Bicycling gifts

On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 12:00:15 PM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/20/2020 10:27 AM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
Suppose a member of your extended family kind of likes to
bike. Suppose that person has a decent bike, and because of
the events of 2020 has been riding it much, much more than
usual.

What would you consider as a bike-related gift for that person?


(P.S. Instead of responding to the right-wing trolling, I
thought it might be nice to have a bicycling discussion.)


Having been asked that (and worse) for many years, my advice
is always 'personal items' not bike hardware. Gift
certificate along with sox, gloves and the like. No matter
how well meaning, hardware will be either 'the wrong part'
or otherwise unappreciated.

That probably is a better idea but it is so expensive to get the good stuff and if you get the made in China label it probably isn't made correctly for your build.

On Sun, 20 Dec 2020 11:27:14 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

What would you consider as a bike-related gift for that person?

I tend to give gifts that I wouldn't mind receiving.

If you're familiar with their bicycle, give them a collection of the
fasteners on the bicycle that might fall off, break, or get lost. M4,
M5, M8 bolts, axle nuts, seat post bolts, cable ferrules, chain ring
bolts, cable crimp ends, brake adjusters, derailleur adjusters, chain
master link, tire valves, valve stem caps, rear derailleur pulleys
with hardware, hanger, adjustment screws, rack hardware, etc. Maybe a
few Allen and Torx wrenches or a small multi-tool:
https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a26222598/best-multi-tools/
Dump everything in a zip-loc plastic bag or perhaps different bags for
each section of the bicycle. I'm not sure if it would be something
worth carrying on a ride.

If you think you may have forgotten something, here's a list of
bicycle bolts:
https://www.bicycling.com/repair/a20024432/bicycle-bolt-guide/

I don't know how well this will work with your friend(s). I've never
done this. They'll probably suspect that you're giving them your junk
box but then will thank you after they need something from the bag. If
they have more than one bicycle, you might end up building a 2nd
fastener kit.

Be sure to keep a list of items in the bag and give them a copy.

Incidentally, I have a set like this for one of my bicycles. I got
tired of it rattling around or tearing the plastic bag. So, I took a
sheet of cardboard, extruded a line of hot melt glue on the cardboard,
and embedded the fasteners into the glue (while hot). A few screws
managed to fall off, but mostly they're all still there.


--
Jeff Liebermann
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sun, 20 Dec 2020 11:28:34 -0800 (PST), Lou Holtman
wrote:

Also a good idea
https://www.spurcycle.com/products/better-bicycle-bell
Lou

$49 ? Ouch. I learned a few important lessons buying bicycle bells:

1. If you plan to leave it attached to the bicycle, make sure it's
cheap enough that you can afford to lose it. I've had 2 bicycle bells
stolen over the years.

2. The bell should sound like a classic kids bicycle bell. Most
people will instantly recognize the sound and get out of the way.
Something like this bell:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bell-Bicycle-Bell/17619569
https://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Classic-Bicycle-Bell/dp/B07Q4HHLGG
However, if the sound is more like a horn, Chinese gong, Westminster
chime, or the sound of an approaching train, most people are likely to
turn around to see what's making the noise before getting out of the
way. The only problem I've had with the classic bell sound are people
mumbling something like "I expected to find a 6 year old" as I pass.

3. Extremely loud bells and noises will scare pedestrians and drivers
sufficiently to make them do something stupid. In effect, the bell is
waking them up. Quite often, instead of getting out of my way or
turning away from me, they will turn towards me risking a crash.

4. Of course, there's an app for bicycle bells:
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=bicycle%20bell&c=apps
I tried a few, but none are loud enough to be more than a meter away.


--
Jeff Liebermann
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 4:12:00 PM UTC-8, Mark J. wrote:
On 12/20/2020 2:23 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 11:28:37 AM UTC-8, wrote:
Op zondag 20 december 2020 om 17:27:18 UTC+1 schreef Frank Krygowski:
Suppose a member of your extended family kind of likes to bike. Suppose
that person has a decent bike, and because of the events of 2020 has
been riding it much, much more than usual.

What would you consider as a bike-related gift for that person?


(P.S. Instead of responding to the right-wing trolling, I thought it
might be nice to have a bicycling discussion.)


--
- Frank Krygowski
Also a good idea

https://www.spurcycle.com/products/better-bicycle-bell

Lou

I could never bring myself to buy a $50 bike bell, but a dingy bell is nice. Other stocking stuffers are flashers, front and rear for those who don't really ride at night but want something for low light or bad weather conditions. This time of year, ear warmers are a nice gift -- and gloves. It's hard picking real clothing items that fit, but another hit can be a light weight jacket/windbreaker. https://tinyurl.com/yax4oxf3 Not necessarily high-viz. Water bottles are a good stocking stuffer.

My son has given me lots of gift jerseys, but I wear jerseys. BTW, yesterday he offered me some free $700 shoes, which I declined. https://tinyurl..com/ybb8sqw4 I don't have a pressing need for 99 gram lace-up shoes -- plus, he already gave me my current shoes, which are great, normal Boa shoes.

Things I want: https://tinyurl.com/y9zd32hq I did two and half hours of riding in pouring rain today, and one of my riding buddies had one of these -- which he got pro deal from a friend at Castelli, NA which is here in PDX. I'm not sold on black for dreary days, but it worked really well for him. My old Showers Pass Elite jacket is soaking through, and I don't think more Nikwax is going t save it. I also want some waterproof gloves good in the 40-50F range. And a pony.

-- Jay Beattie.

Yikes! I had forgotten how expensive the Spurcycle bell was. I got a
Crane a few Christmases ago: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018J4EAZO .
Much cheaper, and a nice bell.

I like the idea of the Castelli jacket, but I can't bring myself to wear
black on dreary, low-visibility days around here. I thought you had
said you had one of the Showers Pass "Spring Classic" jackets. They
come in red. That's on my list for when the current jacket dies.

I don't like the black either, and apparently the material couldn't be colored, but now they've found some way around that (?). I don't know, but that's what I was told.

I have the Elite 2.1 jacket that I use[d] for commuting and the predecessor of the Spring Classic which was called the Elite Pro, which is what I was wearing today. Superlight and packable, which is nice on those days when it doesn't rain all the time. I bought that jacket in 2014. It's still in good cosmetic shape, but I'm wondering if the Event fabric is failing. It's not as waterproof as it used to be, but with that said, nothing keeps you dry forever.

I was wearing some Sugoi booties that I bought off a Western Bikeworks deal of the day, and they were pretty good for the first couple of hours, and then I got swamp foot. They are great at night because they have a really bright reflective exterior. My beat-up Gore booties are probably my most waterproof. I'd put some new top-end Gore booties on my Christmas list, next to the pony.

Buying for PNW cyclists is easy because you can buy rain stuff -- swanky fender upgrades, booties, waterproof gloves . . . a shoe dryer. I love my shoe dryer, and it was maybe $15 at Costco.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 8:19:14 p.m. UTC-5, wrote:
On Sun, 20 Dec 2020 11:28:34 -0800 (PST), Lou Holtman
wrote:

Also a good idea
https://www.spurcycle.com/products/better-bicycle-bell
Lou
$49 ? Ouch. I learned a few important lessons buying bicycle bells:

1. If you plan to leave it attached to the bicycle, make sure it's
cheap enough that you can afford to lose it. I've had 2 bicycle bells
stolen over the years.

2. The bell should sound like a classic kids bicycle bell. Most
people will instantly recognize the sound and get out of the way.
Something like this bell:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bell-Bicycle-Bell/17619569
https://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Classic-Bicycle-Bell/dp/B07Q4HHLGG
However, if the sound is more like a horn, Chinese gong, Westminster
chime, or the sound of an approaching train, most people are likely to
turn around to see what's making the noise before getting out of the
way. The only problem I've had with the classic bell sound are people
mumbling something like "I expected to find a 6 year old" as I pass.

3. Extremely loud bells and noises will scare pedestrians and drivers
sufficiently to make them do something stupid. In effect, the bell is
waking them up. Quite often, instead of getting out of my way or
turning away from me, they will turn towards me risking a crash.

4. Of course, there's an app for bicycle bells:
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=bicycle%20bell&c=apps
I tried a few, but none are loud enough to be more than a meter away.
--
Jeff Liebermann
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

When I commuted in Toronto Canada I ended up using a mini-boat-horn. It was the only thing that reliably penetrated the fog surrounding many drivers and/or pedestrians brains. Now with t he drivers so distracted and with so many pedestrians using earbuds or earphones, I'm sorely tempted to get an other one. I find that most bells simply don't register in peoples' consciousness.
The mini-boat-horn sounds like a semi-truck.

Cheers

On 12/20/2020 5:19 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 20 Dec 2020 11:28:34 -0800 (PST), Lou Holtman
wrote:

Also a good idea
https://www.spurcycle.com/products/better-bicycle-bell
Lou

$49 ? Ouch. I learned a few important lessons buying bicycle bells:

1. If you plan to leave it attached to the bicycle, make sure it's
cheap enough that you can afford to lose it. I've had 2 bicycle bells
stolen over the years.

LOL, I recall a trip to China in 1988. Bicycle bell theft was rampant. I
had one stolen so I took the one off my girlfriend's bicycle when she
wasn't looking and told her, "oh no, someone stole your bicycle bell,
but I found a new one for my bike."

I do like the small, minimalist bells, but of course equipping a fleet
with those $49 Spurcycle bells is out of the question and if parked
outside the bells would disappear.

A good alternative is
https://www.rockbrosusa.com/product-page/handlebar-retro-bell.

I bought a bunch of these
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001429662867.html. Gave two of
them to my neighbor for his kids' bicycles.

For all of these bells, I think that if you put cyanoacrylate on the
bolt as you installed it that it would be difficult for a thief (or you)
to remove.

On Mon, 21 Dec 2020 05:30:43 -0800 (PST), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 8:19:14 p.m. UTC-5, wrote:

3. Extremely loud bells and noises will scare pedestrians and drivers
sufficiently to make them do something stupid. In effect, the bell is
waking them up. Quite often, instead of getting out of my way or
turning away from me, they will turn towards me risking a crash.

When I commuted in Toronto Canada I ended up using a mini-boat-horn.
It was the only thing that reliably penetrated the fog surrounding
many drivers and/or pedestrians brains. Now with the drivers so
distracted and with so many pedestrians using earbuds or earphones,
I'm sorely tempted to get an other one. I find that most bells simply
don't register in peoples' consciousness.
The mini-boat-horn sounds like a semi-truck.

Bigger is better?
https://us.hornit.com/products/hornit-db140
Only two AAA cells and it sounds like a bird?
https://player.vimeo.com/video/414794381 (1:04)

A loud horn or small explosion will certainly get the attention of a
pedestrian or driver. I've found that getting their attention wasn't
as much a problem as what happened after I got their attention. Many
would react in an unexpected and unpredictable manner. Instead of
avoiding a collision, they would lurch into my path and create a
potential collision. I ended up ringing my gong or blasting my horn
at a much longer distance away to give them time to realize that
there's a problem. Of course, that meant using an even louder gong or
horn. In general, I found that bells worked with pedestrians, but
were not loud enough to penetrate an automobile with closed windows
and music at maximum. A horn would work for those, but would scare
the pedestrians. Perhaps both? Since this will be a gift, perhaps
let the recipient decide which is the most appropriate?


--
Jeff Liebermann
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Op maandag 21 december 2020 om 18:12:50 UTC+1 schreef sms:
On 12/20/2020 5:19 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 20 Dec 2020 11:28:34 -0800 (PST), Lou Holtman
wrote:

Also a good idea
https://www.spurcycle.com/products/better-bicycle-bell
Lou

$49 ? Ouch. I learned a few important lessons buying bicycle bells:

1. If you plan to leave it attached to the bicycle, make sure it's
cheap enough that you can afford to lose it. I've had 2 bicycle bells
stolen over the years.
LOL, I recall a trip to China in 1988. Bicycle bell theft was rampant. I
had one stolen so I took the one off my girlfriend's bicycle when she
wasn't looking and told her, "oh no, someone stole your bicycle bell,
but I found a new one for my bike."

I do like the small, minimalist bells, but of course equipping a fleet
with those $49 Spurcycle bells is out of the question and if parked
outside the bells would disappear.

He, you cheap *******s, it is a GIFT and a nice gift it is. Something they would never buy for themselves. I think I gave most of my riding buddies such a bell. It has a nice and very recognizeable sound. Once I heard that sound and though it must be one of my riding buddies because they are very rare. I looked over my shoulder and indeed it was one of my riding buddies. Get stolen? Around here theft of bells is non existent.

Lou

On 12/21/2020 9:47 AM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Mon, 21 Dec 2020 05:30:43 -0800 (PST), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

On Sunday, December 20, 2020 at 8:19:14 p.m. UTC-5, wrote:

3. Extremely loud bells and noises will scare pedestrians and drivers
sufficiently to make them do something stupid. In effect, the bell is
waking them up. Quite often, instead of getting out of my way or
turning away from me, they will turn towards me risking a crash.

When I commuted in Toronto Canada I ended up using a mini-boat-horn.
It was the only thing that reliably penetrated the fog surrounding
many drivers and/or pedestrians brains. Now with the drivers so
distracted and with so many pedestrians using earbuds or earphones,
I'm sorely tempted to get an other one. I find that most bells simply
don't register in peoples' consciousness.
The mini-boat-horn sounds like a semi-truck.

Bigger is better?
https://us.hornit.com/products/hornit-db140
Only two AAA cells and it sounds like a bird?
https://player.vimeo.com/video/414794381 (1:04)

A loud horn or small explosion will certainly get the attention of a
pedestrian or driver. I've found that getting their attention wasn't
as much a problem as what happened after I got their attention. Many
would react in an unexpected and unpredictable manner. Instead of
avoiding a collision, they would lurch into my path and create a
potential collision. I ended up ringing my gong or blasting my horn
at a much longer distance away to give them time to realize that
there's a problem. Of course, that meant using an even louder gong or
horn. In general, I found that bells worked with pedestrians, but
were not loud enough to penetrate an automobile with closed windows
and music at maximum. A horn would work for those, but would scare
the pedestrians. Perhaps both? Since this will be a gift, perhaps
let the recipient decide which is the most appropriate?

I have had the same experience. Ringing a single-ding bell often got
the peds to turn around while moving sideways directly into my path. As
much as I dislike the brrring-brrring bells (just personal preference),
the point about them being more recognized is a good one.

Mark J.

Depends on the type of cyclist and what equipment they already have.

Transportational cyclist:
Handlebar beverage holder and vacuum mug:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074TPSH3P +
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/stanley-reg-classic-twin-lock-trade-travel-mug/5485947
Bell: https://www.rockbrosusa.com/product-page/handlebar-retro-bell

Recreational hard core cyclist:
Jersey from their alma mater:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ncaa+jersey+cycling&i=fashion&ref=nb_sb_noss
Nuun Tablets: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019GU4ILQ

Mountain Biker:
BBB Fueltank Xl Bbc-15 https://rmcbikes.com/en/fueltank-xl.html Not
sure if it's really available, it's discontinued and reflects Grant
Peterson's postulate: “If you find something you really, really like,
buy a lifetime supply; because it'll either be changed for the worse or
go out of production.�

Any cyclist:
Front light with breathe mode:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32802747811.html or
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001009456851.html

Jeff:
ABUS GRANITâ„¢ EXTREME 59/180HB260:
https://mobil.abus.com/usa/on-road/Locks/U-Shackle-Locks/U-Shackle-Locks-Motorbike/GRANIT-Extreme-59-180HB260

Frank:
Mavic COMETE ULTIMATE MIPS:
https://shop.mavic.com/en-us/comete-ultimate-mips-c6102.html#1028=4172
Nite Rider Pro 4200 Enduro Remote Front Bike Light:
https://www.niterider.com/collections/mtb-bicycle-lighting-systems/products/6806-pro-4200-enduro-remote

Andrew & Tom:
Trump Cycling Jersey:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B3KnOv0TkfBGGIGS12KSK19_z9ZoBad6