BikeHacks

Bike Fork Rack Hack

Reader Ruben sent along this hack he spotted. I think the model/manufacturer name on the downtube paired with this particular hack is a classic combination.

 

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Saw this bike leaning up outside a grocery store in Victoria, BC.

A front fork was bolted onto the rear dropouts, with a little scrap metal holding it away from the seatpost. The stem of the fork was jammed through a hole in the bottom of a plastic garbage can to make an oddball sort of carrier.

DIY Bike Box

Reader Bruno was looking for a way to carry miscellaneous stuff with him and he sent along a hack he came up with. His hack reminded me of a DIY Box of my own I created a few years ago.  Here was mine . . .

And here is Bruno's write up and pictures . . . the only thing I question is the length of the bolts on the inside.  For mine I put the bolts the other way around (facing out rather than in) and used wing nuts so I could easily take it off if I wanted to.

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So I needed a bike box to put all that stuff that I have to carry when riding. Things like tools, lights and stuff. I searched some bike stores, all the boxes I found were very expensive and some of them seemed to be fragile. Then I searched this awesome site and found some ideas. I had this Whey Protein Package just lying in my house and decided to put it to good use!

I did some modifications and now I have a big, tough and very red bike box! The project is very simple and I spent a total of 2 dollars (without the cost of the whey protein). The two holes I did on the lid are so I can use a lock, as you can see on the pictures

DIY Wood Bike Projects

Reader Steve sent along some hacks he put together using "cull lumber." What in the heck is cull lumber? Cull lumber is typically scrap lumber left over when a customer has a piece cut in store and does not need the part that is cut, or it is lumber that is not sellable at full price.  It might be damaged or warped in some way. One man's junk is another man's bike hack. Take it away Steve . . .

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Just a few inexpensive DIY bike racks, bike stand, and retractable space saver work bench. I used cull lumber for most of the lumber. They sell it for 70% off usually at Home Depot.

Band Practice Bike Hack

Reader Andy wanted a way to help his son transport his saxophone to school and submitted the following text and picture.

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My high-school aged son rides to school daily, and was having to transport his sax back and forth for band practice. I had bought him a rack (the Delta Post Porter Rack) for a bikepacking trip we did in fall, but the saxophone case was just too long and heavy to attach safely.

 

I cut a piece of 1 x 10 pine to length, to attach to the rack at the front with two screws, and also drilled twelve holes through to attach with zip ties to six other locations on the side tubes of the rack. I relieved the top of the board with a chisel between each pair of holes so that the zip ties are below flush. Then I added a second piece of wood to make a lip at the back that prevents the case from sliding off. The case is therefore wedged between the saddle and the lip.

 

 

A short piece of flat metal bar with holes attached to the bottom is for the rear strap. I put two tie-down straps on, then cut to length and melted the ends, so that there is no way they can get into the spokes.

 

The rack is very secure and convenient for him. He just takes the whole rack off the seat post when not needed, instead of cutting the zip ties. We had a very dry summer, but if we saw rain I'd put a few coats of paint or polyurethane on.

This is the general type of strap that I had laying around. Ratchet straps would work, but be overkill and more fiddly for him. I'm not sure I'd trust Bungees for this.

 

Trailer Hitch Bike Repair Stand Hack

Reader Mark sent us an elegant and simple solution to using your mobile hitch mounted bike rack as a bike repair stand.  Take it away Mark . . .

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Purchased a $25 trailer hitch from Northern Tool and mounted sideways on an end cabinet.

Used my auto bike rack that was taking up room in the garage. Hang my bike from the rack for easy maintenance.

Most car racks have straps to limit movement. This also utilizes something that most of us have laying around. When complete, simply remove the car rack and retun it to the spot where it was collecting dust.

 

Mounting a Rear Rack on a BOB Trailer

A lot of great bike hacks are motivated by the desire to transport beer. Reader Robert sent along this cool video of he and a friend adding a rear rack to a BOB trailer, making it possible to carry more beer amongst other things.  Power tools, welding, and sparks make it all the more fun to watch.  If you have added one storage device to another or have come up with a hack motivated by beer transport, let us know.  Robert wrote -

We managed to mount a Pannier Rack to the back of a BOB trailer to hold an additional set of Panniers. This is great for long distance touring.

 

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.

Go Big or Go Home?

For a long time I rode with a back pack and/or a pannier and I was getting tired of dealing with a sweaty back and/or packing constaints.  I made a trip to Home Depot and cruised the basket isle to see if I could find something assist me with my packing needs.

I found a basket that fit rear rack perfectly, but the basket had a larger cousin that appealed to me more.  I ended up going with the larger basket and it has worked out great.  I can make the basket "smaller" by just packing heavy stuff near the front, or I can distribute lighter stuff, like the suitbag I take to work with my work attire. 

I attached it with some pipe clamps and now I just need to wait for election season to end so I can scour the local trash for coroplast election signs to line the basket with.

DIY PVC Bike Rack

To me this falls into the category of a hack that takes a lot of effort for very little reward, but to each their own.  Submitted by reader J Hanks.

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I stumbled across a PVC rear bike rack on this a site but found no instructions so I went my own way.  I started with 2 10ft x ¾inches, 10 pk of T joints and 10pk of Elbows.

I never figured out how to attach it to the rear of the frame, then somehow I took my seat and post out and figured another T joint would slide right in there.  I used one 1 inch T around the seat post and 1 in to ¾in adapter to a ¾T joint.  I then used zip ties and bungee cords to try to secure it.  Another option might be to drill a hole through my seat post to secure the 1in T joint.

Shopping Cart and Tandem Bike Love Story

There once was a lonely tandem bicycle, longing for a partner.  An old hobbled shopping cart was lonely as well.  Thanks to the work of reader Joel, these two were able to get together and have a beautiful relationship.  Cue the romance music . . .

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I made a basket out of a shopping cart for a tandem bicycle.



I welded a cut cart to a seat post for the rear, and now we can go get groceries easily! Always get tons of thumbs ups, some people even asked if I bought it online. Nope!



The cart was from a local store (asked the manager for one with a busted wheel). picked it up with a normal bike and rode home dragging it along side of me, very noisy but got it home!

A seat post for the mount, welded braces to help support the load. The seat post is locked in place normally so you can remove the basket and re-attach the rear seat. The basket was designed to fit between the rear rider's handlebars so the basket does not spin.



The cart was shortened so it was not so tall. I had to weld rebar across the front of the basket so the cart's door would stay in place.

When I ran this idea past friends we all thought it would be too top heavy, hard to balance with all the weight, etc. Turns out it is very stable and centered, and even with heavy loads you barely know you have 20-50lbs back there.

I've transported simple stuff like food, but more challenging things like a drill press, large postal boxes, tool boxes, guitar amp, among other things.



Some carts come with cup holders near the handle, so I took that cup holder and attached it to the handle bars. Took the scrap pieces from the cart and recycled them as well.



We live in Missoula Montana, a very bike friendly city so we always opt to ride when possible to run errands.

We call this bike the TRUCKFIGHTER, and it's tough!