You Know You're a Cyclist - Part II

Some people are hard on watches so they need a new one at least once a year. Jenny for instance can destroy a watch in the space of 9 months without even trying. From the looks of some of her watches you would think she was a heavy equipment operator or she dealt with nuclear waste in her line of work. In her case, I think they’re called children.

On the other hand I can I wear a watch for usually 5 years or more. For some reason watches are pretty safe around me except for one component. Just like clockwork (no pun intended) after 6 months the small loop that fastens the ends of the watch bands together breaks. I hate it when this happens because this means that the small end of the watch band hangs free and gets caught on things.

To fix this problem I usually find a small rubber band and slip it over the end of my watch as a replacement for the original watch band loop. In the past I’ve gotten pretty creative with my watch band loops. Some of my favorites have been:

1. The rubber band that comes wrapped around broccoli
2. My daughters brightly colored elastic hair bands
3. A group of super small rubber bands that the kids use on their braces

For years Jenny had cringed at the sight of these colorful watch band loops but being the patient wife that she is has tolerated it very well.

The other day I was changing the rubber bands on my watch at work because I keep a bag of them at my desk. A co-worker started showing me his solution for the same problem and I was more than impressed with his solution. He cut up an old bike tire inner tube into small rings and then attached them to his watch band. Since bike inner tubes are black his solution blended in perfectly on his watch.

The next day when I came to work there were three of these tube sections lying on my desk. This was like getting an early birthday present. I immediately took off my brace rubber bands and put on my new bike inner tube ring. I have to say, it blends in so well with the rest of my watch you can’t even tell it’s there. It’s like watch band camouflage.

Here’s a picture of the of the bike inner tube section


Here’s a picture of the bike inner tube in its camouflaged state.



So I guess I have one more thing to add to my “You Know You’re a Cyclist When….” List:
You wear used bike parts in everyday life and like it.