Costumes and fabrics getting caught in my bike chain

lennyjones · Post by **lennyjones** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 3:27 pm

WTF it happened like 3 times a day! EVERY DAY!
fuuuuuuuuuck
something must be done about this

Da Mule · Post by **Da Mule** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 3:31 pm

me too! My tail kept getting stuck.

Twice I got stuck and had to yell for help because I couldn't move. Folks had to come and cut me out of the bike.

and then, duh, I remembered I had these packed away:

lucky420 · Post by **lucky420** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:55 pm

my daughter got her skirt caught in the gears at center camp. Hilarious-she had to take her skirt off to free herself...

swampdog · Post by **swampdog** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 5:00 pm

Afraid I have to say I learned this one the hard way a few years ago. When you're wearing anything dangly make sure your skirties are tucked up in your lap or safely stowed in your bike basket before you ride.

Mosin · Post by **Mosin** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 5:02 pm

OK, it might look hokey, but you can create small custom guards very easily with cardboard and zip ties that will save your clothing the horror of a run through the sprocket. Sit on your bike in costume, and note the possible places a hangup might happen. Cut cardboard pieces to size (Corona boxes work well and look funky) and figure out where they should be placed for maximum deflection. Wherever the pieces pass a bar/frame piece, mark two holes with a sharpie. Punch through the holes and attach to bike with ziptie(s). Repeat.

In 2008 our buddy was having major petticoat hangups on the rear tire until I fabricated a Corona/zip tie rear fender...which just survived its 3rd burn (as did her petticoats!

)

SnowBlind · Post by **SnowBlind** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 5:26 pm

I remember when I was a kid, a lot of the girls bikes having a bunch of strings as a guard so you wouldn't get the skirt in the spokes.

Looks kinda like this:

Edana · Post by **Edana** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 6:09 pm

I had this problem too. Drove me crazy! And this was even with me making sure I tucked the excess fabric under my butt before riding too. Ripped one of my favorite wrap pants, and did some damage to a tutu

I'll need to see if I can figure out some kind of deflector thing. I didn't have a problem getting caught in the wheel, but rather in the chain and gears and then getting wrapped around.

I'm generally not a big bike rider, and when I do ride I don't usually wear tutus or long silk skirts etc. LOL. I didn't even THINK about this being a problem!

trystanthegypsy · Post by **trystanthegypsy** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 9:33 pm

I have the greatest chain guard on my cruiser! I'm pretty sure you could put them on other bikes too.

C.f.M. · Post by **C.f.M.** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 6:38 am

Then don't wear shit that'll get caught. Or walk. "Can I ride my bike in this?" is always one of the first things asked, when putting together/designing an outfit.

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 7:15 am

Even our four wheeled bike with the boat seats has eaten a few of my outfits. No way to fender it, up to me to tuck my excess.

C.f.M. · Post by **C.f.M.** » Fri Sep 10, 2010 7:17 am

AntiM wrote:up to me to tuck my excess.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:30 pm

If you wear girly costumes you gotta ride a girly bike. Simple.

Artemis · Post by **Artemis** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:37 pm

Yeah, my girly costumes kept getting stuck in the chain of my girly bike (which is equipped with a chain guard).

LostinReno · Post by **LostinReno** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:09 pm

Artemis wrote:Yeah, my girly costumes kept getting stuck in the chain of my girly bike (which is equipped with a chain guard).

My skirts kept getting caught in my back brakes last year! I just wore shorter skirts this year!

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:09 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:If you wear girly costumes you gotta ride a girly bike. Simple.

And if you have a mix of girly and butch you gotta have two bikes?

kman · Post by **kman** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 4:14 pm

Doesn't have to be girly bikes or girly costumes, either. I had a full length coat that was MISERABLE to ride a bike with, too.

Next year, beach cruiser with full fenders and chain guard, for sure!

mars · Post by **mars** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:02 pm

How to buy Costumes for Burning Man:

1. Buy a battery operated black light. Take it into the store and ask the clerk to turn off all the lights. If it glows, take it off the rack.

2. Moop Check: When you shake it, if anything falls to the ground, put it back on the rack.

3. Bike Check: Look at the bottom...is there anything that can get caught in a chain, or make it difficult to throw your leg over a bike? If so, put it back on the rack.

4. Climb check: Can you climb tall structures in this? If not, put it back on the rack.

5. Take what's left, go in the dressing room and see what fits you.

Mosin · Post by **Mosin** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:40 pm

People just have to get their priorities straight. One of our dear friends showed up in 2007 with one of those tricycle electric scooters you stand on instead of a bike....which she laid out ~$700 for (used). Even though the electric stand-o-trike was way cool, and she had it wildly done up in fur and el wire, we wondered between ourselves why she was going electric, since she is a daily bike rider at home, and in more than adequate shape to pedal the playa. So, the first night after dinner she comes out dressed for the evening in the most epic homemade full-length (like, hoody to toe!) fur coat any of us had ever seen on the playa... which had taken her several months to design and assemble. As we were marveling at it and taking turns hugging her and diving inside the coat it finally struck me.
"Ahhh, now I know why you bought the electric trike!"
She looked at me with a mock "busted" look and explained, "Dude, I just had to get my priorities straight, ya'know?"

thirt33n · Post by **thirt33n** » Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:45 pm

mars wrote:How to buy Costumes for Burning Man:

1. Buy a battery operated black light. Take it into the store and ask the clerk to turn off all the lights. If it glows, take it off the rack.

2. Moop Check: When you shake it, if anything falls to the ground, put it back on the rack.

3. Bike Check: Look at the bottom...is there anything that can get caught in a chain, or make it difficult to throw your leg over a bike? If so, put it back on the rack.

4. Climb check: Can you climb tall structures in this? If not, put it back on the rack.

5. Take what's left, go in the dressing room and see what fits you.

that's pretty much sticky worthy.
love it

baconqurlyq · Post by **baconqurlyq** » Tue Sep 14, 2010 11:01 am

If I'm going to ride a bike in a skirt at all, it has to have a chain guard and fenders, at the very least. The string trick looks really dandy too!

My cruiser had both chain guard and fenders and I had no issues riding in flowy skirts, or anything else.