Hurrah! For the humble cable tie.

Betty must be getting slightly annoyed. It seems that on most journeys, I’m able to find a way to drop her. Not always from a standing position, but it hurts just the same. Often I’m on the train, Betty is folded and it is the braking action of the train that topples her. I’m finding ways of placing her in a location that prevents the topple. As I said, it’s early days with me and Betty. But here we are again, picking up Betty, and this time, the bell fixing has snapped – so no bell.

Card Factory is a ‘Marmite’ shop. Personally, I love it (but hate the queues). So I needed to stock up on the ten-for-a-pound birthday cards (for the ones who think I’m being a cheapskate: on each card, I’m still spending more than just a Facebook message). I’m cycling and see the yellow and blue shop sign, and right outside a lovely lamp post to lock up Betty. As I’ve mentioned, I’m still getting used to securing a folding bike, so I’m at the lamp post, with the seat post set all the way down, and trying to fix my bike lock. The trouble is, the lamp post was rather wider than I had expected, so threading the lock around the lamp post, through the seat and through the bike itself, meant that it was a stretch to get the lock to clamp shut – but I was determined. This way, that way, rethread, another few tries and then push, nearly there, click! Phew, we’re done.

One of the consequences of the fight with the lamp post was that my rear light came off. This was a combination between my ham-fisted attempt at stretching a good solid bike lock around a post where it wouldn’t fit and the weakness of a cheap plastic mounting. So I was left with a rear light and no mounting – and illegal (it would be dark by the time I get to my destination station). Fortunately, the clip that fits into the mounting also fits onto the Velcro strap on my helmet – so for the ride home I was safe and legal. Still, I needed a more permanent fix.

In the old days we used to use gaffer tape – or electricians tape – to secure items to specific structures. However, the invention of the cable tie has been a Godsend. So the aforementioned culprit of a cheap plastic mounting for the light was sorted by way of a cable tie. After a few thoughts on how best to do this, it was decided that the best way would be to feed the light onto the mount, feed the cable tie into the mount clip and then fix light – thus.

Cable tie used as substitute bolt.

Then it was the turn of the bell. As it happens, there is a small slot on the bell that is just about cable tie size, so it was worth a try. Indeed, it fit and the bell is now securely on the handle bars in perfect dinging position.

Hurrah! For the humble cable tie. I’m now legal again.