Chombi

Very true! Not chased yet but I've been visited by quite a few when I take my breaks on the side of the road under trees. Just as long as they're not killer bees, I would not worry....

Chombi

DVC45

I like this, as I have a few bikes with cable routed that way, but how do you go about removing them plastic inner tubes?

Thanks in advance!

Veloh

I had old index shift cables. Normally, they explode when they're old so I just removed the metal strands and there was a nice pieces of plastic housing; very thin but perfect for shift cable. I also put it in wire derailleur cable to give it less friction. I heard aquatic housing is good too.

Otis

Toe straps. Keep some old ones in your tool box. When you need a 3rd hand they will come in handy. Strap one through the front wheel around the down-tube as soon as you put a bike in the stand and you'll never accidently ding a top-tube.

gaucho777 

On rainy days, when running tubulars, wrap your spare tire in a page of newspaper before tucking it under your saddle. Keeps the road grime off and helps the spare attach to the rim better in case you need to use it.

unworthy1

some nice tips in this thread: I also like the dime under bolt trick to open a stem clamp, but do NOT approve of Pledge (Lemon or any other flavor) cause it contains silicone. I won't knowingly put silicone on my paint, but you can do as you like.
I have a 1-1/2" mounted wire wheel (on 1/4" shaft) that I chuck up in a reversible electric drill and run it into and out of the threaded BB bracket shell before I rebuild. That size is a little hard to find but it's a tight fit in the shell and the threads actually pull the wire in as it rotates, you need to reverse the drill rotation to get it out (and of course for the LH threads).
Those threads are clean and shiny, no rust, no gunk...beautiful and quick.

Rocket-Sauce 

Plastidip on cable ends.

fas2c

Bees are attacted to the Pledge becuase it mimics the pheramone produced by a queen. An old trick to catch a swarm is to place a nuc with a few frames and spray the interior with the Pledge or lemongrass oil.

Silicone will prohibit the application of any new paint so be careful where you apply it.

Barkeepers Friend contains oxalic acid so it will eat up rust.

Spit helps ease on tight tires on rims. It is also a mild adhesive too when applying grips once it drys.

Sometimes on stubborn bolts/nuts/screws tightening before trying to loosen will break the grip of the rust or corrosion enough to keep you from stripping out the head. Also striking the head with a sharp blow will do it too. I have removed stripped screws by taking the screwdriver and driving the blade/bit into the screwhead with a wrap from a hammer to get a better bite.

If you want to take it off at a later time hit the threads with a small bit of grease on the threads.

Grease on the head of a screw will hold it to the bit and allow you to start a screw with one hand.

Goof-Off will remove spray paint but not the factory paint. It will remove the lettering of the decals though so be careful.

Tapered Toothpics will help one keep an eye on the hole in a tube while you prepare to patch it.

Old Fat Guy

Tighten bolts until they strip, then back off half a turn

Rocket-Sauce 

Hairspray the inside of grips to help slide 'em on bars + make sure they stay put.

jack002

I carry a spare tube in a bag with allens and screwdrivers and tire levers, to protect it I wrap it in newspaper really tight and hold it with blue painters tape. I also carry an old dew rag for hand cleaning during flat repairs.

brian3069

Use a magnet to hold loose bearings while servicing hubs.

A refrigerator in your work area to keep cold beer handy.

on the path

Using dish detergent as hand soap is a bad idea. If you use are using dish detergent regularly your hands must be really dried out. Hand cleaner is pretty cheap. Come on...

Toeslider

You can get 50-100 heavy-duty rubber bands out of an inner tube you're about to throw away. You can also dictate how thick they will be.

As mentioned, spray hair spray into grips so they will slide on, then they will stick in place when the hairspray catalyst evaporates.

Use a syringe or baster to inject soapy water between grips and bars if you want to get them off and use them again without cutting.

Rubber grips that aren't too old can usually be rolled up on themselves almost all the way without damaging them when you want to remove and reuse them. Beats trying to pull them off the way they are.

noglider 

They're not at all dry or hard. I wash with cold water, which is another tip. The dish soap does tend to dry a bit, but hot water is a worse offender at that. So cold water is another useful tip I'm offering.

Here's another: A lycra seat cover, in black, goes on like a shower cap. It draws tight and conforms to the seat's shape. It makes a ratty seat look brand new. It only costs $2.87.

rhm

When you remove old Velox rubber handlebar plugs, just loosen the screw with a flat head screwdriver a few turns. Once it's loose, you don't have to loosen it more. If the plug still won't come out (which is usually the case) just leave it and try again in a day or two. It can take that long for the rubber to relax its grip on the inside of the handlebar.

When installing or removing rubber or plastic grips, just use water. There is no need for anything else, and anything else will leave a residue that will, in the end, not help.

noglider 

Yes pretty much any liquid will do except for most oils. I find a bit of soap lubricates better than plain water, and the residue isn't troublesome at all. But yeah, water works. For removal,
I lift the edge of the grip with a long thin screwdriver and spray liquid in.

brian3069

I like Windex for removing grips

gaucho777 

When patching tubes, after the patch has been glued in place but before the glue dries, I take my fingernail and press in lines around the edge of the patch so you end up with a circular score line along the orange border. It helps to ensure an airtight seal. I hate reinstalling a patched tube only to find that there is still a leak. Since I started doing this, I've never had a faulty patch job.

Iowegian

An old 1 1/8" fork crown from a dead suspension fork makes a great crown race installation tool for 1" headsets.

unworthy1

There's a technique (called "stitching") and a tool (small metal wheel on a handle) called a "stitcher" that's the final proper step in securing any patch. Most people have never heard of it, never seen the tool, or know to do it, but it's what makes a patch job work every time instead of "sometimes". What you are doing with your fingernail is a sort of stitching, and you don't need to haul the tool around with you (but I always use it at home) but you do want to use something smooth and roll or rub it all over the surface of the patch, pressing hard. No need for a circular pattern, a lot of straight lines "stitched" over the whole surface of the patch will do the trick. I have a number of things small and light I have carried in my patch kits: wooden tongue depressor or popsicle stick, end of a plastic knife handle, big smooth coin...

realestvin7

Explain this one, please.

realestvin7

If I want to make rust disappear in a jiffy, I use PB Blaster and fine steel wool. A brass brush will substitute it tight places.

Oh, oxalic acid's a hell of a drug.

curbtender

1 1/8 fits over 1" to seat race.

lotek 

A cotton ball run along the inside of a tire will snag on small embedded wire that's been
causing your mysterious flats, it's also less painful than running your fingers in there.