Brother Trucker Bike Gets a New Bottom Bracket

I bought this early 90's Rockhopper out of the Register for $60 in 2002 or 3.  Its name is Brother Trucker after the famed, Des Moines alt-country band.  It was for many years my drinking bike, and has seen me home from the Cumming Tap more times than I can remember...seriously, I can't remember some of them!   While I was in Summit County, Colorado, Brother Trucker was my single-track bike, and assisted in the fracture of several ribs. This horse has seen countless partying/training miles, and currently serves as my commuter.  I think its last tune-up preceded a self-contained RAGBRAI in 2006.  Since I have turned my new cycle-commuting leaf, I have decided to learn a little more about bicycle maintenance. I once met a couple of guys who were backyard bike mechanics.  They helped me upgrade my roadie's outdated shimano 105's to a newer SRAM Rival setup.  I mostly just watched, but gleaned what I could from the experience.  Soon I will attempt to put this knowledge to use.  Over the last few weeks I have put together a new collection of cycling tools:  

Chain Tool

Bottom Bracket Tool

Crank Puller

These, I used to take apart my drive train kind of like this: 

Chain Tool

Chain Removed

Removed Dust Covers 

Removed Cranks with Crank Puller

(For better tool and part removal instructions:

Please refer to Sheldon Brown)

Bottom Bracket Tool/Removal of Bottom Bracket

A rusty Bottom Bracket.  This is a Shimano UN54 73x118 sealed.  The one on the bike is a UN52with the same measurements, but those were discontinued by Shimano.  I have no idea what UN52 and UN54 mean, but UN54 is the only one in current production.  I was told by a bike mechanic to be careful about the measurements, however.  If you have a bottom bracket with an incorrect width for your drivetrain, your shifting sequence will be incorrect.  I read something, somewhere on Sheldon Brown's site about this too.  It seems like sound advice.

After all of the energy expended removing this rusty bottom bracket, it turned out I was not able to get a new one in a local shop.  Surely, someone has one; but Rasmussen and Bike World were both closed by the time I had everything apart.  Sadly, the advice on the bottom bracket had to come from a kid at Scheel's.  I don't like to buy from there, but the staff is really nice and knowledgeable!  Nonetheless, my bottom bracket is en route from an undisclosed location by Amazon.com.  Brother Trucker was reassembled with original parts, and has resumed cycle-commuting service until replacement parts arrive.  There will be more to come on amateur bicycle maintenance soon.  Until then...See you on the trail!