Pant or Jean leg caught / catches on clutch lever nut

[mgladden2]

Does anyone else have this annoying problem? When you're taking off from a stop and have to pedal real hard at first, does your left jean or pant leg catch on the nut that holds on the clutch lever? It's been driving me nuts (grin), and I'm in the process of engineering various solutions.

My first idea (will post pics and results) is to remove the nut, put a wire clamp (like a small version of what goes on a car battery), then attach some black wire which I will run upward and tie to the frame. This should make it so the jean or pant leg will brush past the wire strand and not have a surface to catch on. I also thought of using a 90 degree metal corner to again bolt on with the nut that holds down the clutch lever, then attach some metal to the other end of the 90 degree piece and run it upwards. Or maybe some kind of half-circle metal hood (think tiny umbrella) could cover the surface of the nut itself?

Ideas anyone? Especially ideas that don't involve rolling your pants or shoving them into your socks like a dorkmonger. (I mean that with all due humor)

 

[MyPC8MyBrain]

Remove the cover and remove the shaft from the cover by twisting it around while lifting up. Now remove the nut from the top of the shaft. Here comes the fun part... the shaft is really pressed hard onto the lever.

Proceed from here at your own risk. The end objective is to remove the lever, change it toward the motor by 2 splines (I think), and put it back together. If you have a press, it's easy.

You don't have a press so here is the backyard method. Put a spare nut on top of the shaft to protect the threads. support both sides of the lever with a vise and tap on the shaft to free it from the splines. Reset, then tab back through.

The end result is that you move the lever over the top of the motor so it's out of the way. You will have to cut the small return spring an inch or 2 and readjust your cable.

Option 2 is:
Pant Leg Ties
I use the steel ones

 

[OSCAR383]

i started wearing shorts cuz my wife complains about grease stains on my left pantleg.

 

[HoughMade]

I was just going to say: "easy answer, ride pants-less," but I guess shorts make sense too.

 

[mgladden2]

The end result is that you move the lever over the top of the motor so it's out of the way.

Thanks, MyPC. I'm trying to picture this. Is this intended to avoid pant legs from snagging on the end of the lever? Where the cable connects? By adjusting it so it points more inward?

I've noticed that oddly enough, that's not what's happening to me. My pant leg actually catches on the nut that holds the lever in place. So that's the point where I'm trying to engineer a solution.

I'm finding putting on gloves, helmet, getting the bike out of the garage, the gate, turning on gas valve, etc is all taking so much time it makes jumping on and going for a quick ride less fun. That's why I'm loathe to start worrying about pant leg straps, although those metal ones look at least half-way cool.

Re: wearing shorts. I once had a cat that no matter how I tried to teach it, it would unroll a full roll of toilet paper in my bathroom every day. I fought forever to train it differently, then one day just put a ring of metal around the roll and he couldn't unroll it anymore. The point being, I love engineered solutions. Makes sense, yes?

Plus, I've seen people with seriously road-rashed legs. There are some nasty youtube wreck vids worth checking out. I cruise at 30 and would prefer some jeans there to take at least some of the damage. And more than that, fall is already in there air here, so shorts are going to mean freezing balls pretty soon.

I'll post pics of my wire solution when I get it going. Had a frenzied day. But thanks again!

Anyone else who has ideas, please post away!

 

[NunyaBidness]

I've got some velcro straps that I put around my pants legs when I wear long pants on my bikes. Works great, keeps pants clean of grease and prevents them from snagging on something on the bike.
as far as going for a quick ride, when I ride it's helmet, gloves, eye protection, camel back, get phone in case on camel back and then I gotta carry my bike out of the house and down to the driveway.

 

[Large Filipino]

Maybe stick something on that nut like play doe or bubble gum? I'm serious too. If your pant leg is snagging then something that won't catch your pants would be a solution here.
Honestly,this has never ever happened to me.
How about a plastic soda bottle cap over this nut secured with bubble gum or something similar that you can easily remove when you want to but won't remove on it's own?

 

[mgladden2]

Thanks for the ideas, guys! I'll try some solutions and post what works and what doesn't.

 

[mgladden2]

Ok,

I installed my first attempt at solving the problem. Total cost = $0.86 cents. I talked to my brother-in-law who just bought a chinabike and he's having the same problem. I can't believe this doesn't bother tons of people? Anyhow, here are some pics.

It's really low profile, and basically involves a wire clasp that screws on below the clutch lever nut, and a short strip of copper wire with black insulation.

 

[MyPC8MyBrain]

I once had a cat that no matter how I tried to teach it, it would unroll a full roll of toilet paper in my bathroom every day. I fought forever to train it differently, then one day just put a ring of metal around the roll and he couldn't unroll it anymore. The point being, I love engineered solutions. Makes sense, yes?

If you turn the roll around to the free part is toward the wall they can't unroll it. When they spin the roll nothing comes off. Try it and see. Sometimes things get engineered right past the simple solution .

 

[Biker Mike]

I was just going to say: "easy answer, ride pants-less," but I guess shorts make sense too.

Ride naked...Show off your rear suspension...LOL!!

 

[mgladden2]

I honestly hadn't tried that, but I'm pretty sure he was having a field day spinning the roll and my guess is even a few good spins and a little bit would have come unrolled. Then the whole thing...

In any event, I seem to be free from pant leg lockups thanks to my $0.86 solution! I still think there's a better way though. Something to cover that nut or clasp onto it maybe.

 

[cdoug50]

I was having the problem and corrected it by super glueing a bead from costume jewelry to the protruding wire. The bead being round does not catch on the pant leg. Workled for me.

 

[deacon]

Tight fitting sweat pants???

 

[comfortableshoes]

Tight fitting sweat pants???

*snort*

spandex....

 

[XFired]

Try a length of heat shrink tubing over the nut, just heat the piece thats on the nut,let the extended length stay there straight up..simple,easy,low cost....

 

[XFired]

Here'a another way to avoid the problem,but,it takes more time and work,check the picture out...I've never had this problem...

 

[rkorson4209]

why don't you just tight roll your pant leg, and when you get off just unroll and no one knows. Jus thinkin it might be alot easier and quicker than tryin to engineer things

 

[bairdco]

'cause i wanna look cool riding my cool bike. it's bad enough having normal people thinking i'm an idiot for riding a glorified moped, it'd be even worse if i looked like one.

i gotta go get a cut-off jean jacket and some leather chaps...

 

[K.i.p]

Cross drill the lever and shaft, insert spring pin, remove nut, saw off threaded portion flush to top of lever.