Zip tie question
 

Where do you get zip ties? I'm installing fenders on my soon-to-be commuting bike. The fenders came with two zip ties, but they are to "fat" to fit the hole near the bottom bracket (at the front of the rear fender).

Thanks,
Kevin S.

Your local hardware store should have them. If not, try an electronics store like Radio Shack.

Or someplace like Home Depot, Builders Square, Lowe's, etc.. Look in the electical area.

Ah, good ol' zip ties. Gotta love 'em! Ranks right up their with duct tape. If you can't fix it with duct tape and zip ties you might as well throw it away and buy a new one. I've got one tool box just for duct tape, zip ties and bungie cords.

er...bungie bunjee bunny bungee, you know!

Home Depot or Costco sells a big ol bag of all sizes at a real good price.

Like Hardball says, they are a must for all occaisions.

You forgot to include superglue.

I stuff a few zipties in with my tools in my Camelback, along w/ a pencil wrapped w/ about 3 feet of duct tape. Never know what you'll need to fix.

Thanks all. I had this feeling that they were all around me and...I was right!

I'll pick some up on the way home tonight.

Kevin S.

(Hardball, Bob and Larry would be proud :) )

Generally, the black zip ties are UV resistant. If you don't like the black, and go with some other color, don't forget to check them from time to time, and replace them when they start to fall apart. Better to replace them than have your fender fall off while you are on a ride!

Right, how could I forget superglue. It helps hold our society together. :-)

Speaking of superglue, I've a friend in the medical profession that says the use of superglue in place of stitches is very common. Both internally and externally, 'bodydegradeable' (new term kind of clever don't ya think) no need to remove any thread or staples. Strange but true. Ya know, I just realized how much of a repository of useless information I am.

Actually, not that strange. I believe superglue was actually invented to glue wounds together in jungles, to prevent them becoming infected.

Ellie

I am not sure how you are using the zip ties, but I find they are not reliable for holding parts together.

If the zip ties are used to hold the fender onto the forks or hold them in place, find something else. Maybe you could use some metal hose clamps.

If your front fender comes off and binds up your front wheel when you are tavelling at high speed, you could be in for the crash of a lifetime.

Cool, didn't know that. Makes sense, no holes for uglies to get in to infect.

a note on the superglue thing. i have a mate who is completely mental and quite stupid (but then he is from birmingham!), he told me he always superglues any deep cuts together as opposed to stitches. i told him he was stupid etc etc......but oh.... look now.....i'm going to have to eat my words! lee, you were right all along, i was wrong, i'm sorry. it's commonplace medical practice? well i never. i've always been scared of stitches, i always hold a deep cut together until it bonds then use surgical tape to hold it. the thought of using superglue goes through me actually, in fact i think i'd rather go for stitches...ewww needles...

from where to buy zip ties, to superglueing cuts.......

cabledonut.

Why are you using zip ties to mount a fender? What's the matter with using the mount provided, and actually bolting the thing down? Or do you actually like repairing poor installation jobs on the roadside?

Amazing isn't it? That's why I never skip a thread no matter how mundane the title sounds. One never knows what biking nuggets or other nuggets for that matter, one might find.

Mike!

I was thinking that same thing, man.

You are like from some parallel universe or something. (Do you like beans?)

Well, my plan was to use a zip tie at the front of the rear fender. The hole at the back of the bottom bracket is much smaller than the standard and a zip tie didn't seem to be much weaker than the very skinny bolt that would fit there. (The 50 lb. test zips were too fat, I got a pack of 18 lb. ones that look like they will fit.)

As I see it, there won't be much, if any, load on the fastener, and if it fails, the worst that will happen is the rear fender will go under the rear tire. Inconvient, but not deadly. (The front fender is all properly bolted in place.)

Would there really be enough load on the zip tie in that location to cause it to fail?

Kevin S.

I LIKE BEANS!

Hey, about zip ties. They are effective in holding things together, but they have a tendency to sheer even with minimal loads when put under such conditions.

Zip ties work well for holding cables to the frame or lighting related electrical wires to the frame. but they just aren't strong enough for many other applications.

If the application you have in mind does not pose any danger upon failure of the zip tie, then try it and let us know how it goes.

I would be concerned not so much about the load as about edges constantly working on the plastic of the zip tie. I don't think they are designed for uses where there is constant working of the material, which it seems there would be from the vibration of the fender. I personally would feel much more comfortable with a small bolt snugged up tight with a dab of blue Loctite. I would probably toss any bolt/machine screw that came with the fender and go get a stainless steel nut and bolt from the hardware store.
FWIW,
Raymond