Shop had three walk-ins with seized bottom brackets in one morning and I'm still laughing about the third guy

Kelly Coleman · 2026-10-07T08:20:04.063655+00:00

So this was Tuesday at the shop I work at in Grand Rapids. First guy rolls in on a 90s Trek, crank won't budge at all. I soak it, let it sit, finally get it out with a breaker bar and the bearings are straight rust dust. Second guy, same thing, department store bike, he'd been riding it through winter salt for two seasons. But the third guy tops them both. He walks in carrying just the frame, no wheels, no fork, nothing. Says his bottom bracket is stuck. I ask where the rest of the bike is. He goes, dead serious, "I took it apart to make it easier for you." Sir, you removed the evidence. Turns out the BB shell threads were cross threaded so bad I had to chase them with a tap for 20 minutes. Charged him $45 and he tipped me a gas station gift card. Anyone else get weird clusters like this where all the worst jobs show up on the same day?

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Shop had three walk-ins with seized bottom brackets in one morning and I'm still laughing about the third guy | Bicycle Mechanics - Topic Shares