Neat Exustar CK2 Covers for SPD Cleats

These are fantastic, and great value for money too. I bought two pairs. No more Bambi-on-Ice moments in the Cafe!

Here you can see the other side of the little rubber cap. They slot very easily over the cleat and when you're about to get on the bike, they remove easily and occupy a tiny amount of space in your jersey pocket. 

The packaging. Sorry, I couldn't rotate these photos, so you'll have to rubber neck a little. Click them to enlarge. 

Exustar do various versions for different cleat types, as per the table below (click to enlarge).

And a little bird on a fencepost, just for the sake of it!

How to remove grass from Velcro

One of the frustrations of cycling on freshly cut grass is the mess the clippings make. Drivetrain and shoes get completely clogged up, especially when it's wet. A huge hassle to clean up later. Even after washing it off shoes, it remains ingrained, stuck in the hooky parts of Velcro straps. To see what I mean, look at the shoe on the left below:

A nice way to remove this grass and vegetation is to brush it out with another piece of Velcro. Use the hooky side of another piece. You can see this "brush" in the photo above: it's the white Velcro sticky dot between the shoes. It works really well, the hooks get right in there, and doesn't really damage the strap as long as you're gentle. The grass on the strap on the right hand shoe has been cleaned using this method, the one on the left is still to be done.

A useful tip I hope.

Cheap n Easy Windproof, Warm, Cycling Vest (Gilet to the posh)

We've had a cold spell recently in the UK. I wanted to ride my hybrid bike over the frosty landscape, but the wind was icy - felt like it was blowing right through me. Enter the cheapskate's answer. The photos below explain how to make this garment. It took me five minutes but it works very well.

Cut a body-width length of bubble wrap. The good old standard stuff that folks use for parcels and packaging. Then cut a hole in it for your neck. I cut one side of the hole more curved than the other, to enable it to go on easily and the back to sit on the shoulders properly.

Here it is on a clothes hanger. Wear it on top of your base layer and under the top layer, bubbles on the inside. It really does keep your core warm even in the cold wind. The open sides seem to allow a fair amount of perspiration to evapourate too. Remember, in cold weather, don't hang about in sweaty clothes. Get inside, showered, warm and dry quickly.