I am fairly confident that one day, every item in the world will have been repurposed into a bottle opener. I ain’t complainin’, I’m just sayin’. It’s great when you can take a product that has been broken and still find a use for it, and in this case, reader Eric took a bike rim he had taco’d and created bottle openers. Take it away Eric . . . 

I took a bent bicycle rim and cut it up into several pieces to make a bunch of bottle openers. I made a template out cardboard from a different bottle opener and then used that to mark all of the rim sections. I used an angle grinder to cut out the opener and attached a link from a bike chain and a spoke bent into a circle to give it a more complete look. I made a full write-up and posted it to Instructables.com. Here’s a link.

How do you know when work has been keeping you busy? When you realize that you started a post in July when in the middle of a heat wave . . . and you are now getting around to posting it after riding to work in the snow =(

It’s been a while since I used theme music to set the mood for a post . . . and this music seemed appropriate for a couple of reasons, the first of which is that the music and movie are dated, and so is the content of this post. Crank it and and check out the fashion. 

The video focuses on Detroit and this post focuses on D.C., however this was what I woke up to while working in D.C. in July – 

As I was walking around in the swampy heat, I saw these parking meter/bike racks . . . I wondered if the 110 degree “real feel” temperature (43.3 Celsius for most of the world) was the inspiration. 

It certainly felt hot enough to bend metal. I’m sure glad climate change is not blame, as it is only a hoax perpetrated for trade reasons. 

Bike security is an important issue for me because I leave my bike in a public parking area every day and also lock my bike up when running errands around town. I have used varied locks and measures over the years, including – 

• Pinhead products
• Cables
• Padlocks
• A heavy chain

I have yet to encounter a stand alone locking product that makes me feel comfortable leaving my bike out for a long period of time.  I guess the closest stand alone product in my view would be a U-lock that also comes with a cable. And I guess I should note that when I say “stand alone,” I mean a lock that can secure both wheels and the frame, without having to remove a wheel to either lock up or take with you.

Personally, I prefer not to have to remove a wheel to lock my bike – mainly because I lock my bike up multiple times a day. If I just want to leave my bike out for a short period of time in an area with heavy pedestrian traffic, I might just use a “stand alone” lock. However, if I am going to leave my bike unattended for a long period of time I usually use a combination of products. 

The reality is that if a thief really wants your bike, s/he is going to be able to defeat any attempt to lock it up.  One benefit of using multiple locks is that it is likely to slow the thief down. When the folks behind a new lock contacted me for a review of a new bike security product, I was happy to accept. The lock is called the Foldylock, and surprise, it’s a folding lock. Here’s the spec sheet from the product page – 

And here is the lock in all its folded out glory, the storage bracket is what is in the middle.  

The lock is perfectly capable of securing the frame and a wheel to a stationary object, as seen here when I used it to secure my bike to a bike rack. 

And in terms of size perspective, it’s not much bigger than a standard water bottle cage when folded up.

One issue with locks is having to carry them, and the Foldylock comes with a bracket that can be attached to a frame via straps or by Allen bolts. The straps are a great option if you have more than one bike because you can quickly take the bracket off and put it on another bike. I attached the bracket to my frame and the lock comes with special Allen bolts that are a bit longer than standard bolts, and with a longer Allen wrench. The longer Allen wrench is key, because as you can see, the Allen wrenches on my standard multi-tool are not long enough to extend through the bracket to secure it to the frame. 

The last thing I would ever think of when buying a lock is what color it is, but the Foldylock is advertised in different colorways. Interestingly enough, the green option that I received does not appear on the Kickstarter page lineup. 

I will note that all of the links are covered by plastic to keep the lock from scratching the frame or other parts of a bike.  

I have only been using the lock for a short time now, however I would describe it as “sturdy” and easy to use. On the Foldylock page there is a video of attempts to break the lock with all manner of tools and methods. Of course none work or they would not have put the video on their webpage. They also claim the lock is rustproof, which I would not be able to comment upon until using it for an extended period of time. 

This is still not what I would call a “stand alone” lock. I have been using it in combination with a Kryptonite cable to secure my rear tire, which has a quick release skewer.  Still, it is a nice lock that provides a bit more flexibility in terms of size than a standard U-lock. The makers have met their funding goal and it appears the product is scheduled to be ready for distribution in April of 2017 with a price of $65, which is in the range of what most would likely consider to be “higher end” bike locks. 

I do wonder how many links it would take to make such a lock an attempt at a stand alone solution, meaning that the lock was long enough to secure both wheels, without removing one. Who knows, maybe a Foldylock Max will appear in the future. 

The temperature has started to drop in Boston and you could say the change indicates that . . . winter is coming. It has not been what I would describe as frigid yet, however it is definitely jacket weather. It just so happens that the drop in the mercury coincided with a timely product review request. It is nice when a product is designed to meet multiple purposes, and the PROVIZ Reflect360 CRS Cycling Jacket is designed for both protection from the elements and safety. The following text is from the PROVIZ web site:

Utilising millions of highly reflective tiny glass beads the REFLECT360 CRS jacket’s appearance is almost ghostly in a driver’s headlights! This is a unique coloured reflective material, exclusive to Proviz. The material has exceptional waterproofing (5,000mm) capability on those rainy days. The inner seams are taped so not a drop of water gets through the sewing lines.

When asked to perform the review I requested the black version because I figured black hides dirt and grime the best, and I already have a red jacket and a yellow jacket. When the package arrived I opened it and discovered the company had decided to send me a blue jacket (both of the pictures below are from their web site). 

At first I was a little bummed with the color, but I have to admit that during the short time I have worn the jacket, the color has grown on me and I like it. Here is the tag that came with the jacket –  

And right after opening the package, I took a picture with no flash and then with a flash. The material definitely picks up the light. Most jackets I have had have reflective strips of some sort, but this jacket is different in that the fabric on the whole jacket is designed to be reflective. 

Here is a picture from their website, where they have obviously flooded the people with light to display the safety feature of the fabric.

The first thing I noticed when wearing the jacket on a ride was that the fabric does not breathe well. If asked to describe the fabric, I would say it is “plasticky”. It is definitely not soft, but it wears just fine. Fabrics that do not breathe well have good and bad elements. The good thing is fabric that does not breathe will likely keep water out. The bad thing is, heat can build up while in use, leading to perspiration. 

On the good side, I have not had the chance to ride in the rain, but I performed a water test of my own and the fabric performed well. I placed the jacket flat on a counter and poured some water on it. I let the water sit on the jacket for 30 minutes and when I picked up the jacket, the water drained off and there was no sign of wetness on the interior side. 

On the bad side, well with this jacket the design does an excellent job of dealing with the perspiration problem because there are vents galore, along with a mesh lining that provides some separation from the outer shell. There are zip vents under each arm, there are two Napoleon pockets on the front which can act as vents, and there is a vent on top of the backside of the jacket. I am huge fan of the Napoleon pocket and having two of them is great. There is also a Velcro pocket on the inside/left chest. So if you do get hot, you have lots of options in terms of letting air in. And there is a rear zip storage pocket as well.

As far as fit, the jacket definitely is “cut” for cycling. The front is cut shorter than the back, so as you ride you have good coverage when leaning forward. This is shown in this additional photo I took, in a dark room with the flash enabled. 

There are also Velcro straps on the cuffs and a draw string around the waist. I have only worn the jacket for a short time, but I like it a lot. It fits well, I particularly like the two Napoleon pockets, and if I do start to get hot, I have lots of venting options. As noted, I have not ridden in the rain yet, but based upon my water test the jacket will keep me dry. I will have to see how the fabric performs over time and report back, but I will say that a Gore jacket I bought has been a bit of a disappointment in terms of performance in the rain.

The Gore jacket is made of what is described as a Gore-Tex Active Shell and Gore-Tex Membrane, and although water beaded up on the fabric initially, over time the claim of an “absolute dry cycling experience” that came with the jacket has not held up. On particularly rainy days, water now penetrates the Gore jacket. I got the jacket at REI and have considered riding directly to their store on a rainy day to show them how water comes through the fabric to see what they say.

Which gets me to price. I paid a healthy sum of money for my Gore jacket – as I remember it was just a shade under $300. I assume the steep price had to do with paying for the Gore-Tex name. The PROVIZ jacket is priced at 129.99 British Pounds, which on this date converts to $162 USD.  I have only worn the PROVIZ jacket for a week now, but if it holds up I will say that it appears to me to be a heck of deal as compared to the Gore jacket I bought. The PROVIZ is $100 less but has more pockets and vents, and the reflective feature of the fabric is a major bonus. The Gore jacket only has a few stripes of what I assume is a 3M reflective product. 

So at the time of this writing, a highly recommend the PROVIZ jacket. I will continue to wear the jacket and will report back on performance as I deal with commuting in the Boston winter. 

Spotted in Lima, Peru. 

I certainly hope the tailoring of the clothing is a bit more refined than the sign construction. 

Still . . . pretty impressive hack. 

Dark Force powers at work here or what? Not sure what could have caused this to happen . . .

Theme music is back! This had to be on the speakers when the creations below were made. 

Spotted near Morgan Avenue in Brooklyn, NYC. 

tst

test

test 

On a recent errand I spotted this stadium related bike hack. 

I am not sure about how safe this is . . . might be a kind of ejector seat depending on the circumstances.  

Still, major points for creativity and how cool would it be if the person had season tickets and just wanted to have his/her seat with them at all times? Adds new meaning to having a “seat license”. Other horrible puns or analogies welcome in comments =)

In the most recent post in this series I noted that I had some left over PVC pipe after my front light installation and I pondered what to do with it. For a long time I had not really been happy with my rear light situation. A while back I installed a rather large basket on top of my rear rack and the only rear light I was riding with was attached to my rack, which as you can see from the green arrow, is not as long as the basket. The light was visible from this position, but mainly from a distance. 

The basket construction is not really conducive to light bracket installation, however with a piece of PVC pipe, a pipe clamp and some zip ties . . . 

As with the front installation, I decided to install two lights as opposed to just one. You never know when one light might go out and with two you are pretty darn certain to always have rear blinky coverage – plus, I had the space so why not use it? 

In the last post I had also noted that those who left a comment would be considered for a bikehacks.com sticker giveaway.

I am happy to say that I have decided that everyone is a winner. Joe, John, Ron, Beth, Korina, C Thomas, and Glenn, you all will receive a sticker pack in the mail. All but John left an email address for follow up, John – send me a message via our Submit Your Hack link with your full name and postal address.

If any readers out there have used PVC pipe or wooden dowels for hacks, feel free to contact us for posting. 

Series Links

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Post #5

When cleaning my bike I like to use gloves. One issue I have is that the gloves I use, and like to reuse, are not well ventilated and if I clean my bike for a long time, the insides of the gloves can become damp, and they don’t dry well without a bit of help. Musty glove smell is kind of nasty and one method to promote drying dawned on me recently. I have a couple of different hammers and . . . 

Placing the gloves on the hammer handles in this fashion helps to air them out and avoid musty conditions. Readers who have thoughts on how to dry out gloves are welcome to leave solutions via the comments section.  

In my last post in this series I noted that I had successfully installed my PURCHASED front basket, however this led to a big problem for someone who often commutes in the dark – handlebar mounted headlights are rendered ineffective when placing contents in the basket. But thanks to inspiration from previous posts on this blog, I had a relatively easily solution. I proceeded through what one might call a Goldilocks and the Three Bears progression.

I thought about this solution, which I had spotted on a bike on the mean streets of NYC back in the day – nice, but reaching the light while riding would not be natural or easy . . .

I then thought about this bikecommuters.com inspired idea – two lights is a concept I liked very much . . . but when using a bungee net to secure contents in the basket, the straps and lights might not get along due to the lights being close to the “loading/strap zone” . . . 

So I settled for the best of both – keeping the lights under the basket means they stay out of the way of strapping things in, and keeping the lights off to the sides means I can reach them easily while riding. I chose plumping clamps as the means to secure the PVC pipe to the basket. 

I love this solution as well due to the fact that you never know when your batteries are going to give up on you. Yes, you can carry extra batteries with you, but then you have to stop and put them in. Now, if one light goes out I have the other. Also, I can use a combination of modes if I like – I can have one set to constant and the other set to blink. Or if it’s really dark or the surface is really challenging, I can set both to the high constant setting. 

To get the fit of the light mounts just right, I used some gaffer tape – not matching of course as I want my bike to be as offensive to the eyes as possible. 

You might think the story is over, but after cutting the PVC pipe to the desired length I had some left over. This got me to thinking, “What might I use the extra pipe for?” I did come up with something and guesses in comments based upon this previous picture of my bike are welcome . . .

 . . . and those who leave a comment will be considered for a bikehacks.com sticker giveaway. 

Series Links

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In the last post in this series, I noted that I ordered the front basket I had been coveting and that it “kind of worked out” – which needs some explanation. To that end . . .

I needed some other work done on my bike so I left it at the shop to have them install the basket when it arrived. I got a call from the shop telling me that my bike was kind of ready, which was a first. Typically your bike either is or is not ready to pick up. The dude who called me was not the one who had worked on the bike and said the mechanic would explain when I arrived. As a reminder, this is the product I had ordered –

And if you notice, at the end of the red arrow there is a series of three holes which are meant to allow for adjustment when installing the basket. However, the basket that had been delivered only had one set of holes drilled – pretty strange really. The mechanic had installed the basket, but could not thread the screws that came with the basket through the holes due to a slight mismatch between the bend in my handlebars and the basket hooks. He did say that with a little coaxing, he thought the basket could be made to fit, but he did not want to take responsibility for the “coaxing”. I took a look and although flummoxed as to why additional holes were not drilled, decided that I was probably capable of making things work. I discussed two options with the mechanic –

1) drilling additional holes
2) bending the clamps to fit my handlebars

He gave me a couple of zip ties and I threaded them through the holes to secure the basket for the journey home. 

After arriving home I cracked open a beer and stared at the hooks and handlebars for a while, I decided to choose the bending option and covered a hammer with an old sock and started to “coax” the hooks. I was successful, however the bolts that came with the rack were a bit too thick to fit through the holes when I had them lined up – I could get the bolt through the top hole, however due to the bend it hit the handlebar and I could not get it through the second hole. I knew a thinner bolt would work, but that I would also likely need a washer to keep the thinner bolt from sliding through the hole. A quick trip to the hardware store and . . .

Success. 

However, the story is not over. I had a nice new (coaxed on) front basket, but it’s installation rendered my handlebar mounted light ineffective! What to do! Stay tuned . . . 

Series Links

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Post #3

As tempted as I was to liberate the front basket in question, my conscience got the best of me. I still remember getting chewed out by my Mom when I was a kid for stealing a toy Poopatrooper. Thanks to the power of Google, I was able to find what I am talking about –

I don’t know why I found it so enthralling to throw toys like this into the air and watch them parachute down – especially because I am a bit fearful of heights. I do know that stealing one from a store caused my Mom to become apoplectic. I had never seen, nor have I since seen, veins in her forehead bulge out so markedly. Maybe getting caught at such a young age kept me from a life of crime. Any way . . .

The power of Google also helped me to locate the front basket quite quickly. It was attached to a Specialized Globe bike (I also have a Globe, which was part of the appeal) and it only took me a few minutes to find out that it was quite an affordable accessory.

I try to support my local bike shop when I can, and since they carry Specialized products I made my way down to see if they had the basket in question in stock. They did not, however I asked them to order it for me . . . which kind of worked out. More details to follow in the series.  

In a previous blog entry I posed this question – 

Is it okay to remove a part or accessory from a seemingly abandoned bike?

I will now elaborate on the issue through a series of posts. First, the object of my attention is displayed here:

I did not take a picture of the full bike, but as you can see from the front tire – it had not been paid attention to in quite some time. I have never had a front basket before, and if this person was not interested in taking care of their bike, might I put the basket to better use? At this point it was just serving as a trash receptacle for passers by. Did I take the basket? Stay tuned. 

Off the shelf products don’t always meet expectations and this was the case with a Park Tool 106AC quick release collar owned by reader Bart. He sent a video showing his modification, and he introduced it via the following text in an email – 

I’ve been frustrated with the Park Tool 106AC quick release collar that I decided to modify my own using a ebay seatpost clamp.

I spent about $26.xx on the 106-AC collar and I customized/ghetto/hacked my existing one for less than $2.00

I figured this could make a cool addition to your site and if your users want height adjustment on their Park Tool PRS-9 bike stand…my video shows how to do it.

Inner tubes are an amazing product that are practically as useful when they are no longer useful for their intended purpose as when they are being used for their intended purpose. Say that five times fast.  From shoe laces, to a wallet, to a computer bracket, you almost want to ask yourself, “Is there anything they can’t do?” 

Yet another inner tube hack was sent along to us by  Nikos over at Bicyclosis. Check out his site for instructions on how to create a cool  DIY tool pouch from an inner tube.

Don, who won our beachbikes.net giveaway received his bike and sent along this awesome review.

Ordering

After going back and forth with the family over what to do with our sudden windfall, we decided that we would purchase a bike with my wife in mind.  I’m not a cruiser type of rider (prefer road/cross style for commuting) and she wanted a dependable, easy to ride bike.  Winner winner chicken dinner for her.  We spec’d out “Teal Scorpion” in just a few minutes:   a teal colored 3-speeder with brown leather seat/grips, fat white wall tires and color matched fenders. 

Delivery

A short time after placing the order, we received the bike.   Nothing to note other than it arrived without drama.  The bike arrived without damage as the bike was well secured with padding and zip ties inside the box.   Unfortunately, though, the packaging wasn’t sturdy enough to be saved for future use as a bike box. I tore it easily and ended up destroying it to free the bike completely.  After a few minutes, we had a bike in pieces and a recycle bin full of cardboard.

The Build

With mixed success, I’ve torn down and re-built a couple bicycles over the last 20 years, so I had pretty high confidence going into this process.  After watching the instructional video on beachbikes.net a couple times, we had clear expectations of what would be needed to build the cruiser. 

With some assistance from my awesome daughter, we completed the build in about 50 minutes (see time lapse). 

 Bonus points to beachbike.net for including a cheap stamped metal multi-tool (pictured in lower corner of disassembled bike photo).  We used it for almost 100% of the process.   We only resorted to my tools when they were more comfortable. 

If you can turn a wrench, you can build this bike.  The bottom bracket and crank arms, head set, chain and chain guard are all pre-installed.   The build only required to install front wheel, pedals, stem/handlebars, fenders, and seat (tools used below).

The First Ride

This bike is pretty cool, very different from my commuter.  With the fat tires, relaxed and low seat position, I honestly felt uncomfortable for the first couple hundred feet.   This changed quickly as I got used to the laid back seat and wide handlebars.  This bike was not meant for speed.   The gearing is for moving at a leisurely pace.  You know…  cruisin’.   Having never ridden an internal geared hub bike before, I was pleasantly surprised by it’s responsiveness and exact shifting.  Gearing seems low, but again this is a cruiser.   Hard to comment on the fit as this is a such a relaxed ride.  Most importantly, it was fun.

Shop feedback

I decided that if we were to use the bike for any riding, it really should be checked out by a real mechanic.  I may have built some bikes, but I am no professional.   My local shop of choice is Menlo Velo  (menlovelobicycles.com).   They had no issue with me bringing in a home assembled mail order bike for a safety check.  Rainer (owner) and Christian (mechanic) gave the build an A- and only criticized the things that were done by me. Namely, I didn’t use enough grease on the stem and pedals, and the bolts weren’t tight enough.  (Note to self:  buy a torque wrench.)   Coincidentally, the shop carried a couple townie style bikes that were pretty similar and roughly the same price.

Verdict

I honestly couldn’t find anything wrong with this bike or the process. The bike itself is of good quality and fun to ride. The website is easy to use with a good variety of frame styles, colors, accessories.  The build process is easy and can be done your average IKEA customer.

At the same time, I really believe in buying from your local bike shop.  I didn’t do a lot of comparison shopping, but I believe you can get a similar styled, professionally built bike for pretty much the same price.   And the folks selling it to you will talk to you all day long about rides, and parts, and frame material, and beer, and trails, and they sponsor local teams.   Your LBS does so much more than sell you a bike.  So much, that recommending a web store for a bike is hard for me.

So…. If you want a bike and all that comes with it (like helmets, clothes, accessories), go to your local bike shop.  Buy a bike, drink beer with the mechanics.   If you don’t live near a bike shop or want a DIY project, beachbikes.net is a great place to get a bike.