BikeHacks

Globe Post #8: Cider Press Bike

Matt — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:01:16 +0000

Sometimes, scratch that, all of the time I long for a garage. I have already been issued the edict from my loving wife – three bikes is simply too many for a 500 square foot apartment in Manhattan. The downside of getting a free bike is that I have to get rid of one of my other bikes. I know, poor me.

If only I had a garage to keep bikes in and do cool stuff like turn a bike into a cider press. The following comes from the blog of Globe Experience Blogger Jon, who lives in the center of the bike universe (you guess where):

A very creative and inventive new friend has devised a cider press using a bicycle as the power source. He has used all FSC certified wood and recycled parts. I’m no expert on Cider Presses, but his design is both elegant and effective.

He has attached the rear skewer of the bike to a stationary bolt that keeps the cycle stable and allows the rear axle to keep moving. After propping up the front, you are off to the races. A large, custom-made concrete fly wheel makes contact with the top of the rear tire and it in turn powers the spike-laden cider masher. The apples are loaded into the funnel shaped box and smashed down with the help of a stick.

It’s only appropriate that the rider is being fueled by what is surely a succulent local mircobrew as he presses apples into cider. More pictures and info that make you wish you lived in Portland can be found on Jon’s Globe blog.

Globe Post #8: Cider Press Bike

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Globe Post #7: Top Tube Protection

Matt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:01:23 +0000

Although I don’t mind scratching up my bike in the normal course of using it, I do want to avoid battering the frame over and over when locking it up. Most of the time I lock it to vertical poles and the top tube rests against the pole. To protect against abuse I like to wrap the top tube with an old inner tube. It’s not rocket science or anything, but here are the few easy steps I used on my Globe Vienna.

First, I like to use the largest inner tube I have on hand since larger tubes provide more coverage. I have a road bike with 700 x 25 tires and rather than using the rather thin tubes that fit into those tires, I use the tubes that fit into the 26 x 1.5 tires on my beater bike. If you don’t have any tubes around, just stop by your local bike shop and I am sure they will have some damaged tubes they will willingly give you. Start by cutting off the stem.

To get the most out of the tube, split it down the middle with the cutting device of your choice.

Then simply wrap it tightly on one end and anchor it with a zip tie. Continue to wrap and anchor with a zip tie and that’s it. I will note that this job was made considerably easier by the fact that the top tube on my Vienna is void of any cables. One my other bikes I had to thread the tube between the cable and the frame which took a bit more time, but is not a major challenge. The job I did on my Cannondale can be found in an old entry here.

By far the item I use the most in my hacks is the common zip tie. I thought it might be fun to keep count of how many zip ties I use in modifying my Vienna over the next few months so I’ll keep a running count.

I like to double up at times just in case a zip tie breaks, so I anchored each end of the inner tube with 2 zip ties.

Total zip tie count to date: 4.

Globe Post #7: Top Tube Protection

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Globe Post #6: Lilliputian

Matt — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:01:13 +0000

The older I get, the less I feel I know. I encountered another example of this recently when perusing the blog of Globe Experience Project recipient Courtnee. Just after getting her new bike she wrote the following:

When I reached school, I was presented with another problem. The bike rack looked positively Lilliputian. In order to lock my bike to the rack, I had to back it up and hook the lock around the dropouts. In the process, I scraped the rear fender against the building. So much for being precious with Betty. But I guess it’s a good thing because it would be difficult to enjoy my bicycle to the fullest if I was overly worried about “messing it up.”

Lilliputian? Wow, A+ for working that into a blog entry about bikes! I’m going to keep up with Courtnee’s blog so I can learn me some more English! Ride and write on Courtnee.

And as far as scratching your bike, it’s one of the best things you can do in my opinion =)

Globe Post #6: Lilliputian

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Bicyle Horns and Bells: Follow Up

Matt — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:01:52 +0000

Reader Jeremy responded to our recent entry, Sound Off: Bicycle Horns and Bells, by doing a bit of surfing. He writes:

On the topic of bicycle noisemakers . . I was surfing YouTube after having watched that fellow’s clip you posted and found the following video.

Judging the voice, this young bike tike took bike horns to a whole new level. He installed a battery to power a car horn on his whip. Total cost – $40. Go get’em tiger!

Bicyle Horns and Bells: Follow Up

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Illuminated Bike For Free

Andrew — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:59:53 +0000

Photo credit goes to Scott…important to note that the photo was taken in a bright room on a sunny afternoon

Bikehacks reader Scott from Fort Collins, CO sent us this great shot of his hack. Scott read our Illuminate Your Bike – For Free post a few days ago and has now successfully illuminated his bike…for free!

Read about the free reflective street sign material and went down to my local traffic office (which happens to be about a quarter mile from my house – perfect). The lady working at the front was very helpful and even went to the back right then and there. She emerged with a large box of white and yellow scraps that were mostly large rectangles, easily over 10sq ft in total! Just started to apply it to my bike which just so happens to be a 7 month old single speed Globe that I couldn’t be more pleased with. One thing to note is that if your readers head in to get scrap material they probably shouldn’t start advertising where they got it. City Traffic Departments might stop this practice if too many people come in and bug them for scraps. In fact our local office asked me not to tell everyone in town, she said that right now they give it to the local bike Co-op but even that could stop if too many people come in.

Illuminated Bike For Free

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Globe Post #5: The First Week

Matt — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:01:03 +0000

So I completed my first week of commuting on my Vienna and I must say it was a total change of pace. For the past 9 months I have been riding my Cannondale racing bike to work and the feel of the two bikes could not be more different. The Cannondale is “racy” and responsive, but I also have to really watch where I am going with the narrow tires and excessive road noise I experience.

When I hopped on the Vienna I immediately felt a sense of invincibility. Whereas on my Cannondale I avoid cracks, bumps, and all other manner of obstacle in the streets, on the Vienna I had a sudden desire to run up and down curbs and to challenge potholes and ruts in the road. The tires are much more beefy (700 x 35 as opposed to the 700 x 25 I’ve been riding on) and the geometry has me sitting much more upright. I kept finding myself wanting to lean forward and yet there is only one hand position to choose from rather than the 3 or four on drop down bars.

It certainly is nice not to feel as much road noise and to not have to worry as much about concentrating on every little obstacle I might encounter. Overall I really enjoy the new whip. I of course spent way too much time obsessing over how it felt because when riding because it is brand new to me, but for a fairly short daily commute (10 miles round trip with no stops) it is probably a much better choice than my racing bike considering the general road conditions in NYC.

Globe Post #5: The First Week

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Totcycle

Andrew — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:15:22 +0000

Madsen hauling precious cargo…photo credit goes to Totcycle via Flickr

Bikehacks reader Christian sent us a link to this nice blog called Totcycle (rhymes with popsicle) out of Seattle, WA. Totcycle is all about biking with kids, but more specifically biking with young children along for the ride.

Workcycles FR8 happily hauling the whole family. You’ll notice in the video that everyone is sans helmet, so be sure to read the helmet issue on Totcycle

Totcycle is a collection of posts, photos, and links about biking with your kids, especially having young children on your bike, from a pediatrician in Seattle and biking-fool-father with too many bikes. And his lovely wife and daughter. And now, a baby boy!

There is also information about rides like Kidical Mass on Totcycle, kids are traffic too…

Totcycle

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Globe Post #4: Jealous?

Matt — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:01:10 +0000

It must really suck to be Globe Experience Project blogger Wesley. I mean getting a brand new bike and having to ride it in Hawaii of all places is just a total downer. Breaking in a bike with all that sun shining down on your just had to be a total drain. I mean look at the conditions this guy has to put up with =)

For those of us living in climates that feature sub zero temps, drop Wesley’s blog in your RSS feed for winter dreaming.

Globe Post #4: Jealous?

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When Pedicab Drivers Attack!

Matt — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:05:44 +0000

I have stated before that I find it extremely annoying when cars and taxis in NYC honk their horns. It’s completely useless. Those of you who live in NYC know that one millisecond after a light turns people start laying on their horns. I want to follow one of these guys home one night and stand in front of their home/apartment and release non-stop air horn blasts.

Anyway, a pedicab driver on Broadway obviously had some pent up aggression because when a taxi would not lay off his horn, the pedicab driver lost it and decided to become a coffee throwing, garbage can heaving pedicab gangsta. Fortunately a local news crew (Fox 5 NYC) was on the scene doing a story on Letterman and was able to capture the confrontation.

I found it hard to muffle my laughter when watching, but it is really sad to see something like this happen. Keep your our eye out for the 2:30 mark . . . assault with a stinky weapon!

When Pedicab Drivers Attack!

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Old Lady On A Bike Vs Fire Truck

Andrew — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:52:51 +0000

Screenshot credits go to jalopnik

While one of the Google streetview cars was driving around the Netherlands it snapped a shot of what appears to be a fire truck vs an old lady on a bicycle. From the sequence the truck doesn’t appear to actually strike her, but it does look like it causes her to fall. The Google crew stopped to assist the woman, and Pic #2 has already been censored out of the sequence by Google…

Old Lady On A Bike Vs Fire Truck