DIY Thumb Shifters

After the Flacon thumb shifters failed last week, I had put stem shifters back on. I found that I missed thumb shifting, and looked around for some more but I'm impatient. I wanted them back NOW. So I made some. :)

Well, I guess I didn't actually make them. But I did take the original stem shifters and put them on the handlebars. I reversed the levers (the left lever on the stem became the right lever on the handlebars and vise versa) and I used two stem clamps (the original and a matching spare clamp for the other side). I bought some new cables and housing, and some screws and put together something that works.

Actually, they work better than any shifting setup I've had on this bike!

I've had it this way for about a week now, and have had no troubles. I like that the levers are a bit longer than what you typically find on thumb shifters. I suppose in a way this is kind of like a po' folks Paul Thumbies set up, only with using stem levers instead of bar end levers.

Shock to the System

Wowzers! It got up to nearly 70(F) here today! People have been breaking out the tee shirts and flip flops, the dudes across from me ditched their shirts to blind us all with their pasty torsos, and I finally didn't have to ride in barn boots!




No socks too! Everyone was out enjoying the warm spell.
















It really is kind of a shock to the system. I guess that's why ye olde ipod (which I still want to call a Walkman. Does anyone else do that?) coughed up Billy Idol's "Shock to the System" first thing today.

Shifter woes

My poor mixte, Hedwig, seems to be plagued by shifter problems. First it was her original Shimano Altus stem shifters that just wouldn't hold the cable anymore.




I replaced them with some Falcon thumb shifters, which I really liked. Until today when part of the plastic housing broke and allowed the cable as well as it's housing to be pulled into the shifter when I would try to shift. This got all mangled and just wouldn't shift anymore.

With it being such a beautiful day out today, I just couldn't pass up on a ride so removed the thumb shifters and replaced them with another set of stem shifters that were graciously given to me not too long ago (thank you!).

Everything went smoothly, and I was on my way out to the barn when I started having trouble shifting again. I limped her the rest of the way there and discovered that the cable had started to fray apart at the shifter!




So, I reluctantly called my husband to come rescue Hedwig and me. At that point there was nothing I could do anyway.




Now, I've come to really like thumb shifters, but am wary now of buying cheap. So, should I just replace the cables and continue using the stem shifters, or go ahead and buy good quality thumb shifters? I'm leaning toward investing in good thumb shifters.

Don't leave home without it.

It being your headlight. Today I left mine at home.




I had unclipped it from it's bracket in order to tighten down the screw that holds the bracket together, then completly forgot to clip the light back on before leaving for the barn. Doh!




Lucky for me my husband was able to bring it by before I had to ride home blind.

New members of the herd

New baby donkey!







She doesn't have a name yet, but she is incredibly adorable.





Also, we have a sixth feline now.




He followed us home so we took him in and made up flyers to try and find some lost peoples for him, but nobody called. So we took him and had him checked out at the vet and had him nuetered. His name is now Tycho, he's about one year old and the only white one him is that one whisker.




Now if only the newest addition to the bicycle herd would get here!

Face Warmer

With all of this Winter Wonderland and arctic temperatures we've all been having, I needed to find a way to keep my face (mostly my nose) warm.

So I came up with this:

It's a variation on Calorimetry, with some more drastic short row shaping to make it fit over a face more so than on a head. I used a rather sproingy superwash merino wool of indeterminate origin. It also keeps my ears warm! I really only wear it at night, if it's in the low 20's (F) or below, since it does kind of make me look like a bank robber or a bike ninja. But hey, it does the job!

I think I'm on to something...

I think that I've found a perfect hook for guards with drilled fenders.

Even if they don't start out as hooks.

But look at how nice that comes together!