Cycling UK Forum

I carry at this time of year a cotton tea towel ,to use as a chest protector also doubles as towel if needed.

I use news paper as well ala pros as a chest warmer some times if it is to chilly but not cold enough for a proper base layer

I've made my own ankle clip with a bit of webbing and a quick release buckle. really easy and cheap to make, and works much better than anything else I've tried or seen for sale. My other one is about twice the width and I've stuck a big bit of reflective sticky on the buckle. What I like most is that it can be really easily tightened when you've clipped it on. Use it all the time.

cavasta wrote:I use a plastic shower cap (£1.00 from Poundland) as a waterproof cover for my Brooks when I have to leave my bike outside in the rain (cafe stops, shopping trips, overnight stays at camp-sites, etc). A 'proper' waterproof saddle cover will set you back about £5.00. Thanks for that Mum!!! Great idea!

I use a plastic carrier bag(free from Poundland) as a waterproof cover for my Brooks when I have to leave my bike outside in the rain

Actually the shower cap sounds a better idea - I'll aquire one the next time I stay in an hotel.

alicej wrote:I've made my own ankle clip with a bit of webbing and a quick release buckle. really easy and cheap to make, and works much better than anything else I've tried or seen for sale. My other one is about twice the width and I've stuck a big bit of reflective sticky on the buckle. What I like most is that it can be really easily tightened when you've clipped it on. Use it all the time.

I have done the same but with a velcro fastening - I clip a small flashing red led light to the webbing when riding in the dark.

When I did my DofE expedition (on bike) I had some velcro sewn into the legs of my trousers - worked a treat, never got lost, looked a bit naff though...

[XAP]Bob wrote:When I did my DofE expedition (on bike) I had some velcro sewn into the legs of my trousers - worked a treat, never got lost, looked a bit naff though...

How did sewing Velcro into your trousers stop you from getting lost.
I used a compass when I did my DoE.
Mind you I not sure Velcro had been invented when I did mine.

cycleruk wrote:Mind you I not sure Velcro had been invented when I did mine.

Velcro was invented early part of WWII you old duffer approx 15 years before DoE started

I use a childs (tigger) winter bobble hat that I found on the road to keep my head & tops of my ears warm in the colder months. It is a very snug fit and very aerodynamic(bar the crash resistant bobble ) & very easy to wash.
scout sales can often turn up all sort of wonderful things, purchased a 3 speed dutch style bicycle that was grubby but perfectly useable for £1 that I gave to an elderly friend.
old inner tubes cut up as patches.
small zip ties make a good emergancy replacment for bolts that may have worked loose especially mudguard stays (and are surprsingly long lasting), also use them on older bikes to attach bottle cages were no drilled bosses exist.
Large rolls of sew on reflective tape (£4.50 delivered for 10metres) that can be attached to various garments & areas of the bike. A lot cheaper than buying cycle specific bands etc.

Use 2nd class post instead of 1st and buy your (1st class stamps) from costco in bulk if you get the chance as they sell them about 7% cheaper than the PO. ALWAYS make sure to get your FREE proof of postage when sending stuff, is as effective as a signed for delivery in that it offers you the EXACT SAME AMOUNT of compensation but without the added cost.

Check online courier agents who often undercut the delivery firms by some distance & Royal mail by a lot for packages over 4kg in weight.
Can send up to 10kg mainland UK for £7 & a few pennies next day via city link through parcelmonkey. RM equivalent is £14.69!!!

I've read Olive Oil can lose it's potency after a few months, use it quick but if not, I've used it to keep some foam grabons on handlebars fresh, so not a bad lubricant for the more non-mechanical components of a bike. Though you don't see foam on that many drop handlebars, foam grips are on a lot of hybrids and mountain bikes.

cycleruk wrote:

[XAP]Bob wrote:When I did my DofE expedition (on bike) I had some velcro sewn into the legs of my trousers - worked a treat, never got lost, looked a bit naff though...

How did sewing Velcro into your trousers stop you from getting lost.

Well I didn't trip over my trousers, so I could look at the map

Oh - and I second the vote for zip ties - replace bolts for many weeks

While I was waiting for new front tyres I put an old set over the top (so I had two worn out tyres on each wheel) which kept me going until the new tyres got here (I initially zip tied them, but they stayed in place fine when the ties failed (10-15 miles) so I rode on them for about a week (100 miles)

Disposable shower cap from hotel works beautifully(?) as a helmet cover in the rain.

Get a good quality cycling gilet in an overbig size. Wear over non-cycling clothing (e.g. t shirts, long sleeve tops, etc) to give you both visibility and rear pockets. Very versatile. No need to buy any more cycling tops.

The following is a really cheap way to get more life out of old cables. Be sensible about safety, but it can work. If only one or two cable strands are broken, carefully unwind the broken ones and cut them off close to the nipple. Grease and refit. Actually there is a little helix shaped groove left behind in the cable that holds the grease well and the cable diameter is ever so slightly smaller. This solution worked for me for over a year on a cable.

Cheepo plastic pipettes, a few pence off eBay, work really well as oil droppers. They allow you to lube awkward to reach places without spillage.

I chose to revert to wearing a cape a couple of winters ago, mainly to arrive at work well ventilated and with relatively dry lower legs. But, this interfered with my two handlebar mounted lights. I remembered the old system of having a light mounted half way up a fork leg.
Recipe -
1. Take a 22mm copper 90 degree bend
2. Flatten one side in a vice and drill a hole of the appropriate size
3. Tart it up with a file to shape the flattened side and a lick of hammerite
4. Fix this 90 degree boss to the carrier boss on the fork leg with a stainless hex head screw
5. Hey Presto.....a boss to mount a headlight with an unobstructed forward path
6. Repeat on the other side to have symmetrical headlights

Another cheapie that served me well for years when I used a childback tandem.
Recipe -
1. Take a normal bike carrier of the type that mounts to roof bars, with wheels in a V -sextion and an inverted V-bar clamped to the down tube of the bike facing forward.
2. Saw the V-section in half. Put a 25 x 50 mm length of timber underneath the two lengths of V-section.
3. Adjust the length to accomodate the tandem and saw accordingly
4. Drill and fix the two lengths of V-section to the timber, and mount them on the roof bars.
5. Hey presto......an elongated tandem carrier for the price of a length of timber (which can still be used for a single bike)

This time last year I decided I didn't want to replace my neoprene overshoes (which were worn-out) so I bought a pair of slightly-used army combat boots on eBay for a tenner and replaced my SPD pedals with flatties that I had lying around in the shed. I wore the boots all winter for my commute. They may look slightly unconventional but they are brilliant for keeping the cold and rain out and are less of a faff than overshoes. (I am sure they'll last much longer as well.) I also used them for occasional mountain-biking. In the spring I took the flatties off, consigned the boots to the shed and put my SPDs back on again.

Geoff D - do you have any photos?

alicej wrote:Geoff D - do you have any photos?

Took me a couple of reads as well.

I think he's flattening one arm parallel to the other arm, so when it is bolted to a brake boss the remaining pipe bit is sticking away from the wheel...

Of course that might not be any clearer...