lost_in_endicot

It would have been the perfect day to ride today. Didn't have to work, mostly caught up with the stuff I need to get done around the house, and my wife and kids are gone for the day.

Too bad the weather didn't cooperate.

Soooo...off to the basement, where my inner Fred ideas try to become reality. I wanted to make a new mounting bracket for the headlight I bought a few weeks ago. I found some material I could use, went out to the garage to get some measurements off of my bike, and went to Home Depot to wander the aisles until I found some hardware that I could make work. Got home, fired up the mini mill, and made a bracket. It didn't quite work out(I really need to sit down and draw things up, instead of just winging it while cranking the mill handles), but I have to find some more material to make a new one that will work.

So all this got me thinking. How do you channel your inner Fred? What ideas have you tried for an improvement or modification on your bike that worked to your satisfaction? What didn't?

fietsbob

Schools dropped shop classes for computer classes and now it seems few can do more than ask what should I buy, from an Online store.

JFK was sill alive when I turned my 3 speed into a 3 by 3 by 3 speed (ie 27) and rode all over the Napa Valley, before it was Bourgeois & Posh.



I made a way to add Panniers over the Rear wheel of my BoB trailer out of aluminum FlatBar,

It worked, but I ended up selling the trailer and kept blackburn low riders,so removed my handiwork ..

In the late 80s I Got a Specialized Expedition Touring bike , they Screwed up the Fork boss location, and I got Bruce Gordon's racks
so a drill , and band saw and Files turned some alloy Angle into a solid mount for the front Low riders , rode for a decade and several European Tours on it.

Item 3 Made my own Mudguard mounts for My Bike Friday, Planet Bike 20" . and turned a Zefal mudguard Strut pair into a Wired tail light mount
that I bent around the rear bottle cage and used the bottle cage bolts to secure it..

Also had a nylon Headlight mount for Schmidt headlights and 1" threaded forks ,, The Bike Friday folding stem inserts into the Fork with a 1" quill
so I put the quill thru the Light bracket and put it back in the fork , the friction fit holds it straight enough.

Unfortunately my fathers Home Machine shop all went away in the Estate sale to do much that got done while He was alive

CX bike a Roller cable guide went inside the seatpost .. wide feet welded to the bottom of My Esge 2 legged Kickstand..



have a Custom Touring Bike largely Winging design with a Cargo bike builder in Eugene. . farm equipment Rugged.
rear stand to hold the bike Up , even when the site was wet and tent pins went in with just a push.

lost_in_endicot

Nice! Glad to see that I'm not the only one who likes to tinker.

I found some delrin, and it should work out nicely for making the new headlight mount. I'm still fooling around with making a mount for my u lock that fits on the inside of my bike rack.

Having a mini mill, and access to a lathe helps out quite a bit. I would love to learn how to weld.

gdhillard

I love this kind of work. Thinking, tinkering, trying it out, back for modifications. I would so much rather do this than buy stuff.

lost_in_endicot

It's a great way to kill a rainy Saturday afternoon!

El Cid

I'm in the middle of making myself a set of fenders -- you just can't find good full fenders for a 29" x 3" wheel. An english wheel would be nice, but I can make do with a brake press and a shear. I'm using 0.020" utility aluminum, cut into small pieces and bent to a 3.5" radius. The pieces will fit together like overlapping scales, lined up along two lengths of bent 1/4" roundbar. I'm gping to give them a chromate treatment and then paint them. Haven't decided on a colour yet.

bbeasley

Once I started commuting I realized I like my commuting stuff way better than my weekend roadie stuff. On my weekend bike, I ditched my speed plays in favor of spds and shoes I can walk in.

Murray Missile 

My "Fredliness" is out in the open for all the world to see.

TransitBiker

Been thinking about hitting up hardware store and making an easy-on/easy-off mounting system for my milk crate(s) so they can sit up over my panniers. There is enough space that i can get into the panniers no problem, so that's a nice thing i won't have to find a workaround for.

I'm also thinking of getting a frame mounted pump vs a small hand pump...... and making a locking mounting system for it.

I have a few other things i'd like to do, like mud flap extension, finding a front rack that fits or make one...... etc etc

- Andy

martianone

did you go to Home Depot by bike ?
if yes = fred
if no = NOT fred

noglider 

Ooh, I like the sounds of these. Please pursue them and post your results!

dramiscram

I make the most I can for my bike related needs, the less I give money away, the better I feel and, lets face it, when you've made it yourself, it works better!!!

My front and rear racks along with a fixture to fix my headlight on the front rack are all home made.
I used to ride with home made fenders (made out of an old crazy carpet and some duct tape) but those were really really ugly (but effective) so I finally bought some crudz fenders.
When the shifting part on my brifters broke I salvaged 2 friction shifters from an old mountain bike.
My rear luggage carrier is a 10$ rubbermaid container.
I fitted a bamboo stick on my handle bar so I can put my bike computer and a spare light without loosing hand space on the bar, covered with hockey tape you can't guess it's bamboo.
My Wheel truing stand is home-made from some plywood and oak leftovers (it requires a few minutes to change from a Wheel size to another)
On my winter commuter I have the inevitable cat litter container (I cant fit 3 of them on the bike)
and my winter tires are DIY as well.
I also made myself an helmet cover out of an old nylon sock to keep the bugs out in summer time.

Hours and hours of crazy fun

wphamilton

I use home-made fenders, brake light and smartphone mount on my regular commuter. Home brew frame bag hangs from my top tube. Trying to be inconspicuous about it, but Fred gets out regardless.

jralbert

I've got the welder, but no mill, so I'm a bit envious. I did build myself quite a nice headlight mount that attaches at the fork brake bolt hole by just sculpting and bending a chunk of 3/8" aluminum angle bracket. It took several goes with hammer and vise to get the angle just right, but I'm delighted with the result. My winter bike, new to me just this season, is the first I've owned that has full rack and fender mounts, and all I can think is what else I can attach to them! I've got two small tail lights on order that I'm thinking I'll attach to the rear upper rack mounts, again probably with some custom aluminum brackets - this stuff is so much fun!

I also finally got around to building the ceiling-hung bike maintenance harness I've been planning for ages: two climbing ropes with giant carabiners on the end which each run up through their own ceiling-mounted pulley, and tie off at a sailing cleat a few feet back. This system allows me to set the fore and aft raised height of the bike independently, smoothly raise and lower either or both without having to take down the bike, and attach to any part of the frame the carabiners can open around, so it works for my road and mountain bikes with their various frame geometries. It's been great so far. I love this kind of tinkering...

noglider 

For years, I've thought of making "ear fairings" to hang from my helmet straps and protect my ears from wind noise. I notice when I turn my head to the side, all the noise goes away, so it might be possible. I'm surprised no one has done this to my knowledge.

TransitBiker

That's the plan!

- Andy

TransitBiker

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...ide-bike-freel

My nutcase helmet also can accept ear flaps they (nutcase) sells.

Ear Pads - Nutcase Helmets

Definitely going to be getting those ASAP.

- Andy

lost_in_endicot

I had a chance to take a welding class at the local trade school, but didn't. I wish I did. I don't think they even offer it anymore, at least not at night.

I had another whack at the headlight bracket last night, and now its mostly done. I need to mill a little more off the back to allow for cord clearance, and find a slightly longer screw to mount the light. It fits good on my handlebars, so I think I have a winner this time.

TransitBiker's post got me thinking about making my own quick disconnect system for my panniers, and I think that might be my next project. I like my cheap-o panniers, but they can be a pain to take off and put back on.

Paramount1973 

This thread is useless without pictures.

kickstart

My adjustable headlight mount,


The 2 legs were made from flat stock, but the rest is bits and pieces from the from the hardware store. It was all "planned" out by fitting and fiddling with what I could find in the hardware bins, I think some of the store associates were getting suspicious after an hour or so.

Gresp15C

Here's a 1/4 sheet of plywood, upon returning home from Home Depot, about 2 miles away. Note the spring clamps holding it onto my rack and basket.

ret3

These projects are awesome! As for me, I'm don't like the way my sweaty helmet straps are leaving a dark streak on my leather bar wrap, so I have a vague plan (possibly involving a mending plate) to make a helmet hook that fit on one of the handlebar faceplate nuts.

Leebo

They are made by Cat Ears. Some for wind some for warmth.

Leebo

One of my best fixes was made by fitting a star nut up from the bottom of a steerer tube with a 1 1/8th sus fork. Perfect for a fender on the winter commutified rockhopper.

martianone

i honor your Fredness.