BikeHacks

Theft or Liberation? - Post #5

In my last post in this series I noted that I had successfully installed my PURCHASED front basket, however this led to a big problem for someone who often commutes in the dark - handlebar mounted headlights are rendered ineffective when placing contents in the basket. But thanks to inspiration from previous posts on this blog, I had a relatively easily solution. I proceeded through what one might call a Goldilocks and the Three Bears progression.

I thought about this solution, which I had spotted on a bike on the mean streets of NYC back in the day - nice, but reaching the light while riding would not be natural or easy . . .

I then thought about this bikecommuters.com inspired idea - two lights is a concept I liked very much . . . but when using a bungee net to secure contents in the basket, the straps and lights might not get along due to the lights being close to the "loading/strap zone" . . . 

So I settled for the best of both - keeping the lights under the basket means they stay out of the way of strapping things in, and keeping the lights off to the sides means I can reach them easily while riding. I chose plumping clamps as the means to secure the PVC pipe to the basket. 

I love this solution as well due to the fact that you never know when your batteries are going to give up on you. Yes, you can carry extra batteries with you, but then you have to stop and put them in. Now, if one light goes out I have the other. Also, I can use a combination of modes if I like - I can have one set to constant and the other set to blink. Or if it's really dark or the surface is really challenging, I can set both to the high constant setting. 

To get the fit of the light mounts just right, I used some gaffer tape - not matching of course as I want my bike to be as offensive to the eyes as possible. 

You might think the story is over, but after cutting the PVC pipe to the desired length I had some left over. This got me to thinking, "What might I use the extra pipe for?" I did come up with something and guesses in comments based upon this previous picture of my bike are welcome . . .

 . . . and those who leave a comment will be considered for a bikehacks.com sticker giveaway. 

Series Links

Post #1
Post #2
Post #3
Post #4
Post #5

Theft or Liberation? - Post #4

In the last post in this series, I noted that I ordered the front basket I had been coveting and that it "kind of worked out" - which needs some explanation. To that end . . .

I needed some other work done on my bike so I left it at the shop to have them install the basket when it arrived. I got a call from the shop telling me that my bike was kind of ready, which was a first. Typically your bike either is or is not ready to pick up. The dude who called me was not the one who had worked on the bike and said the mechanic would explain when I arrived. As a reminder, this is the product I had ordered -

And if you notice, at the end of the red arrow there is a series of three holes which are meant to allow for adjustment when installing the basket. However, the basket that had been delivered only had one set of holes drilled - pretty strange really. The mechanic had installed the basket, but could not thread the screws that came with the basket through the holes due to a slight mismatch between the bend in my handlebars and the basket hooks. He did say that with a little coaxing, he thought the basket could be made to fit, but he did not want to take responsibility for the "coaxing". I took a look and although flummoxed as to why additional holes were not drilled, decided that I was probably capable of making things work. I discussed two options with the mechanic -

1) drilling additional holes
2) bending the clamps to fit my handlebars

He gave me a couple of zip ties and I threaded them through the holes to secure the basket for the journey home. 

After arriving home I cracked open a beer and stared at the hooks and handlebars for a while, I decided to choose the bending option and covered a hammer with an old sock and started to "coax" the hooks. I was successful, however the bolts that came with the rack were a bit too thick to fit through the holes when I had them lined up - I could get the bolt through the top hole, however due to the bend it hit the handlebar and I could not get it through the second hole. I knew a thinner bolt would work, but that I would also likely need a washer to keep the thinner bolt from sliding through the hole. A quick trip to the hardware store and . . .

Success. 

However, the story is not over. I had a nice new (coaxed on) front basket, but it's installation rendered my handlebar mounted light ineffective! What to do! Stay tuned . . . 

Series Links

Post #1
Post #2
Post #3
Post #4
Post #5

Custom Aluminium Tube Rear Rack - Part Deux

Reader Herman recently submitted a post detailing how he used aluminium tubes to create a pretty awesome rack. Herman is back at it and sent along the following update. I could be wrong, but there seems to be evidence that points to Herman being one who celebrates Festivus. Take it away Herman . . .

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Fork mounted front racks if loaded heavy enough would make the steering slow and sluggish. Not good for manoeuvring through tight spaces. And would make loading and unloading very hard. To keep the steering feel the same, frame mounting is the solution. Using the same materials (about 1mm thickness) that I used for my rear rack. Each tube can support at least up to 10kg at the tip so that adds up to 20kg for two tubes. A bit flexy with heavy weights but the tubes can be easily replaced with thicker walled ones or stainless steel for more strength and/or stiffness.

Custom Aluminium Tube Rear Rack

The cargo you carry can help influence the rack or racks you choose. Not satisfied with off the shelf rack options, reader Herman got creative with aluminium tubes (in the U.S. we call it aluminum). Take it away Herman . . . 

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Custom rear rack made from 1" aluminium tubes and connectors. This is designed to carry my wife and a child.

Commercially available aluminium racks are never straight, are flexy with heavy loads and have low weight capacity. Stainless steel racks are available but very expensive. If PVC parallettes are strong enough to support a person's weight, these 1 inch aluminium tubes should be more than strong enough to do the job.

This is the rack, removed in one piece.

Some close up shots of the rack.

 

Here is the full bike in action with load.

 

 

Budget Trip Bike Hacks

It's been a long time since I have engaged in recreational travel by bike. I commute daily, but my last purely recreational trip was far too long ago. Reader Caio has been involved in a bit of travel and sent along this inspirational story.

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I am on a budget trip around Europe for a few months now. After traveling by bus/train/hitchhike/walk, I decided it would be a good idea to travel by bike for a while. So I went in search of a cheap bike in Zagreb, where I was at the moment. It was pretty had to find used bikes, and they seemed expensive to me. Best find was an old MTB for 50 Euros. After replacing a bottom bracket and the front tyre, buying repair kit, tools, pump, and a spare tube, it costed me around 80 euros. Now I only needed the panniers. I quick look, and the cheapest one I found that would serve my needs was 100 euros, used. 

 

So... I went to the recycling company, found the plastic section, and scored two 30L gallons and a basket.

 

 

I cut to bottom of the gallons as to make a lid, and wrapped the opening with old inner tubes I got from the bike shop, as to protect my gear from ripping when i stuff it in and out of the gallons. I also helps with sealing it a bit against splashes of water and rain.

 

 

I put two hooks in each gallon and that was enough to fix them to the gear rack. Then I added the basket on top of the gallons, secured with a bungee cord.

 

 

I was lucky enough to meet a great friend in Zagreb, which had some graffiti experience, and was willing to help me add some colors to my panniers.

 

 

At the end, I put my backpack on top of everything and there it is, a 6 Euro pannier :)

 

 

 

 

Seat Post Rack Basket Hack

While in NYC recently I spotted a hack that I found both admirable and foolish at the same time. Here is what I spotted - 

It's the method of attaching the basket to the seat post rack that is the hack.

And if it is not apparent from afar, there was some serious effort made at mounting the basket to the rack. We are talking drilling holes through sheet metal and using some serious screws. 

While I admire this hack, I once did something somewhat similar in the past and the seat post rack ended up breaking. I don't have a picture of the set up I am referring to, however I do have a picture of the box that I had attached to the seat post rack. After the seat post rack broke, I attached the same box to a braze-on mounted rack. 

A few months after attaching the box to the seat post mounted rack, the rack broke where the horizontal post was welded to the coupling (if that's what it is called) that fit over the seat post. Maybe seat post racks have improved over time, and readers are more than welcome to comment on the durability of seat post racks in the comments section. If you are looking to haul anything of substance, I would strongly recommend using a braze-on mounted rack - and the sheet metal method of attachment would be a very sturdy method of attaching a basket to a rack. 

It's pretty clear the reason the owner of the bike above is using a seat post rack is that the bike does not have braze-on mounts. If that's the case, you can use clamps like these as a substitute for braze-ons:

Or you could actually buy a bike that is meant to have a rack mounted to it =)

 

Wicker Good

I love finding ways to incorporate classic music videos into posts, and within milliseconds of receiving an email from reader Isaac, I pulled up this classic.  

 

 

 

I have no idea what was consumed to inspire this 1980 video, but whatever it was, it can be credited with ushering in a wave of massive 1980s political incorrectness. If this video had been released in 2015, I can only imagine the whiplash that would have ensued. Thank you Isaac for your wicker hack, it is indeed wicker good. 

 

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I make and sell jewelry on the city-center streets of Glasgow, Scotland. I have loads of stuff (including my nifty cardboard sign) that I need to transport and was fed-up walking with everything the 3 miles to my street corner. Seeing as my wife and I are both paying exorbitant international student fees to study in Glasgow, I recently realized, "who needs a real-life rack and paniers?" So, out the back door and into the alley I went, where I discovered a splendid wicker prize.

Anyway, I made a rear-basket type of dealy by removing the drawers from this stunning unit (must have been from the Victorian era...) and punching out the middle supports.

Then I just turned it on its back and ziptied/bungeed the hell out of it to my seat-stays, seat tube and rear mudguard.

 

 

It's a marvel of modern engineering, and life has never been easier.

Gold Prospector Bike Hack

Reader Josh sent along the following . . . 49er hack.

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This bike is used by a Gold prospector in the San Bernardino mountains outside of Los Angeles. It's constructed out of electrical conduit and scrap aluminum. I wish I had a pic of it all loaded up with his gold panning gear.

If you look closely you can see that the owner, instead of trying to attach the top of the rack near the rear of the bike has wire-tied it along both sides of the top tube. There is also a bolt through the top tube and conduit near the head tube to secure it all extra good-like. It may look tired but it gets the prospector and his equipment to the river every weekend.

Wrinkle Free Bike Hack

Back in 2010 I posted this hack and asked readers to guess the purpose. The bike belonged to a laundry service and the employees would use the platform to stack on bags of laundry for delivery. 

I escaped Boston, other wise known as Ice Planet Hoth, recently and spotted this laundry service vehicle in the West Village. 

Looks like a great wrinkle free hack to me. 

 

Banana Seat Rack

I recently spotted this unique solution to carrying an extra passenger. Just adding a banana seat to an existing rack seems sensible, you would just want to make sure to check the rack load capacity as the passenger got bigger.