The day I fixed a bike with a zip tie and a prayer

Last Tuesday I had this rusty old commuter come in where the derailleur cable snapped mid-shift. I didn't have the right size in stock, so I rigged it with a zip tie to hold the tension just enough to get the guy home. He rode out the door, made it three blocks, and the zip tie held until he hit a pothole near 5th Street. The look he gave me when he walked back in was priceless, but I learned to always double check my supply before promising anything. Anyone else ever bodged a fix that worked way better than it should have?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer7825d ago

Huh. You know, that zip tie trick probably worked better than the original cable in some ways. I noticed the bike industry loves making derailleur cables out of the thinnest possible wire, while zip ties are basically indestructible plastic straps designed to hold whole bundles of wiring together. Maybe the real lesson here is that we're all using the wrong materials for things.

elliot_gibson274d ago

Three blocks and a pothole, that's a solid run for a zip tie repair. Maybe next time you should just wrap the whole bike in them and call it a day.