Is the “Cable Tie” a biker’s best friend?

**Ian T-J** · 12th March 2016, 22:38

“my example of “good design” has been the humble cable tie. Designed in 1958 by Thomas & Betts, or to be more precise, the later one-piece, nylon design of 1968.”

Read the full interview at :- http://www.trf.org.uk/make-do-and-mend/

**george formby** · 12th March 2016, 22:55

I love cat stranglers. Most of my old shit is held together with them.

**Big Dog** · 12th March 2016, 23:22

Never ceases to amaze how many temporary solutions involving cable ties suddenly become permanent.

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**george formby** · 12th March 2016, 23:57

Yep. But only if you splurge on the UV rated ties. Those cheap multicoloured multipacks are a waste of plastic.

**Night Falcon** · 13th March 2016, 09:04

Originally Posted by george formby

Yep. But only if you splurge on the UV rated ties. Those cheap multicoloured multipacks are a waste of plastic.

but they are cheap though.....and multi coloured

**Tazz** · 13th March 2016, 12:42

Green ones are the strongest

**Moi** · 13th March 2016, 13:13

Originally Posted by Night Falcon

but they are cheap though.....and multi coloured

... rainbow coloured cable ties on a Honda...

**MarkH** · 13th March 2016, 13:23

I've added cable ties to my saddle bag along with other useful tools, I've also ordered some releasable cable ties so I can reuse them over & over.
They are pretty useful little things!

**AllanB** · 13th March 2016, 15:59

Ducati like them. I've noticed a fair number around the wiring on my bike.

Cop shows like them too - better than hand cuffs.

**Kage** · 13th March 2016, 15:59

It's amazing how once you start using cable ties they end up everywhere, I can never work out where they all come from

**Big Dog** · 13th March 2016, 16:21

Originally Posted by AllanB

Ducati like them. I've noticed a fair number around the wiring on my bike.

Cop shows like them too - better than hand cuffs.

Only in that you can cary 2-300 for the same weight as 2 pair real cuffs... plasticuffs I believe are slightly different in design but the mechanics are the same, just harder to twist out of.
Sober me says you can't twist out of 10 mm nylon zip ties. Drunk me disagrees.

If "Cops" is to believed you can cary 5 sets of plasticuffs in the same holder as one set of steel cuffs.

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**Gremlin** · 13th March 2016, 17:24

Originally Posted by Big Dog

Only in that you can cary 2-300 for the same weight as 2 pair real cuffs... plasticuffs I believe are slightly different in design but the mechanics are the same, just harder to twist out of.
Sober me says you can't twist out of 10 mm nylon zip ties. Drunk me disagrees.

Usually those are double looped. There are actually a heap of different options for zip ties.

Some I colour match to the wiring, some I colour match like red to power cables, and others I deliberately contrast so it's easy to pick them (like for suspension wiring). A while back I bought a bag of a thousand... figured I'd go through them eventually