Category: Bike Accessories

Posted on

Digital Camera Bicycle Handlebar Mount

I mount my Nikon Coolpix on my bars with a home-brew piece of aluminum angle. Since the lens and body swivel, I can have the lens pointing forward and the LCD display facing up where I can see it. If I want to take a picture off the bars, it’s just a matter of loosening the 1/4-20 tripod screw.

 

One note: you got to watch out for big temperature swings.

 

I had to cover an indoor swim meet in the middle of winter once. Temp outside was in the teens and my equipment had been in the car for many hours. As soon as I walked into the 80-degree heat and 99% humidity, there must have been a rainstorm inside the camera.

 

When I took it to the repair shop, the tech said the all the dust inside the body had turned to mud.

 

Digital cameras don’t like moisture even more than the old mechanical Nikon Fs.

Posted on

Leather Cycling Saddle: Brooks Champion Flyer

I recently bought a Brooks Champion Flyer, which is a B17 with springs. I coated it liberally with Profide and went riding. It felt fine out of the box.

I had some numbness issues (new bike), but they were solved not by the saddle, but by going with a shorter stem that kept me from having to pivot on the privates to reach the bars.

Either I got a great saddle or I’m one of the lucky ones whose bottom matches the saddle, because I’ve got about 550 miles on it now and the saddle is unremarkable, which is the way a saddle should be.

Posted on

Kidney, Camelbak; Camelbak, Kidney

A kidney stone and hot, humid rides in South Florida were what moved me to get more focused on hydration.

The CamelBak M.U.L.E. holds 100 oz. I have sucked it dry on some rides, but I don’t know that I would want to carry any more weight than that. You can almost always find a place to refill before you go dry.

Camelbak M.U.L.E. with ipodIn addition to the water, I carry my wallet, cellphone, Schrader / Presta adapter, allen wrench and extra Vistalite flasher on or in it. I like the idea that if something would happen (like a bikejacking) that the wallet and cellphone are on my back instead of the rapidly-disappearing bike.) I added a tube director primarily to keep the first gulp of water a little cooler, but I’ve gotten to like the mouthpiece living where I just have to move my head a little to pick it up. If I’m not on my bike, I’ll throw in a CO2 inflator, a few more tools and some snacks.

I’ll still carry a water bottle either to refill the Mule or to pour over my head. It’s not uncommon for the water bottle to get so hot that it’s not refreshing, though.

Maybe I’ve just gotten used to the weight, but that was never an issue with me. The insulation / wicking is good enough that it has never felt cold against my back in the winter (such as we have down here) nor has it been noticeably hot in the summer (which we have for about eight months of the year). I’ll always yank off my helmet when I stop, but I usually don’t bother to pull off the Mule.

I’ve never put anything but water in it and I drain it and hang it up with the expansion hanger after every use. Since it gets used several times a week, it doesn’t suffer from the corner-of-the-closets-crud.

Hydration Backpack Advantages:

  • Water stays cool, not heated to the 90s by radiation from blacktop.
  • Water stays clean. I’ll take algae over poodle poop and pavement pollution splashed over the water bottle.
  • If I load it up with ice, usually there’s still ice left when the water’s gone. I can add water from any source and it’ll be cool.
  • Hydration happens almost without thinking, a couple of sips every few minutes rather than bottle-draining gulps at infrequent intervals. Makes following the old, “drink before you’re thirsty” rule easy to follow.
  • You can use the ice-filled bladder and insulated bag as a ice pack for an injured rider. Worked great for a friend who sprained a wrist on a ride.
  • Your grandson likes drinking out of it.

Malcolm Steinhoff drinks from Ken Steinhoff's Camelbak M.U.L.E. at Dreher Park in West Palm Beach, FL

Hydration Backpack Disadvantages:

  • Cost.
Posted on

FRS Radios, Cycling, Hams and, Whoops, CRASH!

My usual riding partner and I ride at different speeds, so FRS radios have worked out well for us. We bought a couple of refurb Uniden units for $60 and plug boom mikes into them. We use voice activation so we don't have to take our hands off the bars to talk. Diddling with the sensitivity settings eliminated most of the problem with wind noise.

It's great to be able to carry on a conversation without having to set your speed to match the other person's. When we start to break up (at about 1-1/2 to 2 miles), I'll either stop for her to catch up or I'll double back.

I got my ham license a couple of weeks ago, but that was primarily so I could communicate with the hams running sag on organized rides. I've monitored them with a scanner and thought it would be nice to be able to talk with them.

There are some good safety reasons to use the radios. One night, my partner radioed ahead to ask me if the restrooms at a park we were approaching were open. I checked and told here that they were. Over her voice-actived mike, I heard her say, “Where the bleep is the turnoff?” followed by “Oh, Bleep!!!” CRASH!!! and moaning. Fortunately, she survived with only a little road rash and some bruises. At least I knew to go looking for her.

Posted on

Trailer Hitch Mounted Bicycle Carrier

I have a 2000 Odyssey with the factory Class III hitch and a Swagman 3-bike folding rack.

I mounted the trailer light connector under the hitch and it’s not uncommon to hear it drag when pulling into a driveway with a steep pitch.

I’ve also had problems with bikes dragging in similar situations. I’m considering taking the rack to a welding shop and having them cut the vertical post and add about four to six inches to it to give the bikes more clearance. Swagman didn’t recommend that, but I think they were just lawyering it.

My kid has a Honda CRV with a Swagman rack and he’s had problems with dragging, also.

I like the Odyssey and I like the Swagman rack, but the combination has been an issue. I think it’s because the placement of Odyssey’s “magic seat” causes the hitch to be lower than on most vehicles.