Important Disclaimer: Using inflammable substances and poorly engineered devices to mount tires at high pressure may result in hard bits of these devices achieving enough velocity to take an eye out and other undesirable consequences.

Random thought prompted by Dan’s link to this new tubeless tire charger from Schwalbe: I think we’ve all seen that ghetto tubeless tire charger made from a plastic pop bottle and leftover bits of valves. Surely somebody has dressed it up with ingredients similar to a PVC pipe potato gun?

Instead of pressuring your cannister with hairspray and a match, you’d charge it with a conventional floor pump through the presta valve. I need to add a valve to the above diagram — I guess a standard ball valve would do the trick? Close the valve, pressurize the cannister, then pop your tubeless tire onto its rim by releasing the valve.

The pump head shown is the SKS EVA bicycle pump head, which does not come with the hose. You also want a grommet to seal the hose hole entry. All of this can be ordered from your local bike shop.

Your local bike shop likely stocks something like the Stan’s NoTubes Tubeless Valve Stems show above, but you can also try using valves cut from an old tube. Be sure to leave plenty of rubber around the valve for a good seal.

PVC pipe can be easily cut to size at your local hardware store, where you can also find caps, connectors, valves and PVC primer and solvent.

And come to think of it, has anybody mounted a tubeless tire with hairspray (or, better yet, lighter fluid) and a match yet? Please note that this is not an incitement or suggestion to run out and try something like this.

I’ve been talking a lot about “bike train” lately as a group of us launch this group ride for commuters in San Jose. “Bike buddies” is another program used to encourage newcomers to try cycling to work.

The Safe Routes to School people call the bike version of their Walking School Bus a bike train. The Walking School Bus and Bike Train to school are both ways to encourage active transportation to and from school while also dealing with “stranger danger” fears. These programs also help traffic safety — a big clump of children accompanied by adult chaperons are much easier to spot at intersections than a single kid.

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You know the screw on caps for Presta valves that everybody always discards? It turns out there’s a use for them.

With a sharp knife, cut off the end of the cap. Screw this cut cap onto the valve and — presto! — you have a quick and dirty Shraeder adapter. This video shows how it’s done.

Via zillions of people, most recently by iMinusD in San Jose.