10 MTB Tips & Hacks that will knock your socks off!

Breaking

your

chain can be a big hassle if you don't have what you need to fix it. But if you have a long descent ahead of you, you don't need a chain. Of course, this means you'll be walking around with a circular saw blade with nothing to cover it. As an added safety measure, you can wrap any remaining chain around the sprocket. This may seem unnecessary, but I've heard some horror stories related to sprocket. Simply measure the chain and use

your

chain tool to push the pin only halfway. From there you can separate the chain by hand and attach it around the sprocket without needing a quick link.

Besides being safer, this also looks pretty cool. Trail builders use a variety of tools to compact soil, particularly when working on jumps. If you need something with a little extra surface area, you can make your own compactor from scrap plywood. Find or cut a piece of plywood to the size you want and drill a hole in each side. Take a piece of rope and thread it through the holes, tying the ends to hold it in place. Operating this device is quite simple and although it doesn't have the weight of a purpose-built compactor, it can get the job done with enough power.

With enough haste and carelessness, one can destroy the head of your thru axle to the point that it becomes stuck on the bike. Not that any of us would do that. But, in theory, how would you get it out? I'll show you some ways. First, take a good hex wrench and try inserting it a little further, maybe even tapping it a couple of times. Sometimes this

will

give you enough grip to turn the shaft. Are you still stuck? Proceed to plan B. Find a Torx bit that is slightly larger than the mangled hole you created. Carefully tap it into that hole until it gets hopelessly stuck there.

Now, see if you can let it go. By the way, there is very little chance that you

will

damage a Torx bit this way, since it is made of steel and its thru-axle is made of soft aluminum. One more way to remove a shredded thru axle is to make a thru axle puller. Look for a hex wrench a little larger than the size your thru axle used to be. Make sure it's a cheap hex wrench because we're going to destroy it. Use a file or grinder to sharpen the end so it can dig into the thru axle.

It doesn't have to be perfect, as you can see, but it certainly helps. The next part is self explanatory. Hammering something on your bike can make you feel dizzy, so I hope this is the last time you need to do it. I think it goes without saying that from here you will need to replace the thru axle. A similar problem is a rounded shank bolt. This can happen, but there is an easy way to fix it. First, applying a little penetrant doesn't hurt. Next, get a high-quality, correctly sized hex wrench. Use that wrench to tighten the other stem bolt as much as you can safely.

This will make the other bolt easier to turn, so as long as it's not hopelessly rounded, you might be able to stick a wrench in and unscrew it. If not, you can move on to the Torx trick, although you can mark your tool since it will be steel on steel. It's still better than many of the other alternatives. I'm pretty good at keeping my valve stems tight, because in the past, I've unscrewed them or even broken them to convert them into hand pumps. It's not fun, and it turns out that very few people carry a valve core wrench.

But a lot of people have action cameras and this little mount does a great job of turning the valve cores. Just put it in there, tighten it, and consider double checking your valve cores in the future. If you've lost that little piece of rubber that holds the internally positioned cable in place, it can rattle against the frame and be annoying. But fear not. Duct tape will provide a nearly invisible solution. Simply pull the wire out about an inch and wrap it tightly with electrical tape until it reaches the thickness of the hole. Then put it back on the frame and enjoy a noise-free bike.

Simple and obvious, but very effective. If you are lucky enough to have a wheel leveling stand, you can add the ability to make true rotors. All you need is a nut and a screw. This will work with any alignment bracket and all you need to do is attach the nut to the arm. By tightening that bolt in and out, you can get a reference point of where the rotor is bent. To reference the other side of the rotor, you can use the underside of the bolt head. This is much easier than trying to see which brake pad rubs against the wheel installed on your bike, and you can perform this trick with things you may already have lying around.

At this point, we've probably done a billion zip tie tricks, but we've never talked about cutting them without a knife or lawnmower. In fact, you could end up in this situation down the road. If so, take your multi-tool and place the flange between two of the wrenches. Then rotate the multi-tool until the flange breaks off at the base. The best thing about this trick is that it doesn't leave any sharp edges. You'll end up with a sort of curled end that won't end up cutting you. This seems to work with most multi-tools and is much better than using your teeth.

To perform some repairs, such as changing a fork, it is necessary to temporarily remove the brake caliper and keep track of all the bolts, washers and other items that hold it in place. The easiest way to do this is with valve stem nuts; You know, valve stem nuts. Those little rings that screw onto the valve stems and tubeless inner tubes. These will screw nicely onto the bolts that hold the brake caliper on, so you can use two of them to hold everything together while the caliper is hanging there. But wait, does that mean you can? No, not really.

And even if it were, I'd probably advise against it. This last tip is for trail snacks, which many of us carry in Ziploc bags. Also known as garbage. A great alternative is a reusable sandwich bag. They are stronger, prettier and much better in every way than disposable bags and help reduce waste. But this advice is just an excuse for some mountain food recipes. Mash some avocado and mix it with lemon juice and a little salt. Put it on toast with a sliced ​​hard-boiled egg and you've got a hearty, nutrient-dense lunch. But that won't be enough if you need quick energy, so next time you go out for a walk, bring a banana snack.

This, of course, consists of a tortilla, mashed banana, and Reese's peanut butter cups. Put it in your resealable resealable bag and you've officially upped your trail food game. If you found these

tips

and tricks entertaining or even helpful, like this video and share it with a friend. This will probably be the last trick video of the season since the hero returned. As always, thanks for riding with me today and we'll see you next time.