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SMART STUFF #11, VOLUME 1. NOVEMBER 2005 |..<.....4..5..6..7..8.....>
Best bicycle tire tool? Every time we have watched a bicycle mechanic remove or mount a tire on a rim, we have left the shop impressed by how quickly and easily he did the job. Now there is a pocket sized tool that lets you do the job almost as quick as the mechanic with his power tool. It is called Speed Lever from Crank Brothers. Put one end of the tool (the one closest in the picture above) under the bead of the tire, pull the tool out and fit the other end over the axle, pull the tool along the edge of the rim and loosen the tire. After you fix the flat you reverse the process. Put the rim part under the bead of the tire in a spot where you already have tucked the tire in over the edge of the rim, the other end on the axle, and zip the tool around the rim to put the tire in place. Available at USD 6:00 (approx. SEK 48:-) at Crank Brothers web site, and from Amazon among other places. Via Cool Tools.
14 November 2005
Solar powered lighter. This is claimed to be the only pocket sized solar lighter in the world, and that may very well be true. We can honestly say we have never seen any smaller. (We have not actually seen any pocket solar lighters at all, but that may well be besides the point.) We did however try to make our own solar dish this spring after we had read about a fascinating experiment on Trackertrail. We were not very successful, though. Maybe we could not work up the right shine, or maybe the sun was not bright enough. After this, we are now thinking of taking the easy way out and order one of these instead. It is simply a highly polished stainless parabolic dish, adjusted to concentrate the sun's heat at the exact focal point. Made for outdoor life, and as a survival tool. Available at Sundance Solar, right now on sale at USD 9:95 (about SEK 79:-). Via Treehugger.
13 November 2005
Weather protected cable joint cover. This must be just the thing, now that the outdoor lighting season is here. The cable joint pod is meant to protect the connection where you have joined two power cables together. All you have to do is pull the ends inside, connect and close the protective pod. It is supposed to keep the weather outside of your joint, thus ensuring safe operation without shorts. As long as you DO NOT use it as an excuse to apply indoor cables outside, we are sure it will be great. Probably available at most hardware or electrical stores. We found it at Clas Ohlson, where it was SEK 39:- (approx. USD 5:-) a piece.
12 November 2005
Telescoping grill fork disguised as pen. We have had this thing for years. It has been with us in our pocket or pack as a personal grill stick de luxe. That way many a young brush has been saved from being reduced to hot dog sticks, and we have been spared the work of cutting them. This thing is so small it can go with you everywhere, as long as you have a pocket. Basically it looks like one of those telescoping pointers boring lecturers use to have, only it has a fork at the end. Fully extended it is about 60 cm (approx. 23 in.) long, retracted a little longer than an ordinary pen. We got it from Naturkompaniet (Swedish outdoors stuff store), but this was way back so we cannot remember how much it was. We can not seem to find it on their website either, so it might have gone out of stock since. If the inventor or someone selling these clever forks read this, we would be grateful for some info on where it can be bought, and to what price. We will post an update right away, and that is a promise.
11 November 2005
Car clock backup power. You just attach an ordinary 9V battery to the little Memory Maintainer thing and put the plug into your lighter socket. little MM will make sure the car's clock, radio and other electronics that have no power back-up will be supplied until the main battery is re-connected. Smart, but way too expensive, we think. USD 16:- at AutoSport. Via Strange New Products.
11 November 2005
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