03 November 2021

Accoutrements for the bike

When I buy a bike, I tend to add things to it. I don't see bikes as fit for commuting unless they have mudguards, a bell, a lock and a pannier rack. And they don't tend to come with that. And my latest acquisition had come with a bell, but nothing of the other things mentioned. And when I tried it out I also noticed I needed to look at the brakes. So I bought a big pile of parts. And then I needed to fit them!

The pannier was not much of a problem; that just fit. The rest was a bit of a faff. I wanted some system for keeping a lock in place that kept the lock out of the way; not damaging the bike; and that would easily release but that wouldn't come off the bike altogether and get lost. I designed something with leftover straps and buckles from a disused backpack and waited for a suitable Teams meeting to fit it all together. 

The mudguards had not come with the necessary nuts and bolts, so I needed to improvise that. And at the front, it was a complete faff to somehow fit the brackets around the disc brakes. That needed some serious intervention. And then I hadn't even sorted the brakes out yet.

The bike is coming together, but it will at least take one more weekend before I can inaugurate it properly!




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