Tips and Tricks
09-07-07 | 08:15 AM
#251
End of Hard Shoulder
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: Manhattan
Bikes: trek 520, 70's beater Ross
I call it the "Chanute Breakfast Bomb"... provides loads of energy for the start of any day on the road.
Take two packets of instant oatmeal, drop them in a cup of coffee with milk and sugar to taste, chug/eat and ride till lunch..the instant apple oatmeal is fun b/c the dried apples float to the top ;-)
:-D cheap and effective!
Take two packets of instant oatmeal, drop them in a cup of coffee with milk and sugar to taste, chug/eat and ride till lunch..the instant apple oatmeal is fun b/c the dried apples float to the top ;-)
:-D cheap and effective!
10-22-07 | 06:07 AM
#252
Healthy and active
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 887
Likes: 4
From: Caldwell, Idaho USA
Bikes: mid-60's Dunelt 10-speed, Specialized Allez Sport Tripple, Trek 7.2 FX
I had galled wheel bearing cones on an older bike. I am not very close to a bike store and getting new cones could be difficult. I also wanted to finish the job quickly. I took the axle to a hardware store and found a metric nut to match it. Then I got a short metric bolt the same size. I cut the head off and chucked it up in a chuck on a high speed spindle. I screwed the galled cone onto the threads. I ran it while lightly holding a running Dremel tool with grinding bit against it. I was able to get rid of the galling and have a pretty good surface on the cone, too.
Last edited by twobikes; 10-23-07 at 06:28 AM. Reason: used the wrong word to describe something
10-25-07 | 08:23 PM
#253
New Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Better than straps or rubberbands around hand brakes as a parking brake , take a strip of velcro, and a strip of the fuzzy recieving stuff, and sew them back to back into a single strap. Then put the strap around the front wheel and the down tube. The bike will not roll when leaning against a vertical surface and, if that vertial surface is a thin tree or post, the front wheel wont turn and allow the bike to fall when you aren't looking.
02-07-08 | 11:06 PM
#254
Senior Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 305
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver, Wet Coast
Better than straps or rubberbands around hand brakes as a parking brake , take a strip of velcro, and a strip of the fuzzy recieving stuff, and sew them back to back into a single strap. Then put the strap around the front wheel and the down tube. The bike will not roll when leaning against a vertical surface and, if that vertial surface is a thin tree or post, the front wheel wont turn and allow the bike to fall when you aren't looking.
04-23-08 | 10:30 PM
#255
Mature Cyclist
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 59
Likes: 1
From: About as far south as one can get in the continental U.S.
Bikes: Bianchi Milano Jamis Aurora
This may seem like a really dumb tip but I've tried it a few times and it "seems" to work:
"Mark" your campsite (PEE/PISS) at the 4 corners and most animals seem to stay away.
I can't really say it'd work in ALL situations/areas but the first campground I tried it? The raccoons/possums/whatever left our camp completely alone but totally ransacked the camps on either side of us. I still hang my food or at least store it outside my tent.
"Mark" your campsite (PEE/PISS) at the 4 corners and most animals seem to stay away.
I can't really say it'd work in ALL situations/areas but the first campground I tried it? The raccoons/possums/whatever left our camp completely alone but totally ransacked the camps on either side of us. I still hang my food or at least store it outside my tent.
05-06-08 | 03:28 AM
#256
See You Down The Road
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 132
Likes: 0
From: Canada
This may seem like a really dumb tip but I've tried it a few times and it "seems" to work:
"Mark" your campsite (PEE/PISS) at the 4 corners and most animals seem to stay away.
I can't really say it'd work in ALL situations/areas but the first campground I tried it? The raccoons/possums/whatever left our camp completely alone but totally ransacked the camps on either side of us. I still hang my food or at least store it outside my tent.
"Mark" your campsite (PEE/PISS) at the 4 corners and most animals seem to stay away.
I can't really say it'd work in ALL situations/areas but the first campground I tried it? The raccoons/possums/whatever left our camp completely alone but totally ransacked the camps on either side of us. I still hang my food or at least store it outside my tent.
but remember it only works with male pee.....female pee doesn't have enough testosterone in it.
It will help keep away the smaller animals and if in bear country it will let them no your there so their not surprised or they can avoid you all together
(still get your food away from your tent ,like you said,don't take any chances)
Last edited by Burningman; 05-06-08 at 03:40 AM.
05-13-08 | 10:55 AM
#257
my bike Owns me+my wallet
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 709
Likes: 0
From: Sudbury, Ontario
Bikes: Px-10 singeld, 2007 KHS filte 100
I call it the "Chanute Breakfast Bomb"... provides loads of energy for the start of any day on the road.
Take two packets of instant oatmeal, drop them in a cup of coffee with milk and sugar to taste, chug/eat and ride till lunch..the instant apple oatmeal is fun b/c the dried apples float to the top ;-)
:-D cheap and effective!
Take two packets of instant oatmeal, drop them in a cup of coffee with milk and sugar to taste, chug/eat and ride till lunch..the instant apple oatmeal is fun b/c the dried apples float to the top ;-)
:-D cheap and effective!
there are brake levers that have parking brake similar to one found on a motorcycle.
just throwing it out there
05-23-08 | 04:10 PM
#259
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 409
Likes: 1
From: Montréal, QC (Canada)
Bikes: 2008 Surly LHT complete & 1988-ish fuglyfixed Specialized RockHopper
Firestarting tip.
Dip a cotton swab into vaseline, then put it in a ziploc bag. Repeat. When you have many in there, smoosh them so that the vaseline is spread out.
To start your campfire, just put 4-5 cotton balls under your kindling wood and light them. They'll burn surprisingly long. No need for newspapers for starting the fire.
Dip a cotton swab into vaseline, then put it in a ziploc bag. Repeat. When you have many in there, smoosh them so that the vaseline is spread out.
To start your campfire, just put 4-5 cotton balls under your kindling wood and light them. They'll burn surprisingly long. No need for newspapers for starting the fire.
05-25-08 | 11:41 AM
#260
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,547
Likes: 53
From: Sunny Tampa, Florida
05-25-08 | 02:39 PM
#261
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 409
Likes: 1
From: Montréal, QC (Canada)
Bikes: 2008 Surly LHT complete & 1988-ish fuglyfixed Specialized RockHopper
Vichy also makes some little "candy"/losanges which contain minerals useful for the body. They are available in some european specialty grocery stores.
06-21-08 | 02:54 AM
#262
Senior Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,215
Likes: 0
This is known to veteran cyclists, but as you descend very long, very steep hills, stop occassionally to cool your brakes and your rims. The steepest hill I ever descended was in VA on the TransAm Trail as I headed towards Vesuvius, VA. I stopped to cool things off about three times, and didn't have a problem.
Later that day I spoke with the owner of a local bike shop, and we discussed that very hill. He told me of many cyclists who failed to take proper precautions on the hill, and sometimes paid dearly for it. They lost control of the bike or the hot rim blew the tire out, and ended up with severe injuries, such as a fractured skull or severe lacerations.
Later that day I spoke with the owner of a local bike shop, and we discussed that very hill. He told me of many cyclists who failed to take proper precautions on the hill, and sometimes paid dearly for it. They lost control of the bike or the hot rim blew the tire out, and ended up with severe injuries, such as a fractured skull or severe lacerations.
06-21-08 | 09:52 AM
#263
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,206
Likes: 1
From: British Columbia, Canada
If you're on a winding mountain road or if you're riding in wet conditions, you need to use your brakes and control your speed going downhill. On a short tour this past week, I was reaching speeds of around 60 km/h each day and on previous tours, I've sometimes topped 70 km/h. At those speeds, losing control can have some serious consequences.
06-27-08 | 05:17 AM
#265
Got an old Peugeot
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 642
Likes: 0
From: I'm from Israel
Bikes: I had a Trek 1200
07-01-08 | 01:19 PM
#266
Senior Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,215
Likes: 0
Tall water bottles can't fit into a lot of washroom sinks. I have 820 mL bottles, and have a lot of trouble. The way I do it is to fit them in sort of sideways, so they can both be filled up to almost half way, then I use one bottle to fill the other one up to the top. Then I take the cap of the first bottle and use that as a little cup to fill up the second bottle to the top.
07-01-08 | 01:33 PM
#267
Team Anchor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Clarckston, WA
Bikes: Surly Crosscheck, Trek Madone, Merlin Hardtail, Surley Crosscheck, Gary Fisher Mountain Tandem
A trick a lot of people already use, but just in case... a tennis ball plastic sleeve has a nice waterproof top and fits into tightly a water bottle cage. I know the cages are precious for water, but it is a great way to carry a light jacket and/or a repair kit.
07-10-08 | 06:02 PM
#270
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
PS, I'm referring to the bag from a previous post. This is the bag though: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/p..._id=30086&v=2s
09-13-08 | 01:10 PM
#272
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
I was thinking one day, it kinda hurt but.....my fenders were making a irritating tinkle, rattle, ping pop ect...so to the auto store I went and purchased some spray can of undercoating, and presto after a little masking and a day of drying a super quiet ride again.....don't use the kind that goes on real thick the cheap stuff works great and adds very little fat to the bike. It also makes the real sticky mud wash off easier. Oh yea it will only stick to metal fenders.
09-13-08 | 01:42 PM
#273
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Nasty dent in a steel frame:
Remove paint
heat with a propane torch till it becomes slightly red throw a cup of cold water on it and the dent will some times pop right out and some times it takes a couple of tries but eventualy the dent will come out.
I've done it on cars and bikes it does work.
Remove paint
heat with a propane torch till it becomes slightly red throw a cup of cold water on it and the dent will some times pop right out and some times it takes a couple of tries but eventualy the dent will come out.
I've done it on cars and bikes it does work.
09-18-08 | 08:00 PM
#274
Macro Geek
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,362
Likes: 12
From: Toronto, Ontario
Bikes: True North tourer (www.truenorthcycles.com), 2004; Miyata 1000, 1985
Last week, I toured with two friends along a two-lane highway. One of my friends wore a florescent vest, and the other didn't. While riding through a forest, I noticed that the one without the vest was almost invisible while in shadow. And it was a sunny day. On the other hand, the one wearing a vest stood out like a sore thumb.
So if you are seriously interested in being more visible to car and truck drivers, wear a florescent vest. Making yourself easy to spot is an asset when sharing the road with fast-moving vehicles.
Something like this:
So if you are seriously interested in being more visible to car and truck drivers, wear a florescent vest. Making yourself easy to spot is an asset when sharing the road with fast-moving vehicles.
Something like this:
Last edited by acantor; 09-18-08 at 08:03 PM.
09-23-08 | 05:59 PM
#275
Monsieur Jewell
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
tempered?
Nasty dent in a steel frame:
Remove paint
heat with a propane torch till it becomes slightly red throw a cup of cold water on it and the dent will some times pop right out and some times it takes a couple of tries but eventualy the dent will come out.
I've done it on cars and bikes it does work.
Remove paint
heat with a propane torch till it becomes slightly red throw a cup of cold water on it and the dent will some times pop right out and some times it takes a couple of tries but eventualy the dent will come out.
I've done it on cars and bikes it does work.