Although Bike Commuters are able to save money by leaving the car at home (or not owning a car at all), our bikes do need to be serviced and we need to buy accessories and tools from time to time. Taking your bike to a shop for a tune up can run you from $30-$60 bucks and some accessories can be kind of pricey, so if you are going through tough times, here are some money saving how tos:
Planning to get an Xtracycle and want to install it yourself?
Check these two articles written by Jack:
Birth of an Xtracycle, part one
Birth of an Xtracycle part two
Need to create your own racks?
Create your own Porteur Rack by Ann Rappaport
$10 Xtracycle Bike Rack by Derek Pearson.
PVC rear rack by Ben Castaneda
Fenders:
DIY Fenders by Jack
Maintenance:
Jack’s regular maintenance for bike commuters article is a must read.
RL shows you how to clean your rims from brake residue and other gunk.
Need to adjust your V-brakes? Here’s how.
If you are switching forks, don’t forget to remove the crown race, here’s how to do it without special tools. And here’s how to install it.
Make your own tools:
Click here for a home made Headset installation tool
Here is RL’s home made truing stand.
Snow Tires:
Too cheap to buy snow tires? Here’s how to convert your regular tires to snow tires, by Randy Policar
Working on your own bike is not difficult and can be very rewarding, so unless your mechanic works for beer, give it a shot!
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