Important Disclaimer
Advice given in this section may or may not be accurate, safe or wise. Always use common sense and when in doubt assume that any advice given herein is incorrect and liable to end in terminal engine or part failure and possible injury or death. www.ratbike.org and its contributors can accept no responsibility for anything, anywhere, regardless of cause.
Adjustable Girth Jacket
Have you lost weight? If so, you can take off faster now, but dammit, now your leather jacket inflates at speed and flaps around like a sail! Avoid frumpiness by sewing nylon webbing straps and d-rings from old helmets to the sides. Cinch the straps tight for flap free flight!... more
Marlon - USA
Fingerless Chopper Gloves
Get some thick cotton working gloves, cut of the fingertips and hey presto real cheap yet extremely comfortable fingerless choppergloves.
I use the ones that are heat resistant so i can fix my bike on the road without taking my gloves off. The added touch of oil makes them all the more rattier
Wouter - Holland
Neoprene Cycling Socks
Neoprene cyclists socks keep your feet warm (and wet) inside sodden boots. Though your feet stink summat awful.
Bob - Yorkshire
Burrito Heating
If you like to commute on cold snowy days but don't want to electrocute yourself
with that homade electric vest you bought at a yard sale, go to a convinience
store and get one or two breakfast burritos, nuke till hot, the stuff em in your
jacket. Not only will this keep you... more
Beemer Dan
DIY Chaps
Good chaps can be found at any tyre store. Inner tubes, leave valve stem so you can tell right from left.
Clyd
Garbage Bags
garbage bags can do wonders. just strap one around each leg, punch a head and two arm holes in one to make a poncho, and grocery bags around your feet inside your boots keeps them dry. Also, invest in spikes, particularly conical ones on your leather jacket cause when you hit... more
Steve
Greasy Food!!
Cheap waterproofs are easily made by carrying hot take away food in your pockets, the grease soaks out a treat! Use a cheap Surplus canvas jacket and spray it with nicwax, silicone spray, or old egine oil if you must.
Chris - UK
Stay warm with old newspaper
to stay warm buy or steal newspapers and stuff em in your leathers. If you caught in a rain storm and your camping out in that cheap tent and you laying in the beginings of a large puddle go dumpster diving for some garbage bags to cover your tent with.
Fabian - US
Waterproofing Leather
Lard, butter, frying pan fat, old greasy kebab/burger leftovers these are a few of my favorite things for waterproofing leather.
Jaye - UK
Lined Jeans
instead of buying expensive lined jeans get an old pair and sew in a pair of longjohns
Potato - UK
