London Fixed-gear and Single-speed SJS Cycles

After a nasty crash the other day I managed to loose one of my bar plugs that came with my tape. Rather than buy new ones, which If I had another crash would also be ripped out, I turned my own.

Ive never been too keen on press fit plugs or those with expanders as I wanted my plugs to have a flush apperance. Rather than use an expander when turning the plugs I made a 2mm deep step, this then allowed me to drill and tap 3 2.5mm holes each side of the bar enabling me to secure each plug with 3 grub screws which tighten into it, preventing them from ratteling or being ton out.

The plugs in the right picture look a little gouged, although I think that effect may have been as a result of flash as there perfectly smooth??

nice and tidy

How did u make dem?

I feel a bit bad now about the cut off wine bottle corks I use.

Beer bottle caps ftw!

I might look into this method.. I've been riding single-plugged for a couple of weeks now and don't have access to a metal lathe!

I think they look beautiful, and admire your attention to detail, but I also think you maybe think about bicycles a little too much?

i was expecting some wine bottle corks in the end of your bars.

very nice for home made.

Very nice.

Richard Sachs used to tap the ends on Cinelli bars and screw in Campy crank dustcaps.

It was a very elegant look, as is yours.

When I was in Italy a couple of months ago I saw a guy who was using the wire cage that retains the cork in champagne bottles as a bar plug. It looked very neat.

How did that work?

It looked like he'd taped the bars as normal then place the wire cage over the end and tightened the wire. His English wasn't good, my Italian is only any good for getting me a hotel room and dinner so all was left was international sign language to try and explain it.

Oh, OK, I was imagining him using it to secure the bar tape. Did he just secure the bar tape at the brake end with some PVC? Or did he secure the loose end of the bar tape with the cork cage? I was tempted to go down the champagne cork route as I need some new tape - and as it's Xmas and someone is bound to be drinking some! Might add the cage too for something a bit different.

Hi thanks for the replies, there actually very simple, the main body is simply turned, then the position of the step was marked onto the bars. This enabled me to drill 3 holes each side (to hold as well as centre the plug in the bar), these were then tapped to accept a 3mm grub screw (ground at one end to enable them to sit flush with the bar once tightened)

Im not usually quite so obsessive about my bikes, although Ive only recently been trained on a lathe and didnt really want to fork out for plugs which may just get ripped out in a few months..

Combine this with some laser engraving and you have a business. And lfgss will provide a long list of clients.

True, although I think my uni might see through the "skills building" element after a couple of sets, plus I cant see many people wanting to take the trouble to drill and tap their bars (hence why this design hasnt been mass produced.. that I know of)

I was thinking about getting them engraved using the water cutter tho, I just need to get round to making the designs up.

I'd buy that for a dollar.

For god's sake, yours don't even light up like a set of high quality disco lights, how can you even show your face in public with those on your bike.

Here are my homemade disco plugs:
by the way they are set into a very very tough solid thermoplastic (no internal cavities to crush/collapse), you can run them over with a car and they will keep on going, they are also waterproof.

Boogie Nights...la la la...groovin' groovin'

You do realise I'm going to have that in my head all afternoon now don't you!

Bit of a pain to have to take them out to turn 'em on and off. Like 'em though. Nice!

Me too, nice idea tho.. at least no one has the 'Oh I didnt see you' excuse either.

Tynan, you are my hero

Excellent ! :)

Do I get anything, a certificate would be cool.

a "quality assured" branding on ur buttocks me' laddie.

tynan, when do these go on sale? :D

you should make some that turn on and off by pressing the outside of the plug, so you dont have to take it out to switch.

When/if you die I'll sing 'No more heroes' at your wake..

Yeah, thought of that, but they were just made from junk lying around, one other idea was to switch them on and off with a magnet which is a little easier.

Brilliant, can I come ?

all about the wine bottle corks - but not sure about the need to "cut off", just jam them in. pop out with a corkscrew

got a merlot in the right and cabernet sauvignonin the left (bordeaux-style ftw)

"I'm not riding any fucking Merlot".

Pinot!!!! ftw

from here

so we both had the same very middle class evening the other night then?

I made some a while back for my moutain bike. Also made a tutorial http://www.instructables.com/id/How-...stom-Bar-Ends/

If fucking a whippet down a coalmine is middle class then, yes.

Nice work !

(not the plugs, but the name 'SuperDavid')

Combine these with a set of MonkeyElectrics and you've got yourself a night out.

I need some buttplugs for the Cuntdor's bars? Anyone got spares?

I just imaged searched "cunt plugs". No luck I'm afraid.

Maybe glue peanuts to the handlebars and make a weekend of it.

I just remembered who owned that bike, Tynan I love you for making that bike, everytime I see it I come a littleD:

Don't waste it, stick it in a bucket, you can use it to make children when you are old and wizened.

I got some grey/silver specialized ones - you can have em in the new year.

Tynan - another awesome invention. I like it... :D