This video is sponsored by Skillshare, an
online learning community for creators with more than 17,000 classes in design, productivity,
photography, and more. A hack is a way to do something not by the
book. It’s how you do a job without having the
right tool, or experience. Today we’ll be exploring 10 such hacks that
relate to mountain biking. Some of these hacks may help you on the trail,
and some in the shop. Others may be totally useless. With that, let’s get started. I’ve heard it said that master links can
be undone by hand, but I don’t think this works on today’s chains. I use a plier. In an emergency though, you can use part of
your shoe. Just undo your shoe lace, wrap it around the
link once, and pull it with both hands. The link will compress inwards and release
the clip. To get it back together, all you need to do
is pedal. When transporting your bike without the wheels
on, chocking your disc calipers will prevent them from being accidentally compressed. So what do you use if you don’t have a chock? First, get your hands on a popsicle stick. How you do that is your choice. The wider ones work the best, and you can
cut it in half if you need two. Whatever you do, make sure you clean it off
good. The next time you hit the trails, have all
your crap ready in a milk crate. Milk crates are great for your pads, gloves,
tools, and filthy mountain bike stuff. You can use them to keep your trunk organized,
and of course they ventilate well. For extra storage, you can drill a hole in
the top and add an S hook for your helmet. I can think of some terrible ways to clean
a mountain bike—like the automatic car wash at your local supermarket. This one sucks, and it costs $5. Instead go to the dollar store and buy a toilet
brush. Toilet brushes have long bristles which are
perfect for getting into your cassette and other tight spaces. With some dish soap and a gentle stream of
water, you’ll have everything you need to get your rims, drivetrain, and frame looking
perfect. Just be sure to label it to avoid—cross
contamination. Everyone knows that stickers make your bike
faster, kinda like nitro. But applying a sticker carelessly can cause
bubbles. Bubbles aren’t any fun. So the next time you put a sticker on your
bike, helmet, or toolbox, try applying it from the center and working you way out. By doing it this way, there’s no opportunity
to trap air underneath. A flat and precise sticker will always give
you maximum boost. Everyone’s familiar with glueless patches,
and of course vulcanizing patch kits which use rubber cement. If you’re really committed to not buying
new tubes you can make your own patch kit. Just buy a lifetime supply of rubber cement
from the store, and cut patches out of an old inner tube. Identify the hole and sand the surface around
it really good. Apply rubber cement to it and let it dry for
a few minutes. Sand your patch, and apply it by pressing
down around it. Your friends will laugh at you, but that’s
okay because you’re recycling. Of course, there’s a good chance you’re
not even messing with inner tubes anymore. Tubeless sealant eliminates tubes, and plugs
most flats. When a puncture occurs the sealant splashes
into the hole and plugs it. On the sidewall this doesn’t always work
reliably, but these handy repair kits do. Just stick one of these bacon strips into
the hole and it’s perfectly sealed. If you’re committed to not buying one of
these, you can use a piece of sponge. Just plug the hole with some sponge and a
small Allen key. The sponge will absorb the sealant, dry, and
stop the leak. Ahem, it will stop the leak. Okay, so it’ll stop the leak eventually. This is a hack, and it could get you out of
a pickle if you don’t have the kit. This rubber ring on your stanchion is used
to determine sag, but sometimes it breaks off. Many riders use a zip tie in its place, and
indeed that works. Still if you leave the zip tie on and end
up bottoming out your suspension, you could be forcing a brittle plastic zip tie into
the top of your seal. If you remove the zip tie, you’re making
a risky cut right next to your stanchion. To avoid this, apply the zip tie inside out. You’ll be able to set your sag, and pull
it right off when you’re done. Ever take a sip of warm rubbery water from
your hydration pack. That’s because you just drank the water
that was sitting in the tube all day. Most people spit out their first sip but this
can waste a lot of water over the course of a ride. Instead, blow into the tube first. This will mix the tube water with the reservoir
and give you a fresh sip. While water does keep you hydrated, a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich is the perfect fuel for long rides. It’s the perfect mix of carbs, sugar, and
protein, all in one delicious package. I’d forgive you for thinking there’s no
better mid ride snack, but there actually is: Introducing the peanut butter and jelly
burrito. Say goodbye to soggy bread. This is best done on a flour tortilla, not
corn. You can even put banana in it for potassium,
and toast the edges to keep it shut. If you haven’t tried this you’re missing
out. So there you have it. Ten more bike hacks. I hope you found these useful or at least
entertaining. If you want to see more hacks just check the
playlist below, and don’t forget to subscribe to Seth’s Bike Hacks for new videos every
week. Until then, thanks for riding with me today,
and I’ll see you next time. Have you ever wanted to have something manufactured? This class on Skillshare teaches you all the
ins and outs. This is one of many concise and organized
courses you’ll find on skillshare, an online learning community that uses video to teach
you just about anything. Once you sign up, you’ll have access to
classes on game design, business, video editing, and more. I’m watching this tutorial on final cut
pro, and learning a bunch of things I didn’t know before. To try skillshare for free click the link
below. The first 500 will get 2 free months, which
is enough time to learn a lot of stuff. With Skillshare, you can turn your hobby into
a full time career.
curious and don't have time to watch it all with audio - what's the paid promotion?
I love Seth's bike hacks! One of my favorite YouTubers for sure!
Great now peanut butter is going to be sold out for the rest of the year