BikeHacks

Public Bike Tool Stand

For the most part the modern transportation infrastructure is not set up to encourage using a bicycle as form of transit.  While I could limit this statement to the U.S., I think it is safe to say that it applies to the vast majority of countries around the word.  As the expression goes, "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while," and assuming cyclists are misguided, I found a nut recently. 

I spotted this public bike tool stand at a bus stop recently in Cambridge, MA.  With a pump and all the common tools needed to make repairs, this could likely get you back on the road if you encountered a problem.  It was so new that concrete dust from drilling it in was still present. 

It reminded me of a bike rike we featured in the past that had a pump built into it -

Picture Credit to http://heklucht.posterous.com/

Have you found a nut?  Let us know so we can post for the benefit of all. 

Bike Sweater

I have spent the past decade living in dense urban areas.  After having spent the majority of my life living in suburbs/rural areas, one thing that struck me almost immediately when making the jump to city life was that the majority dog owners outfitted their dogs in clothing.  It was mildly disturbing to see clothing on a dog in the first place, but what was even more disturbing was when the owner made sure the human and K9 outfits matched.  My dog growing up shed so much hair we could have opened a sweater factory, but she never wore a sweater.

I guess some bike owners now want to compete with dog owners.  Reader Gavin sent along the follow pictures and text.  Enjoy.

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The other day I returned to my bicycle after a rigorous medical examination at a school of medicine and dentistry in Southport, Queensland, Australia. Parked right next to my bike was this extraordinary hacked bike.

The whole of the frame has been wound or wrapped with some kind of multi-coloured wool. I have been advised that it could be mohair or a synthetic version (that would be faux-mo?). The cranks, mudguards (fenders), rear reflector body and even the chain-lock have been given the treatment, although I did wonder why the prominent chain-guard had been missed. Maybe you couldn’t wind around that one without interfering with the chain.

It’s winter here in Queensland and although it doesn’t actually get that cold, here’s a cyclist that really sincerely wanted to look after his or her bike.

My bike had been resting right next to this one and it felt snug and warm as I rode it away.

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Mystery Liquid - The Reveal

Last week we ran a post on a liquid product sent to us by a company to review.  The company agreed to also give a sample to a Bike Hacks reader to review and to choose a recipient we asked readers to submit their ideas about what was in the spray bottle.  A correct guess was not necessary to be considered, we just did a random drawing out of all who entered.

A large number of readers responded, and here is a sampling of the guesses.  Many guesses were duplicates so every single submission is not included below.

1. Chain Lube Spray (many noted different possible scents).

2. Anti-Chafing Spray, or Lubricant for Sensitive areas.

3. Some fluid that you wipe onto your frame/parts to keep the gunk off.

4. Degreaser/cleaner

5. Hand sanitizer

6. Could it be helmet freshener?  We sweat our ass off in AZ and need to smell at least partially human.

7. Erection nasal spray

8. I think the liquid is a concentrated energy spray, like a gel, or gu, but in a spray format.

9. Cologne

10. Bike Wash

11. Minty fresh breath spray for after the post race beer fest!

12. Bike Polish

13. I believe that mystery bottle contains the essence of elderberries diluted by the tears of a bluebird and combined with a synthetic oil made from raw bamboo--all mixed in a space centrifuge and returned to Earth to lubricate UV-hardened tire treads, resulting in a 0.003 percent decrease in rolling resistance and, more importantly, a 28-percent increase in visual fabulousness. That, or it's a beer can cleaner.

14. Spray-on tire cleaner

15. Sunburn spray for after you get burnt  to relieve the pain.

16. Mosquito repellent

17. Body Spray

18. Eyeglass cleaner/defogger

19. screen cleaner or lens cleaner for your iPhone/ computer display

20. Spray vitamins for the ultra distance cycle set

Many of these are great ideas that someone should work on, and a few guessed correctly.  The mystery product is Manscapes Masculine Spray.  The following is from the product web site:

Masculine Spray™ Deodorant  is not a cover-up nor does it clog pores. The Deodorant actually inhibits bacterial growth on your body This bacterial growth Is what causes body odor. So by eliminating this odor-causing bacteria, we have eliminated body odor. The Spray attacks the problem, not the results of the problem. The Spray does not have perfume that only covers one odor with another artificial odor like some sprays or powders. The Deodorant  leaves an invisible layer of protection that prevents odor-causing bacteria from forming and leaves you feeling fresh and clean all through the day.

I have been using the product for about two weeks and must say that I like it.  I have never been a huge fan of stick or roll on products produced by big companies, mainly because I have had issues with such products leaving stains on my shirts.  Such products also sometimes with scary warning labels. 

This liquid does seem to combat smell, but it does not diminish the sweating.  One of the good things about it I guess is that it is not designed to block your pores.  "Famous," or rather well marketed, antiperspirants designed to block your pores would seem to be an example of man trying to fight against what nature intended.  Instead of trying to use technology and ridiculous commercials, this seems to be a natural product that seeks promotion and awareness on famous infamous bike related web sites =)

Thanks to Peter from Manscapes for contacting us and for generously agreeing to send the product to a reader to review.  The random winner chosen is Scott Souter.  Scott will receive a bottle of Manscapes Masculine Spray and we will ask him to send us a review to be posted in the future.

Thank you to all who entered.  We are always looking for stuff to review and preferably to giveaway as well and other companies that want to to participate are welcome to contact us. 

Bike Inner tube Shoe Patch Hack

I have always been one to try and stretch the life of product to the very end.  I laughed pretty hard at two Seinfeld quotes/comments about men and clothing.  I was able to find video of one, and text of the other.  I located the following quote via a Seinfeld site, it pertains to why there is no men's vintage underwear:

There is no vintage underwear of course, but it’s not because the guy couldn’t sell his underwear, it’s because men wear their underwear until it absolutely disintegrates. Men hang on to underwear until, until each individual underwear molecule is so strained it can barely retain the properties of a solid.

And there is this YouTube clip on Jerry talking about his approach to wearing t-shirts . . .

 

I have been wearing the same Shimano shoes for over 6 years now (an older version of these) and although they are pretty haggard looking, they still perform well and I ride in them daily.  Based on the fact that I am currently reading Garbage Land and feel guilty throwing anything away, I will likely try to keep riding in them until each individual shoe molecule is so strained it can barely retain the properties of a solid =)

Reader Kim wanted to squeeze more life out of some shoes and came up with a great hack incorporating an old inner tube.  All text and pictures below are credited to Kim.  She also has a question at the end and reader comments are welcome. 

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I bought these shoes 2 years ago for 4 seasons commuting. I love these shoes, and I successfully used them for commuting both in summer and winter. Canadian winter, that is.

Sadly though, this summer the toe plates dried and cracked, effectively making the shoes unusable. But these are otherwise in great shape, as they are made of high quality material. They could still be used for a few years if only I could change the toe plate with something tougher. Originally, this part of the shoe is made of a synthetic rubber/cloth hybrid. I don't know why Merrell went for this material only for this part of the shoe, as the other more conventional materials obviously were a better choice, at least on this shoe.



Well to be honest I don't really want to know why Merrell went this route, as I'm scared the answer would be along the line of “If if doesn't break, we won't sell enough shoes... so it has to break”. Well, I'm a proud hacker, so I don't adhere to this philosophy. I also can't stand the thought of sending to a landfill something that can still be used.

I brought the shoes to a shoemaker and asked him if he could replace the whole part. He tried, but could not unglue the piece from inside the sole without tearing the sole apart. Another disappointment.

So I had a brain storm session. If the toe cap cannot be replaced, then the next best thing would be to cover it with something... Leather would be good, but rubber even better... I need a strip of it... Inner tubes!

And so I took out an old inner tube that was beyond repair, and cut two strips out of it. The strips are large enough to cover the whole front of the shoe, including a good part of the sole.



I then cleaned them, along with the part of the shoe that they would cover, with alcohol. I took out my patch repair kit, and scratched the inside of the tube and the sole with the metal file/sand paper thingy. (how's this thing called anyways?) This will help the glue stick. I decided to use hot melt glue for the part where the inner tube covers the shoe, and rubber cement (again from my patch kit) to glue the tube directly on the sole. Hot glue is probably not the toughest glue to use in this application, but it's very easy to work with and can be reworked to make a good looking job. It's also flexible, which is a necessity in this application. I think the end result isn't so bad.



I used them a couple of times and it's been holding quite well. The lower part, glued with rubber cement, will probably last the remaining life of the shoes. I will be surprised if the hot melt glue lasts as long though. If it ever breaks again, I'll go shop for some more serious glue. Any recommendations?

 

Bike Box

When most people hear the term "bike box," a picture like the following likely comes to mind -

(Photo by Jay Lawrence/Polara Studios, via Bike Portland)

Reader Joe submitted a photo that is another kind of bike box.  Joe wrote the following -

The brother of my friend captured this one-of-a-kind while in Detroit.  Photo date unknown but I believe the background is a well-known place.

Reader comments on a name for this awesome hack are welcome. 

Bike Part Clothing Storage Hacks

It is not unusal to see bike parts repurposed into furniture, this search on Bike Hacks reveals posts we have done on bike related tables, stools, chairs, and lamps.  One of my favorites from a previous post is this valve stem key rack -

 

When stumbling around the Internets I also came across various ways to integrate bike parts into cltohing storage solutions.  Via the French Bike Forum Pignon Fixe comes the follow clothing hanger, perhaps one of the most expensive out there.

As it turns out there is a company, Urbane Innovations, that is trying to make a business out of this concept -

Ranging from $20 to $40 a pop, this is a hack that I don't think "true" hackers would be able to afford.  This idea, credited to Massimo Brugnera, seems like it could be easily replicated by someone with some time on their hands.

And via core77 comes these hangers, created by a design student.

Being the hack that I am, my bike doubles as a clothing hanger =)

Creative uses for bicycle parts for posting on this site are always welcome.

 

Bike Helmet Lights - The New Rage?

I can never get enough of lights created for cyclists to use.  At present the lights I ride with require a total of 17 batteries.  At my current rate of accumulating cycling lights, eventually I think it will be possible to see me riding from space. 

Recently we found out about some new bike lights with a twist - they are helmet based.  Most bike lights are frame, rack, or wheel based.  I have have seen many people attempt to mount "standard" bike lights to helmets, which is a subject of some controversy.  Some readers have stated in comments that nothing should be put on a helmet, believing that whatever object you place on a helmet will end up in your skull if you fall. 

Via emails we have received along with news feeds, it appears that helmet lights might be the next big thing.  Below are videos noting three current attempts to make helmets not only an impact safety device, but an illuminated safety device.  Check these out, and we are already trying to get a sample of one to test out so stay tuned.  The first is the NEON, seeking funding via indiegogo.

 

Next up is the fully funded Torch.

 

And last there is the LumaHelm.

 

Have you created a hack to illuminate your melon?  Let us know.

Bike Sidecar

Bike sidecars have made several appearance on bike hacks before.  We have featured a version from Buenos Aires, one reader produced several versions to serve as pedicabs, and we have had two military themed sidecars (version 1 and version 2). Reader Rob contacted us with his own DIY sidecar and all text and pictures below are credited to him.  If readers have questions they can leave them in comments and Rob can respond.

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I started building sidecars in my garage with a 10' piece of conduit and a conduit bender.  The first challenge was bending the conduit into a shape that I wanted my sidecar to look like. Once I had the basic chassis together I added threaded pipe to areas that I considered to be load/stress bearing. I constructed the fork and connection rods out of schedule 40 steel pipes. I added a plywood deck with carpet stapled to it for the floor and also for the seat and backrest.  Nothing is welded on my original sidecar; all connections are made with threaded pipe or bolted together. 

The floor plan is simple; I wanted a seat wide enough for 2 adults and enough floor space to mount 2 child safety seats. I later added a lawn mower roof to keep a little shade on my passengers; it also adds some character to the design.  I recommend picking up a reflector kit and placing a slow moving sign on the back for a little added safety with passing cars.        

We ride hundreds of miles each summer with an average pay-load of about 230 pounds (My wife and 3 kids) with no problems at all.   
 
The units that we use now are totally engineered from a blue print of my original unit.  The majority of the assembly is outsourced including pipe bending, welding and powder coating. The end result is a very sharp looking ride but the functionality is basically the same as my home made sidecar.

Mystery Liquid Giveaway

Another company recently contacted us with a request to do a product review.  I responded in the affirmative and I also asked if we could do a random drawing for a reader to also receive the product to review.  The company generously agreed.  Below on the right is the mystery liquid, with the American macrobrew can tossed in for size perspective.

To enter the random drawing, send an email to bikehacks.com [at] gmail.com.  In your email please guess what you think the liquid is, but a correct answer is not required to be part of the random drawing.  Email entries need to be received by Monday, June 25th.  The winner will do their own review, to be posted on BikeHacks.com.  One entry per person please.

Good luck!

Return of the Rail Bike

Back in April, reader Will submitted text and pictures documenting his attempt to create a rail bike.  Bike hacks are often a combination of trial and error, and Will ended up with a derailment at around 16 miles per hour.  The result was a bent frame and in all liklihood, a rough time getting up the next morning.  

Will did not let the derailment stop him in his effort to ride on rails and he is back with this -

Will notes the following on the Velospace forum -

Some of the changes I made (besides using a stronger frame and fork) are that I used a rear axle on the front wheel so that connecting and adjusting would be easier. I also used longer bolts and spacers on the front guide so that I could adjust how close the guide is to the rail.

He also notes his problem with frogs, or rail switches -

As I cross over the frog the guide passes easily through it, but the front wheel drops into the gap and often is unable to climb out and continue down the rail.

If readers out there have interesting modifications they wish to share, send us an email.