BikeHacks

Burley Turned into Cruising Trailer

Reader LuMax has at least three things going for him -

1) He likes to sip frosty beverages outside

2) He cruises on his bike to places where he can sip said beverages

3) He is a very patient person

Evidence of #3 can be found in the fact that LuMax sent his hack along to me some time ago, and it got buried under my life.  However, he patiently waited and sent me a follow up email.  After feeling guilty for a little while, I soothed the emotional pain with a frosty beverage and then got to posting.

Some of the best hacks are when you can take a product and modify it, while keeping somewhat true to the original intent.  LuMax took this used Burley he found on Craig's List . . .

. . . and turned it into this bad ass beer hauling trailer. 

Dogs and biking also go well together as evidenced by the sheer joy of the dogs in the hand crafted basket. 

The whole themed set up is super sweet, and as noted, the basket was made from scratch, and even has an 8 ball light on the front. 

All the steps and gory details can be found in a series of awesome entries LuMax posted on BikeForums.net. Thanks LuMax!  And for others who have submitted ideas that have yet to get posted, keep hope alive, and bug me if you feel like it =)

Stained Glass Bike Wheels

I am constantly amazed by the creative uses people come up with for bike parts and reader Matteo, who blogs at Fuji Crazy, submitted some super cool stuff.  I would have never thunk to turn a wheel into a piece of stained glass art, but Matteo's grandfather did and the results are outstanding.

Matteo also came up with a creative use for some old spokes, mounting a shelf, and used a wheel for a wreath.  Thanks Matteo!

* * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * * *

                                                                               * * * * * * * * *

Beat Bullets into Bar End Plugs

Some might be familiar with the phrase, "Beat your swords into plowshares" and this hack is a nice twist on the concept.  Perhaps beating bullets into bar end plugs will become part of the bike hacker lexicon.  Reader Josh provided the following text and pictures. 

* * * * * * *

I first saw this hack on a bike my previous boss had. He had an old cruiser bike that he got off a farm somewhere in the Midwest, and it had the same. As soon as I saw the shells in the bar ends, I knew it was the solution for me.

I do still like the feel of the bare aluminum bars instead of tape, tho. Even in the winter.

There's one shot you can see that's taken from the side (first picture below). I took that one so you could see how after a crash or two, the two metals got scraped in a way that the shells don't come out as easily as they once did. When I originally put them in, they were tight enough not to jostle out, but loose enough that a fingernail and a little bit of force could pull them out. I don't really store anything in there, so I'm ok with them just staying put. I don't recall having to sand or grind the shells or the inside of the handlebar tube at all, but it was a close enough fit that I thought at first that it might not fit without it. Working it around at an angle was enough to get it there.

I got the empty shells from a local gun store. They collect old shells, and reload them. This is a cheaper way to get ammunition than buying it new. What it meant for me is that they had a bunch of different guage shells for me to try out. I don't think I paid anything for the empty shells, but if I did, it would have been 2 bucks or less.



                                                                             * * * * * * * * * *

Bike Bucket

Carrying stuff on your back while riding can be a pain and some people will go to great lengths to avoid sweaty back syndrome.  I have seen creative uses for buckets before, but this might take the cake.  Reader Mike, who also submitted a DIY Bike Flasher, transformed a 5-gallon bucket into a cool trunk.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I hate to wear anything on my back while riding, but I like to bring a backpack to work to carry my Doritos and whatnot. I'd been sticking the backpack to my rack using a four-legged spider of bungee cords, which added a few minutes of fiddling to my day that I wanted to subtract.
 
I'm using a horizontal 5-gallon bucket with a hinged plywood lid. The little curved white bits between the bucket and the plywood base are plastic cutting board material, but plywood would work just as well (maybe better). This design has good balance (maybe better than a pannier on one side might be? I've never used one of those so I'm ignorant there) and is water-resistant (though I haven't ridden in the rain yet). But the main advantage I wanted was a super-fast load/unload, and I definitely got that!

Materials:

5-gallon bucket (don't buy one - find one, they're all over the place!) 
plywood (base is about 12"x8", lid is a 12" circle)
hinge (one is okay, two would be better)
latch 
J-bolts (x4)
screws, washers

Tools:

jigsaw, driver/drill, wrench.

A few notes on construction: The plywood parts are all stuck together with wood screws, and the bucket is screwed to the curved plywood pieces using wood screws with washers. J-bolts hold the base to the bike rack. A pin holds the latch shut. The thickness of the plywood shouldn't make too much difference, but I used 3/4" for the base parts and the stationary part of the lid, and 1/2" for the part of the lid that swings. Cost: the price of the bucket is probably the biggest variable, but can often be $0 if you're willing to do a little poking around - I know it's hard to believe but folks throw these away! The hardware should be under $6. Time: about an hour.

* * * * * * * *

* * * * * * *

Junior Bike Basket

Most of the hacks featured on this site are Sr. sized, but Jr. sized hacks are cool too.  Reader John clued us into this great hack featured over on You Ain't Got Jack. Milk jugg + zip ties = smile

Photo Credit to You Ain't Got Jack

 

Bike Chain Table

Bike chains are not exactly the most repurposable item.  Sure they get used for tchotchke type things like key chains or for security, keeping your seat on your bike, but I would never have thought to make furniture from chains.  Reader Ben, who last month was responsible for a collapsible bike repair stand post, came up with a cool looking and practical use for some old chains.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I made this table as a small prototype to learn how to work with the bike chains. The table is 14" x 14" x 18" tall. The frame is 3/4" angle iron.

I used about 20 chains that I got from a local Bike Co-Op (BICAS Tucson) that saves salvaged parts for art projects. I laid out the chains with the table up side down and then welded in steel rod and a piece of flat steel on the underside to support the chains. The support pieces are welded to the frame and then to the chains. A lot of the chains were still loose so I welded several links of the chains together.  I have the frame welded up for a larger version (18"x36"x29"tall) and hope to have that done in January.

UPS Moose Mitts

Winter finally feels like it has arrived in the northeast and keeping your hands warm in cold temps can be a challenge.  The delivery riders in NYC are prolific when it comes to bike hacks and these UPS bag moose mitts are evidence of creative genius at work.  Another example of a great hand warming hack that incorporates plastic cartons can be seen here. If you have hacks for hand warmth, feel free to send them our way . . . oh, and Happy New Year!

DVD Bike Reflector Hack

Repurposing is a common theme on Bike Hacks, and if your movie tastes have changed, reader Jim sent along a hack he spotted that might make for a good repurposed reflector.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

While in Mexico, a bicycle I saw had a faded DVD as a rear reflector. I'm sure it didn't work any more since it was so faded, but I'm sure it reflected quite well when newer. Of course the bike was quite faded as you can see in the picture. By the way, they offered to sell or rent the bike to me while I was there. Our depressed economy is reflecting on their economy.

Pencil Sharpener Bike Hack - Part 2

A few days ago we ran a post on a pencil sharpener bike hack, and a few readers expressed an interest in seeing it action.  I sent the hacker, Michael, an email and he responded right away with the following video.  The chain hangs free and all that is required is some pulling. Thanks Michael!

 

Bike Tire/Inner Tube Wreath

Tired of hanging around the out of town relatives?  Is your team getting crushed early making it miserable to watch the game?  Disillusioned with holiday consumerism? Electronic beeps from new games/devices driving you mad?  

If the holidays are getting you down, here's a hack from holiday past to give you a pick me up.  Step into your work space and repurpose a tire or inner tube. Reader Menard from Austin provided us with an easy hack to spread some cheer. Menard's Flickr name is BackAmp and he writes the following:

This isn't exactly a BIKE hack, but it is a bike part hack reuse.  I needed something circular to make a "wreath" to hang over my garage light.  A quick look around the garage and I found the perfect item - a old tire I couldn't bear to throw out.

I'm planning to leave the light strand on the tire and just stash the whole thing in the attic for next year.

Do you have a bike themed holiday idea?  Let us know.