General Cycling Discussion - Kinks = Cheap Guy + Inventive Applications.

I'm cheap in certain areas. Biking and cars are the areas where I am the most miserly. Thus, I tend to ask myself if I can make the same thing at home for less. If I can get by at 50% or less I try to make it myself. Much over that I'll go with the flow.

I made my own panniers out of some Spanish Army Surplus butt packs and model airplane plywood. They work great and will carry everything I need to tote plus more. I got the idea from www.bicyclinglife.com.

I made a hitch mounted bike rack out of 1 ¼ inch square galvanized sign post stock. It works like the $200 Cabala’s one for $32 in hardware. It would have cost $15.00 less if I had bough the metal stock at a metal dealer instead of Lowe’s. The rack works great and keeps the bikes high enough to avoid bottoming out behind my low slung car.

Last night I needed to change tires but I didn't have a bicycle stand. After about 10 minutes of scratching and pondering it hit me. I used ratchet tie down straps to strap my hitch mount bike rack to the basketball goal in the drive. In bad weather I can strap it to the pole in my garage. It is rock solid and keeps the bike at any level you wish.

So, how about you? Got any good ideas that are cheap to implement?

Kink is a word from the 1920's meaning an unusual or eccentric idea. Not quite the same meaning it has today.
:eek:

JoeTown

Good ideas especially the tie down straps. Iusually just turn the bike upside down to change tires.

Joe

Originally posted by JoeTown244GL
So, how about you? Got any good ideas that are cheap to implement?
When it comes to my passions and hobbies, I don't skimp. I'll splurge and buy new equipment & gear although I'm very handy and am able to produce many items like you mentioned, myself, and have done so in the past. My garage is basically a workshop. But I do skimp in other areas of my daily life... People call me cheap...

I was going to say something about tie down straps and kink used in association....but I don't think I will :eek:

Here is a work stand I made. 2 pieces of 2x4 with a brace at 45 degrees. The bike rests on a piece of PVC pipe that I cut in half length wise. $5 vs $300 for a Park bike stand, which I'm sure are nice, but $300!!!

I also made a pannier out of an old backpack. Cut off the straps, put a piece of thin board on one side that attached to the back rack, bungee cord accross the top and pulled down the centre to attach to the bottom. Detachable and all! Worked great!
Don't have a picture sorry. Although a store bought pannier woudl have more bells and whistles and work better I admit.

Made my own cone adjusting tool using an old cone and small piece of axyle. Allows me to clamp on the quick release, while the wheel is off bike to adjust play in the cones. Work great!

I have others, and other still that did not work out, and I had to go buy the proper item (hence it cost me more than if I just bought it without trying to make it). Then OTHER things that wrecked some part and I had to go buy the proper item AND buy a replacement part that it wrecked.

But for each thing that did not work out I leaned something - DON'T BE SO CHEAP AND GO BUY IT AND DON'T DO THIS AGAIN!!

Can't seem to learn that lesson, I'll always try to make something first.....but now I think about it harder. :-)

Digger