REAL bargains

My bike weighs a fricken ton (90 pounds)
It's a PITA to flip over, but I manage.

I tried grabbing the rear brake and pulling the bike straight back, up and over today, but it didn't work.

It was standing almost straight up on the rear wheel when the fender hit the ground.
I would have crunched it.

I got used to where to grab it and flip it over sideways instead.
Tying the front wheel to the frame helps to keep the handlebars from flopping around.
 
The bargain way to flip over a bike without turning the display and other items is to use the 4" thick Styrofoam blocks that motors ship with on the grips.

I made a pair of handlebar stands too,..

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Those Handlebar Jacks were actually $89 a few months ago.

I said forget that,.. 😂
 
My bike weighs a fricken ton (90 pounds)
It's a PITA to flip over, but I manage.

I tried grabbing the rear brake and pulling the bike straight back, up and over today, but it didn't work.

It was standing almost straight up on the rear wheel when the fender hit the ground.
I would have crunched it.

I got used to where to grab it and flip it over sideways instead.
Tying the front wheel to the frame helps to keep the handlebars from flopping around.
I flipped my bike over easily and it's maybe a little more than half that weight.
But I was walking it over a big curb while I was tapping the PAS to 0. Somewhat in a hurry, pedal strike at PAS 2 and it flipped all on its own.
 
Mine are similar but wood blocks and no strings.

Those are bungee cords.
I attach the blocks to my handlebars before I flip the bike over, so I don't have to line up the handlebars with blocks on the floor.
 
@Jeremy McCreary, 'Pretty please, show us photos.'

Thanks. I have been holding back. Someone accused me once of Spamming photos. This one will be a single speed classic beach cruiser, low step, in powder blue with brown touch points and accents and cream wide grippy tires. All touch points will be top shelf. It will have a special coaster brake torque sensing mid-motor at 85Nm. The gearing will be medium low for tourists hopping between my town's 12 beer gardens and visiting restaurants around the turning basin or seeing the bird sanctuaries on the flats. A casual town rider that can take gravel. It will have a brown tool bag on the rack. So far, all I have done is clean it and removed the grips and totally dumb vinyl big gulp cup holder. I will drill for all thru-frame wiring. A taller seat post is on the way. The front basket will go. The rear brown bag is so much better. And in honor of Mr. T. it is getting a gold chain with nano wax dry lube. The chainguard will stay. It will have one visible wire in dove gray by the headtube to the thumb sized display.
 

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almost bought this folding tandem for 700 a decent price the seller would go down to 1000 but it just wont work.
 
Today my downtown is packed with tourists and about 7 blocks are blocked to traffic for the annual Antique Faire. I saw a vender selling hot dogs for $7 each and charging additionally for each topping. You could easily drop a Hamilton. These were just regular sized dogs. So, I rode to 7-11 and got a 10 inch Spicy Dog. I put pico de gallo in the bun, then onions, nacho cheese, chili, the giant dog, then mustard on top. With tax it was $2.40.
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The tool bag is working well for me.
I've got all my tools and supplies in the tool bag and mounted to my rack.


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The bag is a bit flimsy, with pretty thin material, but it looks reasonably durable.
I haven't blown out a zipper or ripped it, and it's got some pretty heavy tools in it.


I also purchased a rechargeable air compressor.

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It's got three 2000 mah cells and runs on 12 volts.
It fits nicely in the tool bag.

I'm not carrying the CO2 inflator or cartridges anymore.
They're too expensive to use.
It would cost me at least $15 in CO2 cartridges to fill a single fat tire.
 
Frustrating that the vast majority of portable air compressors don't include a Presta valve fitting. Whatever you think of presta valves...

I use a Fumpa pump:


And I've now seen these CYCPLUS pumps that seem to have great reviews:

 
Frustrating that the vast majority of portable air compressors don't include a Presta valve fitting.

My compressor included the adapter.

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The quick release valve was a piece of junk though and I had to replace it.


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Mockins 500 lb Capacity Anti Tilt Motorcycle Hitch Carrier Set...$159!​


Comes with a ramp and cargo straps. It will carry the heaviest of ebikes (OR ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES) and it only weighs 65 lb itself so it's easy to attach to your hitch. I ordered it off Amazon. It arrived with all the hardware and there were no broken welds as reported in some of the reviews. It is a solid rack with a ramp and it carries my heavy Stromer no problem at all. Very secure with the cargo straps provided. A viable, low cost alternative to the expensive bike racks that do not carry anywhere near the max load rating on this rack. Could I afford a $1000 rack? Yep, but I get a kick out of saving money where no real compromises are needed and, in fact, it works better.

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@Jeremy McCreary, 'Pretty please, show us photos.'

Thanks. I have been holding back. Someone accused me once of Spamming photos. This one will be a single speed classic beach cruiser, low step, in powder blue with brown touch points and accents and cream wide grippy tires. All touch points will be top shelf. It will have a special coaster brake torque sensing mid-motor at 85Nm. The gearing will be medium low for tourists hopping between my town's 12 beer gardens and visiting restaurants around the turning basin or seeing the bird sanctuaries on the flats. A casual town rider that can take gravel. It will have a brown tool bag on the rack. So far, all I have done is clean it and removed the grips and totally dumb vinyl big gulp cup holder. I will drill for all thru-frame wiring. A taller seat post is on the way. The front basket will go. The rear brown bag is so much better. And in honor of Mr. T. it is getting a gold chain with nano wax dry lube. The chainguard will stay. It will have one visible wire in dove gray by the headtube to the thumb sized display.
An around-town dream machine! If you don't mind me asking, how much would something like that be worth in your local market when it's all assembled?
 
An around-town dream machine! If you don't mind me asking, how much would something like that be worth in your local market when it's all assembled?
I did not sell that bike, my buddy did to a fashion designer. It was a free bike. It was ridden once, got a flat and sat for nine years, taking up valuable real estate. He sold it for $2,400 as an original work of art. She said it is the most beautiful bike she has ever seen and was, 'In love." I staged it with pink, blue, and yellow fake flowers in the cupholder from the dollar store. It looked like a bike from the cover of a grocery store romance novel. It is a Huffy that was worth about $199 retail when new. I handed it off like this photo and he installed the matching brown grips, saddle and platform pedals. Check out the wire management. The display is to the left. The battery slips in the water bottle cage. I wouldn't have the massive spheres of testosterone to sell it for that much. I am working on a similar bike today for a client.
 

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