DIY Shoe Covers

… after a long hiatus I am back.
When I view the stats on this blog I am amazed that people continue to visit here long after any new content has appeared. So here is something to alleviate my guilt.

Here’s my most recent project. The story is told completely in pictures.

DIY cycling shoe covers made from plastic shopping bags (3 layers thick), a heat gun (set on low), and duct-tape patches. For those not familiar with cycling, shoe covers are for cold, wet weather (they are not necessarily to be worn as a fashion accessory — hence, the duct-tape)

After finishing this project I would now suggest that most people just buy these from your LBS (Local Bike Shop). With size 15 feet I have limited options. I will respond to specific questions in the comments if you actually want to make a pair of your own.

This post is actually composed from an email I recently received from a friend, Herrick Muhlestein.  I think it is self explanatory.  I plan to participate in this ride.  I invite you to join in also.

Thanks,

-ed

I refer you to the official website for more details about this upcoming event: http://theglmr.com/

---

Gary Ludlow is my step father, and this ride is to raise awareness of mental 
illness and increase happiness in our lives.
Please see the email and website or forward to someone who would like to ride 
or volunteer for this great event.

Thank you!
Herrick

TheGLMR TheGLMR Register July 30th 2011
Join me in the the third annual Rid for Hope, Healing, & Happiness

Dear Friend,

Chances are, you never knew Gary Ludlow.

If you did, then maybe you knew him as an award-winning insurance 
and real estate agent from American Fork. Or perhaps as a pro 
cyclist who once took second in the California State championships, 
or as a frequent rider in the Lotoja (Logan to Jackson) cycling 
event. Maybe you might have known his wife, one of his eight kids 
or 11 grandkids.

Or maybe you knew that on December 5, 2008, Gary passed away due 
to a severe mental illness

Gary Ludlow was my father, and before that tragic winter day, the 
problems of mental illness, depression, and even suicide seemed 
totally irrelevant to my life—just like they might seem to yours.

Or maybe not.
THE HIDDEN EPIDEMIC

Statistically speaking, one in three people know someone with 
mental illness, or know of someone who has taken his or her own 
life. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for people 
25–34 year old, and the third leading cause among those 15–24. 
Suicide an often result from living with a mental illness—such 
as severe depression. And unfortunately, mental illnesses are 
more common than we’d like to think.

Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person's 
thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily 
functioning. They’re no one’s fault, nor are they the result of 
personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing. Much 
like diabetes, mental illnesses are medical conditions that 
often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the 
ordinary demands of life.

Unfortunately, mental illnesses often carry a social stigma that 
prevents some people from getting the help they need. Many try 
to hide their condition. The results can be tragic. What many 
people don’t realize is that mental illnesses are treatable—and 
that suicide is 100 percent preventable! But first, someone has 
to take action. A RIDE FOR HOPE, HEALING, AND HAPPINESS

After my father’s death, many of his former teammates, friends, 
and family members expressed interest in creating a benefit bike 
ride to raise awareness of mental illnesses and suicide prevention, 
as well as honor Gary’s memory. And so, in the summer of 2009, 
the Gary Ludlow Memorial Ride (GLMR) metric century was created.

The GLMR is a 62.5-mile/100-kilometer road event that raises 
awareness of mental illnesses and helps provide support for 
those who suffer, including those who have been left behind. 
By helping us spread awareness and encourage treatment, you 
can help prevent suffering and save lives.
HOW YOU CAN HELP

Since 2009, we’ve raised over $2,000 for the National Alliance 
on Mental Illness (NAMI Utah) and the American Foundation for 
Suicide Prevention (AFSP Utah). For our 3rd annual ride on 
Saturday, July 30, our goal is to double that total so we 
can better help those who suffer.

There are three simple ways you can get involved in the GLMR 
cause: 1) Donate or become an event sponsor,2) Serve as 
volunteer, and/or 3) Help bring hope, healing, and happiness 
by riding with us and enjoying the sport that Gary had loved.

The love that comes through friendship and community can make 
a powerful impact in others lives.Please join us at the GLMR 
for a ride you’ll never forget.

WHEN: Saturday JULY 30th, 2011
REGISTRATION/CHECK IN: 6:00 - 7:00 am
START TIME: 7:00 - 7:30 am
REGISTRATION: Visit RideMybike.com or e-mail your PDF 
registration to glmrinfo@gmail.com

REGISTRATION FEE: $45 to be paid at RideMybike.com or 
at check-in with PDF registration form

REGISTRATION DUE: Friday, 22 July 2011
LATE REGISTRATION: Saturday, 23 July to Friday, 29 2011

I’d like to personally thank you for your contributions 
of time, work, and money. Because of your efforts, our 
last two GLMR events have been a success. And thanks to your 
willingness to contribute now, more lives can be touched—and 
even saved—in the coming year.
HELP SUPPORT THE GLMR

Your donation or sponsorship can go a long way toward helping 
those living with mental illness. Please contribute today.

P.S. If you, a loved one, or a friend is struggling with mental 
illness, call NAMI Utah at (877) 230-6264 for information on 
treatment and recovery. If the issue is suicide, please call 
the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) 
immediately. Suicidal thoughts are as deadly as any disease and 
should always be taken seriously.

Donate Now

Register

Volunteer

Training Wheels Considered Harmful

About 25 years ago I learned of a simple method for teaching kids to ride a bicycle without training wheels.  I learned of this method on Usenet in rec.bicycles when the Internet was still a nascent communication medium.  Unfortunately I can not find the original source but several Web resources can now be found covering this approach.  Here is one good example:

Look, Mom! No training wheels!

3 children and 1 grandchild later I feel confident steering parents (no pun intended) against the use of training wheels when teaching kids to ride a bike.  It is not my intent to make this a personal mission or provide an elaborate how-to.  I feel compelled to include this information here because I still encounter friends and acquaintances who have never heard of this alternative.  Once introduced to this approach parents seem to immediately get it — It just makes sense.

Here’s as complicated as it gets from me:

1. Get a bike small enough for your child to place their feet flat on the ground with the seat lowered and the pedals removed.
2. Days or weeks later, when the child can push-off and glide two squares on the sidewalk before pushing off again, AND successfully corner, put the pedals back on.  At this point the child will usually start pedaling without further intervention having previously learned to pedal from their tricycle.
3. Over the next few weeks SLOWLY raise the seat to an appropriate riding height.  Never move the seat more than 1/2″ at a time.

Here is a video of our grandson, Dante, on his first ride. (It was also my first ride on my brand new mountain bike purchased for next year’s Tour Divide).

DIY Studded Snow Tires

Cabin Fever.  It seems Central Utah has been hit with more snow than usual this year and that it has stayed around longer.  So I pulled out an old pair of tires modified 15 years ago to deal with this kind of situation.  A pair of homemade studded snow tires for your bike.  If your bike has a disc brake I suggest a different solution which does not require the sacrifice of an old bike tire.  That approach only needs a bunch of zip-ties.

Because I’ve learned that many people don’t bother to scroll a blog post I’ll first show you the *why* I do these hacks.  If after that you are still interested in knowing the *how*, scroll down.

My previous hack worked well enough at the time but now seems in need of an update.  4 prototypes later I have a design that is marginally better performing than this first version.  It’s amazing how well this first attempt actually worked.  I won’t describe the original design because it was difficult and messy.  It involved pan-head sheet metal screws and rubber grommets prepared by coring out the sidewall of a corded car tire.

Use #8 x ½” Truss screws left over from a previous project.

Similar sheet metal screws would probably work also.

Use ¾” PVC pipe cap for as guide for cutting tape to cover screw heads.  Gorilla Tape™ or cloth-backed duct tape is best suited for this application.  Other tapes failed after less than 40 miles of riding.

Not shown is the marking and drilling of tire.  Tire are marked from outside and then drilled completely through tire from outside-to-inside.  Drill perpendicular through middle of tire “knobby” at the periphery of the contact patch.  This tire took 32 screws total.  Stagger screws alternately and equally on each side of tire center.

Use an 1/8″ thick drilled metal strip to set cut-off depth.

Use Dremel™ type tool with cut-off wheel to trim protruding screws.

Finished close-up of DIY studded snow tire.

Ready to roll…

A winter time bike rack!

DIY Bike Lights

Just to document an old hack I made several years ago…

I will not give detailed build instructions for this DIY Bike Light System unless a request is made to me.  Suffice it to say that I have used this lighting system for 6 years on all terrain and never lost a flashlight.  Yes, those are PVC sprinkler pipes, snap-tees,  4-way,  Tees, and hose clamps.  No glue up.  The 4-way is secured with small screws.  All snap-tees are compression fit with a strip of aluminum tape inserted into the joint.  The aluminum tape provides a tight fit which still allows easy rotational adjustment.  A PVC-to-metal joint is better than PVC-to-PVC one for this application.  When riding at night I will typically point one flashlight  towards the water bottle on my down tube.  This further illuminates me to motorists, forming moving shadows of my legs against the ground and to cars behind me.  This light also helps me see the bottle cages when I am done taking a drink.  Other LED flashlights are directed for short range (5-15 feet) and others are adjusted to longer range (15+ feet).  I use rechargeable AAA batteries for the LED flashlights.

LED headlight array allow unobstructed passage of cables throughout turn of front wheel.

Hose clamp secures assembly to stem.
Snap-tees are trimmed to fit LED flashlight body.

Image showing top PVC Tee cut at an angle to accommodate the tapered stem.
Top of stem is protected from hose clamp damage using aluminum tape.

View from top.

Lights are easily removed and inserted into the snap-tee.   Many times I will grab a light from my mountain bike hanging in the garage for another job just because they are so handy.

Not shown in the images is the bright red flasher on the rear seat pack.  It is a store bought LED light with a variety of flashing modes.

An Alternative Morning Wakeup Method

Many people resort to caffeine in the morning to get their heart and head started.  Several years ago I came up with an alternative that seems to work for me when employed as I will later describe.

Disclaimer:
I have no scientific research to back this up, only my personal experience.  I do not advise anyone to follow the steps I outline here.  Perhaps a physician can advise you properly.

The thinking goes like this: I always feel more alert, aware, and alive even after a brief amount of exercise in the morning.  After only 10-15 minutes of moderate exercise I feel ready to start my day — at least as much as I ever will during that day.

What caused this change in attitude/disposition following a brief period of exercise?  What physiological/psychological effects have occurred as a result of this period of exercise?

Aerobic exercise causes a near immediate  increase in the following vital signs:

• heart rate,
• blood pressure,
• lung/diaphragm involvement,
• and lactic acid levels in the bloodstream.

Are these effects enough to cause a change in a person’s attitude when first waking up?

What if we were able to induce these same effects without the aid of exercise or stimulants?

It turns out you can accomplish these same effects by simply holding your breath while you lay there in your morning stupor.  However, holding your breath is a skill that requires practice while you are fully awake so that you can still do it properly while semi-comatose.  For me the best way is to take a few long, slow, and deep cleansing breaths followed by a very slow, prolonged exhale. Passing an almost imperceptible stream of air through my vocal cords.  The exhale is less than a whisper’s worth of air sustained for a minute or more.  Set your vocal cords initially as if you were about to enunciate the short “a” vowel sound but never vocalize it until the last remaining gasp of air is finally evacuated from your lungs.  Then immediately inhale fully and repeat this same exhale one more and final time.

If panic sets in during your exhale try releasing a small burst of air into your closed mouth from your lungs and continue a slow exhale simultaneously from your lungs and out your mouth.  This technique seems to delay the brain’s auto breathe takeover mechanism.

In two long purging breaths I can take my heart rate from 55 BPM to 85 BPM and I feel as alert as if I had run for 15 minutes.  I have repurposed a phone application originally intended to measure BPM for songs to get a fast and accurate heart rate.  By tapping the screen in unison with the pulse in your neck you can determine your heart rate in a few seconds, even while in a semi-comatose condition.  See http://www.androidzoom.com/android_applications/lifestyle/bpm-counter_gcox.html

According to BPM Counter, this causes your heart rate to go from Largo to Andante in only a few minutes.  no exertion or suit-up required.

Some may say this is only a poor description of a single Yoga technique — see Q2

In any case, this technique might be considered as the first stage of a multi-stage wakeup scenario.  It might only help get you to the shower and then to your first “cup of joe”.

DIY Night Vision

Typically my cycling season starts and ends with the change of daylight savings time.  In the past, when I have extended the cycling season past this time I end up riding in the cold, wet, and dark.  These variables are manageable but other elements present an unacceptable hazard.  Automobiles at night can blind you with their headlights.  Many approaching motorists will leave their brights on long after they notice you coming towards them with your bike lights on.  Don’t they realize that a cyclist requires vision as much or more than an oncoming motorist?  There’s a reason they call it “the deer in the headlights look”.  I have a DIY lighting system with high beams that will give the oncoming car a dose of their own medicine but that is the subject of another post.  Instead, I will describe another more effective way of mitigating the headlights of an oncoming car — a tilt-down headlight filter made from a Nalgene-style water bottle.  Last year my wife sacrificed her green Camelback water bottle for the prototype.  The prototype worked great and I expected to use it again this winter.  About a month ago my mountain bike helmet fell off the shelf and the filter broke.  I nearly cried.  Oh well, this allows me to document the process for making a new one.  I even have enough leftovers from the old donor bottle to make a second one.  I’m sure Shaunna is relieved to hear this.

 

Figure 1:

• bike helmet
• helmet visor (detached)
• template ( cut from soda can)
• marker
• bowl of soda can cuttings
• scissors for cutting template
• Nalgene-style water bottle ( darkest colors makes a better headlight filter)

Used but not shown:

• painters masking tape
• drill
• Dremel tool w/ cutoff wheel
• zip tie (only one with this visor)
• 6″ of foam weather stripping

Missing in the images:

• marking & cutting the template to match helmet front
• cutting of water bottle using dremel tool w/ cutoff wheel

Figure 2:

• mark holes to be drilled for attaching filter to visor.
• allow a 1/4″ gap between helmet and filter.

 

Figure 3:

• drill holes in filter to allow zip tie attachment

Figure 4:

• cut and affix weather strip to filter between zip tie holes.

Figure 5:

• thread zip tie from thru holes in filter and visor (start from hole under filter nearest helmet)
• tighten zip tie & clip excess

 

Figure 6:

• close-up of zip tie from top

 

Figure 7:

• bottom view of attached filter.

Figure 8:

• adjust hemet on head and place painter’s tape to set cut-line.
• establish the cut-line by tilting helmet down until you can see oncoming headlights just below the visor and above tape.
• filter should only extend about 1½” below the visor.
• cut off filter using top of tape edge

 

Figure 9:

• smooth the edge of filter w/ Dremel tool using drum sander
• headlight filter is done.

This headlight filter has served me well when riding at night.  Even in the direct headlights of an oncoming car, I can make out the edge of the shoulder and potholes in the road.

No more “cyclist in the headlights look” from me.