Hacks / Bodges

Why pay for a bike fit when I already know how to fit a kitchen?

It's historic. A kind of genius. Should be on the cover of a bike maintenance book.

Another mudguard dropping solution

Missed this somehow but that’s a great idea, more solid than my bodge

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7JY6wpMTgU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Mind blown

Linky no worky.

Weird. I guess the forum doesn't like instagram links, as the post is still there and the original url hasn't changed. Try copying and pasting it from this?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7JY6wpMTgU/

It's a video showing how to re-wrap frayed cable ends using a cable tie, like so:

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Weird, even pasting the direct link into my browser doesn't work for me, I had to Google the URL to get to the video 🤔

When I clicked on it it showed me a totally different vid hah

Probably not new to anyone on here but it was new to me so maybe worth sharing.
I lost my tool to remove the NDS cap on my 105 cranks to remove the arm. Turns out that jamming a couple of allen keys (I think 5mm and 8mm) in there works extremely effectively instead!

It's a video showing how to re-wrap frayed cable ends using a cable tie

This can be done with your fingers, and doesn't result in either a) spending more time than is desirable prying open the zip tie, or b) another piece of plastic going in the bin.

Whenever I've tried doing this with my fingers, there's always a few stray bits of cable that won't go into the cable end thingy and/or I stab myself in the fingers with them. Cable tie method looks a lot more effective but I agree there's probably more environmentally friendly ways of doing it using the same principle

You could keep a reusable zip tie for this purpose (and they’re useful for other things as well)

Super glue is a good tip to share. I read about it years ago on WW and on the whole haven't bothered with crimps since.

IME super glue also avoids pressing the wires which I'm sure is one of the causes of fraying.

Is this bodge sketchy?

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I’m sketch as fuck and I wouldn’t. But if I did, I’d pop a strap around the fork and through the back of the rack. Just in case like.
If the spacer was a bit, lot thinker, like a bit of steerer or something I’d probably do it.

Looks fine to me.

The spacer is an m6 stainless bolt. The brass bit is over the bolt, and is sandwiched between washers as the bolt isn’t threaded all the way along - if that makes sense?
So even if the brass fails, the rack would still be attached by the bolt, which goes all the way through the fork.

The hero I needed <3

The angle of the rack looks a bit sus but hard to tell.

Looks good to me!

Solid as a rock. I’d still strap it to the headtube, but I do that with any front rack, bodged or not, as I am paranoid af and would prefer rubbed paint over facial reconstructive surgery.

Fair, some loose-ish strong cord should do it.

In most cases it often won't be the bolt or screw that fails, it'll be whatever you've fixed it to and the fork crown should be pretty solid.

From Eurocode table, the sheer resistance of a low grade M6 bolt is 3.8kN or 380kg.

A Voile strap works and is a useful thing to own anyway!

Rack looks fine to me. If you're worried about the fork crown spacer setup then remember you only have 2 tiny bolts, exposed to the elements and vibrations actually bearing the weight by the fork dropouts. Sleep well 😄

FYI I use slightly longer bolts on my rack and "secure" with a nut on the inner side of the dropout as I've had the threads die on me during a ride once (possible user error 👀)

A bit of a hack

https://twitter.com/MerPolTraffic/status/1802244430872633430