Pashley Picador chainset removal

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
Post Reply
SimonRB
Posts: 5
Joined: 21 Mar 2023, 12:52am

Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by SimonRB »

Hello – a new poster here. Can anybody help with the removal of chainset from a Pashley Picador tricycle? This is on my fathers tricycle, we want to replace the chainset to lower the gearing. It is steel and cotterless, but it appears to require an approximately 12mm diameter puller rather than the standard 22mm. We have never seen one like it before. We have spoken to two friendly local bike shops – one didn’t have a suitable tool, and the other recommended an angle grinder. That might well turn out to be the correct answer, but we would be pleased to remove it intact if we can.

The tricycle itself is actually brilliant fun to ride.

Thank you
Simon
slowster
Moderator
Posts: 4629
Joined: 7 Jul 2017, 10:37am

Re: Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by slowster »

'12mm' makes me think you have the standard modern type of crank bolt as shown below, with a black plastic surround. If so, a standard crank puller will fit. If not, I suggest you post a photograph of the cranks

Image
Carlton green
Posts: 3645
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by Carlton green »

SimonRB wrote: 21 Mar 2023, 10:50am Hello – a new poster here. Can anybody help with the removal of chainset from a Pashley Picador tricycle? This is on my fathers tricycle, we want to replace the chainset to lower the gearing. It is steel and cotterless, but it appears to require an approximately 12mm diameter puller rather than the standard 22mm. We have never seen one like it before. We have spoken to two friendly local bike shops – one didn’t have a suitable tool, and the other recommended an angle grinder. That might well turn out to be the correct answer, but we would be pleased to remove it intact if we can.

The tricycle itself is actually brilliant fun to ride.

Thank you
Simon
Pictures, if you can post them then they are almost always helpful.

Looking at the current Pashley web site it may be that you have a Sturmey Archer (branded) crankset … perhaps that might lead you to the expected puller. Can you find any brand name on the crankset?

I’ve a Sturmey Archer hub gear on my everyday bike and love both, fitting a larger drive sprocket (24 teeth, other sizes available) to the hub very helpfully lowered the gearing :D . That wasn’t an expensive or difficult change, maybe it’s something easy for you to investigate for your Father’s Tricycle. I’m assuming that a hub gear was fitted to your Father’s Pashley, that’s the most common arrangement but IIRC some had derailleur gears instead.

A while back I didn’t have the (normally) necessary crank puller, it wasn’t an ideal solution but the cranks were removed with a bearing puller.

Good luck and it would be interesting to hear how you get on.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
SimonRB
Posts: 5
Joined: 21 Mar 2023, 12:52am

Re: Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by SimonRB »

Thanks so much for the quick replies. The new Pashleys have a Sturmey Archer crankset, but this one is a Thun Nova or possibly Thun Novo. It doesn’t have one of those bolts with a plastic surround, it is a fairly normal one with an approximately 10mm head. I have not worked out how to add photos but I will put some up of the bolt and thread when I can. It is an odd set up.

Yes, it is a Sturmey hub gear. Replacing the rear sprocket is an option but we would have to dismantle the rear axle setup. We are generally pretty good with bicycles but slightly reluctant to tackle more Pashley oddness!

Anyway, we are due workshop time next week – I will report back.

Thank you.
Carlton green
Posts: 3645
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by Carlton green »

SimonRB wrote: 21 Mar 2023, 9:09pm Thanks so much for the quick replies. The new Pashleys have a Sturmey Archer crankset, but this one is a Thun Nova or possibly Thun Novo. It doesn’t have one of those bolts with a plastic surround, it is a fairly normal one with an approximately 10mm head. I have not worked out how to add photos but I will put some up of the bolt and thread when I can. It is an odd set up.

Yes, it is a Sturmey hub gear. Replacing the rear sprocket is an option but we would have to dismantle the rear axle setup. We are generally pretty good with bicycles but slightly reluctant to tackle more Pashley oddness!

Anyway, we are due workshop time next week – I will report back.

Thank you.
This link might help with the chainset removal: https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mech ... nkset.html
#8 and #12.
I get the impression that Thun isn’t the best of quality …

Get lots of penetrating oil in there, not standard WD40 but rather Plus Gas or better.
I’d seek to drop a plain washer (10mm o/d, M6?) down the M12 hole before putting the bolt in, grease the threads and end of the bolt - it appears that a simple ‘jacking bolt’ is the extractor.

Standard M12 - if that is what it is - is quite a coarse pitch and crank extractors usually use a fine pitch to give better mechanical advantage … expect difficulty and longer than normal leverage would be good - bits of old pipe can help.
Metric thread pitch details: http://www.metrication.com/engineering/threads.html

Good luck.
Last edited by Carlton green on 21 Mar 2023, 11:11pm, edited 2 times in total.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
SimonRB
Posts: 5
Joined: 21 Mar 2023, 12:52am

Re: Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by SimonRB »

Yes, of course, that makes sense. A 12mm bolt and something solid resting on the axle should work. We will give it a try. Thank you.
slowster
Moderator
Posts: 4629
Joined: 7 Jul 2017, 10:37am

Re: Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by slowster »

I think Thun parts are more widely fitted by German and Dutch city/utility bike manufacturers. Holland Bike Shop is a good source of such parts, and I see that they have a crank tool on their website which looks like it might be what you need (unfortunately out of stock and not a part they will send to the UK):

https://hollandbikeshop.com/en-gb/bicyc ... ck-774986/

Image

I've only tried a few more google searches, but it looks like availability of this tool (if it is indeed the right one for your cranks) is extremely doubtful. I think your best course of action would be to email Pashley, e.g. it might be that they could suggest a dealer near you who might be likely to have the tool in their workshop.
Barrowman
Posts: 441
Joined: 8 Jan 2022, 6:35pm

Re: Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by Barrowman »

Try contacting Pashley ?
The Allen keyed fixing bolts with the plastic skirt are an upmarket replacement for the old standard bolt for holding chainsets on. As has already been said, you need the right extractor tool to fit the crank internal thread .
SimonRB
Posts: 5
Joined: 21 Mar 2023, 12:52am

Re: Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by SimonRB »

A quick update on this – the cranks are off! The 12 mm bolt went in ok, but we had to spend an afternoon of faffing and improvisation to get it to push against the bottom bracket axle. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction. The local bike shops are really good, but they had not seen one before and didn’t quite want to get involved – so I think we thought it was going to be really difficult. Yes, we approached Pashley for advice but they didn’t get round to replying to us.

Thanks again, much obliged.
Carlton green
Posts: 3645
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by Carlton green »

SimonRB wrote: 3 Apr 2023, 10:16pm A quick update on this – the cranks are off! The 12 mm bolt went in ok, but we had to spend an afternoon of faffing and improvisation to get it to push against the bottom bracket axle. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction. The local bike shops are really good, but they had not seen one before and didn’t quite want to get involved – so I think we thought it was going to be really difficult. Yes, we approached Pashley for advice but they didn’t get round to replying to us.

Thanks again, much obliged.
Thank you for giving feedback :D.

Pashley giving advice … I’ve never needed to contact them but as far as I know - which, of course, might be incorrect - your experience isn’t untypical :( .

It would be interesting to know what the improvisation that worked was, and what wasn’t so effective. If you were starting out again what would you do differently? Thanks.
Last edited by Carlton green on 4 Apr 2023, 9:20am, edited 1 time in total.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
Jdsk
Posts: 24639
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by Jdsk »

Pashley didn't reply when I was trying to fix a tandem trike trailer. Fortunately this forum did.

Jonathan
SimonRB
Posts: 5
Joined: 21 Mar 2023, 12:52am

Re: Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by SimonRB »

The 12mm bolt screws in to the crank, but the hole the other side of the crank is only about 7mm – so the bolt butts up against the inside of the crank rather than the spindle. We took a 6 or 7mm bolt, filed off the thread and cut off the head. This pushed in to the threaded hole in the spindle without catching the thread. The 12mm bolt now screwed down on to this bolt stub, and hence pushed against the spindle.

What didn’t work was a nut or something resting on the end of the spindle for the 12mm bolt to screw on to – virtually nothing was visible through the crank except for the thread in the spindle.

I think ideally we would have done pretty much exactly the same thing, but we’d have worked it about 3 months ago!
Carlton green
Posts: 3645
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Pashley Picador chainset removal

Post by Carlton green »

Thanks for the feedback, it all adds to the knowledge here and will help someone else at some time. :)
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
Post Reply