sierraclub.org - sierra magazine - nov/dec 2011 - repurpose - repurpose

REPURPOSE | Trash into Treasures

Reindeer Bike

Text and photos by Wendy Becktold

Step 8: Remove the crank set (the crank arms and chain rings). If your bike is less than 30 years old, you'll likely need a crank puller (also called a crank extractor); your local bike shop will have one if you don't. With some extractors, you also need a crankbolt wrench or an 8-millimeter hex wrench. If you've got the tools but are fuzzy on technique, watch this video demonstrating the procedure. Another option is to unbolt the chain rings and zip-tie the crank arm to the chain stay (the metal tube along the bottom of the bike). If your bike is more than 30 years old (like the one pictured here), it will probably have a cottered crank, which requires no special tools to remove. You can hammer out the pin that holds it together yourself, unless it has rusted shut, in which case the bike shop can use its nifty-sounding cotter pin extractor to do the job.