Hacks / Bodges

What could go wrong

It's the hole for the brake cable that does it for me.

But why? Doesn't like flex?

maybe to stop the saddle creaking? owner hates rattling noises judging by the amount of selotape on that rack...

The seat clamp has a non-standard bolt in it, so maybe it’s knackered and they didn’t want to buy a new one. The tape round the post as also interesting -maybe the joint at the top has started rotating.

I hadn’t noticed the tape on the rack. God, it’s like a spider’s been at it or something.

Cabling my cargo bike today. Runs to rear brake and mech are really long, longer than a standard rear cable, so I bought tandem inner cables online and then spent an inordinate amount of money on 3 meters each of gear and brake outer at my lbs this morning.

The gear outer was such poor quality I decided not to even bother trying to use the brake outer and instead came up with a way to join two bits of compressionless outer together.

The ferrules are a really snug fit inside this bit of stainless tubing that I have. The tubing came from an Ikea trivet by the way, I’ve also built racks and light mounts with it.

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Cabling my cargo bike today. Runs to rear brake and mech are really long, longer than a standard rear cable, so I bought tandem inner cables online and then spent an inordinate amount of money on 3 meters each of gear and brake outer at my lbs this morning.

The gear outer was such poor quality I decided not to even bother trying to use the brake outer and instead came up with a way to join two bits of compressionless outer together.

The ferrules are a really snug fit inside this bit of stainless tubing that I have. The tubing came from an Ikea trivet by the way, I’ve also built racks and light mounts with it.

Nice DIY snoodle-ferrule!

That's a satisfying one!

Excellent, just what Ikea is great for.

Nice! (Love the spatter paint too).

Inline barrel adjusters are another way around this, although your way is neater.

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Aye, I’m using my two inline barrel adjusters on bikes where I’ve swapped from rim brakes to disc and didn’t want to retape the bars.

I was thinking of doing something similar a while back, with a bike I make 1x10 but wanted to make it easier to put gears on the front again at some point. I was going to end the cable just where it comes out from under the tape, and then I could use an in-line adjuster there if I ever needed to.

Your method would have actually been a lot neater come to think of it.

Is it by chance the Lämplig (if so aptly named)?

Some lbs pay their rent out of the markup they make on cables alone ;)

But seriously, some use utter garbage cable that has similar properties to wet week old spaghetti yet also charge £8 a meter for it. Right now though getting any cable is tricky, has been all year, we've changed about 4 times, settled on elvedes super smooth stuff

It is!

Cheapest source of lightweight stainless tubing ever!

Both felt really plasticky.

I used the gear stuff as I had no other option but the gears were a pain to set up and they really shouldn't be, nice short cage mech on (part of) a 7 speed cassette so they were really clunky and positive last time but felt vague and draggy this time.

I have a friction thumbie on the way so it won't be too big an issue.

Unrelated question, do you deal with a scrap metal dealer at all?

Way too functional. Needs more string.

That’s downright genius.

Like the idea - I wonder if it's noisy.

Combination D-lock, that's a new one on me! Seems a little contradictory to me - D-locks being the choice for those wanting more security, combination locks for those who don't seem to care.

Not real handy for smashing encroaching vehicles though.

Just had a minor episode of some sort over that rack. Top marks.

Seen on Markplaats

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