Editorial
Hot Hot Heat!
Mountain bikers can be a fickle bunch. We are brand snobs, product snobs, and are known to spend ludicrous amounts of money on bikes, accessories, and products that we’re told we need in order to really enjoy/find success/fit in the mountain bike world. Good marketing is a hell of a drug and companies spend hefty coin getting you to consider buying their stuff.
I started thinking about what products have actually changed the game for me in terms of convenience, comfort, or something that truly enhanced my mountain biking experience. I landed on something that has become invaluable to me and ironically has nothing to do with any mountain bike brand. No marketing campaign put this product in front of me. No shredit, no display ad, no athlete telling me I just had to have it, and no social media post. Folks, let me share with you the single greatest piece of semi-related mountain biking equipment that has changed my life: the hot bike wash.
A classic case of hot wash to the rescue!
For those of you who live in a dry climate, this may not resonate. But, if like me, you live in a place that pisses rain more often than not, you’ve probably become all too familiar with the daily routine of washing your bike for eight months out of the year. I’ve come to truly appreciate the merits of riding a pretty damn clean bike, but I wasn’t always this way. I used to get home from a ride, wipe my chain, and call it good. There were years when I’d ride the Whistler Bike Park until it felt like my drivetrain was made out of sandpaper and only then would I blast the living shit out of my bike with their bearing-destroying hoses. Sometimes I thought those things did more harm than good, but what do I know? (I know a little, and I do think they are true destroyers of bearings.)
A sample of what it's like washing your bike at the bike park.
The desire to have a clean bike didn’t click with me until about seven years ago when I met a friend who would insist on washing his bike after every ride. It felt tedious to me, but he was intent on washing my bike while he had all of his fancy soaps out, so I obliged. Around that time, I remember taking my bike to a shop for some maintenance. The mechanics were so stoked that the bike was clean. It had never really dawned on me that it probably really sucks to wrench on bikes that are covered in dirty lube, crusted mud, and who knows what else. I began to enjoy the process of cleaning my bike, but that all changed when winter struck hard. While I've come to love a clean ride, I’m also someone who suffers from brutal Raynauds and chilblains. My fingers and toes simply do not function when they get cold, so washing my bike in the damp, frigid air became a terrifying, and sometimes impossible, task.
Behold the hot bike wash.Hallelujah! One day after a ride, I was tinkering with my bike over at a buddy’s house and she offered to let me wash my bike and the water was...hot‽ I was blown away. This is a thing? People have hot bike washes? I was gobsmacked. The mud just melted off. My hands were warm. The steam curled and unfurled and felt ethereal against the cold air. All of the things I struggled with when washing my bike in the chilly temps dissolved along with the dirt and grime. I felt like Derek Zoolander and friends, respiting with joy at the gasoline pump right before it exploded. Bonus: Hot bike washes will never spontaneously combust.
What it feels like to use a hot water hose.
When I finally pulled the trigger on buying a house my partner was eager to install a hot wash, and I now feel like we live in bike wash luxury with piping hot water streaming out of a metal hose on a moment’s notice. Got a mud butt? Hot wash that shit right off. Hands feel like wooden blocks? Hot hose to the rescue! It helps remove sap from cars, makes washing the dog so much easier, and generally levels up the quality of life big time. It’s even become a social thing. Friends like up after a ride to get a taste of sweet hot wash action.
This silly hot water rabbit hole got me thinking about what other non-bike-specific things have enhanced people’s bike lifestyle. As I tend to do, I asked the hive mind of social media for their answers, and over 100 responses later I had a pretty keen insight into the things people truly appreciate. Here are a few that caught my attention.
What does this have to do with mountain biking? Everything, if you ask Johnny Smoke.
- A folding chair is Johnny Smoke’s accessory of choice. He appreciates “the relaxation it provides while swapping from shoes and socks to flips and flops.” The guy should be a poet.
- Good childcare came up a few times. Rugrats are cute, but they are tough on the clock when it comes time to get out the parental zoomies. Big props to daycare and babysitters for keeping the parents rolling.
- Everybody loves a trail dog! They get folks out of the house regularly and provide a sense of accountability. I promise to be ultra-friendly to your dogs. I might, however, ignore you. It’s not my intention. It’s just how I’m built.
- “Maps,” someone said. No specific call out, just, “maps.” So here I sit daydreaming about this person pulling out a foldable paper map and trying to figure out where they are in a web of a trail network. Yes, I know there’s an app for that, but it’s much more fun to imagine trying to refold a paper map in the rain.
- One creative person fashioned a table that fits in the tire troughs of their bike rack. Bring on the charcuterie!
- Lots of votes came in for a pad to stand on when changing outside of their cars. Keep those toes dry. Pro tip: you can use your car floor mats for this and not have to spend money on anything new.
- For those of you concerned about a full moon while changing, ponchos are also on the list of curious must-haves.
- A friend and local trail-building legend swears by his tiny bottle of sprayable isopropyl alcohol. I bet he’s also a fan of the hot bike wash.
- Quitting Strava to ditch the competitiveness of biking and getting back to riding just for fun is a nice thought. If you’re someone who becomes Strava-obsessed, maybe try at least setting your profile to private. You don’t want anyone to know where you keep all those bikes, do you?
- Lots of people love a good gear bag, but the only one I’m going to call out is the Ikea bag. Quite a few of you little thieves love your jumbo blue Ikea bags and keep them readily packed for last-minute adventures.
- Those of us in Cascadia are somehow still in love with the rain. It keeps our forests green, our dirt perfect, and the tourists in California.
- Silky Big Boys- Because they’re highly functional and also have the most provocative product name outside of the sex toy industry.
- I loved the call out of setting no expectations and letting the ride unfold as it may. No plan? No problem. Let the spirit of adventure be your guide.
Silky Big Boy to the rescue. PC: Aaron Theisen
More silky big boys? (L. PC Aaron Theisen, R, Todd Zimmerman)
My old trail dog, Roscoe. PC: Paul Kelly
The good ol' Ikea bag. We'll keep the thief anonymous.
But there was one that stood out as the clear winner. It was the most popular, the one that made me laugh the hardest, but also, yeah, it’s a great point: date/marry/move next door to a great bike mechanic. This is where I could counter and suggest people should learn how to do their own bike maintenance, but man, I gotta confess: having someone in your life who really knows their way around all of the nuances that come with heavy, regular bike maintenance is nice. Yes, we could all learn, and I’m sure many of us slowly pick up new tricks, but having a steady hand to trust with wrenching on your bike is a truly wonderful, non-marketable mega bike enhancement.
If you’re one of those tinkerers who can sus out and fix the most indiscernible creak, you, my friend, deserve a hug and a high five.
There will always be newer products. Newer bikes. Updated geometry. Waterproof this and that. An ultra-compact thingamajig that can simultaneously inflate your tires, adjust your B tension, and make you live to 120. You’ll see the ads, you’ll watch your favorite athletes show you how must-have that new thing is, but sometimes the things we end up appreciating the most aren’t being sold off the shelf. It’s an experience. It’s time. It’s rain. Or it could also be a folding chair and a hot bike wash. Different strokes for different folks, but I’m never going cold again.
I’d love to hear about your quirky, non-marketed bike lifestyle enhancement.
Comments
lookseasyfromhere
10 months, 3 weeks ago
"So here I sit daydreaming about this person pulling out a foldable paper map and trying to figure out where they are in a web of a trail network."
I'm here!
I use things like Strava and Caltopo to put my maps together on my computer at home, but then I print them out for the trail.
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chacou
10 months, 3 weeks ago
CalTopo FTW re: printable maps
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cheapondirt
10 months, 3 weeks ago
I'll go with the boot dryer. It actually is marketable, but I don't know of any bike-adjacent brand that has done so. I put my shoes on it after almost every ride, because if they aren't wet from rain they're probably damp from sweat.
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A.Ron Burgundy
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Oh man, finally got one of these a year or so ago and it has been awesome! Here in the Southeast US our winters are pretty wet and in the summer you sweat like crazy and cross dozens of creeks every ride. A boot dryer has kept my shoes (and thereby my shop) from smelling like death.
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Lynx .
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Some old newspapers or brown paper balled up and stuffed inside wet shoes, then removed once it's wicked out most of the moisture and then let the shoes air dry or give a little blast from a hair dryer works just as well, if not better IMHO.
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JVP
10 months, 3 weeks ago
LOL
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ShawMac
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Oooh, I am going to try that.
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Lynx .
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Sometimes it takes 2 sets of paper, so be aware, if you pull the first set out and the shoes still feel quite wet, do another round of paper, then hit with the hair dryer for a few minutes then leave to air dry. I prefer this method as to me a bit safer, sometimes those hot air units can malfunction and cause some havoc, also they cost a few $$. Oh and another tip, if this is at home and you have the brown paper, just open it up and hang it out to dry and you can re-use it so many times.
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Nick Meulemans
10 months, 3 weeks ago
I got this trick from my high school classmates who ran cross country, either news papers or paper towels from the bathroom. Leave shoes overnight, dry in the morning, every time!
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Kos
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Great article, and buried the best for last! My wife is married to her bike mechanic/ski tech and I'm married to my custom seamstress. So far, so great, but we're only 39 years into this thing, so who knows?!
Not so sure about the hot wash, though. Once upon a time, we built a house, and included a hot tap, and......never really used it much.
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Pete Roggeman
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Do you not live somewhere wet/cold? Cam had one installed and I still can't believe I haven't put one in at my place yet. Summer project #37 going right on the list...
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Dan
10 months, 3 weeks ago
I had one installed after seeing Cam’s and I use it often. It’s a fantastic little upgrade.
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Adrian Bostock
10 months, 3 weeks ago
I keep a towel in the gear storage bin. useful for everything from changing, to cleaning the dog to sitting on on the way home. I also keep a spare pair of socks in the bin, because occasionally I forget to pack socks.
life is easier when you just ride from home.
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Mike Ferrentino
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Necessity #1 in the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy hierarchy of needs is a towel, for good reason.
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DanL
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Peril Sensitive Sunglasses help nicely as well
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Adrian Bostock
10 months, 3 weeks ago
any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with.
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Dan
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Agreed. I use a chamois like PakTowl from MSR. I keep it in the deep plastic tote that my riding sh*t stays in; I made that cheap and useful upgrade years ago. I always have shoes, helmet, socks, spare layers, multi tool, shock pump etc in the tote. Before every ride I toss a jersey, shorts, and kneepads on top of the heap and put the bin into my van. Every few months I upend it on my garage floor, clean stuff off, restock, and pitch it all back into the bin. IKEA bags seem clever too though I prefer the rigidity of the plastic container.
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Mike Ferrentino
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Having lived the last 10 years with an outdoor shower, can confirm. Admittedly, at first, the outdoor shower was a propane tank portable thing that was the ONLY source of hot water on the property, so it would get used for washing dishes as well as people, but it was a revelation. Deskunking dogs on a rainy winter night became almost pleasant for everyone involved, and the ability to flush out the mud/poison oak/dust/cut grass/dirt bike air filters without having to track any of it through the house AND at the same time revel in the view cannot be measured in dollars. Game. Changed.
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Adrian Bostock
10 months, 3 weeks ago
An outdoor shower is on my list of wants, having lived/worked out of a tent or travel trailer for many years, they have a nostalgic aspect to them. Not sure the strata would approve if I rigged one up in my current place.
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rush
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Been on this internet since the early days, and I can say no article has ever resonated so strongly with me. Just installed one! No more walking in the house with mud and twigs entwined in my excessive leg hair, clean shoes/pads/bike ready for the next ride, and as your typical Vancouverite short on space and no garage, the bikes which share my living room are clean and sparkly!
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JVP
10 months, 3 weeks ago
I have almost all of Lacy's list in rotation, except Dog. I'll add one thing, and it's extra nice when kickin' it with the crew post trail building on a drizzly March afternoon. Propane fucking fire pit!
Bonus point for not burning down the forest when things inevitably get a little rowdy on night 2 of a bike/camp trip.
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Lacy Kemp
10 months, 3 weeks ago
I have the propane fire pit and yes. It is so nice to just voooosh! Fire.
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chacou
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Have a propane fire pit but constructed a diy “lavabox” over the winter from an old ammo can and some copper piping, so much more easy to pack than the propane fire pit
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Lacy Kemp
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Can you give us more detail? What does this mean?
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Jotegir
10 months, 2 weeks ago
I also like to live dangerously.
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Fat_Tony_NJ
10 months, 2 weeks ago
I'm guessing this, but home made.
https://fireanytime.com/
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Lynx .
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Good piece Lacy. That hot wash thing really doesn't apply here in the tropics, but I do still like to pour hot water over my bikes when I wash them if it's dreary and rainy to help flush out any water that might want to settle otherwise and cause any issues.
As to the response from the mechanics, absolutely feel them as, well I work on all my own bikes and lots of others as well. You can bring me a dirty bike, but you'll get charged for the cleaning, because I don't work on dirty bikes, you can't expect them to shift properly if they're full of crap of hear a creak or such if covered in mud. The amount of times I've got rid of a creak/noise simply by properly washing and cleaning a bike is truly mind blowing and shifting issues - come on people with 12spd these days tolerances are so tight it only takes a little crud in your cassette and build up of lube on your chain to give you crappy shifting.
As to simple things that change/improve cycling that aren't cycling specific, so to speak, I really can't say. I do really appreciate the little ACE folding saw, it's very small, yet works exceptionally well and is very cheap IMHO <$30. I'd love to have one of those Silky's, but man are they not cheap.
Oh and to those who like to live next door, going out with or are married to their mechanic, I sure do hope that you're doing your part with a nice cooked meal or organised trail snacks etc., - you do for me, and I'll do for you ;-)
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Jotegir
10 months, 3 weeks ago
+1 for clean bikes for mechanics. When I was working as a mechanic I implemented a $20 "this bike has poo on it" fee, complete with a SKU line so it would come out on the receipt. Living somewhere where the majority of trails are shared with active ranches*, billed it more often than I wanted.
*It turns out that if you hit a cow pie fast enough at Sun Peaks, not even a full face will prevent it from going into your mouth.
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Dan
10 months, 3 weeks ago
FWIW I’ve seen Silkys for much lower prices at big box home improvement stores vs specialty outdoor shapes. (Yes yes I usually support small businesses. ✌🏻)
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LWK
10 months, 3 weeks ago
I'd second the mat idea. I got an "anti fatigue" rubber mat from Home Depot a couple of years ago for $30. Its just a rubber mat full of holes. My intended use was for my camp shower but its also been surprisingly handy and nice to have when camping and in my workshop.
and the Ikea Frakta bag (large) is only $1.29/ea and perfect for carrying/storing fire wood.
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earle.b
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Yep the hot water outside tap is awesome. Love having ours.
Fyi the blue Ikea bags are paid for not stolen, the yellow ones are stolen. They have some to taller portable laundry bags that stand up open that we use for gear bags, same crunchy material but great for road trip/skiing/riding organization. Also available in other colours.
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fartymarty
10 months, 2 weeks ago
We have Marimekko and Rainbow ones as well.
I would argue that they are one of mankind's greatest inventions -
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Timer
10 months, 3 weeks ago
For me it’s packing proper food for the ride. It might not get a pro athlete’s approval, but a nice sandwich with veggies and meat vastly improves the mental side of a ride compared to cliff bars, bananas or rice waffles.
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Jotegir
10 months, 3 weeks ago
For me it's the Shuttle Readiness Bin*. It's just one of those large plastic bins. Mine's from Canadian Tire but any of them will do. Inside is all sorts of things essential to ensure shuttle readiness at a moment's notice, such as:
- spares
- first aid stuff
- water
- cola, when needed
- tylenol and aspirin, in combination, for when you want to take risky performance enancing drugs
- a handful of charged lights and mounts so everyone can keep riding into the evening, even when ill-prepared
- wet weather clothes
- my regular helmet, kneepads, etc.
- my riding shoes
- tools
- snacks
It's pretty common for my friends and I to shuttle 2 days a week in the spring and fall, very often one of them is mid-week. It's nicer to get home from work, grab the big bike, snag the Shuttle Readiness Bin, and go. The "I just got home from work and none of my shit is ready and it's all scattered randomly throughout my house and I'm supposed to be at the trailhead right now" scramble is never fun. Just grab the SRB and go. It'll be a good time.
*also for bike park days.
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Lacy Kemp
10 months, 3 weeks ago
How often do you empty that thing out and see what has settled to the bottom? I bet you find all kinds of weird, filthy treasures.
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Jotegir
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Uhh probably once or twice a year. Usually the treasures are a combination of way more cans of cola/bottles of water/snacks than I thought I had in there and, better, all of the stuff my friends were missing for the past several months.
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fartymarty
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Ikea bags. They're the best thing to get muddy clothes from the garage to the washing machine without getting mud over the house. Plus useful in the car for muddy or wet clothes.
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Scott Jamieson
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Mmm a really nice set of nail clippers in my gear bag. Yes they cost 8x the price of a supermarket set. Yes they keep my toes feeling amazing. No I'm not sharing!
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Larrabee
10 months, 2 weeks ago
Make Life Better Dept:
1: A micro lathe. I had a Taig, w/ 4-jaw chuck, milling attachment for the carriage, cheapo carbide toolbits, carbide boring bar, a magnetic base w/ dial indicator for centring work in the chuck. The 3-jaw chuck is said to be annoying
Highly recommended for making little bits out of Delrin, UHMW, aluminum and brass. Stainless steel machining: possible. Not as much fun.
2: Too obvious: checklist for riding gear, foods, tire pressures, chain lubing, Fork Boost on the dropper shaft, bike maintenance.
3: Poison Ivy/oak cleaner idea (not tested): Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap. It works incredibly well for removing shop grime & grease from hands. No longer do I keep Phil Wood hand cleaner around.
As the poisons are (AFAIK) carried in oils/waxes, Dr. Bronner’s might dissolve those toxins.
4: Need a headband to keep sweat out of your eyes? Wear a full-face helmet? To a microfibre beanie, stitch an absorbent headband (opened at the seam to form a strap) to the front edge of the beanie, so the band mostly hangs below the bottom edge of the beanie. Tested and approved.
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SteveR
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Plus one for both the camp chair and Silky. A 240 mm Gomboy just fits inside my waist pack and is along on most every ride. And, an Ikea bag pretty much lives in my truck, with a selection of alternate clothing. So great to get rid of the sweaty bike togs in summer, or slip on a dry fleece shirt after a cold or wet ride. Aaaah...luxury! But your panel forgot one essential summer after-ride accessory...a cooler with cold beverages and some salty snacks. And no- it doesn't have to be a Yeti.
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Pete Roggeman
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Camp chairs in the truck is something I often do in the summer, but that's with the après in mind. A folding chair, however, is faster and even if for that 5-minute breather before heading back home...I like it. You can always trust Smoke to figure out the little things and put them into practice.
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Jotegir
10 months, 3 weeks ago
FYI Lacy SteveR and I are not thieves for using the the iconic blue IKEA bags, only the yellow use-in-store ones like the one behind me.
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Lacy Kemp
10 months, 3 weeks ago
I'm astonished no one mentioned post-ride beers. Totally astonished.
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Mammal
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Too obvious.
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Lynx .
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Don't drink, pretty much gave up drinking once I started MTBing because it was just a waste of $$ that could be spent on MTBing and the Saturday sluggish feeling when you're going to ride just didn't work. Also, while I do ride for exercise, it's about fitness, not weight loss or burning enough calories to have "X" number of beers with the guys. Came to the conclusion just about when I started MTBing that if you needed to add alcohol to anything you're doing to make it fun/enjoyable, then it probably really wasn't and that's definitely not the case with MTB, don't need anything to make it better, except good trails or maybe different/better trails/bike trip.
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Fat_Tony_NJ
10 months, 3 weeks ago
See my comment below. Post ride beer IN the shower is the move.
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Andy Eunson
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Add a pair of Intuition apres ski booties and heaven is achieved.
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JT
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Feel pretty lucky to have a spousal unit who doesn't bat an eye when I bring a bike into the house, up the stairs, and into the shower as need dictates. Said unit also knows I practice leave no trace after the fact so it's only a minor smirk inducing inconvenience for her.
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Pete Roggeman
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Love this. Sounds like a scene from one of Matt and Jason's videos (aka Mahalo my Dude).
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Lacy Kemp
10 months, 3 weeks ago
That's a great one. And I'm happy to see that you've found you own way to your hot bike wash.
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Koelschejung
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Taking the bike into the shower sounds great, but unfortunately I live in an apartment building pretty high up without an elevator. Apart from that, my sweetheart would tell me something ;-) But I bought a low-pressure Kärcher that I can definitely fill with warm water. Bike is clean, missus is happy and then there's the well-deserved apres beer. Bottom up!
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XXX_er
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Those 1 piece Rubbermaid plastic stools are great to sit on for changing ski boots and then can be turned upside down to catch mud snow or wtf in the back of yer vehical
I don't wana pressure wash my E-bike motor as I understand it
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Cr4w
10 months, 3 weeks ago
As an outlier-sized person, anything that fits is a revelation. The general trend towards longer bikes with steeper seat angles has really improved my life. And now that more than one brand does it there are options around just how long and slack I want to go. That also goes for basic products finally being offered in more than just one variant: in particular saddle width/length, bar backsweep, chainstay lengths. If we are going to pay this much for everything then I expect parts to come in my particular preference not just what is convenient for the manufacturer.
Reliable everything. In the 90s and early 2000s everything broke all the time and every ride assumed at least one major mechanical. Those days are effectively over. Everything is more expensive than it's ever been but stuff does generally work really really well.
The advents of modern clipless shoes that are lightweight, stiff enough, BOAs (for on-bike-while-riding tension adjustments) and long enough slots for proper rearward cleat positioning. I started with the Specialized Cliplite 2FO shoe which was amazing but wow so expensive then they changed the fit and now the Crank Brothers Mallet clip-ins are doing a great job instead.
Trailforks. I don't care for the competitive stuff in Strava but the route finding powers of Trailforks make riding so much more independent. Yeah in the past you would show up at an unfamiliar place and visit the shop to tap into local tribal knowledge but more often than not you'd get lost or ride the wrong thing. TF changed all that. Plus TF has a great ride logging feature which records just enough data so I can track where I went and the basic stats.
The hot bike wash station is going on my wish list. That's a great idea.
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Lornholio
10 months, 3 weeks ago
This comment has been removed.
LC
10 months, 3 weeks ago
How is the fit of the newer Cliplites compared to the originals? Originals are the perfect fit and function for me, I went through 3 pairs (bought cheap by having searches saved on eBay/etc for people selling them practically new because they bought the wrong size) but that supply seems to have pretty much dried up. I'm back on flats at the moment but that probably won't last forever. Got a pair of lace-up ones unused but would prefer Boa and was wondering about trying to nab some of the newer ones if I see someone selling.
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Cr4w
10 months, 3 weeks ago
My old ones wore out and Dunbar decided not to restock the new ones and they were too expensive too much of a hassle to order in. Plus all the reviews said they fit differently. So I bought the ones I could try on (CB Mallets) and they've been great.
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A.Ron Burgundy
10 months, 3 weeks ago
I'm super allergic to poison ivy and it's pretty much unavoidable in the summer months here. I tried using dish soap to clean up after rides, but I was still getting a rash at least a couple times a year. Then I switched to using Gojo orange pumice cleaner and haven't had it since (knocks wood). Tecnu works as well, but it's like $20 for a small bottle of it and I can get a whole ass gallon of Gojo for the same price.
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Troy
10 months, 3 weeks ago
I figured out a long time ago that the hot-water tank in the garage provided the perfect hot bike wash (and it keeps debris from accumulating in it). When it's you and your two boys riding in the mud 3 days a week it's a god send in not dragging mud in the house or screwing up the washing machine.
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DanL
10 months, 3 weeks ago
The most important thing I get from washing my bike (or anything really, especially human bodies ) is that it lets me inspect for wear and tear that otherwise would have gone un-noticed.
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Andy Eunson
10 months, 3 weeks ago
When I ran out of functional Binda Extra straps I decided to use one of those purple Voile ski straps to hold the spare stuff under my saddle. I even bought a few for the guys at the LBS. now they’re everywhere. They never slip.
Plus whatever for the boot dryer. We have a couple for ski boots, hiking shoes and riding shoes.
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Velocipedestrian
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Part of my on bike EDC is a council recycling bag. Big enough to poke some holes for a poncho if things go south, or fashion into a sling. But the most used function is as a filth skirt, should I be lucky enough to get a ride in a vehicle.
They drop 52 of them in my letterbox annually, so there's always one around. Strong, light and cheap!
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LAT
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Thank you. Fun article.
I’ve always used a bucket of hot water for bike cleaning, but never thought of an actual, plumbed in, hot water source in the yard! I feel that I’ve somehow let myself down.
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Lacy Kemp
10 months, 3 weeks ago
It's not too late to make a big, positive change. You can do this!
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Powking
10 months, 3 weeks ago
woah, woah, woah!!! what IKEA is that zippered bag from??? Asking for a friend...
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Lacy Kemp
10 months, 3 weeks ago
Somewhere in Kentucky.
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Tehllama42
10 months, 3 weeks ago
*Concludes this just might be one of the most unabashedly Canadian articles on this site*
Cool idea, but when our water hoses will passively get hot enough to cook noodles, I'm definitely not in need
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Fat_Tony_NJ
10 months, 3 weeks ago
The definition of pure luxury might be a cold beer in a hot outdoor shower after a long day at the beach. My brilliant daughter thought I might enjoy the same after a long ride, and so she got me a suction-cup beer holder for the indoor shower.
Cold local Hefeweizen (Reverie Brewing; should change that NJ in my name to a CT) while washing off a days worth of trail in a hot shower is pretty much sublime...
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Duncan Wright
10 months, 2 weeks ago
“Is that a Silky Big Boy in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”
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Timinger
10 months ago
This has been in my 'meaning-to-read' file for a while and has lots of good tips. But where's the actual Hot Hot Heat? Them and their offspring (Wolf Parade etc.) are Vancouver Island's other greats!
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