Vinyl covered wall mounted bike hooks coating is wearing away due to use. What can I use to cover them so my wheels don't get scratched?
Using These type of hooks:
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It seems that this should be on a different SE– BSO riderCommented Jul 29, 2016 at 18:57
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3Go to a hardware store and buy some plastic or rubber hose that fits reasonably well over the hooks. (It'll usually be clear in color, though "vacuum hose" for autos will be black.) It's your choice whether you buy a size that fits before or after removing the existing coating. Use a few drops of detergent inside the hose to make it slip on better, or use the old favorite -- hair spray.– Daniel R HicksCommented Jul 29, 2016 at 19:06
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2A chunk of garden hose is all you need. Sticky tape tends to show adhesive after a while.– Criggie ♦Commented Jul 30, 2016 at 6:43
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6 Answers
When the orange rubber padding dried up and cracked away on my guitar stand, I peeled it off and replaced it with clear, PVC hose of a similar diameter, plugging the hose ends with the original plugs. It provides good cushioning.
PVC is the same thing as what is already on the hook, namely vinyl. The word "vinyl", when it refers to a material, is usually just a short name for polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC hose is an easy way to effectively get a really thick vinyl coating onto a steel rod instantly, without any dipping or painting. Because some of the curves are rather tight, the hose inner diameter should be generously larger than the hook's diameter. The extra width, thickness and air gaps between the hose and the hook will also provide better cushioning than the original coating, letting you be more abrupt in your movements when you hang the bike or take it down.
It doesn't specifically have to be PVC. I chose it for that guitar stand because it's durable: it will last long without drying up and cracking like the original covering. Being transparent, it also looks kind of good on that particular guitar stand, over its chrome tubing.
Tip: if pulling hose onto the hook gets a little difficult, in spite of good sizing, a dab of vaseline will help.
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PVC Hose plus a little tape worked pretty well. I had some leftover from replacing the tubes on my hydration bladder. Just need to have the right size to fit the hooks. Nice to use since replacing the hooks gets old after a while, since the stock coating tears quickly if you use them daily.– BenzoCommented Jun 4, 2017 at 3:31
@rclocher3's electrical tape is the easier way to go, but I often use strips of old tube to wrap things of this nature. To keep the wrap in place I dab some vulcanizing fluid hither and thither along the underside. This saves electrical tape for electrical things, is perhaps a bit more rugged than tape, and also provides fodder for people who would mock me on stackexchange.
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1Good thinking - old bike tubes have a myriad of uses, even after they're no good for riding.– Criggie ♦Commented Jul 30, 2016 at 6:44
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Used tubes are great padding. Secure them with vulcanizing glue, heat shrink them in place etc. Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 1:36
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Also, Wrap with tubes, then touch up the loose ends of the tubes with electrical tape to secure. Basically same way I make chainstay guards for my mtb.– BenzoCommented Aug 1, 2016 at 15:02
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1To my knowledge vulcanizing fluid is not technically glue but that's just semantics. If you ride a bike regularly (and especially if you ride where there is (puncturevine)[goatheads.com/home/gh1/page_41] as I do) then a patch kit is likely something that's in your garage. Commented Aug 8, 2016 at 17:50
I've used some heat shrink in the past for things like this, it's used in situations to replace electrical tape. Usually, I use a soldering iron to heat it up after getting it in place, but a hair dryer might also work but it'd take a little longer though.
I originally used electrical tape - the "rubbery-ness" of the tape was quite appealing as it stopped things slipping, but it went gooey after a few months.
There is a liquid sold in hardware stores that is advertised as being a fast and easy way to make a rubbery coating for a tool handle: just dip the tool into the liquid and let it dry. In the US it's called "Plasti Dip". You might try that. Personally I think I'd just wrap the hooks tightly with two or three layers of electrical tape; the tape stays put better if you cut the tape with scissors rather than stretching the tape to break it. Electrical tape is sold in many colors these days, so you could match the color fairly closely if you or your significant other is picky about such things ;)
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+1 for the electric tape, don't want to have to take the hook out to coat it if the orientation doesn't accomidate it.– BPughCommented Jul 29, 2016 at 17:33
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I've got some plastidip (same brand in the UK) but it's rather expensive. It might even be cheaper to get new hooks especially if you can relegate the old ones to tool storage.– Chris HCommented Jul 30, 2016 at 15:46
The obvious answer to me is (old) handlebar tape!
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1Except first you have to rip the hockey tape off the handlebar to reach the old handlebar tape. Commented Aug 8, 2016 at 11:58
Use Plasti dip? Or get some new hooks. They are cheap. or these? http://www.foothillproducts.com
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3You've previously disclosed that you're involved with this product. You need to disclose here too or you'll get flagged for spam. Commented Jun 3, 2017 at 3:12