BikeHacks

Strange Seat Post Bike Hack

2012-05-25T01:01:00-04:00

Reader Juoza, whose flickr photostream you can find here, spotted this unusual seat post hack in Vilnius, Lithuania.

That set up creates one weird riding position, and there is something going on up front that I can't quite figure out. Thoughts from readers on what is going on here are welcome.

New Bike Product Giveaway - The Reveal

2012-05-24T01:01:00-04:00

Earlier this week I posted the following picture and asked readers to send us an email with their guess of what the product is -

We received a large volume of guesses, including . . .

1. They are pads. You stuff your clothing and fill your pockets with them and when you fall you bounce and avoid all injuries.

2. Bar End Plugs

3. They are shock absorbers for a particular type of bike seat. The different sizes and colors represent a different "firmness" according to the riders needs.

4. Teflon Bearings

5. Really tiny tires

6. Customizable Handlebar Grips (or a variation of this)

7. Seat post vibration attenuators. They fit inside a seat post and help take the "buzz" out of it.

8. I reckon they're for sliding on the loop bit of a "ULock" to stop them making that clanking noise they make.

The vast majority guessed correctly and many had seen the actual product product page and campaign. The correct answer is 6. Spurcycle sought funding for their new product, GripRings, via Kickstarter and achieved their goal. Here is another picture with some added items that came with the rings, stickers to go over the bars (with instructions) and bar end plugs.

And here is a close up of the rings installed on one side of my bars.

I left the original grip on the other side and plan on riding for a while with both to compare. You can already see that as far as aesthetics are concerned, the rings make my bike even more of a mismatched colored eye sore . . . which is truly awesome!

So far the grips have 100% satisfied me, with only one minor negative note that came from my wife. First the good . . .

1. Super easy to install. The rings stretch easily and the only thing I had to do because of the size of the bar end plugs was slather a little grease on them to fit them in. The Spurcycle folks have already noted that they will produce multiple sizes of plugs so the grease hack will not be necessary.

2. Soft but not too soft. The gray grip in the picture above is the standard grip that came with my bike, an older model of the Specialized Body Geometry grip. It's main feature is that is it contoured to fit your hand. This is nice and all, but I have not noticed a huge difference as compared to round grips, and the rubber is a bit hard. The GripRings on the other hand are soft, but not too soft. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being soft and 10 being hard, I would say the Specialized grips are a 9 and the Griprings are about a 5. They are kind of the Baby Bear's bed in the Goldlielocks story, just right.

3. Textured. The Griprings are textured which helps me keep my grip, even in the rain. It was actually nice that it rained the first day after I installed the GripRings. I let them get wet to see how they would perform and they were great, not slippery at all.

4. They don't slip around. The GripRings hold tight to the bar and don't rotate. I can't say the same for the Specialized grips, they consistently rotate and I have to reposition them on a consistent basis.

5. Customizable! Let's face it, most companies sell us things the way they want them to look. These allow you to design the color scheme.

As far as the negative, I did not pick the color of the GripRings, I just got what was sent to me, which is totally fine with me. When my wife saw them on my bike she said the white was the same color as PVC pipe and it looks like I just had white plastic over my bars. To me this is no big deal, but if you are picky about the million different shades of white, the color of white I was sent can resemble PVC pipe to some out there in the world.

One thing that relates to this that I will not know for a while is how well the grips maintain their original color. The grey grips that came with my bike are pretty dirty and it will be interesting to see how long the GripRings take to get dirty. Once they are dirty, it will be interesting to see how easy they are to clean. I assume I could just scrub them with dish soap but only time will tell.

More pictures and information on the GripRings can be found on their (successful) Kickstarter page and the Spurcycle website, including a cool grip builder page where you can specify the color combination you want.

Now for even more good news, we have a winner who will get their own GripRings to test. Those who sent emails were put into a random drawing and Noah Sulman is the winner. Noah, we will be contacting you for your mailing address. Noah will conduct his own review and we will post it here.

One final note, the GripRings are not for sale yet, however you can sign up on their website to receive a notification of when they will be available. Bike Hacks would love to post pictures of the installs people come up with, so keep us in mind down the line if you (wisely) decide to purchase some GripRings.

People powered helicopter

2012-05-24T00:24:06-04:00

People powered helicopter needs your funding help. Only a few hours left on this Kickstarter campaign, but it seems right up our collective alley. Also, cool tshirts!

Game Controller Bike Handlebar

2012-05-23T01:01:00-04:00

Reader Ethan sent us a link to a handlebar set up that rivals those found in our post on 10 Strange Bike Handlebar Set Ups. The following is labeled "Schwinntendo 64" on the There, I Fixed It blog.

Photo Credit to There, I Fixed It

New Bike Product Giveaway

2012-05-22T01:09:08-04:00

Bike Hacks received a package in the mail recently with a new bicycle product offering. Take a look for yourself, with the tape measure and quarter added for size perspective.

The good news for readers is that the developers of this bike product have decided to give a lucky reader the product to review. To enter, simply send an email to us at bikehacks.com (at) gmail.com guessing what the product is. Those readers that email us with the right answer, or perhaps an answer that is close, will go into a random drawing. The one requirement is that the winner agree to do a review that will be posted on Bike Hacks. Good luck!

PVC Bike Fishing Rod Holder

2012-05-21T01:01:00-04:00

It's a beautiful thing when you can combine different interests. Reader TurbineBlade combined biking and fishing with this great hack. Another fishing rod holder hack from the past can be found here. If you have combined passions, let us know so we can feature.

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This isn't actually an original idea, but rather one that I've stolen and adapted slightly for my purposes. Essentially all I've done is cut sections of 1 1/2" pvc and attached them to a rear rack using hose clamps. Then I cut a large notch in each section to accomodate the reel. I use a hand held landing net that also fits into one of the pvc sections, secured by a velcro strap. Easy and works great!

Make Bottle Openers From Old Cogs

2012-05-18T01:01:00-04:00

Great DIY project over at Blue Collar Mountain Biking for making a bottle opener from a cog and a bit of chain. Just gotta get an old cog and cut it up. Full directions on the site, with pics, when you follow the link.

Alternatively, if you're not a handy-person, you can just buy one in a pretty color.

Solo Cyclewear

2012-05-17T01:01:00-04:00

Until recently I had owned only one cycling jersey in my entire life. If I scrunch my brow and think hard, my brain tells me I probably purchased it in 1997. For some reason I never got in to cycling jerseys. As a commuter, I began to rely on a vest to store my stuff, and I just wear a button up shirt or jacket as appropriate over the top of the vest when I ride.

The kind folks at Solo doubled the size of my jersey wardrobe by generously sending along the following jersey.

I had never heard of Solo before but their site features a pretty impressive looking line up. I can already tell that this jersey is leaps and bounds ahead of the one I purchased last century. For one it has a strip of that tacky fabric on the bottom to keep it from riding up on you.

It features the three pocket design in the back . . .

. . . and one pocket has the cool addition of a zipper!

I will spare readers an image of me wearing it, but you can see a rather serious looking gentleman sporting the same jersey by clicking here.

I have not had the opportunity to ride in the jersey yet, but the one thing the Solo site references that gets me excited is the following claim:

Constructed from Nuovotec polyester; a proprietary polyester blend created for Solo Cycle Clothing, that has superior breathability, wicking, anti-bacterial properties and is super soft against the skin.

The anti-bacterial note gets me excited because that is one of the benefits of merino wool that I very much enjoy. I have no idea what a "good" price for a jersey is, but I can tell you that I am willing to pay more for clothing that I know is going to perform well. This Solo jersey is priced at $139 and I will leave it to readers with more experience in this clothing category to comment.

Also I need a bit of help from readers out there - I have no clue what the jersey is advertising. If anyone could comment to let me know what I am a billboard for when I ride in it that would be great. When I do get a chance to ride in it I will follow up with a review post.

Damaged Tire? Zip Ties to the Rescue!

2012-05-16T01:01:00-04:00

Being huge fan of zip ties, it made me smile when reader Nico contacted us with a zip tie hack for a flat tire he came up with in a pinch. His hack is reminiscent of the first option featured in our Eight Solutions for Riding a Bike in the Snow post. If you have come up with creative hacks to deal with somewhat strange mechanical or repair circumstances you have encountered while far from help, let us know so we can feature on the site for all to enjoy. Take it away Nico!

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Last Saturday I was out for a ride with my bike club when I had a flat. No big deal, we can fix that quickly and keep going. But I must have not noticed it right away and damaged my tire, because 5 minutes later my new tube burst loudly. We stopped again and saw what the problem was. The bead was getting dettached from the tire [photo 1 below] and the tube was getting pinched [photo 2 below]. Nobody had an extra tire. We had to fix it any way we could.

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The first thing we did is use some patches on the inside of the tire to try to keep the tube in place.

It didn't look like enough to me so I asked if anyone had some duct tape (I'm a huge fan of duct tape). Nobody did. Just a little electrical tape and some zip ties. We wrap the tape around the tire to keep it from bulging out and set off. This didn't work well; we had to stop a few minutes later because it looked like the tube was going to burst again. We were still 10 miles away from home.

It was then when one of the guys had a moment of genius. Zip ties! Why didn't we think of that first? That would keep the tire in place.

We put two zip ties covering the damaged part of the tire, cut them down, and I loosened my rear break so that the ties could move freely. It worked surprisingly well. I had no rear brake and my rear tire was inflated only about half way, but it got me home and I have a feeling that it could have taken me much further.

From now on I'll always carry a handful of zip ties and a pocket knife with me!

Child Transport Bike Hack

2012-05-15T01:01:00-04:00

I have a great deal of admiration for those who transport others on their bike. The responsibility involved kind of blows my mind. I sometimes damage groceries when riding home from the store so the thought of transporting a living thing makes me nervous.

Reader Max, from France, sent along a great hack he has employed to turn his bike into a triple transporter. The seat on the back is standard issue, however the top tube seat is a bit of ingenuity. Max noted that he could not mount a seat directly on top of the tube due to the fact that some of his cables are routed along the top of the tube. But with a bit of creativity and some wood and bolts, he came up with a hack that both works and looks great.

One cool looking triple ride - Très Bien!

DIY Front Cargo Rack for Bike

2012-05-14T08:51:37-04:00

Reader Jim sent us a great front rack hack (say that three times fast) that involves a hacked milk crate. The full Flickr set with annotations can be found here, and Jim's blog is over here. Thanks Jim!

13 Ways To Get Bike Grease Out Of Clothes

2012-05-11T01:01:00-04:00

[RECYCLED POST] - fits in well with the recent Leg Shield theme

If you’re anything like me, it’s a rare day of bike commuting that doesn’t add a small dot of road grime or bike grease on your khaki pants, white shirt, etc. Grease is tough to remove, but not impossible. You can definitely salvage your threads without settling for a grease spot for the next 20 wash cycles. The following techniques vary wildly in both materials used and toxicity. I’ll say upfront that grease busting dishwashing liquid has worked for me, as has “Shout” brand prewash junk. Be wary of letting any stuff sit on the grease for too long, or next you’ll be dealing with a new stain or discoloration on your clothes (experience talking here). Onward.

In rough order of toxicity (and for the record, I wouldn’t touch those last three, but maybe your neck is redder than mine)…

Sprinkle cornstarch on freshly greased clothes. Let it soak up the grease for a while, then shake it out, slop some dishwashing liquid on there and wash as usual
On fresh grease: a dot of laundry detergent, rub, wash as usual
On set grease: sprinkle some baby powder, let it set a while, shake out, wash as usual
Rub some Dawn dishwashing detergent into the spot, then wash
Make a paste of Ajax dish soap and baking powder, then rub into the stain using an old toothbrush. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before washing as usual
Dribble a little bit of your shampoo (brand agnostic) on the stain, rub and wash as usual
Use Simple Green on stains, wash as usual
Throw some PineSol or Simple Green in with your laundry
Use Goo-Gone on stains, wash as usual
Get the stain out with Goof-Off, then get out the Goof-Off residue with Goop hand cleaner before washing as usual
Use oven cleaner on the stain, wash as usual
Use tire cleaner on the stain, wash as usual
Use brake parts cleaner on the stain, wash as usual

BONUS SOLUTION (only works in the northern hemisphere during the winter months)

Find some doll clothes that have been discarded by a thrift store. Don’t buy them, you must find them in the trash. (I’m not sure why this is important…something about lingering sorrow).
Once you’ve got the clothes, rend them. If you don’t know how to rend clothes, re-read the Old Testament, preferably King James Version, until you receive understanding.
Got the rent clothes? Refashion these textiles into a circle than cannot be broken. In a pinch, that sideways figure eight infinity thingy will do, too. Use your imagination–this is more art than science, people. Stay with me here, the hard part is coming up.
Using the thumb and forefinger of your left hand pull your greased garment cleanly through the circle that cannot be broken. With a single motion, as you pull the garment through the circle, fling it into the washing machine, closing the door before any excess cleaning power can escape (this technique simply does not work with hand washing, sorry). Wash as usual.
This technique should remove any grease present, as well as provide a lasting preternatual shield that prevents all future stains as well. Let me know if it doesn’t work for you.

Leg Shield Giveaway

2012-05-10T01:01:00-04:00

Grease - it can be your friend or your enemy. We all love grease when it makes our chain or other bikes parts operate smoothly, but we hate grease when it gets on our "good" clothing. I actually don't ride in "good" clothing. I keep my "good" clothing at work and change when I get there. And for the most part I could really care less about how dirty or greasy my riding clothing gets. I guess the exception is a rather expensive rain jacket I own, but grease has besmirched said jacket and I just kind of shrugged and got over it.

By most accounts I am not normal. For example, I never wear matching socks and the first thing I did when a new bike was given to me was scratch it. Most normal people do care about grease getting on their clothing and if you are such a person, a company out there is on your side. The fine folks at BikeLegStrap.com are on a mission to keep your pants clean and grease free. They have created the Leg Shield and want to give one away to a Bike Hacks reader to review.

Rather than a random giveaway like we recently did with sunglasses, we want readers to share their experience with grease. Readers are encouraged to send along anything creative that pertains to the struggle with grease that we can post. This could include, but is not limited to:

Pictures of dirty bike parts
Pictures of grease stained clothing
Poetry
A story
A rant
A video

Submissions will be posted on Bike Hacks for all to enjoy. Be as creative as you like and send your submission to bikehacks.com (at) gmail.com (include your name and city, state, or province). The deadline to submit is May 21st, 2012 and the winner will be given a Leg Shield to review for Bike Hacks.

Shlacks - Slack Hacks Post 1

2012-05-09T01:01:00-04:00

We are always happy to receive hacks from readers and Will from Chico, CA recently contacted us with some "Shlacks" he has created. This is post 1 because Will hints that he has more to share in the future. If readers have ideas to submit, our in box is always open.

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Hi, I’m Will from Chico, CA (home of Paul Components). I’m a cyclist, but I’m also pretty lazy (a contradiction, I know). I’m also very cheap, and cycling can be a very expensive hobby/sport/way-of-life, so I’m always trying to do hacks on the cheap and lazy. I call them Shlacks (Slack Hacks). I’ll showcase some practical hacks (some featured on this very site), and work my way up to more cringe-inducing Shlacks.

Helmet lights: I have the front one mounted in inspiration of a previous hack, with those ubiquitous LiveStrong-like bands. I put one facing back, and attached some red photographic gel to simulate a rear light (leaving a hole for the heat to escape). Eventually, I want to set up two of these lights on either side, fore and aft, to simulate a car (so drivers might show me a bit of respect...).

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For some lower headlights--for more light coverage on dark roads--I used standard reflector attachments that come with many bikes.

I originally had them attached to the front fork so they would project a wider range of light, but they kept breaking off for various reasons. So, I disassembled the attachments and attached the main body directly to the bottom fork braze on. I then stuck in some free lights I’d gotten from my local HFT.

Utility Cart Bike Trailer Hack

2012-05-08T01:01:00-04:00

It can be a challenge to ride a bike while attempting to transport things. One experience I had this past winter was riding with a pizza box cradled between my left hand and bicep for five miles. It was a Sicilian pie too so my arm was shaking quite a bit at the end of the trip. Originally I thought I would be able to strap the box to my rack, but the box ended up being a lot larger than I anticipated.

Reader Dave wanted a way to help transport things and came up with a simple and brilliant utility cart hack. Dave wrote -

I used a normal steel frame foldable laundry cart that I purchased for $15-20 and attached it with a standard Bungee cord. I used a Bungee cause it gives it the flex it needs especially when you make turns or go over bumps. It actually works perfect for groceries.

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Do you haul things in a non-standard way? Let us know so we can post.