One Year Later: Bike Modifications

Running a couple of errands this morning reminded me how much my bike has changed this past year. It's a Globe Daily 2 ('11 model), which I got from one of D's local bike shops for a great price. Here's a picture of the bike from the first month I was riding it, complete with the crate D and I set up (see here):

Then

And here's the bike circa one year later, with a few modifications:

Now

1. I added a skirt guard (see here). It's saved several skirts and dresses from getting caught in the spokes or the brake pad. More importantly, it's proven easy to remove, wash, and re-attach when needed.
2. Even though I already had different rear cargo options, I decided to go with a Wald 137 front basket as well for light, unanticipated cargo (e.g. restaurant doggy bag), or for when I was using a normal purse/bag. (At some point, I will do a "one year later" for my cargo set up and talk more abut this basket then.)
3. I added chain guard. As the weather cooled and I started wearing pants more often, I decided I wanted that extra protection. My favorite Cleveland bike shop helped me find a chainguard that works with my rear derailleur. For the curious, it's from Civia. It's not a perfect solution in that it rubs against the chain slightly if I'm in the eighth gear, but I'm never in that gear so the trade off was worth it to me. As a plus, it looks great on the bike--I think even better than what the chainguard that comes standard on the high-end model of the Globe Daily.
4. I got a U-lock to replace the cable lock you see in the top picture, as recommended by the campus police at my place of employment (along with everybody who has ever considered locking up a bike in an urban area).

I made these changes as I was learning how I liked to ride my bike. When I bought it, I did not initially contemplate using it to get to work, but that became the bike's primary function. It's funny to think about now because, with the integrated rack and the nod to the loop frame, it's the bike I would likely have picked if commuting was my original goal. (I wonder if I had a "sportier" bike, if I would have gone in the direction that I did.) Then, because I got the bike in the summer, one of my favorite things to do on weekends became going on my cooking-related errands (usually farmer's market, bakery, grocery store). I also liked riding when I wanted to hang out or work at different coffee shops, or when I was going out for a casual meal. Apparently stringing together these types of errands/small rides is now a thing, though in my case privilege and circumstance made it fairly easy to do. The relatively late onset of lake effect winter also allowed me to keep riding well into the year, and so D helped me put together decent cold-weather riding gear so the fun could continue.

After I moved, I couldn't use this bike to get to work anymore because the distance wasn't feasible for me, and I couldn't take a full-sized bike on the Metro during rush hour. I have since acquired a folding bike for my commute, but all the changes I implemented make my original bike ideal for most of my weekend errand and recreational transport riding. First of all, I can have a different cargo setup depending on what I'm doing. I'm also more comfortable locking it up outside when I'm running in and out of different places, or even when I'm hanging out for a couple of hours. And, as much as I love the new bike, I cut my teeth on this bike, so I think I'll always enjoy the feeling of hopping onto its upright seat, grabbing its swooping handlebars, and heading off for a ride.

Note: It feels odd to list brand names, but I know I find it useful when I read about specific products I'm considering even when it's not a full review, so I figured I would implement the practice as well.

DIY bicycle skirt guard!

While watching the Olympics, I've been working out how to make a skirt guard for my bike. I like to ride around in normal clothes including skirts and dresses, and as with many before me, the hem would get caught in the spokes or the brakes or between the tires and fenders. So, I started poking around the internet and there are apparently many versions of these! There was even one on Etsy I really liked, but I didn't want to pay that much for it (I'm sure it's well made and worth it, but still...).

So, after carefully examining the ones online that I liked best (as carefully as you can with tiny pictures anyway), I figured I would try to make one myself. It took some trial and error to get the proportions right, but the end result:

 

Right side: skirt guard has to go above chain

 Left side: skirt guard has to go around lock bracket

Here are the components of the skirt guard (per side):

• Mason line - also know as Seine twine? It's really hard to search Mason line on the internet without coming up with a lot of sites on the Mason-Dixon line, but mason line is readily available at Home Depot and comes in bright colors; the main advantage of this material is that it's supposed to be weather resistant: the brand I got claims to be "rot proof" and to resist oil, gas, and most chemicals; another brand I considered claims to be resistant to mildew, moisture, and dryness
  
• 1 split ring - I know it as a keyring, D gave me the technical name
• 1 Velcro wrap - D's idea, it's perfect!
• 15 micro binder clips - if you're like me and you don't want to drill holes in your fenders, this works, though you might need a lip on your fender so that the clip stays in place
• Super glue - to secure the knots

So I might do a more detailed write-up later, but having gone through this once, I think I could do better next time. Not that I'm unhappy with the result, but perhaps I would want to try different techniques (different knots? crocheted?) and different materials (reflective cord?). For now, it serves its function of protecting my skirt, and I think it looks pretty cute in DIY kind of way.

Orange is a readily available DIY color