BikeHacks

Collapsible Plastic Crate Bike Basket

I have been thinking for some time now about some sort of basket for my back rack.  I have been riding with a backpack a lot and it can get sweaty.  The problem for me is that I need some sort of basket has a low profile because of how I store my bike in my apartment.  Reader Gene might just have solved my problem.  He sent along the following text and pictures. 

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For the past month or so I had been wanting to add some sort of basket to the rear of my bike. While I appreciate the utility of a milk crate, I really didn't like the way they looked all that much and wasn't inclined to steal one. My wife and I checked out some antique stores to look for old baskets or wooden boxes, but everything there is pretty expensive for what they are. When we passed the checkout, I saw a mail sorter/office basket on the counter and mentioned that something like that would be perfect. We decided to hit an office supply store on our way home.

While looking around at Office Depot, I happened upon several baskets and trays but nothing seemed to be exactly what I needed. Ultimately, I wanted something big enough for a standard-sized backpack. Lo and behold, I saw a collapsible plastic crate priced at a mere $7 and thought that it might work perfectly.

I took it home and attached it to my bike rack with bungee cords. While the crate worked as I had hoped, I wasn't crazy about the bungee cords. It was stable but not as secure as I would have liked. My solution was to drill holes in the bottom of the crate and to run cable/zip ties through the holes that I then fastened to the rack. It works perfectly. I drilled about four more holes than I actually needed, but they'll serve as drainage when it's outside on a rainy day while I'm at work.

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Trio of Simple Bike Hacks

Reader Richard from Indianapolis submitted the following text and pictures.

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I'm not a "big" hacker, but don't believe you "need" bike stuff to be "bike stuff".  Sometimes other things serve just as well.  I have no need for special "bike" socks, for example.  And most often my riding shorts are military cargo shorts or pants over a Canari liner.

Handlebar/seat bag:  was my first bag on my bike.  Was riding loops at a park so no need for tools, tubes, etc.  So had one on handlebars and one on seat.  Holds phone or camera, ID, snack, keys, etc.  I think I paid $3 each on eBay.  Held on with 3 wire-ties.

Shoestring bag tie:  The rubber o-ring on my seat bag broke, leaving it a bit mobile.  Found this black shoe string from a pair of shoes and figured that would both hold the bag in place, allow it to be undone if I need to adjust the seat, and could serve other purposes such as holding pants legs away from chain, securing cargo, etc in a pinch.  Fortunately haven't had to use it yet.

Tennis racket tape/bar ends as aero bars:  Have had these bar ends on the ends and now in the center as "trial" aero bars.  Most often I ride urban routes where I have no need so have ordered in expensive clip on aero bars.  these were a free test however for longer rides in the country and have worked well.  They worked great as traditional bar ends too.  Wrapped with padded tennis racket tape then covered with a layer of electrical tape to smooth it all out.  First set I used was a free set of bar ends off a bike that was otherwise going to the trashman - by covering in tennis racket tape gives both grip and comfort, and in the case of the first set, covered the chipped blue paint.

 

Revolights - Unique Bike Light Idea

Anyone that frequents this blog at all knows that I love bike lights.  At present I have 19 batteries powering 7 different lights when I ride at night.  A couple of readers clued me in to a new idea that is met its goal on the Kickstarter page.  When it goes into full production I certainly hope they will consider Bike Hacks for a product review.  Video and pictures from the Kickstarter page. 

 

 

Gaff Tape Bike Hack

We always welcome stories concerning how readers make bikes their own and reader Chris from D.C. sent along the following text and pictures.  Enjoy.

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I purchased a 70's Gitane earlier this summer but was turned off from the original condition. Living in a condo, I didn't have the time or space to prep/prime/paint so, I did some research and purchased gaffer tape (alt. gaffers, gaffer's, gaffa) and wrapped my bike with it.

Gaff tape is great since it doesn't leave the sticky residue like duct tape/electrical tape. I rode during the rain and hot humid days, and the tape is still sticking - just make sure the surface is clean, like anything else, before you start wrapping! Though, you might get normal surface tape wear over time.

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My most recent hack occurred when I discovered a nut/bolt securing my cargo rack fell off during a ride. Needless to say, zip ties are your best friend.

Also found more uses for zip ties to prevent further loss of hardware!

Check out my helmet hack. Purchased this head lamp and secured it to my helmet.

For some kicks. Still standing after the earthquake!

 

Panda Bicycles - Bamboo Frames

A while back I noted that I ran across a bamboo bike and we were contacted by several people with ties to the fast growing wood. A reporter that put together his own bike contacted us and we did a post on his experience.

Jon did note the following in his story:

The bike's joints are wrapped in a stringy, ribbon-like carbon fiber that soaks up the epoxy. It looks like it's held together with black electrical tape after the epoxy dries overnight. You spend much of the second day filing the "lugs" smooth.

When I saw the bamboo bike in the wild I did notice that the joints are, um, kind of gnarly looking.  I actually would not mind having gnarly joints, but I know my wife would likely not be into it. 

 

Photo Credit to Joe Zorillia via NPR

Another individual involved in bamboo bike building contacted and submitted the following text and pictures.  Thank you for contacting us Jacob.  If anyone has experience with one of Panda Bicycles we would love to hear from you.  Grow on!

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My name is Jacob Castillo. I am one of the co-founders of Panda Bicycles, a Fort Collins, Colorado based bamboo frame building company. The idea was born out of a Master’s in Sustainable Business Program at Colorado State University in late 2008. Since then we’ve had a great response by people all over the world. We use the strongest species of bamboo on the planet, which we source from a sustainable farm in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

We’ve designed our bikes for cycling enthusiasts, weekend warriors, and urban commuters. The supple responsiveness and superb vibration dampening of the steel/bamboo combo makes our bikes especially well suited for people that spend a lot of time in the saddle. Like most hacks, we started out of the back room of my house- much to my wife’s chagrin- but have been fortunate enough to grow into our own shop. We affectionately call it The Greenhouse", because it is where we "grow" bikes.

Our steel joint design is patent pending and our manufacturing process is proprietary. To our knowledge, we are the only ones in the world constructing bikes the way we do. Our design and process are what yield the superb ride characteristics and elegant aesthetic that our bikes possess. I'd love to share more about our company and our bikes with fellow hacks out there. In the meantime, you can see what we do at www.pandabicycles.com. Thanks.

All pictures below are credited to Darren Mahuron of Summit Studios.

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Vise Grip Seat Clamp Hack

Hacks come in all styles.  Some are so ingenious that they blend in and you might not notice them as hacks. Others are noticable but stylish.  Others are just unsightly.  Reader GeologyJoe spotted a hack that is practical, but not likely the best long term solution.

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This bike hack is true to form.  It was a Saturday afternoon and I had taken my bike and trailer down into town to the grocery store to pick up some foodstuff and log a few miles.  I live in central Maine so this actually becomes a fairly good ride. On my way out I noticed a couple of very average mountain bikes in the rack next to me.  My guess is that the owners were inside picking up some butts and Allen's coffee brandy.

But anyway, as I was loading the trailer I looked back and the bikes and noticed that the seat clamp on one was replaced with a pair of full sized, made in the USA, vise-grips.  I'd call it Yankee ingenuity, but this is just too much of a hack solution to garner that prestigious label.

 

Duct Tape Mobile Phone Bike Mount - Part Deux

With each passing day it seems mobile phones take on some new application for our lives.  Since I started "seriously" riding back in the 80s I have always used cyclocomputers.  The only thing I am particularly interested in is speed and mileage and I know there are lots of functions I never use.  I have never used a mobile phone application for a bike related purpose (other than Google Maps) but I am sure there are tons of apps out there to track all sorts of arcane data.

Reader Jessi was inspired by a hack posted long ago and came up with her own mobile phone handlebar mount hack.  All text and the picture credited to Jessi.  If readers out there do use their phones to assist with riding related endeavors feel free to contact us and maybe we can work them into some posts. 

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After I saw a hack on here a few months back for a cell phone holder for a bike, I decided to make one for myself, only I improved it a bit. It's made entirely out of duct tape and cardboard. I attached it to an old reflector which I then attached to my handlebars. It works great and is super secure. It holds my Droid which I use to track my speed and distance while riding. If it rains, I just slip a baggy over it to keep my phone dry.

To make the frame of the cell phone holder I used the box that manila envelopes come it. I cut a corner of it to size [leaving a little extra on the cut side to fold and tape] and then cut out the front window part. Then I just used a bunch of Duct Tape to make it more secure and colourful [I used turquoise]. I then used an old reflector and taped it to the back. I mounted it on the front handlebars which makes it closer to eye level [I use my phone to track my speed and distance]. It works great. I even hit a few potholes and it didn't move at all.

Boston Bike Pictures

I made a recent trip north to Boston.  Bike culture was in full effect and the city seems very bike friendly.  Boston dwellers feel free to offer you own opinions with comments.  I was walking past this bike in Cambridge and it looks normal enough, but when I looked closer . . .

. . . I was reminded of the confusion I felt in Princeton.  

Princeton is one of the top universities in the world but readers might remember that I was dumbfounded that bike racks were labeled with their purpose.  Cambridge is home to Harvard, another top university, and yet Cambridge feels the need to make sure people know what these objects are for by writing the purpose on them.  So in case the intellectual elite from all over the world that descend upon Cambridge forget where they are and/or are confused by metal sticking out of the ground, the city has them covered =)

A few minutes later I did notice a rack that impressed me -

I had actually never seen a rack with a built in cable lock before.  The cable is not super impressive in terms of girth, but you have to give the creator credit for something different.  All a rider really needs is a padlock to keep a bike somewhat secure. 

I have never engaged in a casual conversation and heard a cyclist proclaim their support for nuclear weapons, however this cyclist wants to make it clear s/he does not believe in massive human destruction. 

I saw lots of pedicabs in Boston and one thing I noticed is that the drivers were all wearing helmets.  I have never seen a pedicab driver in NYC wear a helmet.  A Yankee hat yes, a helmet no. 

And a restaurant we ate at had this awesome sticker in the window. 

It is not clear if you have to wear your helmet while eating to secure your discount.  This is leaps and bounds ahead of NYC however.  Most business owners look at me like a freak when I walk in with my bike helmet - but I do have a helmet mirror so maybe that is why.  My helmet mirror has led to some interesting conversations.  For some reason many people think it is a camera. 

And it does seem wise to exclude alcohol when it comes to this particular incentive.  If people have Boston bike wisdom to share, we would love to hear it.

String Ding Ding - Bike Bell Hack

On a trip to Washington D.C. I spotted a bike with some serious hack style.  Check it out from afar. 

I would say it took at least a case of beer to put the rack together.  That is a lot of wood, brackets, and screws. 

On the front fork there is what might be called an appendage.  The appendage hosts a sizable mirror as well as a bike bell.

How is the bell rung if it is way down by the front hub?  Well, a string is rigged up on the handlebars and connected to the bell.  All the rider has to do is pull the string and "ding ding."  I took a risk and gave it a try and it worked great. 

I would have loved to have hung out and saw the rider.  Perhaps someone in the D.C. area knows this person and can let him or her know that Bike Hacks is impressed. 

Ten Pound Bike Maintenance Stand

According to Internet technology one of the most referenced Bike Hacks posts is 8 Bombproof DIY Bike Repair Stands.  I have never owned a bike repair stand and it is probably better that way.  Most major repairs that I have tried have not ended well and a bike stand would probably tempt me to try things I should leave to the professionals.  Or maybe a repair stand would impart some magic power upon me to successfully tune up my whip.

Reader Phil, who blogs at quickbeer.blogspot.com, created his own repair stand - which looks like it could drop bombs.  He writes:

I made a cycle maintenance stand using my own design and very cheap materials. It cost me less than ten quid!

Phil's post might prove to be a major challenge for American readers because he references something known as "the metric system."  Also, don't be confused when visiting his site and seeing the following symbol - £.  From what I understand it means money, but they call it a pound, which is a weight of measure in the U.S.  All of this is enough to make the head of an average American spin =)

Here is a picture of his stand, which looks remarkably like a jet airplane.  For full mind spinning detail visit quickbeer.blogspot.com.