24 Useful Items that You Can't Buy at Your Local Bicycle Shop

On Friday, December 18, 2015 at 3:32:29 AM UTC-8, sms wrote:
On 12/17/2015 6:13 PM, jbeattie wrote:

Useful to whom? It's not like you need to run down to the LBS for an emergency growler cage.

How can you say that, especially in Oregon?

I also don't have a wine bottle cage because I don't drink much wine on my bike. If I'm riding and want beer, I just pull over at a brewpub or one of the many bike shops with beer -- believe it or not, its a thing in Portland. If I want to pick up beer, I usually get bottles. Sometimes I do get a growler fill of something more exotic, but that is not frequent enough to justify buying a special bottle cage. I see a lot of bikes around here, and I've never seen one with a growler cage. I have seen total dorks with growler fanny packs and growler belts. I think they also had pockets for their phasers and communicators.

-- Jay Beattie.

On 12/18/2015 5:48 AM, Duane wrote:

I have none of them but I had to google what a growler cage is. lol.

I saw them at the Twofish booth at Interbike and realized that I simply
had to have one. It was a little big for my messenger bag, but I
managed. I was also afraid that TSA might object.

On 18/12/2015 9:59 AM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, December 18, 2015 at 8:48:27 AM UTC-5, Duane wrote:
On 18/12/2015 8:26 AM, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/17/2015 8:13 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Thursday, December 17, 2015 at 5:41:51 PM UTC-8, sms wrote:
Just in time for XMAS I have released my list of "24 Useful Items that
You Can't Buy at Your Local Bicycle Shop"

Full article, with images at:
http://tinyurl.com/notatlbs or
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sbysWs4spoaFDe5EuFCmOkbpapQ2aOLQ__Aqs16Pi4M


1. BBB Fuel Tank XL
2. Bottle Cage Relocation Adapter
3. Growler Cage
4. Seatpost Clamp with Rack Mounts
5. Disc Brake Compatible Rack with Pannier Supports
6. Mixte Road Bike
7. Brass Temple Bell
8. Elite VIP Universal water bottle cage clamps
9. High-intensity LED rear light with side-firing LED
10. Trekking Riser Bar
11. Adjustable Rise Threadless Stem
12. Flat bar Shimano road shifters
13. Stem Steerer Shim 38mm
14. Long rear cargo rack mounting extensions
15. Dynamo wheels
16. Low-cost, high power, Cree LED lights with 18650 battery packs
17. Handlebar flashlight mounts
18. Rear Mount Kickstand
19. Porteur Front Racks
20. Flash Flag
21. Handlebar Mount Cup Holder
22, Aluminum Frame and Handlebar Clamps
23. Wide Cantilever Yoke
24. Cheap Rear Flashers

Useful to whom? It's not like you need to run down to the LBS for an
emergency growler cage. That's like faulting a LBS for not having a
portable massage table trailer. Anything useful I can get at
Universal. https://www.universalcycles.com/ -- assuming it isn't at
one of the other local shops. I've been throwing my money at Western
Bikeworks lately. https://www.westernbikeworks.com/ Long walk at lunch
time, but full of useful things. Pick up a mixte on my way back at
Bike Gallery or wander over to Clever.
http://clevercycles.com/linus-mixte-...peed-step-thru
Woohoo! Now I'm fulfilled! I have a mixte!

Skip the growler cage: https://www.brewgrouppdx.com/brewcycle/
-- Jay Beattie.



I have a very old dynamo hub on one of my bikes but not one other thing
on that list. For which I now pause to give thanks. Yecch. YMMV.


I have none of them but I had to google what a growler cage is. lol.

It's a cage that unfolds really fast, is very strong, and it catches growling animals before they eat you. LOL VBEG ;)


lol. Useful since my frame pump doesn't fit on my frame anymore.
Nothing to use as a weapon...

On 18/12/2015 11:04 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, December 18, 2015 at 3:32:29 AM UTC-8, sms wrote:
On 12/17/2015 6:13 PM, jbeattie wrote:

Useful to whom? It's not like you need to run down to the LBS for an emergency growler cage.

How can you say that, especially in Oregon?

I also don't have a wine bottle cage because I don't drink much wine on my bike. If I'm riding and want beer, I just pull over at a brewpub or one of the many bike shops with beer -- believe it or not, its a thing in Portland. If I want to pick up beer, I usually get bottles. Sometimes I do get a growler fill of something more exotic, but that is not frequent enough to justify buying a special bottle cage. I see a lot of bikes around here, and I've never seen one with a growler cage. I have seen total dorks with growler fanny packs and growler belts. I think they also had pockets for their phasers and communicators.


Bleh. Move to NOLA with the drive up liquor stores and Daquiri shops.

On 12/18/2015 8:04 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, December 18, 2015 at 3:32:29 AM UTC-8, sms wrote:
On 12/17/2015 6:13 PM, jbeattie wrote:

Useful to whom? It's not like you need to run down to the LBS for an emergency growler cage.

How can you say that, especially in Oregon?

If I want to pick up beer, I usually get bottles.

Thanks, I forgot about beer bottle carrying. Number 25.

If you're carrying bottles of beer you _must_ get a Fyxation bottle
carrier. http://www.fyxation.com/collections/leather-goods. And they
have 20% off right now, and free shipping. Alas, I generally buy beer at
Costco, 24 bottles at a time (some of the Costcos here carry Deschutes).
I might have to use the Burley cargo trailer.

Sometimes I do get a growler fill of something more exotic, but that
is not frequent enough to justify buying a special bottle cage.

Yet you spent hundreds of dollars on a dynamo light that doesn't work as
well as a battery powered light. A growler cage is much more practical.

On 12/18/2015 5:26 AM, AMuzi wrote:

I have a very old dynamo hub on one of my bikes but not one other thing
on that list. For which I now pause to give thanks. Yecch. YMMV.

The reason I compiled that list is that often we are asked "where did
you get that?" on rides. These are the items on the list where this has
occurred:

1. BBB Fuel Tank XL
4. Seatpost Clamp with Rack Mounts
5. Disc Brake Compatible Rack with Pannier Supports
6. Mixte Road Bike
8. Elite VIP Universal water bottle cage clamps
9. High-intensity LED rear light with side-firing LED
10. Trekking Riser Bar
11. Adjustable Rise Threadless Stem
14. Long rear cargo rack mounting extensions
19. Porteur Front Racks
20. Flash Flag
21. Handlebar Mount Cup Holder

Giving out a link is much better than trying to explain where to get an
item.

On 12/18/2015 10:14 AM, Duane wrote:
On 18/12/2015 9:59 AM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Friday, December 18, 2015 at 8:48:27 AM UTC-5, Duane
wrote:
On 18/12/2015 8:26 AM, AMuzi wrote:
On 12/17/2015 8:13 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Thursday, December 17, 2015 at 5:41:51 PM UTC-8, sms
wrote:
Just in time for XMAS I have released my list of "24
Useful Items that
You Can't Buy at Your Local Bicycle Shop"

Full article, with images at:
http://tinyurl.com/notatlbs or
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sbysWs4spoaFDe5EuFCmOkbpapQ2aOLQ__Aqs16Pi4M



1. BBB Fuel Tank XL
2. Bottle Cage Relocation Adapter
3. Growler Cage
4. Seatpost Clamp with Rack Mounts
5. Disc Brake Compatible Rack with Pannier Supports
6. Mixte Road Bike
7. Brass Temple Bell
8. Elite VIP Universal water bottle cage clamps
9. High-intensity LED rear light with side-firing LED
10. Trekking Riser Bar
11. Adjustable Rise Threadless Stem
12. Flat bar Shimano road shifters
13. Stem Steerer Shim 38mm
14. Long rear cargo rack mounting extensions
15. Dynamo wheels
16. Low-cost, high power, Cree LED lights with 18650
battery packs
17. Handlebar flashlight mounts
18. Rear Mount Kickstand
19. Porteur Front Racks
20. Flash Flag
21. Handlebar Mount Cup Holder
22, Aluminum Frame and Handlebar Clamps
23. Wide Cantilever Yoke
24. Cheap Rear Flashers

Useful to whom? It's not like you need to run down to
the LBS for an
emergency growler cage. That's like faulting a LBS for
not having a
portable massage table trailer. Anything useful I can
get at
Universal. https://www.universalcycles.com/ -- assuming
it isn't at
one of the other local shops. I've been throwing my
money at Western
Bikeworks lately. https://www.westernbikeworks.com/
Long walk at lunch
time, but full of useful things. Pick up a mixte on my
way back at
Bike Gallery or wander over to Clever.
http://clevercycles.com/linus-mixte-...peed-step-thru

Woohoo! Now I'm fulfilled! I have a mixte!

Skip the growler cage:
https://www.brewgrouppdx.com/brewcycle/
-- Jay Beattie.



I have a very old dynamo hub on one of my bikes but not
one other thing
on that list. For which I now pause to give thanks.
Yecch. YMMV.


I have none of them but I had to google what a growler
cage is. lol.

It's a cage that unfolds really fast, is very strong, and
it catches growling animals before they eat you. LOL VBEG ;)


lol. Useful since my frame pump doesn't fit on my frame
anymore. Nothing to use as a weapon...


My curiosity led me to look as well. It's a big beer bottle.
meh.

In my area 40-oz beers were the exclusive libation of feral
last-stage alcoholics[1]. Normal drunks buy six packs,
fraternities buy 1/2 barrels.

[1] The local Solons who just know how you ought to live
have decreed 40-oz beers illegal for sale in the city center
neighborhoods. The result is a big change. Bums now go for a
30-pack Keystone (about $14) and there are more bums than ever.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On 12/18/2015 8:58 AM, AMuzi wrote:

My curiosity led me to look as well. It's a big beer bottle. meh.

Not exactly. Some of the craft breweries without a bottling plant sell
beer out of their kegs and you either buy, or leave a deposit on, a
growler. It's not the beer favored by alcoholics because it's too expensive.

On 12/18/2015 8:04 AM, jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, December 18, 2015 at 3:32:29 AM UTC-8, sms wrote:
On 12/17/2015 6:13 PM, jbeattie wrote:

Useful to whom? It's not like you need to run down to the LBS for an emergency growler cage.

How can you say that, especially in Oregon?

If I'm riding and want beer, I just pull over at a brewpub or one of the many bike shops with beer -- believe it or not, its a thing in Portland.

I don't think that would work in my area. The only good bicycle shop is
a Trek tied shop, and Trek doesn't have their own brand of beer, at
least not yet. Maybe they'll buy a brewery for their next acquisition,
and then Trek beer will be the best beer, and no other beer will be any
good.

RIDERS come by asking about your

Elite VIP Universal water bottle cage clamps ?