The old shop in Denver had a wall of loose ball bearings in jars, sorted by size.

Last week I had to explain to a new guy what a cup and cone hub was, and he just stared at me. Three years ago, we'd rebuild those things in 15 minutes flat, but now it's all sealed cartridges. How many shops still keep the old loose ball stock around for repairs?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantf7325d ago

You mentioned the wall of bearings in jars. That's a real shop. My local place still has a drawer system, but it's mostly for old ten-speeds. For a modern shop, is it even worth the shelf space to keep that stock for the handful of repairs that come in?

taraanderson19d ago

Totally get what you're saying... it's like a lost art now. Grantf73 has a point about the drawer system for the old ten-speeds, but those bikes are getting rare. My local spot cleared out their bearing jars last year to make room for more tubeless tape and sealant... stuff that flies off the shelf. Felt like watching a piece of history get boxed up.

oliverk8025d ago

That drawer system @grantf73 mentioned is the way to go if you still get the old bikes in. But honestly, for a shop that's mostly new stuff? The shelf space is better used for things that actually sell.