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Wheel chock... am I dork?

Wow... I think this conversation just went down a slippery, well lubed, slope! Oh how I appreciate my BARF friends:D

Today I got to try the towel trick... or a piece of cut up tee shirt. It worked well. Thanks to all for the suggestions.:party

20230124_103309 by andbike, on Flickr
 
I will say, however, that sometimes it's GOOD to have the extra grip in the chock. Sometimes one can be down to a sketchy tie-down/strap, have poor mounting options, exceptionally bumpy roads, or other factors that might reduce the security of the bike. In those cases, I'd go no towel.

Those instances are (should be!) rare, but I had it happen one time where a strap snapped after rubbing a sharp piece of race bodywork in my trailer. Bike was pulled to the side by the other strap but the tire was so stuck in the chock that the tilt of the chock kept the bike from falling all the way over. It was pure luck that we forgot the towel that time. But if the tire had slipped out of the front V, it (probably) would have just worked its way out and would've fallen on its side.
 
Towel trick for the win. Relying on friction is a guessing game. If I wanted added warm fuzzy I'd strap the wheel to the chock but I think it unnecessary.
 
RVFRick said:
Towel trick for the win. Relying on friction is a guessing game. If I wanted added warm fuzzy I'd strap the wheel to the chock but I think it unnecessary.
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You can't see them in the above picture, but there were two tie-downs from the bike to the truck. This is also the same arrangement (minus the towel/rag) I used a few days earlier transporting the bike back from Reno. This is a better picture...

20230121_153646 by andbike, on Flickr
 
Cut up a sock and put it over the two parts where the front wheel makes contact up top. Problem solved.
 
Setwayz said:
Cut up a sock and put it over the two parts where the front wheel makes contact up top. Problem solved.
Click to expand...

That's a great idea!

I also just recalled an idea I had at one point - wrap it in skateboarding deck tape, spray-on bedliner, or some type of tough tape/adhesive with low/moderate top-side grip.

As to bedliner, the idea came from one of my favorite projects with my daughter. I used the Rustoleum bedliner on an old tool chest restoration project and realized it'd be better than the super glue-like paint that Trackside uses on their chocks. Grippy, not sticky!

Large album for those interested in the project.. My old boss gave me his rusted Craftsman tool chest/stand. I thought it would be fun to use electrolysis rust removal to prep it, then re-paint it with bedliner for a tough, scratch resistant pain. It worked out better than expected for my not-terribly-handy ass! :laughing

Cliff's notes of the project:

Before
HmL9ezI.jpg


After
ufrAQby.jpg
 
taylormade21 said:
I too have had generic roll on wheel chocks to transport to the track and for garage use. I had the same issue. The day I bought a Baxley, those troubles were over. I have had zero “sticking” issues.
You aren’t doing anything wrong, it’s just the wheel chock you have.
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100% correct. Baxley, no problems. Cycle gear trackside chock equals stuck front tire. The rag trick does not always work!
 
Frame Maker said:
You can't see them in the above picture, but there were two tie-downs from the bike to the truck. This is also the same arrangement (minus the towel/rag) I used a few days earlier transporting the bike back from Reno. This is a better picture...
Click to expand...

Yes! Two tie-downs assumed. The chock (rag, no-rag, strapped) itself isn't really necessary imho.
 
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cg_ops said:
I thought it would be fun to use electrolysis rust removal to prep it, then re-paint it with bedliner for a tough, scratch resistant pain. It worked out better than expected for my not-terribly-handy ass! :laughing
Click to expand...

I like your make-shift plastic sheeting tub. Disposible and custom sized.:thumbup
 
RVFRick said:
Yes! Two tie-downs assumed. The chock (rag, no-rag, strapped) itself isn't really necessary imho.
Click to expand...

I normally agree. In 40+ years of hauling countless motorcycles around I never used a wheel chock up until 3 years ago when I wanted a little extra security hauling a bike to The One Show in Portland. It worked well and gave me extra piece of mind since the bike would be completely covered in a plywood box for the duration of the trip. So no way to see if it was shifting around inside. I now use that chock for parking a bike that doesn't have a side stand or center stand.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I purchased three 500 Ninja in a lump sum purchase. The seller decide to include a CycleGear chock. It actually came in hand with the three Ninja's tightly packed in the back of my Toyota truck. From that experience I kinda liked how I could roll a bike into the truck and it would stay perfectly upright while I secure the tie downs. So I've just left it in the truck for lack of a better place to put it. So naturally I used it again when fetching the 250 Ninja from Reno.

So that's my overly long explanation just to say I agree, but now I like how it comes in handy.:teeth
 
I just put an old t-shirt over chalk, wheel never gets stuck anymore.
 
Frame Maker said:
I normally agree...
... that's my overly long explanation just to say I agree, but now I like how it comes in handy.:teeth
Click to expand...

Awesome. Belt + suspenders makes total sense. May as well use the chock if you got it. I love freebies like that when I buy bikes.
 
I've never used one. If it's one bike and I don't really need the bed space for anything else then I'll just put that front wheel into the bed corner and drag the back tire against the bed rail or wheel well. Left handle bar strap to the left rear tie down, right handle bar to the right front tie down. Then one strap from the right peg to the front right tie down. Cinch up the front facing straps first then finish with tightening up the tie down going to the left rear. Then close the tail gate.
 
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KooLaid said:
...If it's one bike...then I'll just put that front wheel into the bed corner and drag the back tire against the bed...
Click to expand...

I've been there, done that, many many times.

However, the day when I received the chock I had to load three 500 Ninjas into one Tacoma truck. The chock came in very handy in securing the center bike, which happened to be load in backwards. Since then, I've just left the chock in the back of my truck and have enjoy the added convince that it offers.

20221230_152131 by andbike, on Flickr
 
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