Homemade "Scooter Noodle"

When I ordered my double scooter line from Alpine Outfitters I almost got a "scooter noodle" too. The scooter noodle slides over the line above the front tire of the bike or scooter to prevent damage to the line when it goes slack, as well as helping prevent "tangling and accidents". When the line is tight it stays above the tire but any slack can cause the line to rub on the tire or get caught.

Image from Alpine Outfitters

Image from Alpine Outfitters

I decided to wait since it was $20 and I wasn't sure if it would be necessary. Honestly I haven't had much issue with the line on the tire but whenever it does scrape I cringe. In my head I can see the fibers in the line getting shredded. I'm sure it would take a lot of wear and tear to cause serious damage but it worries me. I also have visions of the line getting caught and tangled causing myself to flip over the handlebars as the line gets wrapped up and jams the tire before I know what's happening. I do love Alpine Outfitters very much and I highly recommend their products but I couldn't justify spending $20 on their scooter noodle when I knew I could make my own for much, much cheaper.

I have some scrap PVC pipe from making agility weave poles and jumps. I took a piece about a foot long (30 cm). My husband found a big drill bit and put a hole in one end of the pipe, just through one side not all the way through both. I then cut a piece of rope about 8 inches long (20 cm). It's better to cut the rope too long than too short; when you think you have the right length add a few inches so you have room to adjust it if you need to, and also enough to tie a good knot. The hole you drill needs to be big enough that the rope can fit through it. You need to put a piece of rope through it to attach the PVC to the clip at the start of the line in order to keep it from sliding down.

The PVC I used is 3/4". It is too small to fit over the clips at either end of the line. The the middle of the line there is a knot of sorts where the two pieces of the line were fed through each other. I took that apart to slide the PVC onto the line. EDIT: It's much easier to remove the clip at the end of the line than to pull the two segments apart. The line loops over the clip, it's very easy to take off so you can slide the PVC on!

The "knot" in the middle where the 2 pieces of the line are joined.
EDIT: DO NOT TAKE THIS APART

The better way of putting the PVC on the line:

The metal clip is easily removed. Simply loosen the loop around it and take the clip out.

Feed the line up through the PVC.

Reattach the clip by putting the loop through the base of the clip..

..Put the loop over the clip..

..And pull it tight.

Then tie the PVC rope around the base of the clip. See my Urban Mushing: How To video for a video demo of how to take the clip off, put the PVC on, and reattach the clip.

PVC is very cheap, as is rope. PVC is about $0.20/foot and rope is very cheap too- you could even use an old shoelace. My homemade scooter noodle cost no more than $0.50 and it works great! The one from Alpine Outfitters appears to have a strap piece that goes from the far end of the noodle up to the handlebars, holding the noodle out straight to prevent the noodle itself from rubbing on the tire. All that would be needed is a hole in the other end and a few more feet of rope.

Quick tips:
-Use nail polish remover to get rid of any print on the PVC.
-Burn the ends of the rope if needed so they don't fray.

Look at all those scuffs! Maybe I needed this more than I thought.