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No, it’s not a rock band or a new porno site, but a problem that plagues winter riders.
I decided to stick my battery for the Niterider in the seat bag instead of the water bottle cage, since I figured it would be less subject to road spray. When I attempted to open said bag I realized that the zipper was totally encrusted in salt and who knows what else, and it wouldn’t budge. My first reaction was “Oh well, maybe the water bottle cage isn’t so bad after all” but on sober reflection I realized that there wasn’t much point to having a spare tube in the bag if I couldn’t open it when the need arose. Of course, the point was moot anyway, since I then realized that I hadn’t been carrying a pump on this particular bike.
Anyway, I decided I really did need to get it open. I next slathered it with a variety of fluids I had on hand, a graphite based thing meant to free up locks, silicone grease I had from my car mechanic days, and the usual bike lubricants. No joy. So I got out the pliers and decided to twist it a bit, just to get it started. Then some vigorous tugging ensued, which succeeded in pulling off the pull tab. So, it was becoming clear that the impossible dream of having once more a useable zipper was just that, impossible. So, I pulled out all the stops, got the pliers and managed to removed the offending slider.
So, now I had the bag open, but no way to close it. So I resorted to a trick I’d used in the past, squeezing the top and bottom of the zipper together with a spring clip. Not exactly water tight, but better than nothing.
I’ve had this problem many times in the past. By the time I notice the zipper doesn’t zip any more, it’s too late. Since I’m unlikely to do periodic maintenance on an item as ignorable as a zipper (most bike repairs don’t occur until they reach the life threatening stage), I need to find a magic ointment that I can just slop on once a decade or so and forget about. Any suggestions?
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