The Importance of a 4th bike

[Skunk]

I set off for work this morning and found my regular commuting mountain bike had a puncture. Not to worry, i got the hybrid out and set off. I got as far as the end of the road before I was pedalling and going nowhere fast. The cassette seems to not be turning with the wheel - Is this fixable for a mechanical numpty, will I need any special tools? Not to worry, I'll get the road bike out, all I needed to do was find the front light that I'd slung in a kitchen drawer during the summer.
After much cursing and throwing of things around the room, I realised it was now too late to fix the puncture or swap a light over. the train was warm and quiet, and surely now my wife will realise that a fourth, cyclocross bike is a necessity if I am commuting to work so she can take the car and do visits at work.
Every cloud has a silver lining.

[Alan Braggins]

In article <Skunk.1hntvy@no-mx.forums.cyclingforums.com>, Skunk wrote:
>
>I set off for work this morning and found my regular commuting mountain
>bike had a puncture. Not to worry, i got the hybrid out and set off. I
>got as far as the end of the road before I was pedalling and going
>nowhere fast. The cassette seems to not be turning with the wheel - Is
>this fixable for a mechanical numpty, will I need any special tools?

There is a chance it's just dirt clogging the pawls of the freewheel
and will respond to a liberal squirt of WD-40 (followed by regreasing
the bearings). If not you can replace a freehub body with a 10mm Allen key,
a freewheel will need a special tool.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/freewheels.html#remove
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#transplant

(You can dismantle them further if you really want to
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#bodyservice
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/freewheels.html#disassembly )


>Not to worry, I'll get the road bike out, all I needed to do was find
>the front light that I'd slung in a kitchen drawer during the summer.
>After much cursing and throwing of things around the room, I realised
>it was now too late to fix the puncture or swap a light over.

Cue the regulars on the benefits of a permanently attached already
to use dynamo system. But matching brackets so you can swap a battery
light over in seconds will solve that problem too.