BikeHacks

Overalls Repurposed for Bike Storage

Reader Travis contacted us with a great clothing related bike hack. He converted his son's old overalls into Carry-alls that loop around the handle bars. Picture and description below. Thanks Travis! 

On the handlebars of my bakfiets, repurposed overalls from my youngest son. Straps go over the bars and there is a tie on the back at the bottom. Great for storing gloves and such when I take them off half way through the ride, or a place to store snacks for kiddos. Plenty of pockets for sundries.

Click here to visit the associated Flickr photostream.

Skateboard Bike Rack Hack

Last week I think I witnessed a first on bike hacks - the incorporation of a skateboard for cargo/passenger transport. The electric assist bike we featured had a skateboard fastened to the rear of the bike, meant for someone to sit on.  I am not sure how comfortable that might be without padding, but it still was a pretty ingenious idea.  As a kid I both pulled and was pulled by a bike while riding a skateboard with a rope - an entirely different and often unsafe mode of cargo transport that resulted in a few scars I carry with me to this day. 

I bumped into a second instance of a skateboard rack while trawling the blog of a reader, Old Fool.  The gentleman in charge has been cobbling together a cargo bike and it looks like a pretty formidable cargo transport machine.  The full write up is here and all pictures below are credited to Old Fool.

On the rear it is easy to spot the repurposing of a skateboard.

From the looks of it, a few animals must be quite grateful for this extreme sport bike hack.  Have you merged two forms of transport?  Let us know.

 

Plastic Carton Bike Moose Mitts

A few weeks ago a post on some DIY moose mitts fashioned from t-shirts was panned by some readers. One reader described using t-shirts as moose mitts as "stupid and useless."  Ouch! 

About a week ago I was running an errand and saw a recumbent rider go by with what appeared to be some killer DIY moose mitts.  I did not have the time to get my camera out and take a picture and was bummed.  Well, as luck would have it I stumbled upon the same bike yesterday, this time locked up which made ogling and picture taking very easy.  Check it out -

The owner did an excellent job of execution if you ask me.  They would appear to do the trick without being too bulky or hindering handling or braking. 

What say the critics?  Stupid and useless, or cool and ingenious?  Weigh in!  And if you have hacks to keep your hands warm when temperatures dip, let us know so we can share.

Leather Shoe Laces for Handlebar/Brake Wrap

Brooks certainly offers up some great quality cycling products, but they also come at a price.  Reader Michael used leather shoe lacing from a sewing department as bar/brake wrap. In his own words . .

It is way cheaper than Brooks, but it gives a good look.

Electric Assist Cargo Bike

I admit to being a snob when it comes to bikes - I feel a bike should be powered by muscles.  When I lived in NYC I was always peeved when someone on an electric assist bike passed me.  Mostly the individuals were food delivery riders. They were just earning a living, not out to piss anyone off. 

Is my bias justified?  No, it's just a personal feeling that I should probably get over.  If people want to get around on two wheels without pedaling they have every right to.  People might also have loads to carry that might not be easy with just their muscles.   There are lots of good reasons for electric assist bike usage, however I still take on a curmudgeon mentality when I run into them on the road.

Maybe I will get over my feeling if people send along electric assist bike hacks, like reader Steve did.  Text, links, and pictures below are credited to Steve.  If you have electric assist bike hacks, feel free to send them along - I won't let my bias keep me from posting.

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I have a bike I built to carry my self and my daughter cargo.  The updated version is here -

- and the original can be found here.

 
Both versions are electric assist with the original being a friction drive and the updated version a rear hub motor.

Third Hand Bike Clamp

Sometimes when repairing or fixing your bike you could really use an extra hand.  We have featured hacks involving both a toe strap and a bungee cord as a third hand.  In response to these posts reader John sent along the following third hand hack. 

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In response to "third hand" hacks I submit a quick grip clamp, not as creative as a bungee or a toe strap but very versatile.

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Complete Tandem Bike Build

The thought of sharing a bike with another person is both intriguing and disturbing to me.  I am intrigued mainly because I have never done it.  I am disturbed because the thought of not being in total control scares me.  Driving a car is far more dangerous than riding in a plane, but I feel safer when driving because I am in control of the car.  In a plane, the pilot is in control and I have no impact on what is going on.

The more tandems I see, the more intrigued I become and I know I am destined to try one some day.  Reader Eric's interest in tandem's led to the creation of a very stylish tandem.  Eric sent along the following text and picture. 

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During the summer of 2010, I acquired two cruiser style bicycles from the 1960's and used them to build a tandem bicycle.

The bikes were made by Sportmaster and had what I thought were beautiful curves in the top tube and seat stays.

The bikes were left outside and un-sheltered for a number of years so they needed some serious TLC. In the end, they cleaned up really well and now make one heck of a tandem bike!

Eric did a project write-up for the DIY website Instructables.com and you can find a link to the tandem build here.

Bike Frame Bike Rack

Yesterday we posted on a high tech bike hook for bike storage, today we feature a bike for bike storage. Reader Nicholas contacted us and pointed to his take on bike storage - Etsy page here.

A ingenious use of an old frame if I have ever seen one.  Have you repurposed bike parts for bike related purposes they were not originally meant for?  We would love to hear from you. 

 

Technology Gone Too Far? The Claw!

I am all for product innovation, however some innovations seem a little loco. Take “The Claw.” I can just see Jim Carrey doing a commercial for this product. The Claw is made by Gladiator Garage Works and I’ll let them do the talking – this comes from their Web site:

Originally created by the finalists of the hit TV show “American Inventor”, The Gladiator Claw™ storage device easily anchors to the ceiling, and utilizes an intuitive push-lock mechanism to quickly hang or release your bike in one motion. Simply push your tire up against the Plunger Pad, and the arms close around your wheel to secure it in place.

You can get an idea from these photos. The first is of the device open, and the second closed. You operate it by pushing your bike into “the plunger.”

This fancy device can be yours for the low, low price of $59.99 $30.44 at Amazon.com. Or, you could go to your local hardware store and pick up a traditional hook like this one for probably two bucks.

Of course the claw will help you if gravity for some reason reverses itself, but if that happens I think the last thing you’d be worried about is your bike.

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Bike Hack

I have gotten rid of a lot of clothing hangers in my time, and I have to admit, never once did I say to myself, “You know, that old wooden hanger would be a great way to fix up the front basket on my bike. I’ll just take one of my older inner tubes and badda bing, badda boom!”

We have never had any types of official awards on bikehacks, but I might have to get some official awards started. So I ask you out there, what would be a great name for an award to honor such feats of genius? Chime in with comments.

But wait, just like an infomercial that tells you there is more, so is the case with this bike! Scroll down to the second picture for a bonus hack on this baby.

A little refrigerator shelf re-use is mixed in as well.  Let us honor this rider with a title. Chime in.