Bike related hacks and bodges

Fat Rat

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 7, 2018
1,903
726
UK
Anyone who's parked prop stand bikes on a steep hill will know of the need for more than two hands to deal with the bike, fish out the lock and secure it to street furniture, and with a trailer it's worse. Not being able to leave them in gear means that like other vehicles, they need a handbrake, occasionally seen on the Continent but never here. For a couple of grams and a fraction of a penny we can have them. Below you see all that's needed, an alloy U section shrouded pawl with an internal rubber bung on it's pivot bolt to keep it where it's left. The first photo shows it disengaged. Pulling the lever right in when stationary and the pawl nudged in with the forefinger engages the pawl tip with the static brake lever housing, leaving the back brake locked on as shown in the second photo. A second squeeze and a touch on the front of the pawl shroud and it's released. Since it can only be engaged by pulling the lever well beyond wheel locking point, it won't be set accidentally when riding:

Some quad bikes use a similar idea by locking up a lever as a park brake :)
 
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