It's been awhile...

No, I didn't forget about this undertaking or project and no, I didn't have a mental breakdown over that fateful Labor Day ride. So much has happened that I don't know where to begin, so let's just jump right in!

Memory Does Not Serve Me

The last time I decided to throw some words down everything was completely different. I had just concluded my third successful year of teaching and was trying to begin the summer of riding that I had dreamed of. The Labor Day breakdown was a painful way to begin the summer of riding. We had to be towed home to the tune of $300 for what we would come to find out was a $40 part. Perhaps what hurt the most was losing two full weeks of ride time waiting for the part to come in and the installation to occur. Needless to say, the summer began on a sour note.

Financially, we never recovered from this breakdown. After putting tires, brakes and other service related money into the bike, this additional breakdown put our plans on hold for a solid month. Indeed, our travel plans were practically killed before they could even begin. Although very upsetting at first, I have come to realize that one cannot have it all and really, shit happens. I've had a tumultuous relationship with motorcycles since I was in high school and it appears that this will be no different. I love to ride, but it seems it will never be easy for me to do so.

A Harley in it's natural habitat. 

When I look back at it, I am glad that no one was hurt.

Seasons fly by, when you're having fun!

My goal for the summer was to ride as much as possible. A goal that was squashed by not only proven unreliability but severe lack of funding as well. We decided to scale back our plans for the summer and try and fit in more short term rides.

At first I was very upset. It seemed like we didn't ride much at all, but upon closer inspection, we covered tons of miles. A trip to the Bob Evan homestead in "middle of nowhere Ohio", a ride out to the deepest cave in the state, numerous trips to Pennsylvania to visit friends, a regrettable nine hour round trip ride to Serpent Mound, a trip to the fireworks factory, a ride through New York to Niagara falls and surviving Toronto traffic on a twenty lane expressway are just some of the highlights. This is not to mention the numerous local rides around some of a my favorite parkways and hidden roads and a covered bridge tour.

The reason we all love riding, A beautiful two lane country road. 

Really, I don't know what I was so upset about.

Customization Comes to an End

Since the summer became so adversarial in nature we decided to hold off on any and all upgrades and accessories for the bike. The last change I made to the appearance of the bike, the fishtail exhaust tips, has been it. I'm not sure if I would call the bike "done" at this point, but with major life changes I don't really feel like spending money to make it so. Even so, I still receive tons of compliments while riding around town. It is difficult to not be braggadocios but when I stop at red lights and gas stations, people stop and compliment the bike. Really, I have made the bike my own in a very visually appealing way. Needless to say the wife and I are very proud of this achievement. As I tell people, 'it better look good, we spent a lot of money on it!'.

However, I would not be a Harley owned if I did not discuss things I would like to do in the future in regards to customization. I have explored the idea of a true dual conversion kit that would eliminate the need for actual true duals. I found a kit by a company named FullSac (Yes, that is a real name) that makes a two piece set which turns the factory exhaust into dual pipes for a fraction of the price. Not the most attractive piece but a much cheaper solution for the look I want.

Customization ended when we realized black exhaust tips didn't do anything for us. 

I have also looked into eliminating the crossover bar that links the two front passing lamps and turn signals together. For a awhile this chrome piece has been bothering me as it contrasts the wrong way on the black nacelle. I have found numerous conversion kits on Ebay that I will one day be motivated to buy. Perhaps this winter I will discover some extra money lying around.

Routine Maintenance

A common flaw on the road king models, or so I found out, was the rear crossover exhaust pipe. The angle and stress this pipe is under has been known to cause numerous headaches for owners in the past and it is no different in my case. If you browse back through the archives you will see a blog and even video in which I had to replace the saddlebag support bracket. Back when I fixed this problem, I thought I had corrected all the damage. It turns out that I did not. I have come to realize all the damage that was caused by this bracket failure. Essentially, it ripped the rubber mount on the muffler, loosen the clamps on the exhaust in two places, broke the rear exhaust mounting tab on the starter and caused the head bolts in the exhaust to loosen and fall out.

Assume the position. Own a Harley? You'll be doing this a lot. 

It took about three weeks for me to realize I was riding with a exhaust flange rattling off the rear cylinder. Indeed, on closer inspection there was a huge exhaust leak that was demolishing performance and, if I had not noticed, could have wreaked major havoc on the head itself. Needless to say I am lucky to have caught and fixed this issues.

Engineering or Lack Thereof

Did I mention this is common?

I love my Harley, I love my dad's old Harley, I love my Uncle's Harley. I love riding it, I love the comfort, the feel, the sound and the looks. I'm a sucked for good design.

But Harleys are terrible.

Really. They are awful. I won't be the first to say it nor the last, but they are just not well built bikes. There are so many questionable design choices, so many intentionally bad ideas and missteps in design that I cannot believe it has survived. I can't understand how the brand has garnered such a rabid and defensive fanbase when any mechanic knows good and well that it is not a well designed motor.

What irks me is that all of the problems I have recently had are the result of poor design. Why did the exhaust support bracket break? Because it didn't need to be there in the first place. Why are the saddlebags supported with such a weak piece of steel? Because it's cheaper. Why would a piece exposed to heat, pressure and gasoline be made of plastic? Because they can and I'll buy it. How, after 62 years, has harley not figured out proper suspension on touring bikes to the point it seems like the bike has a rigid frame? Because they don't have to.

Between the two bikes are 43 years and only a 12 cubic inch gain in motor size. Unbelievable. 

Harley sells some hot garbage..and I love it. I understand how they endure despite most of them spending hours on flatbeds. I suppose the biggest problem is they charge premium prices for such a terrible product. Essentially Harley is making Taco Bell tacos and charging Chipotle burrito prices...but I digress. This is a rant for another blog.

Major Life Changes

Soon my life will change drastically and for that I am grateful. I hope to move back into this blog and hopefully provide some insights once again from some random guy with a bike on the internet.

Until next time!

A horrible end to a perfect day!

Summer is here and I am ready!

"Be prepared!" was the thunderous title of my last blog entry, which, at this point, seems like a distant memory. Indeed I have been neglecting my duty to my loyal reader to make continuous updates to this grand experiment but with good reason. I have taken all this time away to gather experience and report what I have learned as I start to venture further from home than ever before without the safe, secure feeling a car provides. I have had numerous ups and downs since my last keyboard clicking session, so without further ado, here goes nothing!

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." -Someone wiser than me

I have a tendency to worry...a lot. I try my best to be prepared and I do not make any decision hastily. Every time I leave the house in any capacity, there is a certain plan in motion. Major purchases are reviewed time and time again in and endless obsession to ensure the best possible outcome. Blame it on my family, which, on both sides has an extreme aversion to risk taking. 

As the school year wound down, the wife and I decided to pursue our two year delayed summer plans of riding all around the country. The goal was to hop on the bike, not look back, go and get lost and enjoy our summer as we prepare for major life changes. In fact the sole purpose of this blog was to support and document our journey into buying a bike, making it our own and then riding all summer long. 

We have worked tirelessly in our home and personal lives to ensure no loose ends are left untied and that we have dotted our "i's" and crossed our "t's". With memorial day fast approaching I dug into the tourism guides for fun things to do. We both had the day off, as did our riding buddy, so we decided we would leave early and make a whole day ride. 

I determined that The Hocking Hills state park would make for a nifty ride. This gigantic state park in the middle of nowhere Ohio is home to numerous nifty geological attractions. Evidently, this park is very popular no matter what time of year you visit (save for the horrid winters), a fact I wish I would have known. 

The draw of the day though, was the ride itself. I more or less planned a 330 mile round trip, encompassing around 8 hours of solid ride time. 

The day started so well!

We departed from home earlier than usual. I believe we were out of the driveway by 8 AM this time and on the road not much later. In order to ensure we could return at a reasonable time we had to keep to a more strict schedule. The road was long and winding and despite initial delays of me believing there was a freeway exit where there wasn't, we were on our way.

There were two freeways we could have taken down, but we picked the scenic route. Around every 25 miles we would run through a very, very small town. These scattered villages were the definition of what one might think when the words "one horse town" are mentioned. Being memorial day, we faced numerous delays as equipment was arranged and loading and unloading occurred everywhere. I must admit it was fun pretending that everyone was lined up on both sides of the street to greet us! For a day, we were special!

It is easy to be distracted by nature.

The roads were some of the most beautiful I had ever seen. They wound and curved through deep forests, so thick with green that I felt I was on another planet. Farms and houses sparsely dotted this lush landscape as we meandered down to the hills. 

One of the many curves in these underused roads. 

We were also greeted with plains upon plains of golden wheat and waves of green corn beginning to grow. Large and fluffy white clouds hung in the sky like cotton balls over these verdant hills and golden fields as the sun showered everything in sight.  These endless seas of greens and grasses were mesmerizing. I think we may have discovered some new Windows wallpapers. 

Coming to Windows 11!

Upon our arrival in Logan County we immediately stopped and took a break to figure out what we should do. We decided to head to the Old Man's Cave, another 12 miles from our current location. Upon arrival in the Hocking Hills area we realized that a holiday weekend might not have been the best time to visit. Tons upon tons of people had the same idea we did.

So many people!

Aside from the crowds of people we were also greeted with a loud constant humming, which we came to find out was actually cicadas. Everything was covered with these large bugs that are fortunately not a nuisance. 

Gross and everywhere but very harmless.

At the visitors area we were able to obtain prime parking simply by being motorcycles. It is nice when they have dedicated spots for bikes. For every one car we can fit 4! It is nice being small sometimes! Once parked we ran towards the concession stand and chowed down on some decent chili dogs and mozzarella sticks before descending to the cave.

Prime parking spots!

Nothing better than eating warm food in the sun!

There were people EVERYWHERE! The crowds were just crazy. Everyone was polite and nice to each other though, which reduced the overwhelming nature of the experience. What made the crowd unpleasant was the small bridges and stairways that must be used to reach the cave itself. The cave is about 10 stories down from the entry level of the park, which is around 20 stories down from the actual ground level of the Logan county entrance.

Drop it low. 

Essentially you must uses a series of steps, carved passageways and awkward bridges in order to reach the cave. The air is cool thanks to the blanket cover of the forest above but the hike will make you sweat. 

So beautiful!

 After what seemed like my own personal death march to the cave, we were greeted with small water falls and a cave so large I was taken aback. I was stunned that such a large cave, complete with fresh water delivery and protection from all the elements, sat nestled in this hidden valley, of which I had never heard of until I googled "interesting things to do in Ohio." 

Go here!

After experiencing the scenery, which must be personally experienced to be fully understood, we reascended the stairs of destiny and prepared for the departure. 

I was a bit winded from the climb!

Two options: The long way or the longer way

The ride down had been great. The scenery and roads were just awesome. We decided to skip the freeways and just use the back roads again to return home. The trip down was so good, why not double it!

All roads lead to the middle of nowhere. 

We also decided to forego stopping more than needed to facilitate a faster arrival time. That meant we would be running lower on gas and water than needed. Not a wise choice on a 90+ degree day but not the worst either. We stopped outside the hills for one more fuel up and then were on our way.

More reliable, you say?

We had covered around 70 miles of our 165 mile return home when it happened. On one winding road in Danville Ohio the bike decided to fail us. We had just come out of one turn and were headed up another when all of the sudden the throttle became unresponsive. No amount of feathering the bike would keep it going. The throttle became completely useless and the bike died. 

An unbearable heat. 

Panicked, I grabbed the clutch and jammed my thumb onto the starter in hopes to rattle the bike back to life. Surely, this was a fluke, I thought to myself. But as I sat on the smoldering hot highway in full travel gear desperately trying to make the bike fire, I realized this day was not going to end well. 

I was able to slowly but surely back the bike down the hill and into the gravel driveway of a nearby farm. If there was one fortunate aspect to the location, it was that there were people and I had a cell phone signal. Once I realized that the problem was not roadside repairable I called the insurance company who sent for a tow truck. 

Perfectly summing up the situation. 

The heat was unbearable. We took refuge in the bikes shadow as there were no trees to be seen. Two passerbys stopped to ensure our safety but ultimately continued along. We ran out of cold water and were down to one warm Coke Zero to drink. Needless to say we were starting to feel a bit woozy. Sunstroke is real and we were feeling its effects. 

Across the street was an abandoned shop whose wall was providing shade to the ground next to it. We decided to head over there and lay in the grass while we waited for a tow. Unfortunately we also found a nest of jumping spiders which let us know whose territory we were on. 

The view of the breakdown from the shaded spider nest area. 

Fortunately the tow man arrived within 35 minutes of our breakdown and agreed to take us home. A 94 mile tow. Because of our location it took around an hour to even get a freeway and then another 50 minutes to arrive home. 

We unloaded our machine and thanked the entertaining tow driver for his help. This man made us feel a lot better and I do not even remember his name. I will say he was one of the most interesting people we have ever met. 

A horrible end to a perfect day!

I would come to find out two weeks later that a fuel pressure regulator had gone bad, causing a complete drop in pressure and the inability to get fuel to the injectors. 

Although this problem may have been preventable I learned a hard lesson that day; no matter how much you prepare and plan, sometimes shit happens. 

Be prepared!

The question had never really occurred to me before; "What if we can't find a bathroom?" Usually when I need to cover distance I stick to the main state routes or interstates and when I want a more relaxing ride I use major roads that pass through country areas. We're never in the country for an extended period of time. In other words, packing lite and not preparing for emergencies had not been an issue.

But then it happened. We found ourselves in the middle of no-where. By complete accident, we had ended up damn near Pennsylvania two weeks ago on a covered bridge ride. 

The yellow dot represents the official middle of nowhere. 

Ashtabula county has numerous covered bridges, a phenomenon I found, is relatively limited to that specific part of the country. As a child I can vaguely remember my aunt taking me to these bridges, but just barely. The bridges themselves are scattered across a large swath of land encompassing around 20 some hours of ride time. 

Supposedly, the bridges are marked using road signs. Following some of these signs works on occasion, other times we became hopelessly lost in the middle of no-where. One bridge in particular is what sparked this post in the first place. 

It was quite picturesque.

We found ourselves on a small, winding access road, which, to our surprise, transformed into a long dirt road covered in gravel. Goody. This two mile stretch of road only had two Amish houses placed alongside and was completely devoid of power lines or other telecommunications.

No pavement.

We arrived at the bridge itself and parked in a small area which seemed like it was made for a car. At this point we realized that walking back to a house for help would take awhile, the phone's reception was spotty at best and that, most importantly, if we had to use the bathroom, it was game over.

Limited parking options.

Eventually we made it out of the winding back roads and home, but the experience left me inspired to do some research and better prepare myself. 

Pack Thoroughly, Pack Lightly!

When I was around 9 years old, I vaguely remember my dad preparing to go to Iowa to visit a friend. He was taking one of the Knuckleheads which contained no saddlebags and only a sissy bar. I remember looking at the bike outside with him and he said, "See this!? This is how you pack; light!" I'm not sure why I remember that so clearly, but it has stayed with me. 

No bags? No problem!

My goal is to never overload or bring superfluous gear on a trip. These items only add weight and I feel as though I would never need most of the recommended items. Really, it does not matter what you want to bring; a motorcycle sets a very strict space limit that you must obey.

What is in my bag?

I decided to hit the internet and do some reading as to what everyone thought I should take with me. After all, there are thousands of riders who take long mileage trips every year. Surely they know what the best items to pack are. Indeed, there are tons of lists out there, some of them very thorough and detailed, while others are sparse and funny. 

To make my list, I decided to pull from experience and what I needed. When I was in high school, I always carried fuses, oil, bulbs and fix a flat with me on the bike. Of course, that bike was a nightmare of Japanese design, so it was almost a requirement,

Let's put some junk in that trunk!

I gathered from people who do a lot of country and park rides, along with those in a city environment. What follows is a conglomerate of the items I found wise and useful to fill a bag with.

Medicine

Not a pharmacy, but a quick patch up to get you into town!

-Advil and Motrin

-Tums or Rolaids

-Benadryl or other allergy medicine

-SPF 30 Sunscreen

-Aloe Vera Gel

-AAA Travel Size First Aid Kit

The items were chosen to help alleviate any small problems while on the road. After being sunburned and having a stomach ache, I cannot stress the importance of these items. Everything I bought was travel size.

ZIPLOC EVERYTHING!

Mechanical

The very basics.

-Tool Pouch

-Fuses and puller

-Fix a flat or other tire inflator

-Tire pressure checker

-Air pump

-Quart of oil

-Spark Plugs

-Wires

-Paper or Plastic funnel

I tried my best to include only small fixes that would allow me to get to a rest area or a town. Nothing fancy or major here. Make sure your tool kit as the required items to remove the seat in order to allow battery access. Also make sure you have the right tools to remove a spark plug and wire if need be. You won't be able to do much on the side of a road, but you can patch it up a bit.

Some last minute additions.

Toiletries and Miscellaneous

These are the other necessities that round out this list. 

-Travel size Toilet paper

-Travel size hand wipes

-Travel size toilet wipes

-Travel size tissue

-Emergency thermal blankets (also known as silver emergency blankets)

-Duct tape

-Cell phone chargers

-Cell phone battery packs

-Cell phone battery pack chargers

-Ziploc bags

-Cloth or plastic bags

-Tie downs (bungee cords) and cargo net

-Blocks for parking bike on grass or dirt (something very durable, flat and wide)
-Insurance, Registration, Emergency $50
-Selfie Stick!!!

Chargers for all my devices!

As you can tell this is where the bulk of the packing comes in and where travel size items will help you. Remember, nothing on this list is a long term, sustainable solution to anything. They are simply precautions that may or may not help you on the road. The toiletries are there because if you gotta go, you can go. The thermal blankets serve two purposes: 1. to keep you warm in case of night time breakdowns and 2. to serve as a signaling device for other motorists. Everything has been placed in ziploc bags and I have also included some additional ziploc bags in case.

Some of the most important pieces of paper.

No matter what list I read, it seemed ziploc bags were a must. If you are using a phone or GPS system, ensure you have a reliable way to charge it. I have purchased a few battery packs that should keep my phone charged, with constant use, for a solid 24 hours straight. You never know when you might need more power. Always keep wall chargers and cables handy as well.

Cloth bags, blocks for parking on grass and important info!

Another good thing to keep in mind is a second set of gloves and a second set of safety glasses. These items are can break or get lost, so it would be nice to have a backup set in case you misplace things.

What a mess!

I managed to get all these items to fit in one bag. With some creative packing, I think you can too! Remember to keep it simple, keep it light and keep it small! Following these rules should provide you everything you need in a portable package!

It all fits!

Something was bound to happen...

Picturesque: One week earlier there was 7 inches of snow.

April has decided to make itself known to the midwest. Since my last check in, I have seen weather in the 80's and 7 inches of snow in less than 6 hours. As always, the weather remains unpredictable even when it should have stabilized. Needless to say riding has been a bit of a crapshoot.

That is not to say I have not logged a fair amount of miles. Indeed, at this point I believe I am close to hitting the 1K mark. Any ridable weather that I encounter is thoroughly taken advantage of. The spring has been full of good rides. A day long excursion to Pennsylvania, a quick visit to southern Ohio and a trek to the covered bridges have occupied the past few weekends.

Stay hydrated and well fed on long rides!

Of course, it would not be a Harley blog if I didn't make mention of the money I have spent. Really though, the money I have gone through recently was all for a good cause. We finally bought new helmets (the last one I bought was from 2001) along with riding boots for my wife and gloves for me. This important safety investment will hopefully (and God forbid) serve it's purpose. Aside from the gear, we also made investments in US Passport renewal. Canada here we come! 

Covered bridges are fun but do not expect a phone signal!

But aside from the mundane, I also bring the upsetting. Upon returning from our excursion to southern Ohio, I noticed something a bit off about the rear fender. It looked like the bumper was broken. At a certain point down south we went off road, so I figured the bumper got busted up along the way. No worry! My uncle has a spare, I'll throw that on!

For a week I didn't bother to. In fact the following weekend we took a trip to Pennsylvania, clocking in around 200 miles total. It was at that point, however, that I realized it was more than just the bumper. The whole left side of the bike was leaning...badly. Ah crap...

Always take the time to inspect after a long ride!

Upon closer inspection I found that the bracket that attaches to the fender, which also holds one side of the bumper, which also holds the mufflers, which also holds saddlebag support, which also holds the saddlebag rail support bracket, had snapped. The steel had cracked and then snapped off completely. I feel foolish for not noticing earlier. I was fortunate that it had not done more damage. Really, the only thing holding the muffler during the long run, was the bolts that keep the pipe in the cylinder head. If it had snapped, it would have been a costly 'oops'. 

Naturally, I hit up the internet to find an answer. I found out some interesting facts. This was and has been an ongoing, known issue. The steel was too weak at the bend when it was manufactured, causing numerous breaks. The obvious solution was to buy new rails..for $115 a pair. The second option was to weld the piece in place but from what I read it is A. difficult and B. usually breaks off again anyway. On EBay though I found an answer.

Someone in Pennsylvania fabricates replacement pieces that bolt into one of the holes in the bracket and replace the broken piece. This 'fix' only cost around $34, a much more reasonable expense. I ordered it immediately.

This guy.

The USPS is not known for their speedy service, but I have never had an issue with them until now. The seller shipped the item via 2 day priority mail on Wednesday. The item did not arrive until the following Monday. Three days in transit and one more for delivery, from one state away? It was a frustrating wait.

Since the weather was supposed to be close to 70 Sunday, I planned a ride. I decided that using bungee cords to attach the broken bracket to the luggage rack was a good idea. It really was not. Using the 'redneck' fix method, I managed to scuff the back of the left saddlebag. Luckily most of the markings were rubbed out...but still. If anything I have learned that I must absolutely be patient or risk further damage and downtime.

Just wait. Don't do this. It was very stupid. 

The actual fix was relatively painless to apply but as usual your situation will vary.

Be Patient, Wait for the Parts and Take your Time!

I arrived home yesterday in a 80+ degree heatwave to be greeted by a small package sticking out of the mailbox. Immediately I opened the box to find the two brackets along with a set of nuts and bolts. I opened the garage and began working.

I began by removing the saddlebags themselves. The quick release pins on the interior of the bags make this a swift process. I placed the bag far from my work area to avoid further damage.

The cords serve as temporary support.

I left the bungee cords in place while I began to remove the hardware. The thought was that it would remove pressure from the exhaust pipe, which was holding on via the header bracket. Although it worked while I removed the first bolt, I found that after that bolt was out, I needed to find a better solution.

Removing the first bolt using the Torx head driver. 

I used a hydraulic jack that I keep in the garage to support the muffler bracket. Using this jack allowed me to reach the required height to safely support the muffler without damaging the header. Once I had the muffler on the jack, I removed the bungee cords and the passenger backrest and luggage rack.

The jack provided much needed support while I removed the remaining bolt. 

Each of the stock bolts uses a Torx T-40 head. I used the required bit plus a 1/2 inch ratcheting wrench to remove both stock bolts from the brackets. Although Torx provides the torque required for a vibrating surface, I have had bad luck with the bits. I was worried about breaking a Torx bit and needing to buy a new one. Luckily I removed both without any problems.

The broken piece and the removed pole bracket. 

Once the second bolt was out the pole light ring and the broken section of bracket fell out. I decided to remove the pole light support ring completely as I have no intention of putting the police lights back on. I did keep the metal bracket piece in case I can have it welded.

Removing the bolt from the fender.

The next step was to remove the Torx bolt from the rear fender bracket itself. The bolt threads into a welded nut in the fender, so there was no need to hold the nut with a wrench. The bolt loosened easily and fell onto the floor. To my surprise, the rear saddlebag rail lifted up, out of place. Indeed, I discovered that these rails are under a fair amount of pressure.

The rail sat in this raised position until I replaced the bolt in the new bracket. The rails are under pressure.

Once I cleared the area I prepared the new part for installation. I found the correct bracket and angle for installation and then sought out the thread locker. I decided to use the bolts the seller included, along with the stock nuts.

The new part ready to go in!

The section of the fender that the replacement bolts against has some play in it. That is, there is some adjustment provided by the maker. I used the other side as a guide to ensure I placed the bracket at the right height on the adjuster. I then double checked by having my wife confirm the symmetry of the rear. This small detail can drive you crazy!

Always use Loctite. 

Once the bracket was in place, I bent down the saddlebag support rail (which was quite difficult), applied a generous amount of thread locker to the bolt and threaded it in. Threading the bolt by hand first will assure you don't make a mistake and crossthread the hole, which in turn could cause additional problems.

Bracket attached to fender and almost done!

From that point all I did was simply line up the bracket with the fender bracket and exhaust hanger bracket and feed the bolts through. Once they were through I covered the bolts and nuts in a thread locker. Any place where vibrations occur should also be locked for safety.

The finished product. 

And that's it! The bracket worked well and is barely noticeable, especially once the bags are put back on. Although not difficult, the job took around 40 minutes from start to ignition. If you're Harley touring bike has this trouble, this solution is a rare concept; sturdy and cheap!