Little challenges and solutions - Part 2

So, I've bought this little tool kit meant to fit under the bike which doesn't because the basket fitted to the rear rack gets in the way...

So, what to do? I've worked out that a small extension fitted to the saddle will make it fit. Bought a few metal brackets (mending plates, I think they're called) and tried to attach them under the saddle. Found it more difficult than I thought it would be...

Came across these giant zipties at work - it looked like they might do the trick so gave up the idea of the mending plates except to stiffen the ties and stop them drooping tried them out.

This seemed to work. But, once fitted, they got in the way of anything large that I might want to put in the basket...back to the drawing board. :-(  Ideally, I'd want an extension from the saddle to the toolkit that clipped on quick release style, you know, like those plastic things you see on rucksacks in outdoors shops...not sure what they're called, then it could be taken off if it got in the way.

Anyway, was all about to give up then got the idea of using the quick release thingy from a luggage strap and this looks to be the best solution. Used the zipties to attach the male under the saddle and the female to the toolkit attachment.

Used some more of the velcro hook and loop tape used in my Little Challenges And Solutions Part 1 post to extend the tape round the seatpost for added support:

And voila! It fits and can be attached and detached:

Bike Shops: Aladdin's Caves Or Not

Whilst not that familiar with the inner workings of the UK bike business, I can't say that I'm impressed with what I've seen so far and here is one example.

Recent experience got me thinking about the difference between some bike shops in reality when you visit them and the impression given by their website.

The website portrays them as being an Aladdin's Cave, full of good quality (and expensive!) European style bikes, accessories and tools. Nice pictures, videos etc.

Which is what I thought I was visiting recently when I went to London to buy my next bike.

All I can say is that the site is a lot better than the shop. Expecting to see at least one of these particular bikes, there were none.  And nothing of anything else either, just display models for customers to try out before ordering - if you wanted anything, you had to order and wait. They might deal in these bikes, they just don't stock them. I enquired about visiting another branch (they're opening a chain) but was told they wouldn't have one either. There were a few Brooks saddles and accessories but not much else. The shop itself is about the size of my lounge - not very big - not for a bike shop anyway. Might have explained the fact that there was next to nothing in there...

Now two things: one, this shop isn't the first disappointment: another (London) shop that imports high end German bikes didn't have much either when I visited and didn't seem to know much about a particular model I enquired about. Two, having an attractive website to draw customers has to be a lot cheaper than having a large premises especially in London with high rents and business rates.

But it's no good attracting customers to your shop only for them to be disappointed when they get there...

A good thing I didn't travel only to visit that specific shop; past experience has taught me to shop around, and I'd made a list of others to visit, which I did, finding the bike at the next shop over £100 cheaper than at the first shop. Still had to order it though...

Potential Cycling Benefits - Appreciating Your Neighbourhood

Now, I'm sure you've all heard about the benefits of cycling being the environmental and personal fitness, but for me, one of them is that I appreciate the place where I live where hitherto, I was indifferent at best.

This is one of the things I've noticed since getting back into cycling, and especially during my morning rides, covered in my last post. I've learnt to appreciate my neighbourhood. Prior to this, I, like many in the town, thought it was a dull concrete jungle - and, given the chance (money permitting) would move.

What changed my mind is that, on a bike, you can access areas closed to motor vehicles whilst covering distances which would be too far to walk. I've discovered parts that are really quite picturesque that challenged my perception of the town and places I had never been to before.

OK, OK, this isn't the whole story; the town (and much of the UK) has undergone extensive regeneration over the past few decades, the government have also built many cyclepaths, so it's much easier to get about by bike. When I see photographs of the town taken in the 1970s and 1980s, it was GRIM and fully deserving of its reputation. However, one of the parts that I cycle through regularly dates back to the 1880s through to the 1950s and the buildings have remained the same save for a lick of paint now and then. The town also has a reputation for poor nightlife (which hasn't changed) and the shopping is unremarkable (better than it was, but not as good as neighbouring towns) - but the latter two have little to do with cycling, well, unless you want to buy a town bike...

Would I still move? Well, yes; because I believe other locations have better amenities, as well as the same nice areas, trees and architecture, but my view of this town isn't half as bad as it used to be and this is because of cycling - learning to appreciate where I live.

Morning Ride

OK, now, here in the UK it's spring and at last we're getting some decent weather - hard to believe that less than 3 months ago it was too cold to get out of bed. Anyway, it means I can resume one of my favourite activities - morning riding. I try to do this anytime between 4am and 8am - soon as it's light - the earlier the better as I like it quiet. It lasts around an hour and goes through public parks, trading and residential areas. 

Anyway, thought I'd play about with some poetry and accompany it with pictures of my route. Some of you know where this is...

Morning ride,

In my stride  

Upon my steed
Displaying pride

Up at dawn

Weather warm

Cycling makes me

Glad I'm born!

Time to think,

Good feeling link

Improve it some

And bring a drink!

One hour long

Nothing wrong

No peeps, no cars

Just birds in song

I like the views

Nice to use

Quaint old buildings

To counter blues

Morning riding

One of my vows

I mean to continue

As weather allows!

Little Challenges And Solutions...Part 1

OK, so over the past month or so, I purchase some accessories including a cable lock and a toolkit that's supposed to fit to the seatpost, but gets obstructed by the basket, whilst the lock is supposed to fit to the frame coiled up but looks like this after half an hour or so:

and gets in the way of pedalling. No, it doesn't fit to the downtube, nor the toptube. Hmmmnnnn...

Now, in the not too distant past, I might have given up and just chucked these in a cupboard, then bought something else or gone without, but I've learned that these are just small problems challenges and that if you can just apply a little thought, you can come up with a cheap and easy solution. You also feel pretty good afterwards, congratulating yourself on your ingenuity and problem solving skills - ahem, he says modestly...

Now, to be honest, this new (for me) approach has come about because it seems, many things I buy cycling wise don't seem to work as I had thought they would when buying them so it would get expensive if I just chucked them all in a cupboard, which would fill up rather quickly.

Anyways, I had the idea of using a pair of carabiners, £1 for two at Tiger to hold the coil together:

 

This kind of worked, but during a 30 mile round trip, the carabiners slid about resulting in the coil slipping, so not wholly satisfactory. It's fiddly to fit and also looks a bit messy. Since then, at Tesco's supermarket, I came across hook and loop velcro type stuff - £1 for a metre of which I only needed about 3 inches (76mm) which leaves plenty more for replacement or using for other things; this appears to work fine:

 

I had this idea yesterday - one of those "why didn't I think of that before" things...

The tool kit problem challenge I'm still working on and will be covered in another post.                      

Check Out Your Local Car Boot Sale

  

Here in the UK we have what are known as car boot sales - typically a local school allows people with second hand goods for sale, say clearouts of unwanted items to sell them on the playing fields, weather permitting. These are usually held on the weekend or public holidays. Known as car boot sales as the goods for sale are likely to have come out of the seller's car boot (or trunk :)).

During the spring, summer and autumn, the Vyne Arts College holds one of these on weekends and public holidays. This school happens to be along the route of my favourite morning ride and opens at 8am so if I'm riding past, I occasionally drop by.

More often than not, there's nothing of interest to me, but its still worth a look - mainly for books and tools useful for bike maintenance. This time I found a book - James Dyson's (the man who makes the vacuum cleaners) autobiography and the above tool box in which I was able to put all my bike tools with room to spare. The book was £1 (normally £18.99), the tool box £5. Both excellent condition. I think both were real bargains and am very pleased that I found them. I doubt I would have found them elsewhere without a hard search.

So if there is a car boot sale or whatever they might be known as abroad local to you, it might be worth a look if you haven't considered going to one before.

New Stuff And The Importance Of Colour.

Lidl.

Recently it must have been cycling week at Lidl (I haven't been keeping track, bit early really, think it's usually during August or September), saw something on one of the internet forums, so paid them a visit. Quite a few goodies - bought a pump with a pressure gauge and fixed it to the bike - £3.98. If I remember correctly, these pumps have received mixed reviews, but I figured it was better than nothing in the event of a flat as I found out earlier this year.

Also bought a new bike tool kit for about £4 that's supposed to fit to the saddle, but in my case, it's obstructed by the basket fitted to the back. I've concluded that a couple of extension brackets will solve this and intend to seek them out - probably find them at Wilkinson's. Also bought a luggage strap from Tiger in mauve/lilac/light purple (not sure) - would have preferred it in black which they didn't have, but form follows function - a very useful addition when the elasticated strap I usually use won't stretch far enough; need to buy 2 really:

Decided that a new cable lock was in order, wanting one that fixed to the bike when not in use. Bought this Bikehut brand one from Halfords for £19.99. It looks good IMO when it looks like this:

and it's also black, so a good match for the gold, but after a short while, looks like this:

and gets in the way of my legs when pedalling. So, will have to buy some silver carbariners (sp?) from Tiger, £1 for two - will paint them black to match ;-)

Which brings me to my next point - colours are important to me when it comes to bikes. Yes, I like them to match and this influences my purchases of bikes and accessories. I find it surprising and a bit disappointing that so many bikes come in a very limited range of colours and have often wished that there was more choice. Seems you have to go pretty upmarket, ergo custom and expensive if you want anything specific. I would have thought it would have been easy for manufacturers to offer more colour options. I'm mainly a dark blues, silvers and  blacks man, so originally had some doubts about the Kettler's Bernstein (gold) but have grown to like it and think that it looks good with black attachments. So, when it comes to accessories for it, I prefer to buy them in black.

Are colours important to you?