A loose guide to tinkering.

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[@sagehiker]

When I dove into tinker to resto-mod on 80-90s mountain bikes, the best thing I did was invest in a Bike Hand tool set ($200) and had my bag of auto tools handy. As more bikes got treatment, I added Pedro and Park tools as I learned what I most used. And learned what higher end tools for once-in-a-lifetime use were better kept at the local bike shop and buy them coffee and beers. What I learned from Eric was not to pick up bikes with rancid stuck seat posts.

[@jasonwu9287]

Glad to hear Park Tools is sponsoring the channel! Congrats.

[@jamespaxon1888]

A few years ago I stumbled on to your channel after I was gifted a 90s MTB. I wanted to make something unique out of it. I knew nothing about bikes, other than lube the chain, pump the tires and ride it. Now we're at 8 bikes, 5 of which are frame up custom builds, and I'm part timing at my local shop on my days off. Thanks for helping to light the tinker fire under me. It changed my life!

[@EriebyCycle]

❤YES!!! A most excellent return.

[@CPWaite83]

Love seeing this video! Your channel was what inspired me to tinker with my old 90s Rockhopper. I was wanting to rebuild it to support some more modern stuff, mainly running a modern wide range 1x instead of the horrible 90s Alivio 3x7 gripshift garbage that was originally on it from when my parents bought it at the LBS back in 1995. Your video about replacing the freehub body from a 7s only to a longer 8/9/10s one gave me the confidence to order some parts and give it a go. It worked beautifully despite opinions on the subject being quite negative on the interwebs. The general consensus was that I should just buy a new $150 wheel rather than a $20 freehub because of reasons that seemed to always circle down to "it wasn't meant to be that way from the factory". I hate that sort of reasoning and your video gave me the confidence to try it. Worked great, and I didn't even have to re-dish the wheel (though I probably could have). I've since built new wheels (again, with some of your videos to help guide and motivate me) which are based around more modern parts (Rhynolite 26" rims and Shimano T610 rim brake hubs) and they're great too. The bike is (well, was, I'm unemployed atm) my daily commuter and its an absolute beast, both figuratively and literally, its a heavy bastard but also bomb proof. Anyway, long story short, embracing the tinkerers mentality is what I find so awesome about bikes! Parts are generally quite cheap if you don't fall into buying the newest stuff with the most gears or lightest weight, especially compared to the tinkering world I'm coming from (German cars...yeesh) so why the hell not just give it a try? Hell yea, slap a tanpan11 on that 10s Shimano RD and run it with an 11s cassette and 105 brifters! It works perfectly. No hyperbole, its like it was meant to work together! I love that you're still mucking around doing stuff like this on your channel!

[@gg55he]

just got my first dirt jumper recently and your videos have really helped me.

[@glennpettersson9002]

The great thing about disc brakes is interchangeable wheel/ tyre combos. I can fit 700x40 on my 27.5 MTB for commuting.

[@TheSpaceBrosShow]

One of the best benefits of disk brake bikes

[@anielyantra1]

Good one! Part of the excitement of being successful when you tinker is to explore those areas beyond what is considered conventionally doable.

[@gaberomero1740]

but it’s not even Tuesday….

[@werttius]

I'll stack it up as inspiration for our tinkering tuesdays. :,)

[@TheBikeSauce]

😂

[@michaeltillman886]

What's up dude? I haven't watched you in a long time, I'm glad I did this time. I'm about to move back to Cleveland, Ohio from Phoenix real soon and when I get there I'm going to buy the Wal-Mart Ozark gravel. That's going to be really fun to tinker with at 73 years old. Peace my friend!

[@tomatostakefabrik9429]

Dude, I got one off marketplace for 100 bucks. I am a MTB guy ( mostly XC) and was having a hard time on the road. I am also a avid runner so I wanted to have another training method less impactfull on my 54 year old knees. Would like ti hear how you like yours

[@michaeltillman886]

@@tomatostakefabrik9429 What's up my man. Thanks for the tip, I'll look into it. I have missed watching your show, you can be funny as hell sometime. Once again thanks for the tip. God Bless my friend. Peace!

[@underbikedoverconfident1142]

I have a 12 speed shifter and derailleur and a 10 speed chain and cassette. It works so well that what was a weird experiment became permanent for a couple of years.

[@parisrose8173]

Good video. I will say with the mic on the hat, i kept expection you to say "...and over you in the sudio Tina".

[@Bens.BikeBench]

6:56 "just curious and I wanted to know" is more my definition of tinkering.

[@Levi-is-Outside]

the great thing about tinkering is it never ends... the terrible thing about tinkering is it never ends.

[@jonathanmeyer1164]

The only thing better than a new Spindatt video, is a Spindatt video where he's rocking a Casio F-91W.

[@sjanzeir]

I've always been of the opinion that the ideal bike would be one that runs a Shimano brake set and a SRAM drivetrain. So, with components out of my parts bin(s), I set out to build one of my daily riders with exactly that kind of setup. What I ended up with is a bike that runs a Shimano drivetrain and SRAM brakes.

[@tomatostakefabrik9429]

That's why i always liked your channel. Not judgey or stuck up. Ride the POS you came with attitude!

[@michaelmann6482]

This is what I’ve been missing 👍

[@klunkébikes]

Interesting! I made a single speed winter bike with a similar chainring and I found there was a bit of variance in chain tension as it went around, but I was still able to make it work since I have horizontal dropouts. Years ago I built up a "Sheldon Brown type" fixed gear aka a conversion with a Biopace chainring and loved it! Again though, I had horizontal dropouts.

[@InsanercYT]

I recently swapped the GTMX to 32/16 with a halflink. Chain tension is trash but it doesn't drop chains.

[@bsdooby]

That's the spirit ⭐

[@MW-ud8zp]

That Status looks amazing with full 29 wheels. IDK what it is I just wanna swing a leg over it and ride it.

[@drpulpit]

I'll give it a Tinker's Try.

[@seraphan6]

Perhaps the idea that the oval chainring won't change chain tension is dependent on use of a chain tensioner. The deviation in chainring diameter (between the smallest and largest diameters of the chainring) would have to be within tolerance for the tensioner to accommodate.

[@EBDultras]

..there is always a try in tinkering #trynkering 💜..

[@robnygren923]

Nice one !!

[@GeekonaBike]

I'd have said "it doesn't change chain tension all that much" & added "ovals are at their best when your pedaling out of the saddle", ergo Single Speeding.

[@josh28874]

I remember reading something about oval fixed gear setups on Sheldon’s website. Didn’t think it was controversial. Ohh well.

[@markday1714]

dude!! where have you been, great content.

[@drop0int]

Eric... You've got a lot of affiliate links for plenty of helpful items, but you missed adding a link for that sweet Panaracer beanie! Ever since you sold me a set of Paselas way back in your Ideal Bikes days, I've been a Panaracer fan through and through. My love for Panaracers is closely matched with my love of beanies, so any chance you could point me in the right direction as to where I can snag one of those too?

[@event4216]

Big companies love to tinker (like, making a CF fork steerer and integrated cables to just see if it works or fails), at the same time advice customers not to mess with a bike as that can lead to a failure and let do the job a certified mechanic proper way.

[@dvs620]

We not talking about how Eric looks like he's been asking a bunch of people where the weight room is?

[@danbuchanan]

I call this stage of your KZbin journey: sage bicycle advice with Eric Spinney (with a side of mild life lessons)

[@THRENO82]

I like the Beanie mic

[@aaronwaderides7209]

It’s like I put 700 / 45 gravel tires on my 29” mountain bike rims it works perfectly fine

[@TryboBike]

Elliptical chainrings ought to not tension chain. I think. Oval - probably will, depending on type of ovalisation.

[@davidbee9563]

I recently tried a what if..? Will a 700x35 work on a frame that fits 650x48 and canti brakes? Yes it does. I ordered a BMX adapter that allows you to use a one size bigger rim by moving the posts up an inch. It might even work the other way. I also tried on another bike to use a derailleur hanger on track drop outs. But would the rear chainstays stretch to fit a 130 rear hub. Surprisingly it did. But by the time you fit cable stops and other bits any gain of simplicity or light weight has been lost. Tinkering is what I do much of the time. It is only frustrating when you put several hours down a rabbit hole to find the marginal gains you were chasing are really worth it.

[@ziickktheog609]

You are the best! Keep tinkering bro :D #lifelonghabit

[@JogieGlenMait16]

I will put a 27.5 fork on a 26er frame. Because I am curious and there is less info about bikes with this mod. Will it have a higher stack or just okay? I will have to find out.

[@kristiandavepelegrino7063]

Is that a gravel frame?

[@charliecook6909]

Subscribe for more

[@davidvozmediano3584]

😊

[@Donovangulya]

Imagine if Eric Spinny couldn’t do a 360

[@jmridesbikes]

I love tinkering! you should look at getting a 3d printer. haha

[@92redferrari]

Gears should change with a reasuring clunk. 😊

[@johannes_landgraf]

Not to be rude, but your audio with that mic in this suboptimal position sounds worse than without it in your older videos

[@jpsuperstar]

I cant slag blue lug or rivbikes or that world. But man it is so not me and your stuff is

[@michaelmagee6428]

Love talking old bike restos, but really think, after 50 years of cycling that single speed bikes are a foolish waste of time. Someone tell me 'why' and maybe I'll change my mind. I just don't get it. You wouldn't drive a single speed car or motorcycle..... why a bike that you have to human power and climb hills with it. I don't get it.....

[@mattsmith2015]

Doesn't have to make sense to be fun!

[@sagehiker]

I built one to work my ass off clawing around town to get a workout that my beautiful 3X wide range sensible bikes didn't in a half-hour ride.

[@jasonwu9287]

I got a Mercier SS at a bargain, thought I'd love it... Decided if I wanted to ride SS (NOT fixed gear), I'll just ride my regular bike and pretend the shifters aren't there.

[@Pshpshpshpshpshpshpsh]

Just try it or give it a shot is the perfect response to anything. If it works it works if it doesn’t take it off and reinstall what you had on it. Trying and testing is the like the 2 t’s to tinkering

[@TheSpaceBrosShow]

I like to call the part where you have a bunch of parts that that may or not work "bike hell" You might need some obscure part with long shipping times to get the thing running while the bike just sits there not working 🫡

[@jasonwu9287]

Glad to hear Park Tools is sponsoring the channel! Congrats.