DIY crate for the Clem

[LeahFoy]

As many of you know, my husband became a reluctant Clem owner this winter. And when he settled in to the look of the bike (he had pictured a Specialized but decided he would like to match me instead), he determined some personal touches were needed that would really make it his. "I want a crate. On my bike. And I want a cup holder and some beachy shoes and a newsboy hat." He was going for a certain look - one that says, "cruising on the boardwalk on the California coast" though he lives in the Mohave desert. There was one company that made what he was looking for. We ordered the crate in May and waited. And waited. And...waited. The owner offered up excuses as to why the crate hadn't arrived. He assured us it was in the mail. More time went by, so he offered 50% off and we waited some more. Finally, I got him to cancel my order and refund my money since months had gone by with not so much as a tracking number. To his credit, he did as I asked. Meanwhile, nothing else online presented itself as a viable option. Summer vacations came and we forgot about the crate.

Inexplicably, in early August a tiny box arrived. I opened it to find a stack of flimsy sticks that was supposed to be our crate. No instructions, just a stack of sticks that resembled those free paint stir sticks you get from Lowe's. Well, my husband hadn't given up the dream yet, and fueled by his good fortune "It was FREE!" he set to work at my dining room table. Out came power tools I hadn't seen in years. Whirring and sawdust and consternation ensued. My dining room table sustained damage. But the end product was undeniably what he had envisioned, though a bit flimsy. He and the boys shellacked it for a finished look. The mounting hardware was impossible and cheesy, which necessitated the purchase of a Surly (good old Minnesota!) porteur-style front rack. The only reason he broke down and ordered it was that he had avoided spending any money on the crate. We had his rack installed (only $10!) but the LBS mechanic handed back the crate and said he was ill-equipped to attach the thing. Undaunted, my husband drug our whole family to Lowe's where he scrounged through the nuts and bolts section and decided on the pieces he would need to finish the project. When we arrived home, he brought his bike into the hallway (horror) so he could work in air conditioning. He employed some very unconventional methods (the screws are upside down) but his crate is attached and functional. (I wonder if it could qualify as "crapsmanship?") We went to church like this, coffee flying out his lid and smiling the entire way!


Scroll through to see his popsicle-sticks-turned-crate.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/daytondogg/28954720182/in/album-72157633589413214/

[Eric Norris]

Leah:

Looks like your husband was having fun.

My wife put a stop to my indoor bike cleaning when overspray from the polish I was using made the floor super slick and she almost killed herself slipping and sliding across the living room. 

Tools and such are still OK. 

--Eric N

www.CampyOnly.com

CampyOnlyGuy.blogspot.com

Twitter: @CampyOnlyGuy

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[dougP]

That came out very nicely.  On the "crapsmanship" questioin, I dunno.  It looks pretty slick.  Now, had he actually taken a fistfull of  paint stirrers & slapped them together with zip ties, now THAT would crapsmanship of highest oder.  As to the coffee flying out of the cup, clearly the cupholder should be on the side close to the handlebars.  Probably still lose some coffee but it could be reached while riding.  Whoops, maybe that's the idea? 

Anyway, great story & I'm sure this won't be the last crate story. 

dougP

[Leah Peterson]

Eric - yikes! I think I gotta side with your wife on that one. :)

Doug - there was some reason he couldn't get that cup holder close - yet another frustration. He explained why but I couldn't understand without really looking, and I just couldn't be bothered with that! ;)

Sent from my iPhone

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[JohnS]

Looks like one happy camper to me, well done!

I can relate to working in the A/C on a bike. A couple of Fridays ago I had cleaned up a bike for my neighbor's daughter and when it came time to install new brake and shifter housings and cables, I brought the bike into the dinning room. At least I didn't damage the dinning room table.

JohnS

[René Sterental]

It looks awesome!!!

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[islaysteve]

Leah, He did a great  job building that crate, he should be proud!  Your stories continue to inspire.

Cheers, Steve

[Shoji Takahashi]

Looks great-- and what a fun story. Much better than having it come in the mail. Maybe your boys will be inspired to build something on their bikes? 

shoji

On Sunday, August 21, 2016 at 6:16:16 PM UTC-4, LeahFoy wrote:

[Jon Dukeman,central Colorado]

Leah,

Have you ordered a crate for yourself ? Matchy- Match!!!!

Love how the honey colored crate matches the Brooks!!!

Oh what fun memories you are making!!!

Jon

[LeahFoy]

Jon, you're funny! This might be the only time he objects to matchey-matchey. I'm certain he has staked his claim on the crate idea as being totally unique and totally his. I dare not infringe.

I use my bike for commuting the boys to school and there's no way that crate would hold up. That silly crate is going to break into popsicle sticks again the first time that bike tips over. Or maybe when he hops a curb. My Wald is already bent and misshapen, so clearly I can't be trusted with anything delicate.

[Jon Dukeman]

Smiling.... Keep us posted on the crate excursions.

"FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS RIDE JUNK "....

On Mon, Aug 22, 2016 at 8:45 AM, LeahFoy <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:

Jon, you're funny! This might be the only time he objects to matchey-matchey. I'm certain he has staked his claim on the crate idea as being totally unique and totally his. I dare not infringe.

I use my bike for commuting the boys to school and there's no way that crate would hold up. That silly crate is going to break into popsicle sticks again the first time that bike tips over. Or maybe when he hops a curb. My Wald is already bent and misshapen, so clearly I can't be trusted with anything delicate.

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[Abcyclehank]

LeahFoy,
Your storytelling is so engaging and just gets better and better as elements of your relationship get woven in. I especially like the links to great phrases and lines from previous postings.

Ryan "waiting for Husband/Wife Riv HH" Hankinson
West Michigan

[dougP]

Leah:

"My Wald is already bent and misshapen, so clearly I can't be trusted with anything delicate."

You've managed to bend a Wald basket???  What are you doing?  It's sure a good thing you guys found Rivendell & steel bikes. 

dougP

[LeahFoy]

Doug, who knows what I did, let me tell you I really did it good. My normally meticulous self really ought to be driven nuts every time I look down and see that misshapen basket, but somehow it has become something of a badge of honor. "I USED that basket, folks! I got my 12 bucks' worth!" I'm tempted to send a photo. I'll try to get around to that.

In other news, René sent me Bosco Bullmoose bars (I love them) and I have to try my hand at twining the new and improved skinny and long cork grips. More crapsmanship! Off I go!

[Jame E]

That crate looks awesome!  Totally not crapmanship.

[LeahFoy]

Thanks, Ryan. Such sweet words. Are you really getting a husband-wife HHH? Jealous! You'll make us a thread when you've got it, right?

[Ryan Fleming]

I think your husband did a really good job on his crate and he and that bike are stylin....regards...plus I think your posts are great.  They make me smile !I hope you guys have many happy rides together as a family!

Best regards....Ryan

[Jon Dukeman,central Colorado]

Leah,

This has all been fun and I think he has now come full circle with his bike.

My question....

When will we be seeing a post from Mrs Leah's husband?????
There has to be another side of this story.:)

Jon

[LeahFoy]

Oh, you won't be hearing from him. He likes to read about himself over my shoulder, but he would never admit that he's a Rivendell convert. He still believes he could go back to his Target bike and it would be no big deal. He will ride to the park and in our neighborhood, but there is no epic bike adventure in his future plans. He does it for his family, folks. And for the little bit of attention he gets when I write goofy stories about him on the Internet and everyone says, "Oh, wow, now that crate really is something!"