wesb, Sorry for not seeing this until now. I can not get on nearly as often as I would like to. The following takes into account that the reader already has some experience hanging and knows the basics in set up and technique, etc.
First off, driving and hanging is not the safest combination but it is all I have to work with to get the needed time in. By doing this I can hang about every 20 minutes off and on throughout the day. You will learn to have very active eyes and mind for safety sake (extra deensive driving). Also, you will learn to use your knees to drive while you attach the hanger, etc. You will also get used to wrapping and doing all of this without taking your eyes off of the road while you ride, doing it all by feel, believe it ir not.
The set up is pretty easy. I use the same hanging set up anyone else probably uses with the exception that I hang over the shoulder (OTS) and hang the weights over the top of the headrest so they hang behind me where the back seat passenger's knees would normally be. I drive a Nissan Exterra and it has a head rest that is squared off at the top which provides a nice resting spot for the rope.
The way it rests on the top of the headrest is what is more different: I use a rope that does not stretch, which is important and I run it through a PVC fitting that is shaped like a "C", only it is not a complete half circle. It is more of 1/3 of a circle. This allows the rope to feed freely across the top of the headrest while also protecting the head rest from getting marred.
You have to get used to picking up the weights on the rope, which I keep in the right hand passengers floor board, and reaching your arm over your head while setting this up on top of teh head rest. You will then attach the "S" hook of your Bib (or whatever hanger you choose to use) to the rope after you pull the rope down to the correct level to attach it. It helps to have a round ring on the end of the rope. It also helps to have the ring larger than the PVC fitting so it will not fall through the fitting in the event that you drop the whole thing while you are trying to hook yourself up.... and this will happen! Try to think outside of the box when it comes to hanging angles. If you tie some loops at chosen points along your rope you can hang your weights over the front of the seat, to the side, etc. Just be safe and careful while driving!
For heat, I bought a DC/AC power converter from Circuit City that I use for this and other things like printers and laptop, etc.
I carry all of this in a small soft-sided attache kind of thing. The lid folds over and latches in the front. It has two compartments, one that I use for the heating pad and the Bib hanger and the other compartment I use for the weights and rope set-up.
As far as the cars around you, they usually can not tell what you are doing as long as you are descreet. After all, they are hopefully trying to drive carefully with eyes facing ahead! It helps to drive in the right lane since cars passing you on the left can not see in as easliy as they can if they looked in the right window. You can also block curious people in the passenger seat of cars passing on the left by just placing your elbow up by the window and placing your hand on your chin, etc. Also, big rigs can see all, so you will want to have a towel, magazine, or road map within reach to lay accross your lap to make everything look cool. I use these techinques of descreetness in rush hour Atlanta traffic right through the gut of the city on I-75/85 in stop and go traffic and it works well. No one has been able to tell yet after about a year now.
Now... when you do light jelking after a set while you are driving... you are on your own!! I would just suggest not to do it if a policeman (or policelady?!?) happens to be passing you! The closest I have come to being discovered was when I was attaching my hanger this past week in front of a local university and got rear-ended by a 20 year old girl who was not watching what she was doing. My coordination and driving was fine, but you can not control others driving! As a side note; I think I set a new record in taking off my Bib hanger when I saw her coming towards my car with her insurance info in hand!
Remember, take care and err on the side of caution when in doubt. It will become second nature to you after a while.
- Poke
