BikeHacks

Non-Trailer Bike Trailer

We have featured many posts on DIY bike trailers, but recently I witnessed an easy (but perhaps not the safest) solution to the sometimes difficult problem of hauling stuff.  I was commuting over the Mass Ave./Harvard Bridge and a gentleman was simply using his hand to pull a shopping cart while he rode merrily along.  Probably one of the the most simple, but noisy, hacks one could come up with. 

Spot Light Bike Light

Most front bike lights I have owned would not be that great outside of a well lit urban setting.  The lights have made people aware of me, but would likely not be great on a super dark road with no other light around. 

Reader Chris wanted to get the attention of cars and see where he is going, and he came up with an awesome hack incorporating a spot light.  One thing is for sure, there will be no missing Chris if he is anywhere within a mile of you!  Around the 8:20 and 9:30 marks is where you really get a feel for the effectiveness of this hack.  Of course I would not want this hack wrongly positioned with Chris coming at me or he might be able to see the inside of my skull =)

Take it away Chris!

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I used the metal bracket from a lattern tree hanger to mount a rechargeable Stanely spot light on my handlebars.  I took everything off one side of my handle bars, bent the bracket a little to make the "holes" on the bracket slide over the handle bars, then bent the bracket around and underneath the stem.

It practically holds itself, but I added zip ties.  With the way I mounted it, it could actually be inverted and used to hold another "accessories" bar out in front of your handle bars. 

 

Fix it Sticks - 200% Prize Increase!

Some things are worth waiting for, and for those who entered the Fix it Sticks/BikeHacks Haiku Contest I have good news.  Originally we were going to give away 2 pairs, but the brains behind the sticks has decided to increase the bounty by 200%.  That's right, instead of giving away 2 pairs, we are going to give away 6 pairs. The only catch is, it is going to take us a bit more time to annouce winners so hang tight. 

Also, I am working with some other companies on some giveaways/contests so stay tuned!

Home Built Bike Trailer: Is Good!

Bike trailers rock.  If you want to run errands or go biking camping, trailers can be a great assist.  Tom, or istomtom on Flickr, sent along a set of pics on a trailer he built himself.  I especially like the fenders/wheel wells to protect from side swiping various stationary objects.  For the full Flickr set, go here.

A comment from one of his photos states:

In response to comments: MIG welded thinwall EMT. I got the tires for free so I'm not complaining. I haven't decided on a floor yet, maybe steel mesh, fiberglass, fabric, or a slatted wood bed like an old style pickup truck.

Thanks Tom!

High Heel Bicycle Cleat

The Internet is amazing, it seems there is no end to it. I discovered a new blog entitled Chicks and Bikes and the subtitle is, "Nuthing but pix." Be warned that if you visit, many of the pictures are NSFW. One of the pictures on the site shows what appears to be a high heeled shoe with a bike cleat.

Now that's some high fashion I can respect! 

Photo Credit to "Captain Crank" over at Chicks and Bikes

MessengerMirror

Photo credit goes to MessengerMirror

Reader Chris sent us a link to a product that is as clever as it is useful.  Chris writes:

So inexpensive, so seemingly "it-just-works" that I ordered one immediately.  How often does that happen?

Some will argue that mirrors are for dorks, but I would rather be alive and a dork than in the hospital or 6 feet under without one.  I have been riding with CycleAware Reflex mirror for years.

The MessengerMirror is a clean and simple mirror for cycling that works with any pair of glasses.  You'll also be able to clearly see the Ford Excursion approaching at 54mph in a 35mph zone.  As of this posting the MessengerMirror is a reasonable $5.99 + .92 cents postage.

How do you fend off traffic?  If you have hacks/solutions/products let us know.

DIY Bolt On Front Rack

CETMA racks are super cool. They're front mounted racks of varying sizes that are pretty much bombproof. And they're made in Eugene, Oregon - Peace Man!  Anyway, I was poking around the web and came across an instructable for building a CETMA-style rack.




I suspect this would be a bit heavier than a genuine CETMA, but equally bombproof. You'll need some tubular steel and some angle iron. And you'll need a drill and a bit that are burly enough to get through all that steel. You basically build a simple frame and mount. Looks like it'd be totally functional, but heavy.

Inner Tube Cyclo-Computer Bracket

Turns out I am not the only one that struggles to keep the brackets securing various devices to my handlebars in working order.  I have broken tabs off of all sorts handlebar brakets meant to hold lights and cyclo-computers. A common hack is to use a rubber band to help hold the computer in place.

Dave from crossgeared.com encountered a similar issue when his bike (he does not specify whether or not he was on it at the time) unexpectedly met a stream bank (his words).  He experimented with zip ties but his final solution came with an inner tube.  He states:

As many of you know, inner tubes are very useful for a number of purposes other than holding air in your tires.  My new mount uses a standard 26 x 2″ mountain tube (I’m guessing it is a 2″ tube, I found it on the trail), and that is it.  I just cut a length of tube, cut a window for the computer display, and then another hole to fit around the mount base.  Normally I’d give a procedure or some simple instructions, but since all you have to do is cut two holes in an inner tube I’ll just post some photos.

Here is one of his photos to get you started, jump over to crossgeared.com for the full picture show.

Bottleclip Bottle Holder

Photo credits go to Matthias Ries

Via mocoloco comes this water bottle holder concept for your whip by designer Matthias Ries.  While the concept may look good at first glance, it appears that the bottle would have to be unscrewed from the plastic fitting anytime you'd like to take a sip. 

It's also unclear how durable the plastic threads in the fitting are, and how much weight they could support.  I suppose once your done with the bottle you could always hack your own fender out of it.  The idea is interesting because in theory it could fit lots of different kinds of bottles and hold them somewhat securely.  Matthias's website states:

Bottleclip is designed as a cheap bottleholder or advertising gift that simply snaps onto any standard sized mens bicycle.  Due to a normed thread most bottles can be screwed directly into the clip.  The target group is certainly not sportive cyclists but rather touring seniors or families that would like to have an extra liter or two easy at hand.



While it may not be the easiest to use quickly, it could provide a good way to carry a refill for your main bottle in style.

Recumbent Bicycle Trailer Hack

Reader Tim contacted us and sent along a great hack he came up with to haul stuff with his recumbent bike.  All text and pics are Tim's.  Thanks Tim!

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This is a bike trailer I built using used walkers I bought from the Goodwill Shop for $5 each.  One walker makes up the main frame and parts of a second walker were used to close in the bottom, which then became the front of the trailer.  I built it specifically to pull behind my recumbent trike, but left a short arm on the left lower front end should I wish to adapt it to an upright bike in the future.

Scrap aluminum was used for the hitch mount on the trailer and the trikes rack as well as to enclose the rear of the trailer.  The wheels were left over from another project.  It would be nice to have used a set of lighter bike wheels, but part of the purpose of this project was to see what I could do with what I had on hand.  The bed is a piece of scrap luan drilled out for weight and held on with zip ties.  Left over webbing was used front and rear to save weight.

Aluminum sides hold the axles which are bolts running through blocks of scrap oak.  These are of aluminum sheet salvaged from an old stop sign.  The only thing I purchased for this, besides the walkers themselves, were some nuts and bolts and the hitch.  The hitch is a 3/8 inch Ball Joint Linkage Quick-Disconnect from McMaster Carr, $7.  I do not have any pics of the trailer in progress, but it is not too difficult to see how it goes together just from the photos.

The weak part of the design is probably the rack on my trike.  It is not the strongest rack on the market.  Too much forward weight on the trailer and the rack could bend.  A stiffer rack would work better.

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