Let's see your shop and workbench

[Eric Marth]

I love seeing shops, tools and workbenches and thought it would be nice to see where everyone works on their bikes. Here are a few views from my shed. 

[Philip Barrett]

That is really nice, I'm totally stealing your orga ideas. Here's what I had prior to downsizing;

And here's now!

[Eric Marth]

Whoa Philip, is that a dune buggy!? Looks like you had it going on out there: coffee maker, welder, compressor, I might spy a drill press, too. 

Love the gray paint on that bike with the honey saddle and grips. Understated beauty, my kind of subtle. 

[Philip Barrett]

I was restoring a 1967 Meyers Manx, pre-tag body, the genuine article. Got about 80% finished & downsizing caught up with me! I had MIG, TIG & Oxy-Fuel, 208V power, compressor & perhaps best of all; AC & heat...c'est la vie...

The new house we're building will have a fairly compact but useful garage & I've saved your layout to pretty much replicate across the back wall, I love how everything critical is within reach. I have those same wooden screwdrivers too but once you have a JIS set there's no going back, especially for Shimano, Nitto & other Japanese parts. 

The gray is original, early 80's Trek, interesting that those colors are so popular again today especially considering what followed immediately afterwards in terms of mid-80's dayglo! I get complements literally every time I ride it. The Clem Smith showing up next week will actually replace this bike, though I'll be transferring some parts across including the saddle.

[George Schick]

I almost didn't send photos because I'm feeling inadequate compared to those workshops of Philip and Eric, but here are some.  The smaller workbench is in the basement along with the work stand, compressor, etc. for Winter storage and overhaul of the road bikes.  They spend the Winter months down there, too, hanging adjacent to the bench.  Then, in the Summer the work stand, etc. gets moved to the garage where there is another workbench.  The two MTB's spend the Winter up there, too.

Philip this talk of downsizing makes me nervous.  Every time my wife brings it up I try to change the subject!

[Philip Barrett]

That's a really nice set up, I use those same IKEA drawers as storage/printer stand in my office. Sensible size compressor too, if you're not looking run a die grinder there's no need to go any bigger than that. I like how you have summer & winter homes, sort of like heading to the Hamptons or Martha's Vinyard (like I'd know about that).

The downsizing has actually been good. We took advantage of a hot property market and due to COVID's WFH becoming empty nesters as our daughter relocated to be with her boyfriend, moved to a cool industrial loft space which is less per month than our property taxes & insurance were previously (welcome to Texas folks). Right now we're banking the change, biding our time & seeing what manana will bring.

[Sean B.]

Some of my tools are still in the tool box after my last move. A friend and I built the bench over a decade ago.

[Eric Marth]

This is sweet! I like your bike and bench rotation, George. And envy your proper work stand. Those Ikea cabinets are a big bang for the buck. If they're not Ikea, well, even better, probably! I had been eyeing a friend's old steel paper cabinets from the USPTO, thought they'd be good for tools. 

Sean, that's a nice one. Glad to hear your bench is still going strong a decade in. I like to thank my past self when I find stuff useful later on. 

Philip, old shop sounds great. AC and heat! My grandfather cycled through many partial vehicle restorations, mostly VWs (several Bugs, a van, even a Thing!) and also had a dune buggy for a while. Not sure of the make. I do love the wooden Felo drivers. Stripped mine of the factory finish and rubbed 'em with boiled linseed oil. Super great handle shapes. I have a single no. 2 JIS Phillips driver for when it's required. Congrats on your pending Clem :) 

[Doug H.]

Two thumbs up for your workshop Eric. I would hang out for hours in there just looking for something to do.

Doug

[Eric Daume]

The neatness of your shop and bench really puts mine to shame, but I took a picture of mine as it usually is. I’ve never been one to have tools hanging off pegboards, obviously :)

After 20 years with a basic Park work stand, I finally bought a new stand with height adjustability. I set my old stand to the side to figure out what to do with it, but I quickly found I loved having two stands! It’s so nice to be able to hang two bikes up when I’m swapping wheels or something.  

Eric

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[Michael Morrissey]

Philip that Manx is amazing! I want to go for a spin in it. It looks like period-correct Beetle seats too - nice touch!

M

On Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 5:06:18 PM UTC-5 Eric Daume wrote:

The neatness of your shop and bench really puts mine to shame, but I took a picture of mine as it usually is. I’ve never been one to have tools hanging off pegboards, obviously :)

After 20 years with a basic Park work stand, I finally bought a new stand with height adjustability. I set my old stand to the side to figure out what to do with it, but I quickly found I loved having two stands! It’s so nice to be able to hang two bikes up when I’m swapping wheels or something.  

Eric

On Wednesday, March 3, 2021, Eric Marth <eric...@gmail.com> wrote:

I love seeing shops, tools and workbenches and thought it would be nice to see where everyone works on their bikes. Here are a few views from my shed. 

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[Philip Barrett]

Thanks - it was a beauty and quite rare as an original (certified) pre-tag body so probably one of the first 100 made. The paint job was a 10-footer at best though & I did re-use the seat frames but the rest of them had been occupied my Mr. & Mrs. Mouse for too long to be saved (mask & gloves required). The build concept was to replicate the traditional poor-surfer builds of the time where every part possible from the donor car was used, rather than a more hot-rod version. Let's face it 40HP in a 1,200lb car is exciting enough!

Unfortunately I was about 85% to completion when I had to sell it last Fall due to losing my workshop & a safe place to park it.

[alan lavine]

Well, it ain't easy in a NYC apartment.  This is our guest room, really only used by the grandkids 1-2x month.  I was given this closet for my tools and some basic hardware.  So I spread out an old sheet, open the Park work stand and do what I can.  In the closet you'll see a folding Park workbench that I occasionally use.  Parts and bikes are in storage units in the basement, so not so convenient if I need a part in the middle of a job.

But these photos remind me fondly of when we had a house with a big garage and workshop room off of the garage.  On Saturday mornings when I wasn't working I put on my apron, lit a big fat, stinky cigar and started wrenching.  Listening to Clic and Clac, the Tappett 

Bros of Car Talk fame. They were brilliantly funny and incredibly knowledgeable about cars. More than once the cigar fell to the ground as I laughed hysterically.

Don't drive like my brother...

Best,

Alan

[Jason Fuller]

Feeling the jealousy as a (insanely expensive) city apartment dweller!  I dream of a workshop as well as a garden one day - but not here, since liveable detached houses start at ~$1.6M currently in my hood. 

My workshop is the bit of space between our kitchen island and our living room 

[Collin A]

While it appears I do have more space than Jason, it primarily consists of the deck outside that routinely gets above 100 F in the summer so I have to plan my work routine wisely. Currently all my bits are in the closet that gets pulled out and put back each time I work on the ol' bicycle, otherwise I get yelled at. Bike storage is luckily indoors, in the living room of all places.

One day us younger people might actually be able to afford a house (laughs his way to the laundromat...)

Collin in Sacramento
 

[Eric Marth]

Thanks everyone for sharing your benches. This is really cool! 

Thank you, Doug! I like to clear the bench at the end of the day, setting things to rights is meditative. Doesn't always happen! 

Eric, wow, looks like a lifetime of mechanical work and riding. It's funny how sometimes having two of the same tool comes in handy. I really like the custom made stem rack, that's great. And those old GP-era Bridgestone posters are sweet. The Grainger box means you must be really serious. (I love McMaster-Carr. Last time I ordered metric screws they arrived the next morning.) Also dig what looks like a bench for kids. 

Alan – I love the ingenuity of a hideaway bike bench. A Murphy bench? A concertina bench? I remember listening to Car Talk on a lot of long drives in the countryside. This was during the rerun era but before Tom Magliozzi died. Dropping the cigar reminds me of their story about the time a car fell out of their vehicle lift at the shop. 

Jason, also making do in an apartment, I dig it! Looks like you've got some nice plants and a cozy space, and I do spy your dog there! Also dig the Kitchen Aid mixer. I recently found a fully functional one at the dump. This about sixteen years after a friend found one on the side of the road. 

Good luck with them boiling temps, Collin! That looks like a great place to work when the weather's nice. Is that a brass Honjo fender? I love brass. I love the way it ages. Sometimes I accelerate the aging by aerating brass parts with white vinegar. 

[lconley]

The Garage Mahal:

Laing

[James Valiensi]

I am lucky to have a house and a full garage shop. I used to make frames in it. I have way too many bike tools.

But years ago I used to live in an apartment. I had fewer tools, but bikes were simpler and less was needed. Even a Campy full tool kit was more than you needed to maintain bicycles. 

I did not have a Park type work stand. I had a stand that held the rear wheel up by grabbing the left seat and chain stays. It's perfect for cleaning, replacing chains, adjusting. 

My apartment had a tiny balcony, just long enough for the bike and me. Thats where I’d do the dirty work, like chain cleaning. 

Remarkably, bicycles require little care. If you keep them relatively clean and lubed, they will roll on forever. One must to remember to clean in betweem the stem & steerer tube, where sweat drips and will eventually corrode the stem and steerer tube together permanently.

On Mar 3, 2021, at 9:56 PM, Jason Fuller <jtf.f...@gmail.com> wrote:

Feeling the jealousy as a (insanely expensive) city apartment dweller!  I dream of a workshop as well as a garden one day - but not here, since liveable detached houses start at ~$1.6M currently in my hood. 

My workshop is the bit of space between our kitchen island and our living room 

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[Eric Marth]

Laing, I am at a loss for words. If you ever have a yard sale, and it's after the pandemic, I'm making special travel arrangements! 

[Philip Barrett]

Laing; that must be semi-commercial or full-commercial operation?

[lconley]

No, just a collection that got out of hand when I was single. There were also seven cars at one point... 

Laing

[rlti...@gmail.com]

And we have a winner. That is impressive. 

I’m not showing pictures of mine since it is currently hidden under a bunch of junk due to us doing a bit of remodeling. I need to build up a new frame so I’ll be setting up the workstand in the house and building it there for now.

Robert Tilley

San Diego, CA

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 4, 2021, at 5:18 AM, lconley <lco...@brph.com> wrote:

The Garage Mahal:

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Laing

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[Patrick Moore]

I've got a 2 car garage all to myself, though the car takes up half the space, generally. But I've been dragging my feet over workbench cleanup and won't post photos of its current state of disarray.

Alan's closet reminds me of a neat solution I found almost 18 years ago when I lived for 6 months in a 1 bedroom apartment. Off the kitchen was a utility closet big enough for full size washer and dryer, which perfectly fit my workbench with a utility shelf on one side and a pegboard above. Open the door and you were ready to work at the bench; close it for aesthetics. 

Overhauling bikes with stand on living room carpet was another matter, though (kitchen too small).

On Wed, Mar 3, 2021 at 8:44 PM alan lavine <ciga...@gmail.com> wrote:

Well, it ain't easy in a NYC apartment.  This is our guest room, really only used by the grandkids 1-2x month.  I was given this closet for my tools and some basic hardware.  So I spread out an old sheet, open the Park work stand and do what I can.  In the closet you'll see a folding Park workbench that I occasionally use.  Parts and bikes are in storage units in the basement, so not so convenient if I need a part in the middle of a job.

But these photos remind me fondly of when we had a house with a big garage and workshop room off of the garage.  On Saturday mornings when I wasn't working I put on my apron, lit a big fat, stinky cigar and started wrenching.  Listening to Clic and Clac, the Tappett 

Bros of Car Talk fame. They were brilliantly funny and incredibly knowledgeable about cars. More than once the cigar fell to the ground as I laughed hysterically.

Don't drive like my brother...

--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Robert Hakim]

Wow! I feel like I really got to know you all more through the photos of your work areas! I am one of the younger members of the group and am also extremely limited in my apartment size. I did build a wood bench to expand the working surfaces in my apartment. (you wood-working types will likely be judging my handiwork, but it got the job done and I learned some tricks for my next bench!)

I can just barely fit my longest wheelbase bike between the fridge and the far wall- of course this cuts off kitchen access for my partner and I don't have a good way of leaving without removing the bike from my work stand. 

I keep my tools and parts in a couple of small boxes stacked in the closet, and my 4 bikes and my partner's 2 bikes live on wall hooks and a stand between the kitchen an living room. 

I do all of my own mechanic work, including servicing the suspension components on our mountain bikes here, as well as 90% of our ski/snowboard tuning work on this bench. 

When I'm not working on something, it holds our instapot and other kitchen appliances, including the mini espresso machine. Don't worry though, I keep the food prep (I also love to cook!) to the proper kitchen counter as to not cross-contaminate work bench surfaces and food.

We are hoping to move into a larger house with a shed or garage sometime soon, but for now this does the trick. Photos are from construction of the table, I couldn't actually find photos of a project in progress- likely due to my limited space! 

[reynoldslugs]

My tooling is modest, but the lubricants are all in order.  Phil Wood and Pliny the Younger.

Max Beach

Santa Rosa CA

[Jason Fuller]

PtY!  Nice!  I got to try it last year thanks to being bottled and a friend travelling for it.  I don't see myself making that kind of trip for a beer unless it's Cantillon at the source, but even then, it would be partly to ride my bike around Belgium. 

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[Philip Barrett]

I went down the Pliny road with my boss once...neither of us were at our best the next day!

[Eric Marth]

Robert, I dig the multi-use table. Nice job with your first bench build! A little chain grease does wonders for an espresso. 

Yeah, Max, lubrication is critical! I've never had Pliny, always run into trouble finding some when I've been in California. Some day? 

[Bill Schairer]

My wife's woodshop was in the garage but she moved it to commercial space so I converted the space to my bike shop.

Bill S

San Diego

[Eric Marth]

Pretty rad, Bill! I like those yellow walls and the white plywood. Not enough paint goes up in most shops. 

[Bill Schairer]

Ha, thanks, Eric, but I inherited the color scheme from my wife.  I really don’t have an eye for that sort of thing.

Bill S

[Eric Marth]

Let's call it a gift, then. I regret not getting a coat of semi-transparent flat white primer on my plywood before I built all the tool holders and shelves. They're removable... maybe one day. 

[Frank Brose]

Kudos to you Max. Most people don't know what a fine  lubricant Piney The Younger  is.

[George Schick]

Most of us don't know about Pliny the Younger because the Russian River Brewery doesn't distribute as far as the Midwest.  So you folks on the Left Coast can keep it all to yourselves and enjoy.

[Jason Fuller]

I'm surprised there seem to be multiple people here who already know this but:  Pliny the Younger is an extremely rare TIPA (11+% ABV.. I can't remember exactly) that Russian River releases once a year, up until 2019 it was only available on draft. Pliny the Elder is the year-round IPA they produce which is also pretty hard to get a hold of most areas - I used to find it in Portland sporadically when I visited. I used to make an annual trip to Portland (6-7 hour drive south for me) just to stock up on all the amazing beer available in PDX!  Now I'm less worried about chasing rare beers, and our local beer scene has improved in Vancouver.  Plus COVID put a stop to that plan anyway of course

Since I've ventured OT here's a pic of my "work area" at the moment! Wired up the SON tail light today

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[Nick Payne]

This is mine in its usual somewhat chaotic state:

Nick

[Ray Varella]

Seeing some of these bike collections makes me feel like the few I have aren’t such an indulgence. 

As for the Russian River Brewing Company, we have several customers in their immediate neighborhood and I’m in that area occasionally. I generally stop in and pick up some beer. 

I’ve tried quite a few of them and I really like their Happy Hops. It’s a single IPA there’s also another one called row 2 hill 56 which is the location on a hops farm where the particular hops is grown. 

Another plug is for Altamont Brewing in Livermore CA. I delivered some machinery there the other day and went home with some of their brew. The Maui IPA is their flagship brew that they built their brewery on. 

Great group, I’ll definitely go back. Likely on bike and take BART part of the way home. 

It seems like a lot of microbreweries have good relations with local cyclists. 

It would be nice if public transit improved to the point where more areas were better served. 

Ray

[Charlie R]

Picture was taken in 2010 and the those bikes are gone but I always get a smile seeing this picture.

[Eric Marth]

Quite the stable, Nick!

Charlie, I've never seen a lilac Atlantis. Pretty sweet! I dig that Columbian bench vise

[Matthew Williams]

These were taken last year--I was restoring a set of card catalogs so my space was a little cluttered and disorganized. 

We also have a supervisor who stops by to make sure we have treats.

On Mar 3, 2021, at 5:02 AM, Eric Marth <eric...@gmail.com> wrote:

I love seeing shops, tools and workbenches and thought it would be nice to see where everyone works on their bikes. Here are a few views from my shed. 

<shed1.jpg><shed2.jpg>

<shed4.jpg>

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<shed4.jpg><shed2.jpg><shed1.jpg>

[Eric Norris]

Not really where the bikes get worked on, but thought the group might be interested in my Bike Room/Office. 

This room reflects an agreement with my wife that I can have as many bikes as will fit in here. Up to eight so far:

Top row, L-R: 2002 Richard Sachs custom; 1997 Riv Road Standard, converted to 650B (with my 2011 PBP number plate, although this bike didn’t go there that year—it did go in 2007 with its former owner); 1972 Cinelli Speciali Corsa

Bottom row, L-R: Original edition Quickbeam, currently in 3-speed mode (aka the Quickbeam That Conquered PBP); 1983 Alex Singer randonneuse; 2000-something Soma Saga (my “adventure bike”) and 1976 Centurion Pro Tour.

Far right: 2005 Alex Singer randonneuse

All of these bikes is ready at a moment’s notice to have the tires topped off and be out for a ride. Some get more use than others, but they mostly all get out on the road on a semi-regular basis.

Also visible is my home office setup, which of course has seen a lot of use over the past year. If you look closely, you can spot a green backdrop that extends behind my chair to create a green screen for Zoom video calls, and a “ring light” that I bought to try to make myself look better on camera.

Under my desk chair, for all you Portland, OR, fans, is an original piece of the famous “PDX Carpet” that was removed from the airport a few years ago when they recarpeted. A local carpet store bought the remnants and sold them as area rugs.

--Eric Norris
campyo...@me.com

Insta: @CampyOnlyGuy

YouTube: YouTube.com/CampyOnlyGuy 

[George Schick]

Matthew, I like your doggie.  What's he/she's name and what the breed?

Eric...hmmm, seems like I recall that restored Cinelli  being up for sale a while back.  Didn't sell or am I thinking of a different bike?

[Eric Norris]

That’s the same Cinelli. I was finally convinced that the bike was worth more to me than it would be to someone else, and that I should just ride it. Which I do.

--Eric Norris
campyo...@me.com

Insta: @CampyOnlyGuy

YouTube: YouTube.com/CampyOnlyGuy 

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[Richard Borneman]

Here's mine. Moved into this house almost 2 years ago. Been getting things the way I want ever since. The basement is all mine. Man cave is on the other side of the wall.

On Friday, March 5, 2021 at 12:12:09 PM UTC-5 Bill Schairer wrote:

[Justin Drake]

Wow - Lots of room, Nick. Is the black road bike in the back strung up with rope? 

On Sunday, March 7, 2021 at 6:50:03 PM UTC-8 Nick Payne wrote:

[Nick Payne]

Yes, although I have a decent workstand, for cleaning chains etc I more often just hang bikes between a pair of ropes which attach to eyebolts on the opposite walls.

Nick

[WilletM]

Just wanted to add my $0.02 worth.  Pictured is the workbench area in my 34' gooseneck "toy trailer", which used to be an actual workshop for a cabinet maker.  I am extra fond of the butcher block maple benchtops (two at 8' long), which I added after I bought the trailer about 20 years ago.  Since I don't have room in my small apartment in a ski resort area of Colorado for a proper shop, I rent a space for my trailer a few miles away and spend many evenings and weekends grilling out burgers and playing with bikes and motorcycles.  As an added perk, the storage yard is right next to the Rio Grande bike trail that runs 40 miles or so from Aspen to Glenwood Springs, CO.  

Lots of happy times there.

Willet M.

[brendonoid]

Finally had to time to photograph my garage/bike shop. So messy when I compare it to some others here but it gets the job done!

Can you believe someone was going to throw those beautiful pink kitchen cabinets away? Neither can I.

[Kieran J]

I've only had this house for a year so my bike shed (100 year old single car garage) is still a work in progress. Here's its current state.

KJ

[alan lavine]

If I had a space like some of y’all, I’d never see the outside world again.

Well…except to restock coffee, chocolate, whiskey and cigars.

On Mar 12, 2021, at 7:33 PM, Kieran J <kjo...@gmail.com> wrote:

I've only had this house for a year so my bike shed (100 year old single car garage) is still a work in progress. Here's its current state.

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<IMG_8782.JPG>

KJ

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[George Schick]

Alan - at least you have your priorities right!

[lconley]

Get that vise installed! Most important tool in the shop - how else can you hacksaw rack struts? ;-)

Laing

On Friday, March 12, 2021 at 7:33:01 PM UTC-5 Kieran J wrote

KJ

[Pete B]

Here's my work space, in a corner of the basement. The newest addition is a 1977 Snap-On tool chest that I rescued from the curb on trash day and restored.

The blue thing behind the vice is a homebrew truing stand that came with a used dishing tool I bought on Ebay. It's held in place with a bench vise. I drilled and tapped it for screws that are used for fine adjustment. Acorn nuts protect the rim from gouging. It works pretty well for the couple times a year I use it.

The machinist vise is another Ebay find I picked up in 2013 for about $40. It's a Prentiss Bulldog with 3" jaws, probably close to 100 years old now. I have it and the Park work stand mounted to an old cutting board. I had this held to my old bench with bolts and wingnuts, instead of bar clamps. This arrangement allows me to swivel the vise to the front of the bench, or temporarily remove it.

Riv content:  Silver2 shifters and Nitto HiRiser on the Trek 950.

Pete

Arlington, VA

[Paul Richardson]

pete:  i dig your PATC sticker!

paul

takoma park, md.

[Kieran J]

It's on my to-do list :-P

[Eric Marth]

Thanks everyone for sharing pics and details and such. It has been great seeing everyone's work areas and set ups! 

Nice work on restoring that Snap-On box, Pete! Really cool. 

Wow, sharp eye, Paul. Took me a minute to locate the PATC sticker :) 

And get that vice up, Kieran! ;) 

[Pete B]

Thanks Paul, PATC is great. I just pay dues and rent a rustic cabin once or twice a year.

My favorite things about these shop pics are little details like a toolbox sticker, or Eric's license plates, and especially, seeing what list members with limited space have cooked up. I wrenched on apartment floors, outdoor decks, and then in a overstuffed 8x10 shed with no electricity for many years. My current setup is about 8 months old and it's more comfortable and convenient, but it's not cooler. I'd love to see a Riv-ified version of the foam-lined-toolbox-and-repair-stand minimalism of event mechanics.

Pete

Arlington, VA

[richd...@gmail.com]

I'm very late to the party but wanted to share. I've done a lot more volunteer work- frame and wheel building for our local co-op. My frame building items are in another room and I haven't done a full-frame in almost 2 years, although I've done a lot of S and S coupler retro's which is odd. It seems repairs will come and go in cycles. My space has been taken over by various kids and family projects, which has been fun. My daughter's crafts, my son's pitching practice area, and oddly, a wrestling mat. Hey, they are only young once! My dream is a separate space outside of the house, but that is just that, a dream! 

-Rich in Des Moines

[Eric Marth]

Dang, glad you made it Rich! I'm really impressed with the bottle cage and cup as tool holder. That's some next level stuff. I'm serious. I like your shop-made tool holders as well as the base you made for the truing stand. I'm with you on the plywood, nails and shop-made methods for holding stuff. Table-mounted vise is cool. 

[esoterica etc]

I'm a bit late as well, but I've really enjoyed seeing everyone's work space and have gotten some good ideas from y'all. And hopefully we can keep this thread going and see more of your shop spaces. Here's a pic of my workbench: I moved the bike stand for the shot, but it lives on the cardboard you can see at the corner of the pic, and most of the bikes are hung up on the wall just to the left of the metal cabinet. Cheers,

~Mark 

Raleigh, NC

On Mar 19, 2021, at 19:40, Eric Marth <eric...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dang, glad you made it Rich! I'm really impressed with the bottle cage and cup as tool holder. That's some next level stuff. I'm serious. I like your shop-made tool holders as well as the base you made for the truing stand. I'm with you on the plywood, nails and shop-made methods for holding stuff. Table-mounted vise is cool. 

On Friday, March 19, 2021 at 5:45:54 PM UTC-4 RichD...@gmail.com wrote:

I'm very late to the party but wanted to share. I've done a lot more volunteer work- frame and wheel building for our local co-op. My frame building items are in another room and I haven't done a full-frame in almost 2 years, although I've done a lot of S and S coupler retro's which is odd. It seems repairs will come and go in cycles. My space has been taken over by various kids and family projects, which has been fun. My daughter's crafts, my son's pitching practice area, and oddly, a wrestling mat. Hey, they are only young once! My dream is a separate space outside of the house, but that is just that, a dream! 

-Rich in Des Moines

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[George Schick]

TMI...sort of.

On Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 3:25:52 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

I’m glad this thread was resurrected because I’m in fine fighting form today about my garage.

For years, 2 of the 3 stalls were mine. The third stall was for my deep freezer, bikes and the tiny amount of tools/pieces/parts that go with the bikes. But now big things are happening in my household. JP got himself a motorcycle, so that went to live in the bike stall. Then, he inherited his Dad’s 1995 Jeep Wrangler and decided to restore it. As of yesterday, he convinced me to move my van out of my remaining garage stall and park on the street so he can really spread out and mess up the garage. He’s doing things with paint, so now I live in fear he’s going to spray my beloved raspberry Platypus, or maybe it will get stolen because he’s got the garage door up all the time. Or maybe we’ll all die of the paint fumes, who knows.

Last night things came to a real head when he asked for my socket wrench. Years ago I took the socket wrench and the 3/4” socket and kept them in my van, because that’s what both of my bike racks require. Last night he asked for it back...for keeps. I bought him this socket set when we were dating in college; we had just met and it was Christmas. He was a farm boy who was studying to be a suit, but I didn’t see why he wouldn’t like a good socket set - it was CRAFTSMAN. I think his exact words after unwrapping the gift were...”You don’t know me, do you.” And he was right. But now he’s returning to his roots. He sheds that suit and he turns on country music and he gets tools and he’s ripping apart that Jeep. Today I went to Lowe’s and spent a whopping $37 on one socket wrench and one socket in 3/4”. I bought Craftsman because it’s cheaper than a divorce (I’m kidding. Kind of.). 

Here are photos of the pathetic little spaces I’m left with, and of my glorious new socket wrench.You’ll note my one little tool bag (I bought one that didn’t scream TOOLS IN HERE to throw him off my trail). I have a make-up bag (!) in the van and that is where my socket wrench and bike rack parts are. Not pictured are my bike stand and my air compressor.  

Leah 

PS I actually adore him. I just think socket wrenches are like underwear - you should only have use of your own.

[Doug Hansford]

Great story Leah. Thank you for sharing it. I appreciate learning about the life and times of bicycle people. 

Doug

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 31, 2021, at 4:47 PM, George Schick <bhi...@gmail.com> wrote:

TMI...sort of.

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[Joe Bernard]

As do I. 

[Egon Conway]

I feel the space crunch, I'm living in a small apartment in San Francisco with only a small back yard and set up a tarp down there. Nothing special, mostly full of bikes too. Tried building in the house once, but had the same problem of needing to walk up and down the stairs to get parts.... Your setup is looking great tho, I love the closet organizer. 

Cheers to making it work....

On Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 7:43:55 PM UTC-8 alan lavine wrote:

Well, it ain't easy in a NYC apartment.  This is our guest room, really only used by the grandkids 1-2x month.  I was given this closet for my tools and some basic hardware.  So I spread out an old sheet, open the Park work stand and do what I can.  In the closet you'll see a folding Park workbench that I occasionally use.  Parts and bikes are in storage units in the basement, so not so convenient if I need a part in the middle of a job.

But these photos remind me fondly of when we had a house with a big garage and workshop room off of the garage.  On Saturday mornings when I wasn't working I put on my apron, lit a big fat, stinky cigar and started wrenching.  Listening to Clic and Clac, the Tappett 

Bros of Car Talk fame. They were brilliantly funny and incredibly knowledgeable about cars. More than once the cigar fell to the ground as I laughed hysterically.

Don't drive like my brother...

Best,

Alan

On Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 8:11:10 PM UTC-5 philipr...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks - it was a beauty and quite rare as an original (certified) pre-tag body so probably one of the first 100 made. The paint job was a 10-footer at best though & I did re-use the seat frames but the rest of them had been occupied my Mr. & Mrs. Mouse for too long to be saved (mask & gloves required). The build concept was to replicate the traditional poor-surfer builds of the time where every part possible from the donor car was used, rather than a more hot-rod version. Let's face it 40HP in a 1,200lb car is exciting enough!

Unfortunately I was about 85% to completion when I had to sell it last Fall due to losing my workshop & a safe place to park it.

On Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 7:03:29 PM UTC-6 Michael Morrissey wrote:

Philip that Manx is amazing! I want to go for a spin in it. It looks like period-correct Beetle seats too - nice touch!

M

On Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 5:06:18 PM UTC-5 Eric Daume wrote:

The neatness of your shop and bench really puts mine to shame, but I took a picture of mine as it usually is. I’ve never been one to have tools hanging off pegboards, obviously :)

After 20 years with a basic Park work stand, I finally bought a new stand with height adjustability. I set my old stand to the side to figure out what to do with it, but I quickly found I loved having two stands! It’s so nice to be able to hang two bikes up when I’m swapping wheels or something.  

Eric

On Wednesday, March 3, 2021, Eric Marth <eric...@gmail.com> wrote:

I love seeing shops, tools and workbenches and thought it would be nice to see where everyone works on their bikes. Here are a few views from my shed. 

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[Egon Conway]

Wow! a dream for most of this groups users, I gotta say. You lucky mf. Props on how the shop is set up with the hanging bikes. Looks like you can have FUN in there

On Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 5:18:42 AM UTC-8 lconley wrote:

The Garage Mahal:

Laing

[MoVelo]

My shop is embarrassingly messy, but I did have a helper today.

[Eric Marth]

Fabulous photo MoVelo! Thanks for sharing!