lawn chair while my kids ran up and down the street and I could feel those two little posts poking fun at me from the bike hanging in the corner. Everything about that bike was perfect other than those annoying canti posts. They mocked my failure to achieve pure perfection.

No blow torch. But I did have a Bic lighter in my bathroom. Screw you, Tiny Posts. I may not torch you, but I'll at least warm you up.

I held the Bic under the first post for about 20 seconds. I got my adjustable wrench around the semi-rounded notches on the post and... smooth as silk. The post turned. A few rotations later and the post is out. Same on the other side.

No torch needed. Heat is all you need. And apparently not much.

Over the years, I've had lots of stuck parts. This is a great trick for unsticking stuck things. Blow torches are scary. But next time I get myself in a tough spot, I'm heading to the bathroom for the Bic. Its not just good for lighting a candle after one of my kids defiles the toilet. It'll fix a bike, too.

Get out there.