The thrifty cyclist.
neilo23
Posts: 783
I tend to be a bit of a flashy ********* (insert your letters of choice) and would rather buy one piece of expensive kit than 10 cheap bits. But even though I am completely irresponsible with money, I don't mind saving a couple of bob if I can (who doesn't?).
Who has some penny pinching tips in regards to cycling?
To start the ball rolling:
Watching TdF coverage here on the continent, time trial legend Michael Rich suggested cutting 6" sections out of your old tyres and attaching them to the bottom of the mudguards on your winter bike to keep your feet a bit drier.
Don't waste your money on expensive water bottle sterilising tablets. Get a cheapo multi-pack of denture cleaning tablets (or nick em off your granny). Do the job for a fraction of the price (told to me by a mechanic with very good teeth).
Who has some penny pinching tips in regards to cycling?
To start the ball rolling:
Watching TdF coverage here on the continent, time trial legend Michael Rich suggested cutting 6" sections out of your old tyres and attaching them to the bottom of the mudguards on your winter bike to keep your feet a bit drier.
Don't waste your money on expensive water bottle sterilising tablets. Get a cheapo multi-pack of denture cleaning tablets (or nick em off your granny). Do the job for a fraction of the price (told to me by a mechanic with very good teeth).
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Posts
Great for your hands when your chain breaks and you have to repair it. Guess how I know that!!
Salt + sugar + bicarbonate of soda in your bottle makes for a nasty tasting but effective home-made electrolytic drink - I use Nuun these days though, it tastes a lot better
Buy big tubs of automotive grease, oil and anti-seize (instead of the bicycle-specific brands), will last a lifetime of bicycle maintenance and much cheaper
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You spend too much time in the baby department of Boots with greasy hands? Or...you have a bike and a baby? ;-) Brad Pitt uses them instead of washing when he's on set. I thought it was an excuse for the after-ride shower :-)
I've heard that before with the sugar. Does the oil cling to the sugar? Heard it's very effective, despite images of having hands like syrup.
It works really well. I think the sugar just acts as a mild abrasive to get the ingrained bits out, you're still relying on the detergent to break the oils up.
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Latex gloves would perhaps be more practical to carry. Can also be used when sticking plasters to your riding buddy in the event of an off.
Buy as much gear as you can trust second hand, thus avoiding VAT and depreciation. Somebody already paid that for you.
This helps me afford Rapha.
Buy snickers instead of energy bars.
If I buy energy/protein etc, I try and go in with mates at work/club to get bulk discount.
Clean bike well after riding, maintains life of components.
Love n hugs
DD
www.onemanandhisbike.co.uk
I imagine you'll look seriously frightening as you stop adjacent to the lone female and begin to approach her whilst pulling on the latex gloves.
Anyway, in the spirit of the thread I'll add to the tedium by pointing out that Tesco have value malt loaf for twenty eight pence a loaf. It's not as unpleasant as you may fear and at that price is a very cheap source of carbohydrate for long rides.
The specialist products cost what ? £5 for a small bottle. A gallon of engine oil, a few quid and it'll last forever, and even then, there's always some left when you change your cars oil.
Ive run mine for ages like that, it doesn't make any difference to chain life. Ok so it takes a little extra wiping, maybe a little more frequently but i came to the conclusion a long time ago that specialist products are just too expensive and dont really perform any better as far as chain life goes.
I prefer diesel as it leaves an oily residue (=good), doesn't evaporate at the drop of a warm hat, and can be left in the shed next to your bench grinder...
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Can we fix it?
Yes we can!
Or you look like a deviant !!!
Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
Born to ride, forced to work.
Duck tape or plastic bottles works well as mudguard flaps.
Use black bar tape and then you won't need the baby wipes and elbow grease.
Buy oakleys. In pence per use - they're the best value I've found.
corks from malt whisky bottles complete the ensemble as bar end stoppers..
lights from Dealextreme are both very bright and cheap.
Lidl have some new led light sets in right now which might prove to be very good value AND german standard marked so legal (for those few that still try to be).
make your own patches out of fragments of old tube cleaned and sanded.
I have used UHU instead of rubber glue and it seemed to work fine.
I agree about water bottles, never treated them , just rinsed or put in dishwasher.
jam sandwiches or cheese, peanut butter or whatever is much cheaper and better than choc bars. I often grab some brown bread and put it in a snappy bag. or just shove it in your pocket so that it is easy to get at while riding. I just bought a huge wholemeal loaf for 89p.
A prominent member of our club swears by oats. He just has a bag of them and chuffs them down while riding; and he goes a looong way.
squash with added sugar and perhaps half a teaspoon of salt for a very hot long ride.
keep old bananas and wizz them in a milkshake for a recovery drink.
keep your eyes peeled and occasionally you will spot an axle bolt lying on the roadside or cycle trail. I have a small collection of these , but have yet to find a money-saving use for them .Still, you never know.
this reply got a bit out of control, so that's it for now.
oooh. cycle jumbles!!!
http://s189.photobucket.com/albums/z122 ... =slideshow