A New Old Bell

I have a vintage bell that I wanted to use.  It's in rough condition, but it still works like a charm.

Since I wrapped my handlebar with paracord, the factory bell had to be relocated.  It was in the way of my new found hand positions.  Besides, it wouldn't fit over the handlebars anyway.

I decided to attach this new old bell to the stem.  The screws were too short so I bought some longer ones (M4 .70 20).

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2, 2011:  I removed this bell and installed a different one.  

Paracord Wrapped Handlebar

I wrapped the handlebar with paracord for a little more traction, and to take away the bite from touching cold/hot metal.  I'm sure handlebar tape will be more comfortable, but it's good enough for now.

I used a "constrictor knot" at the beginning, and end of the paracord wrapping. The ends were also sealed with a lighter to stop it from fraying.

When I'm riding on the "drop bar position", the shifter cable would be in the way. Repositioning the shifter so the cable runs along the side of the handlebar helped a lot. The bell got in the way too.  I'm gonna try mounting it on the side of my stem.

I may have to re-wrap them.  Next time I'll add something between the handlebar and the paracord to make them more comfortable.

UPDATE:  I tried adding thin cloth like sheets of foam to the handlebar.  It was more comfortable, but the wrapping didn't look very good.  So I removed the foam sheets and re-wrapped them with "olive drab" paracord instead.

Removed The Wheel Lock & Bike Chain Inner Tube

I was reading about bicycle security, and it got me thinking.  How far am I willing to go? How much, is too much?

It's true, security features will help prevent your bike from being stolen.  It's also true there's nothing you can do if the thief really wants it.

So I decided to remove the wheel lock, and the bicycle chain in the inner tube trick. This may increase the chance of my bike/parts being stolen, but I'm willing to take that risk.