Introduction: Handy Tricks 7: Bike Mods and Projects

About: Tim Anderson is the author of the "Heirloom Technology" column in Make Magazine. He is co-founder of www.zcorp.com, manufacturers of "3D Printer" output devices. His detailed drawings of traditional Pacific I…

Handy Tricks Seven! Things to do to and with bicycles!

To see even more handy tricks, check out the rest of the saga at
Handy Tricks 9: Oodles of random tricks
and Handy Tricks 8: Island Handy Tricks
and Fifty Handy Tricks.
and 40 More Handy Tricks
and Australian Handy Tricks
and Guatemalan Handy Tricks
and Yet More Handy Tricks
and Handy Tricks Six!
For a bunch of things that didn't work, check out How Not To.

First trick: Improvised Freewheel Removal Wrench
Every brand of freewheel has a different pattern of grooves inside it. If you don't have the right wrench you usually can't take it apart. Unless you can improvise one. This method works well for the most common shimano freewheels.
Remove the axle from the wheel.
Insert the biggest hex wrench you can find into the freewheel. Pound some nails or a big staple as seen here into the grooves to lock the wrench in place. Unscrew the freewheel. Wiggle the nails out.
Rejoice.

To learn about why you'd use this tool, what the real one looks like, and everything else about bicycle mechanics, look at Sheldon Brown's site and Park Tool.

Step 1: Chain Whips

These two fancy "chain whip" wrenches are used to disassemble a freewheel. The "freewheel" is the cone-shaped cluster of sprockets on the rear wheel. The little sprocket unscrews and the others pull off, with spacers between them.

To make a chain whip, use your "chain breaker" tool to take a chain apart making two pieces of chain with as many links as seen here. Then drill three holes in a piece of steel bar and grind a curved divot where the short chunk of chain rests. Use the chain breaker to attach the chunks of chain to the steel bar, and you're in business. If your breaker doesn't reach to attach the chains to your wrench, just pound the pins in place with a hammer.

You probably don't need two of these, but it's easier that way and they're quick to make.

Step 2: Wheelchair = Bike Wagon

Pretty simple to do. Take the canvas back off the chair and innertube lash two sticks to the arms or seat. Cut the curved tube off the back of a metal chair. Lash that to the two sticks at the bike end.
Lash a loop of cord to the middle of that for a trailer hitch. To hitch up, innertube lash that loop to your seat post or rear rack.
Looks like someone has taken one of the wheelchair's wheels, but you get the idea.

This is a strong wagon. It'll carry a lot of lumber.

Step 3: Spoke Nut Screwdriver

This is the quick way to remove spokes.
Grind a slot in the middle of a flathead screwdriver bit. Don't shoot sparks into your eye.
Then spin the spoke nipples off the spokes with a drill just like Franziska.
If it's a rear wheel you might need to remove the freewheel to get the spokes off.

Save the spokes. In the U.S. they're often made of stainless steel and make good TIG welding rod etc. etc.

Step 4: Stretch Cargo Bike

Here's Matt Ritter with his "Longfellow" cargo bike.
He's carried a lot of gear and a couple of passengers with it.
He says that with a chain this long you can make it derail if you shake the bike hard while riding it.

Step 5: Bike Storage Safe

Bike theft is a real problem in the Boston area. It seems like most of the bike anti-theft inventions come from this part of the country. Here are some funny hinged shells you can lock down over your bike to discourage thieves. They're just outside the Sydney-Pacific dorm at MIT. They're empty, I don't know if that says anything about their effectiveness.

Step 6: Instant Bulk Panniers

Emily took me scavenging in Manhattan. We got so many veggies she needed more cargo capacity. I tied loops of twine between two milk crates and hung them over her back basket.
She writes: "My new panniers hold more than a refrigerator and do not fit on the subway
elevator. I had to bike a special gradually increasing inclined route tonight
up to 175 with all baskets brimming."

Step 7: Emily's Instant Basket Supports From Fork

I should have gotten a better photo, but her front basket support is very solid and nifty.
It's the front fork from a bike bolted onto her axle on top her other fork's dropouts.

Step 8: Paint a Bike

My cargo bike was rusting pretty badly from alkali Burningman dust on bare metal. My parents decided to paint it. My dad got a can of "forest green" paint that matched the original color and a wire brush. Then they used the same techniques my dad learned on the farm as a boy.

1: Use the wire brush to clean off all the loose dirt and rust.

2: Use masking tape to cover the edges stuff you don't want painted (tires and some chrome)

3: Get some pieces of cardboard handy to hold in front of stuff you don't want to bother masking with tape.

4. Painting motions: Move the can at a constant velocity and don't push the button until the can is moving. Release the button before decellerating at the end of the stroke.

5. Paint with multiple light passes so the paint doesn't get thick enough to run before it's dry.

6. To paint the rims, turn the bike upside down and spin the wheels. Hold the can stationary and paint the whole rim as it spins by.

7. Wear proper safety equipment such as a respirator mask and safety glasses. If you'd rather skip the respirator, wear a "grim reaper" costume like my dad has on.

The bike looks really great now. People are asking me where I got it and what all the features are for. And if they can buy it from me.

Step 9: Key Fob and Business Card Holder

Trouble getting your keys back when you loan them out? Attach them to an aluminum crank.
Need a business card stand? A couple of cuts in an aluminum hub will make a nice one.
Spotted at Cambridge Bicycle

Step 10: Welded Tall Bike

Now that everyone has a welder there are all kinds of bike mods you can do.

Here's a tallbikeStar and I made at MITERS with an extra frame welded on to make a banana seat.

The handlebar/fork arrangement turned out really well. It's strong and was pretty easy to make.
It bottom handlebar/fork/thingy just shoves down into the side tubes of that motorcycle-style fork.

The seat is made by bolting a crutch handle into the rear old dropouts to keep them from crushing together, folding a nylon cushionand wrapping it onto the frame with innertubes. It's more comfortable than you'd expect. It could be an inch or so wider.

You can see that the front seat frame tube is bending, another tube brace should be welded on to triangulate that part of the frame.

Step 11: Arm Chair Bike

Or is it "Chair Arm Bike"?
We made this one using the arm of a danish chair to make a springy seatpost and a fender at the same time. It's innertube-lashed onto some brackets we welded from whatchamacallit "chainstay" tubes. The bike looks like it's made to ride in a swamp.

The steering column is a small thick pipe that just slides into the headset. We drilled a hole through it at the bottom and put a bolt through it and the fork where the fender used to be.
Yes the handlebars are a lot lower than they should be, but we wanted to try out the bike.
It's pretty weird to be so high and crouched over at the same time.

Step 12: Amazing Unistrut Traveling Bike Racks

Spotted outside Shaw's, in Cambridge.

Whoever rides this bicycle has clearly figured out how to carry a lot of stuff.
Unistrut back racks go a long way. It's galvanized, so it doesn't rust.

The front basket and front panniers are also supported by unistrut.

Galvanized steel means that welding is out, so this uses all-bolt construction.

I normally don't like using unistrut, because it twists around a lot.
Bolting them back-to-back solves that.

There's a hidden support behind the white basket on the rear rack,
supporting the extra length of the triangle (as compared to commercial rear racks).

The unistrut is extra-neat, because it gives you 2.2 million spots to hook bungee cords.

Step 13: Futon Frame Bike Wagon

I met Jess at the Emeryville Traderjoe's dumpster.
Jess has an ingenious bike trailer made from conduit, and part of a metal futon couch.
Here are some details of how it's held together.

Joe had a problem with his refrigerator and threw out a whole lot of food.
This particular location loves mother earth and their fellow man and allows dumpster divers.
Thanks Joe!

Step 14: Welding Clamp Without Marring Paint

Star says:

I've been learning a ton of stuff from Mars lately at MITERS:.
Need to weld your new chop-tacular? Where do you clamp onto the frame without screwing up the
paint job?

THE PEDALS! It works!

Step 15: Twin Frame Cargo Tallbike

Mars made this glitzy tallbike at MITERS:.
Originally it had a baby wheel riding on top the rear wheel, which made it extra festive.

That blue bundle is my checked bag. I'm on my way to the airport in a hurry.
I spread out a sheet, dumped my stuff on it, tied the corners together making a furoshiki, and off I went.
The bag worked fine, and didn't even have one of those "we ransacked your bag" notes in it at the destination carousel.

The bike has half of a third frame welded on the front, perfect for carrying big loads, such as that blue furoshiki or the two milk crates tied together with an extension cord seen in the second photo.

Step 16: Animal Stampede Bike Horn

Have you been searching for the best bike horn ever?

Turns out they're all mis-organized into the "Dog Toys" section at any walgreens.
I got this duck-horn duck there, and lashed it to my handlebars with strips of plastic shopping bag (note: another handy trick).

Leaving the store, I honked the duck, because I was riding down the sidewalk and didn't want to hit anyone. A homeless guy sleeping outside leapt up.

"Donny! Did you hear that!? It sounded like a duck!!"

Donny replied. "It IS a duck. IT IS a duck!" and pointed at me.

Get a bunch of friends together, each with a different animal, and it could be better than going to the zoo.


Step 17: Brazillian Delivery Bikes

The bikes in Brazil are all very rugged, and can carry huge loads. I saw one bicycle trucking around 40 gallons of water. They are very popular for delivery in the cities. Everything you could imagine was delivered with bicycles.

Most of them have front baskets supported by automobile springs. The small front wheel underneath the front basket helps with road friction and stability.

I'm a huge fan of their motorcycle-style kickstands.

Each one appeared to be custom-made. They use very thick, strong tubing. The rear racks were especially well supported. The front axle must also be very strong, as the kickstand and the front load are all mounted entirely on the axle.

Bikes with two front wheels and pushcart-style steering tended to have really neat rod brakes using a foot pedal to brake, just like a car.

Step 18: The Mod Chopper

These tiny cruisers had 6 rear-view mirrors mounted on the handlebars, each.

It's probably a reference to English mod culture. After some law passed that required vespas have at least one rear-view mirror, the mods would attach anywhere from four to twenty-two mirrors to their ride.

Spotted in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Step 19: Laundry Bicycle

Star recently lost laundry facilities, but still wants to wear clean clothes.

Solution? Laundry bike!

She can wash her clothes in any sink, and then clothespin garments to the rear derailleurs cable to let it hang dry! It's summertime in Boston now, so the clothes dry out rather quickly, either by virtue of the fresh breeze while biking, or by being parked in the bright summer sunshine.

This works well for the "wear one pair of clothes per day, wash one pair of clothes per day", and can be incorporated into a daily showering routine.

Pants and shirt can be dried at the same time, each hanging over one side of the frame.

Step 20: Padded Vice Is Bike Mechanic's Stand

A junked cafe table provided the base for this vice. A folded towel in the vice jaws makes it into a great stand for working on bikes.