BikeHacks

Hack Hiatus

This is a quick announcement noting that I will be taking a short hiatus from blogging to tend to other pressing matters.  We get tons of spam comments which means I have to manually approve things, so while you are welcome to comment, please note that comments will likely not be approved until I return.  Feel free to peruse the archives while I am out for all the years of hacking goodness we have available.

Regular posts will likely resume in early December.

Peace, Love, and Bikes!

Clothing Hanger Bike Rack Hack

In a past entry I noted a problem with an inadequate rack.  The rack needed enhancement to help keep my pannier from hitting my spokes, and recently reader Andrew also encountered a rack job.  Check it out . . .

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Leaving the Hopworks Urban Brewery after an especially heavy Portland deluge, I encountered the bike of a fellow traveler who also chose to wait it out under their roof, over a pint of HUB. At first, these violet colored plastic coat hangers looked like a wacky fashion statement, but eventually I realized that they are spoke guards. Our hacker needs a wider platform to prevent the panniers from swinging into the wheels, not the overkill of a stout, large-framed touring rack.

Poetry in Motion

We have featured many haiku contests on this blog, and reader Yvonne emailed us and wrote the following:

I enjoy your blog! I think bike commuters need more than haikus. I think we need epic poetry, like the Norse Sagas or Beowulf to celebrate our sometimes heroic efforts to get to work. I wrote this to celebrate my first bike commute after a long illness. (The ATL is where I work.)

Here is her effort, and a picture of her steed to match . . . thanks Yvonne.

A gray sky ceiling   shrouded Cambridge
When ATL staffer   starting sure-footed
Cycled downhill   (and walked the cycle
Up slopes seeming   tall as mountains).

Sidewalks succored   her fatigued figure
After grimly grinding   into the granny gears
Of her brave bike   newly burnished but
Unable to crest the   seeming cliffs of
Uphill riding   onto campus.

Prudently swerving   plentiful potholes
Rerouting around   road construction. She
Many times damned   Boston drivers
And the havoc-wreaking   Hades of backhoes
Digging huge holes   on Huron Ave.

DIY Air Horn

I ride with a brass bell and like it, but I find myself in a damned if I do, damned if I don't circumstances.  Half of the time I use my bell, people give me a dirty look.  When I don't use it, people also give me a dirty look or yell at me half the time.  The other half of the time in both instances, most people are wearing headphones and are oblivious to anything going on around them.

I am lucky that I don't ride around cars too often, but I have in the past and I know my brass bell likely would not get the attention of someone piloting a motor vehicle.  A horn on a bike is not a new idea, but reader George came up with a rather sophisticated DIY version.  Take it away George . . .

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The key component is a 3 way 2 position manual valve that can be found in specialized pneumatics & automation stores, choose the smallest model. Now you can select the other components as connectors, the "T" and the air hose diameter based on the size of the valve and it's connections. Explain the schematics to the owner, it helps to find the best solution available.

The schrader valve I took from an used inner tube, and the horn body from an used gas horn. To adapt those and the PET bottle cap to the connectors, I used bicomponent epoxy glue. It dries fast and seals tightly.

At last you'll have to improvise ways to fix the parts to the frame, since many things can vary. For instance, I used a rubber pad to put between the valve and the handlebar, tied with nylon wraps.
For safety avoid to put more than 80 PSI in the bottle, although I read it can hold more.

Buzina a ar alternativa from George Rufato on Vimeo.

 

 

Walletforphone Giveaway Post 2

As we announced in October, in collaboration with the folks responsible for the Walletforphone products, we are giving away several of their products for readers to review.  Many people submitted their name for consideration and I am happy to publish the names of those who were randomly selected to receive a free product.  First up, those who were selected for the bike mount.

Bike Mount Recipients are:

Ford Knowlton

Frank O'Leary

Scott Thigpen

Next, those who were selected for the arm mount.

Arm mount recipients are -

Ty Blaker

Rene Perez

Dennis Kent

Walletforphone

Walletforphone

Help a Student

We received an email from a student asking for help to determine the viability of a bike product as part of a class project.  The product would assist cyclists in carrying stuff on a bike. The academic project requires some survey information and we were asked if we could help the project receive the necessary feedback to determine product viability.

I completed the survey in less than 5 minutes. The proposed concept looks pretty cool and is something I would be interested in seeing produced.  So, if you can spare a few minutes, click here to complete the survey and help some enterprising students out.