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Got an old bike that has this piece in between the crankset and the frame. It’s very loose and keeps rolling around and getting in the way of the chain when I pedal. How can I remove it or make it stay fixed in one place?
That's a hand, and don't worry, it's just got a glove on it.
That makes a lot of sense but is it safe to remove? I guess there’s an extra one on the other side…
You have to be very careful if you want to preserve the use of the glove.
Is it a mount for a chain guard?
If you can't take off the cranks and remove it, maybe tin snips and cut it off?
Definitely the piece for the chain guard.
It could be. I can’t think of anything else it might be either. I’ve never taken of cranks, I guess I need some special tools? It seems to be reasonably thick so I’m not sure if I can cut it off.
Those will be square taper cranks. They can be a pain to remove, but sometimes are okay. Remove circular plastic cap and there'll be a nut down inside the crank. One side will be left hand thread, the other right hand. You'll need a socket that is very thin walled. Undoing these can be hard, but getting the cranks off the square taper is usually the more annoying part as the cranks get jammed on. I've often had to bash them off with a hammer 😅
(If you're actually going to attempt this, probs worth watching a youtube tutorial)
Yeah, from what I understand, not easy to remove cranks without special tools. Dremel might work, but maybe a bike shop might be easier/safer/quicker.
Edit: short term fix, zip tie it to the tube so it doesn't move?
That’s a great quick fix idea - thanks!
That or twine, whichever you have on hand.
Twine?! Really? Be a professional, zip tie or electrical tape, anything less is mediocrity /s
can confirm, this is for a chain guard. if you are going to remove a crankset/arms, it is best to use a proper crankset removal tool. the last thing you want is to fuck up your crank arm or bottom bracket and have a malfunction during a critical moment aka any moment you are on a bicycle. i had a friend’s crank arm strip as he was riding into a 4-way intersection. scary times.
anyway, never hurts to invest in proper tools for your bicycle. if that’s not viable, take it to a local bike shop & ask for help. they might do it for cheap or even for free, since it is causing a safety issue, or you can just get a new chain guard.
here’s another photo from a different angle
Confirm that this is a chainguard holder. I am not sure if it's supposed to turn around like that, because with the chainguard present it wouldn't, so maybe it's by (shitty) design.
Anyway, it is safe to remove if you don't want to install a guard now