10 Bike Hacks for MTB & Beyond

Life hacks videos are almost never useful sources of information, but they’re great entertainment. Today, we’ll be looking at 10 life hacks just for mountain bikers. Let’s begin.

If you use action cameras the way I do, the cases get filthy inside and out. Just put them in the dishwasher with detergent and everything. They’ll come out looking good as new.

A lot of people work on their bikes upside down like this, but sometimes it’s hard to get to shifters and things on the handlebars. Use two pieces of wood, or bricks to give yourself another few inches of clearance. It’s no work stand, but it gets the job done.

It's amazing to me how many people don't know how to stand their bike up on a curb or log. Just kick the pedal backwards and the drivetrain will hold it in place. Put the pedal forwards and the bike won’t stay up.

Do you know how to true wheels, but don’t have a truing stand? Use zip ties as pins. Now you can watch any tutorial on truing and get your wheel straight as an arrow. I have an old video on this in the description.

Have any of these little patch kit boxes? Well they work great as first aid kits. I was able to fit bandages, ointment, butterfly closures and even tape in one of these. I’m sure it could be mounted under a seat, and of course you could throw it in your backpack.

I know this sounds hard to believe, but I’ve seen several people get their stolen bikes back. Every time, they needed to prove to law enforcement that they were the rightful owner. If you can correctly predict that this piece of paper will be in the seat post or handlebars, it’s hard to dispute that you’re the true owner.

Have a tubeless tire that just won't seal up? Adding particulate to your sealant makes it plug bigger holes. We used glitter for this in another video. While this does clearly work, it also gets messy and makes your sealant clump more.

Hydration packs slosh around when there’s air inside the bladder creating empty space. You can bleed the air out by turning the pack upside down and taking a drink. This is super easy to do and works like a charm.

We all get muddy and sweaty when mountain biking, so you can make a seat cover out of an old towel. Just fold it over at the top, and fasten the ends together with thread, staples, or whatever you want. The pocket at the top keeps the towel in place over your headrest, and it can still be used like a normal towel.

If you use zip ties on your bike this little piece here can be dangerous, so most people use end nippers or even a nail clipper to get them really short. I use a knife to get it totally flush with the fastener.

So that's it, 10 hacks for mountain bikers. If you enjoyed this video, share it with a mountain biker you know, and if not, click the like button anyway and then spew your hate in the comments. Thanks for riding with me today, and I’ll see you next time.

[chili]

Ahh, I'll make sure to take that paper out of the frame after I steal your bike, thanks for the tip Seth! lol

[skyes]

This is one of my favorite channels when it comes to bikes.

[mountainbikingvt]

I am so excited to get started on my bike. I spent 200 dollars on it to fix it up. It's an old diamondback Sorrento. Thanks for the vids! This is by far my favorite channel!!

[t-perm]

I’ve used the pedal stand trick since I was 6

[ofekp]

I just found out my self about keeping the bikes standing on the curb with the paddle few weeks ago, that trick is legit!

[MadeofSpareParts]

am i the only one the doesn't mountain bike, but finds these videos extremely entertaining?

[Yosser]

Best MTB stuff on YouTube right here. Learned loads of Seth, keep up the good work man :)

[trentdrummond]

finally, someone shouts out the pedal stand

[pauldanielwilliams]

I had never thought about butting a paper in my seat tube now I have one in there that says told you so.

[MrLmtpaul]

Saved all my patch kit containers for years, they come in handy all over the place! Dog treats, ear plugs, even made a holder for my Square credit card reader. Nice video!

[jcsrst]

The zip ties for wheel truing are pure genius!! Thanks!

[Mark-Huigen]

You continue to amaze me! Each one of these hacks is golden!

[charlotteice]

Man it was roughly 3 yrs ago when this video led me to your channel and thus to mtbing. I'm not into mtb as much as I used to but still love your videos.

[andresgagge]

man your channel is the best!! thanks to you I'm learning a lot of tricks with my mtb! so thanks you so much!!!

[battlemage]

love the pedal curb stand, works like a charm!

[jimmysyar]

I GOT MY STOLEN BIKE BACK AFTER 1 YEAR IT DOES

[ShaneSchofield]

Zip-tie tails are the bane of any mechanic's hands. Doesn't matter if it's a bike or a £5mil yacht, somebody at sometime has left a zip-tie half trimmed ready for you to cut yourself on. Earlier today, I stuck my head in a truck and an uncut zip-tie poked me right in the eye!

I recommend Stanley blades, flush side cutters or a cable-tie gun.

The towel-seatcover idea is genius.

[boomerangfreak]

this actually has some really nice and useful (for a change) things in it. Love it!

[cyberdoggo]

0:20 "If something's dirty just wash it" thank you Seth, very cool

[harrisonthrelfall]

This is my favorite channel to watch when pooping