My Left (Crank) Arm

What are you supposed to do when you are left with just a left crank arm!?  Well, I acutally have the right one too, but I'm not going to be using this particular crank anymore (at least for pedaling a bicycle).  But I've seen people trying to sell just one crank arm on Craigslist and Ebay, and I think that is ridiculous.... UNLESS.... you need a small towel rack!

My wife asked me to put a towel rack near our sink so guests can have a towel they would be comfortable using.  I have one, but it is too long for where the wall studs are.  I didn't want to go buy one.  So, down to the basement I went to admire my old unused bike parts, and see if I could come up with something from them.

It didn't take long for me to put this together in my mind.  I immediately envisioned the crank arm serving as the towel rack.  But then I needed to space it out from the wall to make it easier to drape over the towel.  A fixed side bottom bracket cup served the purpose perfectly.  The outer flat side sits against the wall, and the inside threaded cup part sits snugly on the back of the crank arm.  I realized I could simply nail it to the wall, through to the stud of course, but I needed a washer for the nail head to push against.  The crank bolt cover itself is a natural choice and does the job perfectly as well!  Be sure that it is metal though, not plastic.

A side thought.... a variation or easy addition for extra hanging space could be to add a pedal (where it belongs anyway) or even just the spindle of a pedal.  Just remember that the threads are left handed, so lefty tighty, righty loosy.

So voila!  A shiny towel rack!  I don't have the verdict yet from my wife on this though, and I cannot promise you that you'll be able to get away with this in your house.  Hopefully I can though!  Of course it makes it extra special since this particular crank arm says 'FUJI' on it.  :)  Now everyone who dries their hands in our bathroom will realize just how 'Fuji Crazy' I really am (if they haven't already).