BikeHacks

Free Cassette Spacer Hack

It is bound to happen - you are going to take something apart and in the process of putting it back together you are either going to lose a part or have parts leftover with no clue as to what you did wrong in the assembly. Depending on the circumstances it might be necessary to get creative.  Reader Thomas submitted the following text and picture regarding a hack for a missing spacer.

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So I've had to use this hack twice. The first time was on a race weekend. A fellow cyclist had worked on his bike the night before the race (a big no-no), changing one rear wheel for another. In the process of swapping his cassette from one freehub-body to another, he missed transferring the small spacer that goes on the spoke side of the cassette... leaving the cassette wobbling back and forth 3mm... giving him some serious shifting issues.

Turns out, those things are hard to fabricate find when you need them! My wife ended up suggested using an elastic hairband in lieu of that spacer, and it worked perfectly! Since then, I've used a rubber band on my own free-hub as a spacer. I don't think it's a permanent solution, but perfect in a pinch.  It is hard to see, but look at the end of the arrow.

 

Grip Shift Throttle Control Hack

The majority of the hacks we feature on the site focus on hacking a bike in some way to increase utility, safety, functionality, etc. but occasionally we feature hacks where bike parts are used for another purpose.  Reader Josh found a creative use for a grip shifter and sent along the following text and pictures.  A full write up can be found via cyclekarting.com.

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A friend and I built a winch with a wide power band that we use for sledding and winch boarding. I didn't know what to use for throttle control since sledding requires more power and less throttle and water sports require more speed and more throttle.  

After some attempts with a lever style control, I finally thought to put a mountain bike grip shift on.  The five speeds work beautifully and as much as I hate to chop up a good bike, it really was the ideal solution that holds the throttle steady at any speed so I can step away. 

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Here is a video of the winch in action.

 

 

 

Bike Window Dressing

A trend I have noticed in recent years is the use of bicyles and bicycle parts in window displays. I guess it is nice to think that bicycles produce a positive impact when it comes to trying to sell goods and services.  This was spotted in Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA.  Jewelry and bikes don't seem to be the most logical match, but I guess it did catch my eye so it worked.  It did not however result in me parting with any of my money.  

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Bike Surfboard Rack

Bodies of water and I are not the best of friends.  I have injured myself many times around water, including a broken rib while water skiing which was one of the most painful injuries I have ever had.  For several weeks just breathing hurt. 

My rib healed in a way that makes surfing painful.  When I am on the board paddling my rib jams into the board and I end up with a fairly wicked bruise the next day.  I have fun trying to surf, but the next few days while the bruise heals are not fun.

What does all this have to do with Bike Hacks?  Nothing really, but those thoughts came to mind when reader Josh spotted a totally tubular bike/surfing hack and sent it along to us.  All text and pictures below are credited to Josh.  Totally gnarlacious!  If you have water related bike hacks, send them along.

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Here's a couple pictures of a bike that I saw in La Jolla, CA last week. The surfboard rack is made with PVC pipe,  hose clamps and pipe insulation.  I didn't see the owner but I was impressed by the ingenuity. I'm planning on making one for myself soon.

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R.O.U.S. - New York City Road Obstacles of Unusual Size

According to me, one of the best movies of all time is The Princess Bride.  I remember being highly skeptical and thought I might not finish it after watching the first few minutes, but boy am I glad I held on.  I now watch it at least once per year.  One of my favorite things from the movie to include in various conversations are the Rodents of Unusual Size (ROUS). 

As it turns out New York City has two versions of the ROUS.  Yes we have unusually large rats that can scare dogs away, but we also have Road Obstacles of Unusual Size.  Recently I was approached by someone wanting to "get into biking" and he wanted advice on what kind of bike to buy. 

The first piece of advice I gave him was to consider a bike that could accommodate some beefy tires.  "Getting into biking" in NYC poses its share of challenges and perhaps one of the biggest challenges is the condition of the roads.  I am amazed at how quickly a road in NYC can deteriorate.  I guess I should not be with the temperature extremes and the non-stop use by vehicles that weigh several tons, but a newly paved road loses its luster very quickly in these parts.

Take this section of road as an example of what might face someone "getting into cycling." 

The picture does not really do it justice but trust me, most of the "roughage" is several inches deep.  And at least once a year the government rolls in and strips the streets down causing COUS's - or clouds of unusual size.  These streets can remain in this condition for several weeks and if I see one I will immediately find another route.  Not that my tires cannot handle it, but I do not wish to end up with lungs full of dust. 

Then there are the POUS's - Plates of Usual Size.  These are especially fun when it rains - nothing like trying to ride across a giant metal plate covered in water, especially when it is dark and you are following traffic and they sneak up on you. 

I am also amazed at what road crews will leave.  This is a classic example.  One time a friend of mine was scurrying across the street in the dark and severely sprained her ankle when she stepped in a giant rut that had been left unfilled after work was performed on the street.  No cone, no tape, no warning equaled a trip to the emergency room to determine if any bones were broken. 

The old classic pothole also makes frequent appearances and someone I guess wanted to issue a warning here . . . .

And in this case there was a barricade to provide warning. 

Motorists frequenty get angry when having to share the road with cyclists but they should actually thank us - cyclists are basically responsible for no road wear.  How do I know?  Well I have been riding on a bike/pedestrian path for the last 7 years and it has not had to be repaved once.  Meanwhile the main streets are repaved once per year. 

So if you are interested in "getting into biking" in NYC, my advice is to consider tire size priority number one. 

 

Belt Drive Bike - Post 2

Recently we ran a post on a topic that had never been covered on this blog before - belt drive bikes.  Reader Chuck contacted us to share his own personal experience with a belt drive bike.  Text and pictures below are credited to Chuck. 

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I have always ridden bikes with a chain and was in the market for something that required less maintenance and that dealt with weather better.  Then came an article in the Wisconsin State Journal about TREK bikes with Gates Belt Drive. 

With a little more research I stumbled on the Globe Live3.  Belt drive, internal gears, disk brakes.  I have had the Globe for about 2 years and it is incredibly clean, quiet and maintenance free.  After about 1,500 miles I have only adjusted it once, never had to lub it and it seems plenty durable (heck they have used belts for engine timing and primary drives for years).  I have even used this bike to carry 4 full cases of beer or 80lbs of weed and feed for the lawn. 

- The lighting is LED B&M front and rear with a Alfine dynohub.

- The saddle bag is a Acorn that I applied my home brew oil cloth waterproofing to.

- The rear pannier bags are surplus German gas mask bags (Tough and completly waterproof).

- The rear panier rack is a re-purposed Old Man Mountain that I modified the mounting for and color matched to the bike.  I also added the wood deck to keep with the look of the front rack.

You can see in some of the photos that the belt shows no obvious signs of wear and there is no grease or oil coating it.  They are GREAT.

 

Vintage Wine Bike Hack

Wine corks have been featured on Bike Hacks before.  A cork can be used to fill a fender gap or to act as a bar end plug.  One inventive rider even used a cork puller as a tire sweep/brake. 

Near Columbus Circle I spotted a bike with corks as bar end plugs . . .

. . . as well as a seat tube plug.  I am inclined to think this is an anti-theft/weather hack.  My assumption is the owner takes the seat when parking and plugs the bar end so water does not enter the frame when it rains. 

Not sure of the vintage of the liquids digested to complete this hack, but I will just call it a vintage wine hack.  The seat tube plug does appear to be of the bubbly variety.  If you have found a creative use for cork feel free to contact us. 

My customary beverage of choice is beer and thus I am interested to know if anyone has found a bike related use for bottle caps.  We have seen beer cans used as fenders and mud flaps, but I do not think I have seen a beer cap hack of any kind.  If you have found a use or have witnessed something, give us a shout out.

Window Shopping - New York City

Over the past few years it seems that more and more companies are incorporating bicycles into ad campaigns and into products.  The latest example I witnessed was large and impressive - part of a huge window display on Lexington Avenue in NYC. 

In "modern" history Levi's have traditionally been associated more with fashion than function (greasers, mods, rockers, hippies, etc. have all been loyal purchasers) but it appears that their commuter line has function as a driving principle.  "Function" is a tag word in their campaign.

Examples of utility include:

• a loop for a u-lock
• water/dirt resistant fabric
• antimicrobial fabric
• reflective material
• high rise back
• reinforced crotch

I myself am not a huge fan of denim and am troubled with just wearing it to "hang out" in.  It is too heavy and hot for my taste and riding a bike causes one to generate heat so I just don't get the concept.  I can imagine that denim would assist with skin protection in the case of a fall.

Fans of denim are welcome to comment, especially if people have bought any items from the Levi's line.  And if someone from Levi's reads this post and wants to try to change my mind about denim, feel free to contact us and I'd be happy to "rock them" and provide a review.

PureFit Nutrition Bars

When it comes to consuming food and beverages I am a blessed individual.  Many suffer from allergies or have adverse reactions to particular things but I can eat pretty much anything and keep rolling along.  The only things I do not really like are celery and sea urchin, but I won't suffer from eating them, I just can't stand the taste and consistency.  

Others have to pay particular attention to what they eat or suffer various consequences.  The folks at PureFit sent us some energy bars to test.  The bars might be appealing to those that do need to watch what they eat as they are wheat, dairy and gluten free, low glycemic, and vegan. 

As far as consistency and texture the bars are pretty equivalent to a standard PowerBar. I would be lying if I wrote that I could tell the difference between the actual impact of one nutrition bar over the other, but these bars are less sweet than many other bars I have tried which I liked.  Like most bars of this variety they are dense and chewy and thus a healthy serving of water should be on hand when consuming one. 

If you have nutrition/energy bar thoughts/comments/opinions feel free to chime in with comments.  And if you work for a food or beverage company, my gullet is open for testing so feel free to contact us for testing. 

Bike Sidecar Post 2 - Bracket Detail

A while back we posted a great sidecar hack submitted by reader Juan Pablo from Buenos Aires.  A couple of readers contacted us and asked if it was possible to see how the sidecar was attached in greater detail.  Juan Pablo graciously took the time to submit the following pictures and commentary.  Enjoy the details.

The sidenotes say: Originally it had a third support/link with the bicycle. I removed when I realized it was more comfortable to use only two and let the bike lean. Of course, with this third one the bike was always straight, like a regular trike. This one was mounted and dismounted taking in and out the seat.