Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Muppets Threads! (And Anything Else) => Topic started by: Danneaux on April 17, 2017, 07:44:51 pm
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Hi All!
A few items/products/gadgets are so useful they should probably be issued to every newcomer to our little world. Care to share your nominations here?
One candidate I can offer is a product called Tear-Aid. It comes in two varieties, one for vinyl based items, the other for everything else. Assuming you use the right kind, it is ace for patching holes in waterproof Ortlieb products. Incredibly tough stuff! I carry a kit with me on every tour. See: https://www.tear-aid.com/ Of course Amazon carries it.
A Swiss Army Knife might well be another such item...and the original P-38 and P-51 Army-issue folding can openers (in stainless, not the crummy chrome-plated steel variety).
I could add endless items, but am interested to hear your choices, so...?
All the best,
Dan.
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+1 for both of those, Dan. I've found the Wenger brand of SAK to have the best quality steel among the various claimants (tho' I'm not an Arsenal supporter). Victorinox has gobbled up the Wenger firm, but the factory is still producing the knives; they now have the Victorinox scalloped shield logo.
To those two I'd add:
> 5-minute epoxy
> JB Weld
> QR rubber ties from Lee Valley Tools
> Sugru
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the things i use the most and carry with me daily/can't live without are my petzl headtorch (dog walking, night riding, camping) and a zippo lighter (I do fancy a wenger fidis but baulk at the cost, maybe for my birthday)
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An RST (well you could grow into it)
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Dan,
That Tear Aid looks good stuff, I haven't heard of it before but it seems to be available here, how does it compare with McNett Tenacious Tape?
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Not meaning to ignore you, Rual. Just have the 'flu at present and had to drive to the Coast to fix some storm damage on the little vacation cabin. I've got only the phone with me and my Tear-Aid notes are on one of the home PCs. I'll answer more fully on my return.
All the best,
Dan.
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An RST (well you could grow into it)
Maybe not an RST but at least a bicycle (or tricycle, or pedal-car) of the appropriate size and specification from the earliest possible age.
The sooner people (i.e. children) are introduced to the wonders of human-pedal-power the sooner they will get the health benefits and the more likely they are to continue using human-pedal-power rather other-planet-damaging-and-unsustainable-power transport.
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I actually think that, subject to safety and level-of-responsibility consderations, there are various basic "tools" (penknife, hammer, screwdriver, drill, pliers, magnifying glass/lens etc.) that children should be introduced to as soon as possible because they then aquire practical skills, knowledge, aptitude and thus inclination to be able to do things for themselves rather than relying upon (and this paying for) someone else to do things for them.
For example: I was given a screwdriver at the age of about 5 and I have never looked back (and somehow survived).
My brother was never the same-way initiated / inclined and our lives have noticably different "costs" as a direct result.
But a nephew from another of my siblings is turning out rather like me (poor-probably-not-so-poor lad).
It also inclines them towards fixing and repairing things rather than simply buying shiny new stuff.
You learn to appreciate something that, whilst not necessarily aesthetically beautiful, something can be highly functional and reliable and thus useful.
Oh dear I seem to be slipping into a grumpy old man rant again :)
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I actually think that, subject to safety and level-of-responsibility consderations, there are various basic "tools" (penknife, hammer, screwdriver, drill, pliers, magnifying glass/lens etc.) that children should be introduced to as soon as possible because they then aquire practical skills, knowledge, aptitude and thus inclination to be able to do things for themselves rather than relying upon (and this paying for) someone else to do things for them.
For example: I was given a screwdriver at the age of about 5 and I have never looked back (and somehow survived).
My brother was never the same-way initiated / inclined and our lives have noticably different "costs" as a direct result.
But a nephew from another of my siblings is turning out rather like me (poor-probably-not-so-poor lad).
It also inclines them towards fixing and repairing things rather than simply buying shiny new stuff.
You learn to appreciate something that, whilst not necessarily aesthetically beautiful, something can be highly functional and reliable and thus useful.
Oh dear I seem to be slipping into a grumpy old man rant again :)
That's not a grumpy old man rant, mention Ebikes or how great derailleurs are and sit back for a real grumpy old man rant ;)
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how does it compare with McNett Tenacious Tape?
Rual, I've used both, and have found both to be high-quality durable fix-it tapes. I've used the variants for vinyl much less than the more general ones, which I've used on tents, stuff bags, Goretex jackets, etc. (Don't have the two packages with the names & applications in front of me as I write.)
These days, I tend to use the Tear-Aid more often -- not entirely sure why, it may simply be more widely available in Eastern Ontario, where I live.
If you've found the Tenacious Tape does the business for you, I'd stick with it.
Hope that's helpful,
cheers, John
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Seriously - Self amalgamating tape & cable ties.
Never come across Tenacious tape but it sounds the bees knees.
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I actually think that, subject to safety and level-of-responsibility considerations, there are various basic "tools" (penknife, hammer, screwdriver, drill, pliers, magnifying glass/lens etc.) that children should be introduced to as soon as possible because they then acquire practical skills, knowledge, aptitude and thus inclination to be able to do things for themselves rather than relying upon (and this paying for) someone else to do things for them.
Yep, you're right about that, Ian. During our visit to our son and his family in SE Queensland, I was chuffed to see that our two wee granddaughters have a plastic tool set among their toys (and toy cookware too.) Hannah, the elder (at 4 and a bit) is absolutely intrigued by How Things Work, and wants to take moving bits apart. She's also convinced that grandpa can fix just about anything, and who am I to set her straight at such a tender age?
At another generational level, our daughter moved back to Canada a couple of springs ago after five years in Berlin. I was helping her to set up her flat in downtown Toronto, and asked her if she'd like a housewarming prezzie. She said, "Dad, I'd love a decent electric drill!" She complains that most guys her own age aren't very handy with tools and repairs -- her new beau, however, is a mechanical engineer who also builds furniture :-)
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Cable-ties and WD40.
Janet
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Thorn touch-up paint.
- DaveS
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Dan,
That Tear Aid looks good stuff, I haven't heard of it before but it seems to be available here, how does it compare with McNett Tenacious Tape?
Rual,
I've come to prefer the Tear-Aid over the McNett product in my use because the kind of Tear Aid can be matched more exactly to the chemical composition of the product being repaired. In the case of my Ortlieb "Plus" cordura panniers, they are made with a "PS36C" fabric that is PVC-free because it is coated with a heavy polyurethane. The appropriate Tear Aid (Type A in my case) seemed to actually bond with this coating (I applied it to the backside, using Seam Grip to adhere cordura nylon patches to the outside over my small holes) and could not be picked or lifted off in any way once it had cured in place. It is almost rubbery and remarkably elastic so it will bend nicely 'round corners and such. As with most such patches, it pays to make them oversize so there is a healthy band of adhesive 'round the hole or slit being patched.
In this application the McNett product did not bond as securely, there was some adhesive creep that left sticky residue exposed at the tape edges, and it was less tolerant of high heat exposure in the desert.
I now take Tear Aid with me on every tour. When I was crossing Croatia, I got to a bridge just as a bus was about to pass me from behind. At that moment, an oncoming car passed another, forcing the bus over and in turn forcing me to the overrun the bridge's apron with the bottom of my front pannier, holing it. It was a really close call; I put up my left arm and hand to avoid being sucked under and my fingers left four clean streaks the length of the bus...and my fingertips with water blisters from the friction.
At the airport in Paris, my carried handlebar bag scraped the side of the airport walkway as people crowded off the plane. The friction instantly wore a hole through the mesh side pocket. A spot of Tear Aid inside and out repaired it completely and reliably.
I think the McNett Tenacious Tape is a really good product that I like for general fabric repairs, but I prefer the Tear Aid Type A for repairing my Ortlieb bags made of Cordura "Plus" fabric.
All the best,
Dan.
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Bacon and eggs! ;D ;D ;D
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Thorn touch-up paint.
- DaveS
It would be no use to you as it only lasts a few months seemingly.
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Should have asked first before buying. Does the tear aid A work on ordinary clothing? I have a jacket which I damaged badly in a fall I repaired using mcnett, it didn't do a bad job but the patches are starting to come away. I have a great pair of waterproof breathable trousers which I use for beating on shoots but they are constantly being ripped on barbed wire. I have took them to a seamstress but they have been ripped again and again. Obviously she ain't cheap and there is a 6 week waiting list for repairs. Also I keep repairing a water butt with puncture patches but as you know they deteriorate in sun light. Thanks for your awaited replies!! SD
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+1 for both of those, Dan. I've found the Wenger brand of SAK to have the best quality steel among the various claimants (tho' I'm not an Arsenal supporter). Victorinox has gobbled up the Wenger firm, but the factory is still producing the knives; they now have the Victorinox scalloped shield logo.
To those two I'd add:
> 5-minute epoxy
> JB Weld
> QR rubber ties from Lee Valley Tools
> Sugru
These ones? Is there UK seller?
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=65393&cat=1,58953,71897&ap=1
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Primus Stove.
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Does the tear aid A work on ordinary clothing?
I...don't know! :-\
I've had stellar luck with TearAid on outdoorsy stuff like tent flies, panniers, even rain jackets and such but in all cases, nylon-based materials and things that would not get the sort of continuous flexing of a trousers knee.
By rounding/radiusing the corners of my TearAid patches, I've not had them lift, but again this was on nylony fabrics.
TearAid is stretchy to a degree and seems to remain sort of rubbery to the touch. It can be pulled to conform a little and if it is clamped till it cures, seems to stay that way afterwards.
SD, where your trousers are waterproof/breathable, TearAid might well work...or it might not. I think the best chance for success will come if the fabric surface is smooth and regular and petroleum based and does not "fuzz". I would say the chances for success on cotton would be very low.
Nothing definitive, but I want to follow the dictum "Primum non nocere" here...first do no harm. Not having tried it, I think you'll have to experiment. I'd try Tear-Aid first on an inconspicuous part of your trousers, say inside the hem at the lowermost part of the leg, where it is cuffed over. That way, if it did not work it would be neither a structural nor aesthetic failure.
Best,
Dan.
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Does the tear aid A work on ordinary clothing?
I've used these patches on my unlined North Face Gore-Tex parka, esp on areas of the cuffs which have worn over the 15-plus years that I've owned it. As our winters have become milder, I don't wear the parka as much as I used to, so I hardly ever wash it--maybe once every few years--so I can't tell you how these patches stand up to washing.
I recommended them to a friend who has a very good Outdoor Research Gore-tex rain jacket, and he used them to fix a split seam. He fixed the patch to the interior lining, which is less "grainy" than the outer surface.
As for the QR rubber ties, you can order them online for Lee Valley. They don't cost or weigh much, and LVT ships their stuff all over the world. I find that the ones I use most are the 4" and 8" ones.
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Does the tear aid A work on ordinary clothing?
I've used these patches on my unlined North Face Gore-Tex parka, esp on areas of the cuffs which have worn over the 15-plus years that I've owned it. As our winters have become milder, I don't wear the parka as much as I used to, so I hardly ever wash it--maybe once every few years--so I can't tell you how these patches stand up to washing.
I recommended them to a friend who has a very good Outdoor Research Gore-tex rain jacket, and he used them to fix a split seam. He fixed the patch to the interior lining, which is less "grainy" than the outer surface.
As for the QR rubber ties, you can order them online for Lee Valley. They don't cost or weigh much, and LVT ships their stuff all over the world. I find that the ones I use most are the 4" and 8" ones.
I have just emailed brother to buy them 4" 8" 12" a little over the top but I have a bank account in the US with about $600 to $800 in. I rarely use it. I just emailed him with a list of other stuff I want. He is a bad person always sending stuff with an import note saying present and cost $20 which means no import duty. He also regularly forgets to take the money out of my account. I am always bollocking him over it. Honest. I will sell the excess ones on here. I will use some for there proper use as I am in the middle of building a terraced garden.
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4" 8" 12" a little over the top
You could try the "sample" pack which has all 3 sizes, and order the ones you need/prefer after testing.
OTOH, if getting things via your bro is a bit of a hassle, you could order more of one size. You can loop 2 shorter ties together to make a longer one, so that 2 x 4" gives you about 71/2", and so on.
I will use some for there proper use as I am in the middle of building a terraced garden.
I've never used these for their proper use -- just use twine in the garden. I use the QR ties for camping & on the bike: wrapping bulky rolled items (e.g., rain jacket, tent) tightly (8" length excellent here); tensioning my tarp against the wind (any length); locking brake levers against the bars (4" or 8"); for stopping the bike's front wheel from flopping in the workshop (wrap around rim & downtube - 8"); stopping seat-mounted tool bag from flopping (also 8"), etc.
Still don't know how I survived the first 5 decades or so of my life without these things...
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Bacon and eggs! ;D ;D ;D
Agreed but I would include Lincolnshire chipolata sausages.
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Bacon and eggs! ;D ;D ;D
Agreed but I would include Lincolnshire chipolata sausages.
oooooooooooooooh yes !!
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bike ;)
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bike ;)
Duh. :o Why di'n't I think of that? ??? ::)
Cuts to the heart of it, Anto!
'Always said you were a genius. :)
All the best,
Dan.
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;D ;D i was going to add rohloff then i thought better not ;)
anto
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;D ;D i was going to add rohloff then i thought better not ;)
Giving the kid a bike at birth is right, but a Rohloff is something men of distinction earn.
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or landed with . :o
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or landed with
I'll never admit to it, Anto.... ;)
Best,
Dan.
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Toe straps (use them for all sorts of things other than what they are meant for) and tea bags. I cannot live without constant cups of tea!
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they will never catch on those rohloff hubs..
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Anto, you have to disguise your lust for these things a bit better ;)
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John i often thought if i won the lottery would i secretly buy a rohloff go anywhere bike.
Honestly not a chance maybe if i was 40 years younger and had plans to cycle tour the planet.
but i'm way past those thoughts now so sticking to what i know and love. Shimano. ;)
anto.
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sticking to what i know and love
As you should, lad -- if it works for you, stay with it.
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sticking to what i know and love
As you should, lad -- if it works for you, stay with it.
;) ;)
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Since this is a Muppets thread, I can confess that I always thought Shimano gives you pretty good value for a fair price, especially considering how much they must spend on innovation and especially development of other people's ideas that they bought in, the Shimano hub dynamo, obsessively developed from the Sanyo design they bought being a good example of the latter.
The point about the Rohloff is that Bernd Rohloff gives you extraordinary value for, in the context, a relatively low price -- about the same as a really top-end Shimano road gruppo. I'm not making a comparison, you understand: I grasp that they're like chalk and cheese, but they are about the same price.
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Maybe so Andre but it doesn't look half as good as Dura Ace ;)
imagine putting a Rohloff hub on say top of the line Colnago carbon frame .
man talk about making a pigs ear our of a work of art.
just saying :o
anto.
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Sugru eBay 8 packs £9.74
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=sugru+8&_sop=15
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Maybe so Andre but it doesn't look half as good as Dura Ace ;)
imagine putting a Rohloff hub on say top of the line Colnago carbon frame .
man talk about making a pigs ear our of a work of art.
What looks good to anybody, Anto, depends on their background. If you're an old bicycle racer, DuraAce might look good to you. I'm an old motor, boat and plane racer, so to me gear hanging out in the airstream, gathering grinding paste, just looks incompetently packaged. That's not all. i'm at heart an endurance racer, so to me derailleurs don't only look incompetently packaged but also stupidly underweight and fragile and vulnerable. As for the carbon bike, why should I want to be seen dead on it? I'm the original man in the grey flannel suit: I don't follow the fashion, I make it. As far as I can see, DuraAce* is a marketing gimmick for wannabe road racers.
For all those reasons (superior engineering, packaging and function) a Rohloff looks just right to me. Form follows function, me old son, and when you're as fast as I used to be, you really need a Rohloff. Besides, I tell the ladies I meet at the top of the hill that it's a single-speeder and invite them to feel my thigh-muscles.
* When I said Shimano gives you a lot for your money, I didn't mean DuraAce, which is overpriced bling for cafe racers. I first said it years ago, and I've never changed my mind: Shimano is fabulous value all the way up to Deore; any higher than that is for show-offs who need the name to confirm their manhood.
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Shimano make great stuff, but they should have stuck with what they know - fishing.
Only kidding, my Nexus hub is fine, not in the same class as the Rohloff but for a tenth of the price I wasn't expecting it to be.