Question about a customer's 'custom' handlebar setup

A guy brought in a bike with a broken quill stem and insisted on using a piece of galvanized pipe from his garage as a replacement. I had to choose between telling him no or trying to make it work. I said no, and he left muttering about 'real craftsmanship'. Has anyone else had a customer try to use plumbing parts on a bike?

3 comments

3 Comments

shanelee22d ago

Galvanized pipe is actually a really bad choice even beyond the fit. The zinc coating can flake off and get into the bearings, acting like grinding paste. Honestly, it would have wrecked his headset in a few miles. You made the right call saying no, because that fix would have caused way more damage than the broken stem.

val_williams22d ago

Saw a forum post once where a guy used a piece of conduit as a seatpost. It seemed to hold until it slowly crushed from the clamp pressure, dropping the saddle right down. The metal was just too thin.

ray_campbell4622d ago

Oh man, the "real craftsmanship" line got me! A buddy at another shop had a guy bring in a kids' bike where the dad had "fixed" the seatpost with a wooden dowel and a whole bunch of electrical tape. It looked okay until the kid sat on it and the whole thing just twisted right out. Some people just see a round tube and think any round tube will work.