Three years ago in my old shop, I started using a torque wrench on every single bolt, even the cheap ones.

I mean, I used to think it was overkill for a stem bolt or a bottle cage, but then I saw a carbon seatpost get crushed by a guy who just cranked it down. That was in Boulder, at the shop on Pearl Street. I started doing it, and in the last month alone, I've caught three brand new bikes from big brands that were way over spec right out of the box. It takes an extra minute, but it stops so many dumb problems. How many of you actually torque everything, or do you still go by feel for the small stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason.charlie28d ago

Read a tech article last year that said a huge chunk of warranty claims for carbon parts are just from over-tightening. They had the numbers from a few big brands, and it was wild. Makes you realize that "feel" is way too vague for modern materials.

troyramirez28d ago

Yeah but come on, @mason.charlie, how many of those claims are actually legit and not just people trying to get free stuff after they crashed? I'd bet half those "over-tightened" parts were already cracked from a crash or bad shipping. Torque wrenches are cheap, but so is blaming the gear instead of the rider.

skylercooper9d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, I'm probably the reason torque specs exist. My "feel" is basically "tighten until you hear a crack, then back it off a quarter turn." Those warranty numbers don't surprise me at all.