Okay so I got a little carried away with the title. Really this is just the third edition of 10 bike hacks, and some of them are pretty weird. From how to film, to how to eat, here are some fun tricks for mountain, road, and bmx. Let’s get started.
Get a huge nail, bolt, or even a tent stake, and mount one of these GoPro bases to it. Heating up the tape a lot will make it stick better. Once it cools you can use it as a handle, or stick it in the ground to film yourself. Although it’s clearly unsafe, It’s more badass than a gorilla pod, and easier to set up. I call it a GoShank.
While the GoShank is great in a pinch, some jobs require a real tripod. Many hydration packs have these buckles at the top for the front pouch. Secure the upper part of a tripod leg behind this buckle, and tuck the bottom of the leg behind the shoulder strap. It’s amazing how well the tripod stays in place. I've seen more than one UKpostsr use this trick.
Old inner tubes are usually left in the trash, but actually you can make heavy duty rubber bands out of them. These don’t dry out as quickly as normal rubber bands, and they’re great for securing-inner tubes. It looks like if you double them up they could also be used as volume reducers. After all, volume reducers just sit there and take up space.
There's nothing worse than showing up to a race without the entry fee, which is usually cash only. Pull the end cap off your handlebar and hide a $20 bill inside. Put an inner tube rubber band around it so that it doesn't slide around, and you'll have emergency funds if you forget your wallet. This could get you out of a jam someday.
As we saw in another video you could also use that bit of currency to brace a sidewall tear. After experimenting with 5 different methods we found that a rolled up bill holds up with the best of them. This is because currency is made from a water resistant durable cloth, rather than traditional paper. Just slip the bill between the tire and a tube, and carefully pump it up. This can get you back to the trailhead without walking.
When I showed the cable fray trick in another video, some of you thought I was playing it in reverse, but it’s true! You can unfray some cables by twisting them from the base and working your way back up. This works particularly well on cables that were recently frayed, and usually by clipping a little off the end and adding a new cap, you’re back up and running without needing to swap the whole thing.
Car interior cleaning wipes are a really convenient way to clean your bike. Although I wouldn’t use them on moving parts, and certainly not on disc brakes, they do work great on the rest of the bike. They’re great for getting into tight spaces, and you can always leave a can of them in your car for ease of use. I’ve heard you shouldn’t use these on tires, but I’ve been doing it with no adverse affects. Of course I do take care not to get any on the tread.
When you’re climbing a fire road the summertime, particularly in the northeast, gnats seem to find their way to your face, eyes, and mouth. This is because they tend to fly to the highest point on your body. So while you’re climbing that fire road, put your arm in the air for some temporary relief, and then sprint away to make your escape.
If you want to accurately weigh your bike these purpose built scales are just awesome, but you can do it on the cheap with a fish scale. It’s not pretty, and it’s not easy to hook your bike to, but it’s surprisingly accurate and it gets the job done for $10. Fish scales sometimes have a measuring tape built in, which is a cool bonus.
I see a lot of riders use trail mix as a snack, in fact the sweet and salty mix seems to be ideal for some quick, filling energy. But trail mix is lame, so make your own!
Home made trail mix is anything but lame. Just pick out a few awesome ingredients, pour them into a container, and mix them up real good. I’m using cranberries, peanuts, and reese’s in mine. If you want to spice it up you can snap into a Slim Jim. I guarantee you won’t find this trail mix in stores.
So there you go. 10 more, sort of bike hacks. I’m starting a new list now and figure it should be done by the summer. If you have any bike hacks let me know in the comments and maybe you’ll see it in the next video. Until then, thanks for riding with me today and I’ll see you next time.