"MacGyverisms"

The mysterious case of
the invisible spokes!


Ever since I started building and truing my own wheels, I hardly ever break a spoke. In fact, I've only broken two in the last 15 years.

Still, you never know when the next one will bust, so I always carry spares. They don't weigh anything, and they aren't in the way. Not where I carry them! In fact, if you looked at my bike, you would never even know I was carrying spokes. Here's what I do;

First, mark your seatpost at the spot where it enters the seat tube. Now get a cork from a wine bottle. it must be a real cork, not a plastic one, and it should have straight sides, not tapered. If it has a plastic cap, remove it. Now take your seatpost off the bike. Smooth off any sharp edges on the bottom end of the post and drop the spoke(s) in, nipple end first. Push the cork into the end of the seat post to hold them in place. It should be a snug fit but not tight, or you won't be able to get it back out.

Now turn the bent end of the spokes so they face out. this will keep them from rattling against the inside of the seat tube. Feed the spokes and the seatpost into the tube, adjust the saddle height and tighten the bolt.


Now, as for the wine...;-3)

Another MacGyverism? You Bet! -->

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or a MacGyverism of your own?
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