BikeHacks

Taipei Bike Trailer

Peter from beyond1200.com sent us the following:

Spotted this custom bike trailer on my way home from work the other evening (Nangang, Taipei).  The push cart was just wrapped onto the rear rack.  I'm not sure what the extra pole on the right on the rack is for though. Maybe a stabilizer.

I can imagine that with those small, hard wheels on the back, it must be a quite a symphony of sound to listen to as the rider pulls the trailer along.

Six Pack Bike Rack Hack

All photo credits in this post go to Ryan.

If you didn't get the Dolores Chiller you wanted for the holidays, consider this great six pack front rack hack sent to us from Bike Hacks reader Ryan 'HandsomeRyan' Cooper.  Ryan isn't hip, young, or urban...but he rides a fixie.  If you have ever ridden a fixie and tried to carry anything in your hands at the same time it can be tricky at times...especially if you are hauling precious cargo.


For the rack construction, welded steel angle iron was used...along with some u-bolts to attach the handlebars to it.  Total cost for this is approximately $20 and 2hrs of labor (if your handy with welding).



For now, Ryan uses his rack hack for hauling brews and claims it is improving his efficiency in beer consumption...Bike Hacks is skeptical of said claim and would like to test this theory out for ourselves.

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.

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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.

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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

 

The Precious

Some people bike with precious cargo, but I was a bit stumped when I passed this bike the other day.  Thoughts from readers on the exact point of this hack are welcome . . . logical or not =)

 

Fridge Freezer Bike Basket Hack

It's cold outside where I live.  Not traditional Boston cold from what I hear, I have only lived here for about a year now, more Climate Change kind of cold.  I hear that temperatures around freezing here are pretty mild when compared to years gone by.  It is winter however and reader Matthew submitted a chilly hack.  Enjoy.

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I have had a bike rack in the shed for a while so all I needed was a basket to go with it. The inspiration for making a basket came from similar storage hacks on your site.

The basket was constructed using two old fridge freezer drawers and connecting them together. I only had to remove one wire section from the deeper drawer using a hacksaw and using a bit of force they were joined together to create a basket.

An old seat post clamp was used to clamp the basket to the bike rack. Additionally a couple of nuts of bolts and a few cable ties were used to complete the fixings. The finishing touches were rear reflectors and lights on the rear of the basket.

Macho Newspaper Delivery Bike

I have a trailer and occasionally I will use it to transport stuff to work or to get groceries.  When I use the trailer, I always feel a bit macho. Imagine me speaking in my best neanderthal voice, "Me Man! Me Transport heavy objects with own strength.  Me Macho!"

In reality I am anything but macho since I probably transport like 40 or 50 pounds and I don't do it daily.  Reader David on the other hand is Macho.  He transports several hundred pounds, every day.  If you think you are macho, let us know.  Take it away David . . .

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I made a cargo bike for delivering newspapers (200 to 300 daily).  I have what is called a single-copy route which means I fill vending boxes and stores as opposed to delivering individual homes.  It is two mountain bike frames put together with aluminum frames that fold out to hold the side containers. When not in use, the tubs all stack in the center tub and the side frames fold down.

This bike is much faster that the trailer set up I was using before I built this as I can cruise at normal bike speeds (15 to 20 mph)  The whole thing with tubs only weighs 51 lbs and can haul up to 200 lbs easily.

Bike 'n Ski

Reader Martha sent in this great hack that she spotted . . . perfect for the winter recreation season.

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On a vacation to Colorado, I noticed a sweet bike hack outside a liquor store.



Someone had transformed their bike into a ski equipment hauler - they had a milk crate on their rear rack to hold ski boots, and a bungee cord to strap the poles to the side of the crate.



When I came out of the store to take pics of the bike, I had the chance to talk to its owner.  He showed me how he straps his skis, perfectly balanced, onto his backpack, giving him the ability to carry everything he needs to the slopes.



He said that he uses the crate to haul beer after a day of skiing.  He also said that after carrying all of his gear to the slopes, the actual skiing part always feels like a breeze, and he does it all winter long.  It's certainly the most unusual bike hack I've ever seen, and yet entirely practical.

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Some studded tires might also come in handy...or maybe a Pugsley if you want an "off the shelf" solution to snow riding.

Shelf Bracket Bike Rack and Repair Stand

Bike racks and repair stands are among the most common search terms we see in our stats and reader Scott contacted us with yet another spin on this topic.  Take it away Scott . . .

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I don't mind spending money on my bike - if it makes sense, but I hate wasting it on over-engineered accessories that can be easily replaced by something simpler and just as functional.

I always wanted a work stand, but-

1] Don't have the room to store one, and

2] Don't have the budget for one anyways. 

Fast forward to my moving into a new house, and putting up shelves in the garage to store all my junk.  Staring me in the face are an extra pair of stamped steel shelf brackets, the one piece ones that are approx. 12" long.  Screwed into the studs of the wall at 16" on center, they are plenty sturdy enough to support my bike, so now I have a way to store it off the floor, as well as do service and adjustments - like cleaning/lubing the chain, adjusting the cables, etc.

As my bicycle is my baby, I couldn't bear to see it get scratched from metal-on-metal contact, so a well-used inner tube sacrificed itself to make grippy covers for the arms.  Soaked in some soapy water, they slid over the arms with just the right amount of resistance, and when dry locked onto the arms tightly.  Now the frame doesn't slide around and get scratched up, and it is much more stable when working on it.

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There are other shelf brackets out there, like the ones used in closets - they have a "u" drop at the ends to support a closet rod - or in our case, a top tube of a bike frame.  It also allows you to mount a shelf on top to hold your helmet and shoes, or cleaning supplies or tools.  Maybe next time...

Military Bike Bags

Carrying gear is an important part of riding but specialized bags can be expensive.  Reader CamoDeafie came up with an affordable options for those wanting to tote stuff around on their whip.

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My Name is CamoDeafie and I operate a VERY small tactical gear business.  I had a pile of USGI military equipment and after noticing how expensive dedicated panniers and bike bags were locally, I decided to dive into my pile of equipment, and came out with several bags with which to experiment.

This is the first attempt with my father's Bridgestone MTB/City commuter; 2 Army Frames on the cargo rack with straps, and reversed (relative to how they;re worn on person), and army rucksacks on them, and a 50 caliber ammo can being used as a waterproof trunk.

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Riding it around town, I found it to be very difficult to get on when swinging leg over the rear wheel; so when I got the Leeworld Mountain Sport and 60s Schwinn Skyway, I decided to test the smaller bags I have on the Skyway, found it to be satisfactory, transferred the Skyway;'s rear cargo rack to the Leeworld since the Leeworld is my primary bicycle.

Using 3 USGI 3-day field packs in woodland camo, and 3 USGI Medical Pockets in same pattern, I have put in a comprehensive medical kit in the two small pouches between the seat and the larger bags, and cold weather cap and wool glove liners with leather outer gloves in the 3rd small pouch positioned on the stem; and in the 3 larger bags, I have 2 to 3 days worth of clothes in one, a blanket and a rain poncho in another, and a fleece sweater and a lighter outer jacket in the third.

I have room for another bag in between the rack bags, OR the ammo can, if i can find my long bungee straps for securing it without drilling holes; and I am on the look out for a specific style rear rack since the Leeworld does not have brazed eyelets for rack mounts, so it is either one done the same as the Skyway, mounted to the seat post clamp bolt location, or one that clamps in between the seat stays, above the bridge, or one that attaches to the bridge where rear brake can be mounted.