This is the bike with stock tires and before I installed the Planet Bike fenders and Topeak rear rack.
I originally wanted to buy Giant’s new Quick-e electric bicycle. I went to Giants website to search for dealerships in the US that stocked a Quick-e bicycle with an extra large frame.Continue reading
Extra Long Schrader Valve
Presta valves are small in diameter and were originally designed for ultra narrow rims found on fast road bicycles. Today you find presta valve tubes on every type of bicycle from hybrids to mountain bikes. And that’s cool, but having to deal with presta valves on a daily basis can leave a rider wanting to convert their rims to use the old style schrader valves. Continue reading
Slime Flat Protector Tube Liner And Tire
I damaged my rear Schwalbe Marathon tire to the point where the tire started to bulge in one area, causing the tire to rub against the rear fender. I knew it was just a matter of time before the tire blew and left me stranded on the side of the road, so I replaced the tire with a spare tire I had sitting in my work area.
I found a used inStep bicycle trailer called Pronto that was on its way to the trash. This particular model trailer is no longer manufactured and has been replaced by the inStep Take 2 trailer. These trailers are designed to haul kids around using a bicycle, and are available new online and at big box department stores. The trailers are built on a steel frame with a canvas floor, sides and top. Since i don’t have people to haul around, I decided to turn the trailer into a flatbed, and use it for other tasks. The canvas top, sides and floor are secured to the frame using 4 bolts and a few phillip screws. I removed the four bolts, unscewed the screws and removed the canvas top, sides and floor. I was left with a steel rectangular frame. I went down to my local Home Depot and purchased a sheet of stainless steel sheet metal, which just happened to be slightly larger, but very close to the frame dimensions. I than used a Kawasaki 4.5 inch angle grinder with a cutoff wheel to cut the sheet metal down to size to fit on top of the frame. I had some spare rivets, so I drilled some holes around the perimeter of the frame, and riveted the sheet metal to the frame. I than drilled some more holes and added some eye bolts to the frame perimeter to help secure hauled items to the frame, and also to keep them from sliding off. The build was pretty simple and maybe took an hour or two to complete.