The bolt that holds on the mudguards and rack on my inbred commuter has sheered. It's left the body of the bolt flush so I can't get it out easily.

Any suggestions? I don't own any power tools and it's a hack bike (£60 frame) so I'd like to keep the costs low rather than spending money on tools that are worth more than the frame.

Is any of the bolt visible on the back? Grab it with pliers if so

If not sometimes using a punch at a tangent on the outer edge of the bolt and tapping it round works.

Really you need to drill it tho if its sheared

No power tools you say – you're pretty much buggerd then.

Got any mates who atleast have a battery drill and some HSS drill bits?

File a notch into what you can see with a needle file, then insert screwdriver/punch. You'll be there hours, easier to pop round a mates who has a drill, drill out the bolt shaft to just less than the diameter of the thread and then chase the thread out. or drill the whooething out and araldite a new bolt in to hold the 'guard. Its only a hack afterall.

Tried the file, I think it's a steel bolt (in a steel frame) so it's stuck. Think I'll find a drill and use a nut and bolt to hold it together afterwards. But for tomorrow I'll just add more cable ties to the ones that are holding everything else together.

If you drill it with a small drill you should be able to get enough grip with something such a s a torx bit to get the stub out without ruining th threads – there is a fair chance that the drill will actually push the stub of the bolt out