Quick tip: Presta Lock-nuts Make Good M5 Spacers
February 5th, 2008 by JoelGuelphSave your presta lock nuts when changing tubes, they can come in handy. They work well as a spacer/washer for M5 bolts. Have you ever needed to space a waterbottle cage out from the frame so it clears your front derailer clamp? Or tried to install a rack and fenders using the same eyelets?
If you are using this tip to space the waterbottle cage, like the above picture, you may need longer bolts. If you can’t find any lying around, you should be able to find M5 x 0.8mm bolts at your local hardware store. Make sure you know the length you’ll need before you get there!
What is RSS?
Get our articles in your inbox:
Good idea, but I’ve always just bend my cage around the derailleur clamp… I’ve never thought about using the same eyelets for fenders and racks. That IS a good idea.
I use a presta lock nut as a spacer on my seatpost clamp. Without the spacer the clamp would not tighten down enough around my seatpost. Enter presta spacer and the clamp now closes tight with room to adjust.
Excellent idea. Nice made in Canada sticker — what bike is that on?
It’s on my Devinci Phantom. Hand built in Canada!
http://www.devinci.com/
I’ve done this before and it worked great. Good Idea.
I’ve used them to shim disc brake calipers instead of a stack of those really thin washers. worked fine.
I’ve also used them on seatposts (2 bolt syncros style heads) when the bolts were too long and hit the bottom of the saddle. I just removed the bolts put them next to the bolt head and reinstalled.
I’ve tucked them into the frames of friends to drive them nuts too… hahahahahaha
Marvelous!!! Ingenious yet simple and very economical.