Nice rack . . . but just for one

[Neil Brooks]

A while back, I visited an LBS that had a wooden (oak?) one-bike rack,
freestanding.

It was all wood--hangers, uprights, 'feet,' etc., and totally
freestanding.

Closest parallels would be on Peter White's page:

http://www.branfordbike.com/storage/storage2.html#item2

Like the Lean Machine, only:
- one bike only
- totally freestanding. No wall support needed

Like the Wall Mounted Oak Rack in terms of the actual bike supports,
but (obviously)
- not wall-mounted

It looked like the Wall Mounted Oak Rack mounted on a valet:

http://furnitureforsale.lunarpages.com/siennaoakvalet.jpg

Anybody know where I can buy such a thing? The MTB's sleep outside.
My tourer and my wife's bike sleep on a floor-to-ceiling metal job in
the extra bedroom. The Moots--she has agreed--can sleep in the living
room if it sleeps in something elegant. She's signed off on the above
idea. She's quite marginal on this one: http://tinyurl.com/4rcu2

TIA,

Neil

 

[Matt O'Toole]

Neil Brooks wrote:

> A while back, I visited an LBS that had a wooden (oak?) one-bike rack,
> freestanding.
>
> It was all wood--hangers, uprights, 'feet,' etc., and totally
> freestanding.
>
> Closest parallels would be on Peter White's page:
>
> http://www.branfordbike.com/storage/storage2.html#item2
>
> Like the Lean Machine, only:
> - one bike only
> - totally freestanding. No wall support needed
>
> Like the Wall Mounted Oak Rack in terms of the actual bike supports,
> but (obviously)
> - not wall-mounted
>
> It looked like the Wall Mounted Oak Rack mounted on a valet:
>
> http://furnitureforsale.lunarpages.com/siennaoakvalet.jpg
>
> Anybody know where I can buy such a thing? The MTB's sleep outside.
> My tourer and my wife's bike sleep on a floor-to-ceiling metal job in
> the extra bedroom. The Moots--she has agreed--can sleep in the living
> room if it sleeps in something elegant. She's signed off on the above
> idea. She's quite marginal on this one: http://tinyurl.com/4rcu2

Performance/Nashbar/Supergo sell a bunch of them, including the ones above. I'm
using a homemade version of that wooden expansion screw model, which my friend
made for about ten bucks a few years ago.

The easiest solution, if your ceiling (or landlord!) allows it, is to hang one
bike upside down from two hooks, and park the other beneath it. The problem is
the typical joist centers may be a little too wide. In that case, put the hooks
into a board and screw the board into the studs.

I've been thinking about this a lot. I'd like to have a really nice "hall tree"
type of bike cabinet, which will hold a couple of bikes plus all the
accessories -- helmets, jackets, tools, pumps, spare tires and tubes, etc. --
appropriate for the entry area of a nice house.

Matt O.

 

[Zoot Katz]

Wed, 09 Mar 2005 16:45:24 GMT,
<[email protected]>, Neil Brooks
<[email protected]> wrote:

>A while back, I visited an LBS that had a wooden (oak?) one-bike rack,
>freestanding.
>
>It was all wood--hangers, uprights, 'feet,' etc., and totally
>freestanding.
>
>Closest parallels would be on Peter White's page:
>
>http://www.branfordbike.com/storage/storage2.html#item2
\snip

There's the possibly that it could've been custom made in a small
furniture shop or at home by a DIY woodworker. Maybe his kid built it
as a wood shop project in high school. It could probably even be done
with hand tools using available standard sizes of hardwood lumber.
If you remember where you saw it, why not call them and ask.
--
zk

 

[Neil Brooks]

Zoot Katz <[email protected]> wrote:

>There's the possibly that it could've been custom made in a small
>furniture shop or at home by a DIY woodworker. Maybe his kid built it
>as a wood shop project in high school. It could probably even be done
>with hand tools using available standard sizes of hardwood lumber.
>If you remember where you saw it, why not call them and ask.

I'm just about betting that's the case.

I know where I saw it, but it's the LBS that lost the business on my
new bike. I'm not anxious to ask, and he may not be anxious to tell.

I figured if somebody had a handle on it, pre-fab, that'd be easier,
but it may come to a touch of groveling and the purchase of a few
unnecessary tubes....

 

[Zoot Katz]

Wed, 09 Mar 2005 22:23:33 GMT,
<[email protected]>, Neil Brooks
<[email protected]> wrote:

>>There's the possibly that it could've been custom made in a small
>>furniture shop or at home by a DIY woodworker. Maybe his kid built it
>>as a wood shop project in high school. It could probably even be done
>>with hand tools using available standard sizes of hardwood lumber.
>>If you remember where you saw it, why not call them and ask.
>
>I'm just about betting that's the case.
>
>I know where I saw it, but it's the LBS that lost the business on my
>new bike. I'm not anxious to ask, and he may not be anxious to tell.
>
>I figured if somebody had a handle on it, pre-fab, that'd be easier,
>but it may come to a touch of groveling and the purchase of a few
>unnecessary tubes......

Phone 'em up. Just mention you've been in the store a few times. Call
from a pay phone if you want. They don't need to know _who_ you are.
Compliment their gorgeous rack. Be ready for a gushing response if the
owner or their kid built it.
--
zk

 

[Neil Brooks]

Zoot Katz <[email protected]> wrote:

>Phone 'em up. Just mention you've been in the store a few times. Call
>from a pay phone if you want. They don't need to know _who_ you are.
>Compliment their gorgeous rack. Be ready for a gushing response if the
>owner or their kid built it.

Good call . . . and more than a touch sneaky. I like it!

 

[Zoot Katz]

Wed, 09 Mar 2005 22:39:01 GMT,
<[email protected]>, Neil Brooks
<[email protected]> wrote:

>>Phone 'em up. Just mention you've been in the store a few times. Call
>>from a pay phone if you want. They don't need to know _who_ you are.
>>Compliment their gorgeous rack. Be ready for a gushing response if the
>>owner or their kid built it.
>
>Good call . . . and more than a touch sneaky. I like it!

It's called "social engineering".
--
zk

 

[Tom Sherman]

Neil Brooks wrote:...

Is it possible for Mr. Brooks to initiate a thread without a suggestive
title?

--
Tom Sherman - Earth

 

[Zoot Katz]

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 01:47:12 -0600, <[email protected]>,
Tom Sherman <[email protected]> wrote:

>Neil Brooks wrote:...
>
>Is it possible for Mr. Brooks to initiate a thread without a suggestive
>title?

I thought he was talking about big bucks.
--
zk

 

[Neil Brooks]

Zoot Katz <[email protected]> wrote:

>Thu, 10 Mar 2005 01:47:12 -0600, <[email protected]>,
>Tom Sherman <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Neil Brooks wrote:...
>>
>>Is it possible for Mr. Brooks to initiate a thread without a suggestive
>>title?
>
>I thought he was talking about big bucks.

Which reminds me (of course) of a joke:

Do you know the difference between beer nuts and deer nuts?

Beer nuts are about a dollar and a half, while deer nuts are under a
buck.

And now I shall apologize profusely to the Usenet gods, both for my
salacious titling (that was close) and for my weak joke.