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Reader mattyfu was bumping around the Net and sent along the following picture that was linked from a comment on the blog Fun Hight. I guess you could call it the Harry Potter bike.

I did a quick flickr search for “broom bike” and found that flickr member Kitt took a picture of the bike as well.

It looks like the creator did a pretty ingenious job of running a metal rod from the forks to the seat post where there is a swivel mechanism of some sort that allows for steering. I for one would probably not want to test this out in traffic.

The Fun Hight blog entry has a bunch of other cool bike modifications so be sure to check it out.

Filed Under: culture 

Last week I posted an article about helmet covers. We got a couple of great comments on the post and I followed up with “bibliogrrl” who had commented that her helmet has horns. Sure enough, it does as this picture makes clear. Great sticker by the way too!

Not only does her helmet have steeze, she is carting around flowers on her bike. Now if that does not make you feel all warm and fuzzy all over I don’t know what will. Do you have a helmet with flavor? Contact us and we’ll post it.

Filed Under: culture 

Yesterday’s post on a DIY computer sensor reminded me of a major problem I have with just about every device that is attached to the handlebars on my commuter mule. Whether it be a light or computer, I always end up breaking the tab on the brackets meant to hold the device in place.

The main reason is that I lock my bike to a lot of poles in the city. When the bike moves around while locking or unlocking (or some other dude bangs my bike around while locking up his steed) the handlebars move around the bracket tabs bust when they bump against the pole.

It is a major annoyance for sure but I have found ways to deal with it. I could buy new brackets except for the fact that they are either impossible to find or out of stock. Exhibit A is the bracket for my Cateye computer. You gotta give it to Cateye for reasonably pricing the thing, I had expected them to charge like $15. You can’t beat $2.30 but the bad boy is also out of stock.

When I first broke the tab off my Cateye bracker it was serendipity because I made a sandwich later that day and came up with the bread tie hack below.

If you will notice, there is another bracket to the left of the computer with a missing tab to. That one is for my head light and I’ll cover my hack for that in a future entry.

The bread tie worked alright, but quick removal and replacement was not that easy and I thought back to a LIVESTRONG bracelet hack posted a long time ago to secure a light to a helmet.

This lead me to using a rubber band. This idea works great, however I do go through quite a few of them as they are exposed to the elements and don’t hold up to well. If you look closely you can see the band already stressing out and starting to tear a bit. You can also see that I left the bread tie dangling over to the right just in case the rubber band does break and I need a back up. I have tons of crap hanging from my bike for sure, but each piece of crap has a purpose.

I think next up will be a small elastic hair band ala the hack Alan sent in from EcoVelo for a parking break.

Filed Under: modification 

Last week I posted an article about the Democratic National Convention and how no bike racks were installed for those who might want to ride their bike to the events. Many vigilant readers did make sure to let me know that free loaner bikes are being made available at both conventions.

From recent news it does appear that the RNC is one upping the DNC with an, ahem, in your face display of cycling advocacy. As is clear from this picture from the front page of CNN (full story here), police officers, on bikes, are arresting people. The Officers have their helmets and gloves on, setting a great example of safe riding for the youngsters out there. Not only that, one officer seems to be giving out free pepper spray as well.

Okay, so while it’s not really clear what party affiliation the officers actually have, it’s good too see some visual evidence of the usefulness of bikes in every day life.

Filed Under: culture 

I am constantly amazed by bike hackers out there. I get all excited when I think of an idea like tying an old sock to my rack so I have a rag to wipe my hands on and then there are readers like Stephen who submit hacks that involve some higher level synaptic activity.

Like any good hacker Stephen gets annoyed at high priced parts and so he sent along the following. It reminds me of how annoyed I was that Cateye sells wireless computers with only one handlebar mount and sensor. Take it away Stephen . . .

I was recently in the LBS looking at replacement sensors for cycling computers (I have a mountain bike and commuter bike I swap the computer between) and they were like $20, almost as much as a new computer with sensor!… so I decided to make my own.

The price all depends on how much you can get a Reed switch for, I’ve seen them for $1 online, I got mine from the local electronics store.

DIY magnet and sensor.

DIY sensor connected.

DIY sensor disconnected.

Hacked computer mount.

Original cable with connector.

Filed Under: modification 

Just a short pointer here to the story of Kristin Armstrong, Olympic Gold Medalist, Women’s Individual Time Trial in Road Cycling and how she used her GPS receiver to map out her route in China, then went back home to Boise, Idaho and mapped out a similar route.

(via Matt’s sidebar)

Filed Under: gear 

In case y’all missed it, the best comment EVAH on bikehacks was recently posted by Riding Mama. In response to a recent post regarding the importance of wearing a helmet while riding Riding Mama had this to say:

No helmet no riding. A simple easy to follow rule because I like the privacy of being able to wipe my own ass!

Now there’s wisdom to live by. Thanks Riding Mama!

Filed Under: safety 

If you’re anything like me, it’s a rare day of bike commuting that doesn’t add a small dot of road grime or bike grease on your khaki pants, white shirt, etc. Grease is tough to remove, but not impossible. You can definitely salvage your threads without settling for a grease spot for the next 20 wash cycles. The following techniques vary wildly in both materials used and toxicity. I’ll say upfront that grease busting dishwashing liquid has worked for me, as has “Shout” brand prewash junk. Be wary of letting any stuff sit on the grease for too long, or next you’ll be dealing with a new stain or discoloration on your clothes (experience talking here). Onward.

In rough order of toxicity (and for the record, I wouldn’t touch those last three, but maybe your neck is redder than mine)…

• Sprinkle cornstarch on freshly greased clothes. Let it soak up the grease for a while, then shake it out, slop some dishwashing liquid on there and wash as usual
• On fresh grease: a dot of laundry detergent, rub, wash as usual
• On set grease: sprinkle some baby powder, let it set a while, shake out, wash as usual
• Rub some Dawn dishwashing detergent into the spot, then wash
• Make a paste of Ajax dish soap and baking powder, then rub into the stain using an old toothbrush. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before washing as usual
• Dribble a little bit of your shampoo (brand agnostic) on the stain, rub and wash as usual
• Use Simple Green on stains, wash as usual
• Throw some PineSol or Simple Green in with your laundry
• Use Goo-Gone on stains, wash as usual
• Get the stain out with Goof-Off, then get out the Goof-Off residue with Goop hand cleaner before washing as usual
• Use oven cleaner on the stain, wash as usual
• Use tire cleaner on the stain, wash as usual
• Use brake parts cleaner on the stain, wash as usual

BONUS SOLUTION (only works in the northern hemisphere during the winter months)

1. Find some doll clothes that have been discarded by a thrift store. Don’t buy them, you must find them in the trash. (I’m not sure why this is important…something about lingering sorrow).
2. Once you’ve got the clothes, rend them. If you don’t know how to rend clothes, re-read the Old Testament, preferable King James Version, until you receive understanding.
3. Got the rent clothes? Refashion these textiles into a circle than cannot be broken. In a pinch, that sideways figure eight infinity thingy will do, too. Use your imagination–this is more art than science, people. Stay with me here, the hard part is coming up.
4. Using the thumb and forefinger of your left hand pull your greased garment cleanly through the circle that cannot be broken. With a single motion, as you pull the garment through the circle, fling it into the washing machine, closing the door before any excess cleaning power can escape (this technique simply does not work with hand washing, sorry). Wash as usual.
5. This technique should remove any grease present, as well as provide a lasting preternatual shield that prevents all future stains as well. Let me know if it doesn’t work for you.

Filed Under: gear 

Jay from Wasteland New Jersey BMX Infiltrators submitted a great hack via our submission page. First of all, the Wasteland site is freaking dope and you need to check it out just to take in the aesthetics. The graphics and layout are quite impressive. It’s obvious that Jay cannot just turn a wrench, he can code and shoot pics with the best of ‘em . . . just needs to increase the font size for old eyes like mine.

Being a BMX aficionado Jay wants a clean ride set up and he discusses a DIY chain tensioner. In his own words . . .

Maybe you’ve seen the new Superstar Light my Fire and New Deal frames, or the Fly Bikes 3 Amigos. They all rock a built-in chain tensioner that’s basically a gyro tab mounted to the dropout in front of the peg, with a bolt threaded through it which pushes the peg back when tightened. If you run a tensioner, the plus is you’ll have nothing sticking out behind the dropout and it’s cleaner and more tech. I can show you how to make this setup work on almost anything . . . ”

You do need the below tools to qualify for this challenge. To get the full meal deal, visit the Wasteland Techy Posts page. Thanks Jay!

Filed Under: admin 

This is a picture meant to show how much space it would take to transport people assuming each had their own car, took the bus or rode a bike. Thanks Germany!

Click the picture to zoom.

Filed Under: culture