10 Ridiculously Cheap Mountain Bike Upgrades
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- Опубликовано: 6 дек 2016
- So you just spent all your money on a new mountain bike. It’s your pride and joy. You stare at it, pamper it, and of course you ride it. Still, you want to spoil your bike but you’re totally friggin broke. I’ve got your back, these 10 super cheap upgrades can improve your bike, protect it, or just make it look nicer. Let’s get started.
These plastic cable fasteners are known as c-clips, and I’m pretty sure the C stands for crap because these always come loose and leave your cables hanging. For this reason, professionals use zip ties. Multi colored zip ties are not only slimmer and more secure, but they also can personalize your bike. Rather than matching your frame color, you should try to choose an accent color from your components so they stand out. Zip ties can be purchased at a hardware store, or online for just a few bucks.
Since you have a bunch of zip ties, why not use them to neaten up your brake and shift cables. Try to find a way to keep the cables from hitting into each other, but still move freely as you steer. This will make your whole bike neater, quieter, and better looking.
When you take a hard landing, your chain will sometimes hit your frame. This is called chain-slap, and the affected area is called your chainstay. Look closely and there’s usually a clear sticker there which offers some protection. To really protect your paint you can wrap your chainstay with electrical tape. Of course this comes in many colors. If you use the high quality 3M stuff, it’ll come off without leaving any residue. When the tape gets chewed up from the chain, you can pull it off and replace it again to keep your bike looking fresh.
Another way to protect your chainstay is with a neoprene guard. These are often given away for free when you order stuff, and they can be had for just a few bucks on Amazon. Since they’re fastened with velcro they can be easily replaced or removed for cleaning. Keep your bike fresh and protect your chainstay.
For the rest of the transcript, turn on closed captions. 
Хобби
I was sceptical but gave it a try. I did all the mods and now I am able to do double backflips. I think the weight reduction from the carbon spacer made the biggest difference.
Oddball Mcdoodle
😂 hmmm I got similar results too.
thanks for the laugh xD
Whoa lol hahaha🤣
Lol thanks for the laugh...
U can also stick a empty plastic bottle on top of the back tire. wedged between the wheel and frame.
To get an amazing motorbike sound.
Or Pokémon cards
Are you filipino?
😂😂😂😂😂👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
i invented that
GGMU
Oh thank you so much for the colored wire end tips. Since i have switched from regular to blue I notice girls digging me left and right.
Yeah, me too put Ferari sticker on, now I open office doors without hads :)))
Shure buddy
@@carlwheezer7459 it was a joke buddy
4:02 Grip tape on the chain stay? So every time the chain bounces against that grip tape, it's getting sanded down. Lol.
Weight reduction my boy
The dream of xc racers and soon they’ll want
Carbon fiber lubricant
It's only a bad idea because it will make the chain rust by sanding off the protective outer layer
protects the bike by getting rid of the chain. Who needs a chain anyway xD
@@celsomonteiro6541 yes ofcourse. The xc racers will go so fast uphill with the weight reduction from removing the chain. Then they could remove the entire drivetrain cranks freehub bottombracket shifters. And you will save money on lubes
"Everyone hates valve caps"
I don't. They look better than a sharp valve poker.
Plus plastic ones are easier to get off after some time.
@@JohnyMcNeal yea but if you run over it with you bike
i like my blue anodized valve caps! wouldn't even think of not having valve caps! haha
Plastic ones crack. I hate that.
@@chiquicat1 but aluminum caps get crusty overtime, I just prefer plastic caps since they are cheaper. But I respect your opinion.
I asked my parents for some lube and i got smacked in the back of the head rip
@Ali youre kidding
Manny Pacquiao F
@Manny Pacquiao Epic gamer moment
Your parents need to change their attitude towards lube... in the end it makes the ride much smoother and pleasant for everyone! ^^
PotatoBlin lmaoooo
Thanks! I'm going to have the baddest Huffy bike on my block now.
lmao
huffy makes high-end, quality racing bikes too
My broke apart when i road it over a curb
I went and bought all these upgrades now all I need is a mountain bike 🚵♀️
Lmao
😆
Nice
😂😂🤣
😂
Put some carbon on the soles of your shoes, then when you walk the trail, people will see your carbon footprint..👟👟🥾🥾👟👟🥾🥾👟👟🥾🥾👟👟
urban sk8r had me in stitches haha
Woooow 😂😂😂
Put some on Greta Thunberg's shoes.
lol stupid but funny
My footprint is carbon-neutral.
Best chain stay protector is to wrap 550 paracord wrapped around the stay then burn it to itself at the ends. It's quiet, cheap, looks pretty awesome, and who knows when you may need paracord on the ride.
Thats freakin' genius. I thought it was a stupid idea until the last part, then it all made sense...
Also nothing wrong with an old tube and a ziptie.. Quiet, tough and a great way to recycle an old tube.
@@JasonTankard and can be used to start fire in emergency
Too heavy, I'll pass.
@@Wilhuff_T how heavy do you think Paracord is?
Two hacks for standard handle bar grips:
1. Inject water between grip and handlebar with a cheap syringe to get them off the handlebar.
2. Spray some standard hairspray on the handlebar to put the grips on. The hairspray will work like a lubricant while it’s wet and like glue after 1-2 hours after you attached the grips.
Or,
1: pull them off
2: push them on.
Why complicate things?
@@Jay-we2ek That works fine when things are new. Once you have them on for 3 years they are stuck to the handlebar and sometimes have to be cut off. Having anything between can help, acrylates are used for that specific purpose elsewhere too; gives a bit of adhesion but can be softened with water when needed.
We are The lies baby
If you have the option, just use compressed air. To get them on and off easily without peeling
@@Jay-we2ekbecause putting them on like normal means they're going to slip around. I know you were born dumb, but it takes real effort to stay dumb.
I'm relatively new to mountain biking...having ridden only 10-speeds in my youth. I am drawn to your videos because of your low-thrills video editing approach. In essence...you provide very useful information without all the sensationalism. THANK YOU! The vast array of subjects is also intriguing.
This was the first video I saw a year ago when I got back into biking. And I was hooked all your little hacks you have shown us I use on all my bikes. Thanks Seth for guiding me in the right path. I started with a specialized Rockhopper and now proud owner of DB R5C.
I would NOT use griptape on the chain-stay. Its highly abrasive and tends to release bits of grit. I'm not saying this would happen immediately, but over time you'd risk having little bits of abrasive gunk in your gears. Much better options out there. And if you think to use it on your shifters rub it with another piece of griptape and soften the harshness of it a bit, your fingers will thank you.
Þorír Bjørk 8
I skate and just bought my first mtb and I was like ".....wtf, no" hahaha
@@Gwilfawe yea same lol
"So you just spent all your money on a new mountain bike"
...Yes
The comments here is like going to the Apollo. All most have to do now is upgrade their man cave to store all the spare stuff left over that came in packs of 10,000 units.
If you have a downhill/freeride bike, I would recommend to wrap an old tube around the frame to protect it from the chain. Just secure it with zip ties at the ends. That's the best protection. It also has more of kind of an aggressive look to it which fits dh/fr pretty well.
Don't use electrical tape as chain protection. With temperature and time the sticky sides kinda melts but stays really sticky, nasty sticky, like melted bubble gum. I've done it, and won't do it again. Plus the tape starts hanging and it looks really "ghetto".
What i did instead was buy some cheap neoprene jacket at a thrift store, cut out some rectangle pieces and ziptied it around the part of the frame where the chain hits. Works great and it was cheap and you can make a lot of them.
👍🏻
I glued a piece of leftover carpet on. Also handy to clean the soles of my shoes after a muddy ride
But did you spring for the 3m?
I ziptied a piece of old cycle tube on mine
I taped a worn out bike tube to the bottom of my bike and to the chain frame part (forgot what it's called lol) works really well. And if done neat, looks attractive
Just spent all my money on a new Norco Storm this video is invaluable awesome tips and very well put together. I just subscribed!!
2:10 my dad uses a old innertube to use as a chain guard
"You stare at it, you pamper it, and of course you ride it." You talking about a bike or a girlfriend?
Both
Lol
He wants a girlfriend but pretends his bike like it
RFC Vlogs he’s married...
@@josephtatton966 r/wooosh
"I save 20g with my carbon spacers!"
Lmao
"I haven't had a drink of water or a gram of salt in two days; I'm at least 2 kilos lighter than the competition!"
hah I save more than 200g with my carbonfiber handlebar
I just take a huge shit before riding to drop the weight. Swap carbon fibre for dietary fibre
30 psi in my Minions. I don’t give s crap about your opinions.
I know that this was 5 years ago but I still love it as a newbie. Also the pacing with 10 tips in 7 min is refreshing. PS I did all the mods this past year and they are still good tips (especially in ongoing covid isolation)
personally when using metal valve stems, i always add a small splodge of anti-seize or copper grease for good measure. nothing worse than going to pump up your tyres and finding out the stem cap has stuck!
great video nonetheless!!
Its awesome that you consider making your bike look cooler "upgrading" it. I'm not the only one!
It's what the guys driving Civics with wings and fart cans think, too.
lmao ^^
Hahaha
Upgrading the look maybe???
Khyren Hoskovec unlike people in the car community who just say your a ricer! I too think customisation is a huge plus!
How about put a seths bike hacks face sticker on it?
It adds a little weight, but the payoff is worthwhile
I don't know what you are talking about a Seth's bike hacks sticker reduced my bike weight by 5 pounds
You took the words out of my mouth.
Seth's Bike Hacks after the carbon spacer i think its worth the weight..
Seth's Bike Hacks how does a guy get one of your stickers?
Man, I love your channel! Every video is cool and calming.
these are all good tips .. just got a new MTB bike for my son ... really helps .. thank you
Seth, I don't know if this is possible, but it would be amazing if you did a track stand on a paddle board in the ocean. You could get millions of views for that one.
Another classic style seths bike hacks video
Another generic style comment about how this a classic Seth style video. This is not really his original or classic style in my opinion, the classic Seth used to sound relaxed and not care to say fuck or shit.
Can't disagree, but remember that not saying those words allows him to address a bigger audience.
Like it or not, there are youtube users that get worked up when they hear those words. And some kids too, it seems.
Deartist 7 I tend to delete people who i watch on youtube or fb who swear a lot because there is no need for it I'm a father of 1 little 5 year old and don't want him growing up swearing his head off 😠
Stewart Summerside He doesn't now, who cares.
Stewart Summerside I teach my seven year old about curse words cause I'd rather he learn it from me than some kids at school. He also knows where and when it's appropriate to use them. If your kid watches any RUclips unsupervised, they are gonna run into cursing.
Watching my first ever Seth bike hacks video on the last day of 2019
keep shredding Seth love the videos dude
Ha Ha same here I love everyone of Seths uploads
Big difference with my carbon spacer, so happy with this purchase
Bike went through an entire weight loss program thanks to you
Thanks Seth:D
Only problem with metallic bar ends is that they scratch anything that the bike leans against. Cars, walls, other bikes, etc.
Never had that issue. Firstly I don't lean my bike against a car, secondly with my wall it's the other way round it scratches my bike and with other bikes I never discovered that it gets scratches since it has very flush ends and also there isn't much force behind it (I mean my bike doesn't weigh a ton)
put a blob of hot gun glue on the end, problem solved !!!! Rocket Science !
@@philboeroe Just wait till you take a corner too tight
another awesome upgrade is to clip hockey cards to the front and rear tire spokes. makes a really cool sound
that is only cool if you are ten and wanna impress your friends
stan lee bruh don’t need that my bike already sounds like a motorcycle lol
>hockey cards
hello, Canada
oh i always just jam a stick in my front wheel and do a sick front flip
Beer can wedged between the tire and fork sounds meaner
I'm big fan of your super cheap mtb upgrades video series. 👍
Great vid, great comments and music too. Love the use of the Orange p7 as a devotee of the brand for 35 years from the other side of the pond. 👍👍
Dude, this video is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks man!
hey dude your videos are never boring 👌🏽👍🏼
Thanks for these upgrades!
Awesome video mate, cheers for the tips!
I don't think sandpaper would be good for chainstay protection because every time your chain smacks against it your chain would get super scratched up, but pretty sweet video, I'm gona be buying a proper mtb pretty soon and these are some good ideas.
I was thinking that at first too, but the scratches would probably be negligible. You'd probably want to replace your chain due to regular wear first, but... yeah, I'd skip that 'upgrade' too.
An old inner tube works well, despite being a bit heavy.
Mike O'. road bike dropbar tape is the best
I use some old rim tape wrapped around the chain stay with electrical tape on either end , I don't wrap the electrical tape all the way around the chain stay along with the rim tape because the electrical tape would get all chewed up by chain slap and look nasty after a while , just a cool idea I thought of that I figured I'd share
It wouldn't really damage your chain.
I use an old inner tube wrapped around and zip tied on each end.
Environmentally friendly, cheap and also keeps it quiet
Dude that bike looks so bad ass. Frame is my favorite color and so are the bars.
Thanks for the tips dude🤙🏼
Hello from Greece ! Nice videos dude ! Thanks for this ! I Just subscribed ! ❤❤
Why did i watch this? I dont even have a mountain bike..
Jordan Edlin same here
but you want one
Same here. What the hell is a mountain bike?
fetB
I guess we do.
That is why you watched it you were curious this is all common knowledge to serious riders.
I have 45$ bike what did you exspect me to buy 12$ grips?
i think this guide is meant for people with $200+ bikes
@@danielmattos2813 i think you missed a zero in your comment xD
@@danielmattos2813 2000*
he is talking about bikes, not torture devices. Seriously, go to a bike store and test drive 500$ to 1500$ Mountainbikes and you will notice that, at the moment, you are not riding a bike but make yourself miserable. ;)
Das Morbo 50 dollar bikes are not torture devices if you take care of them, why spend 500 if you can spend like 250
Always getting back to this video... Its.. Its just so magnificent :0
Seth has the best RUclips channel on biking. Hands down.
This is like my 15th time watching this😂
why ?
Me too! It's the only bike upgrade video on this channel!
Same
same
Same
This is me right now. I have no money and this helped me. Thx!!
I completely forgot those improvements since I was little - thx 🙏
Just bought 2 radrovers and added a few essentials for ous in our recent ebike video review, watching this one now to get MORE ideas hehe.
seth you should do a video on how to lube the chain and gears!
-Unused- inner tube as chainstay protector look even cooler :)
YourNickIsTaken used or unused still cool
YourNickIsTaken You beat me to it! Not only cheap but it also dampens that annoying "clank" you get from the chain slap.
AJ MAC lol I have a DH tube on my bike's chainstay!
M T , yeah good idea Bro 👍 in some countries it's also called "self laminating tape" or "self vulcanising tape". It's not sticky either so it doesn't leave any residue behind
RSA Jay. Instead of using electrical tape on your change stay use Self-Fusing Silicone Tape instead. It last a long time and works great. The only down side is that it doesn't come in very many colors. I've see white, red and black, but there might be other colors.
I use this www.amazon.com/Emergency-Repair-Tape-Self-Fusing-Silicone/dp/B00KBSWRDO
Thanks for the tips they really helped 👍
Great inexpensive tips. Thanks, Bicycle John
one cheap part which makes crank maintenance easier is swapping shimanos preload cap with an aluminium hex key cap, so you don't need to dig out the preload cap tool.
That's pretty smart actually
ashlie higgins you have to be careful with hex caps since these preload caps are suppossed to be tighten with your hand only without applying much torque at all
Your logic is off. You use a tool to tighten Shimano preload caps, just like you would use a tool to tighten a hex cap. Just tighten it enough to take out any play. There's no reason to believe that having a hex cap would make a user more likely to overtighten their preload cap just because it uses a standard tool.
it's the faff of trying to dig out the preload tool, and you can't get any purchase on the crappy plastic ones, or if you get hopetech's preload tool, it's awkward to get it to fit, as it slides of the hex bit, when with a hex key cap just grab a 10mm hex key torque it up and it's fine.
Where do I find me one of these?
if you don't like end crimps at all, you could solder the cable ends
Love the videos keep up hacks, and tricks please
Good job bro hacks are really common and useful🤗🤗🤗🤗
I've never liked the bolt on grips, I have big hands and find them all too short. And if you leave the handle bar ends open, you can collect soil for your pot plants at home.
Wow, that's all organic 'n' stuff! ;D
They can also scratch your paint if you lean your bike on your vehicle the wrong way. You want to get tangled with bars in crash either. One sided bolt on grips are best imo.
@@lonh8554 Lean your bike on your vehicle???? Well what kind of f£$%&_~ idiot would do that????
Not me obviously. I didn't do that, and have my new Fat Bike slip backwards go down with the bars turning under the bike and actually break the little curved tube that supports the cable to my dropper seatpost. Obviously.
I've been collecting soil for years. I thought I was the only one.
i once saw a guy who didn't have bar ends and the end of his bars were worn down and sharp, after taking a fall he trapped his thumb underneath it and cut the end clean off :O ever since our local skatepark won't let bmxers in without bar plugs!
As a chainstay protector, I would add: Use a flat inner tire. cut it open en then wrap it around the chainstay like you did with the tape. lock it in place with tie rips.
Kelvin Mulder it looks desgusting though. a better solution is to stick road bike dropbar tape at the top n bottom of your chainstays. it looks very clean n its lighter.
Fran Rod That is also a very good idea. I don't agree on the disgusting part though, I think it looks rough yes, but that is what mountainbiking is right?
I always do this, looks clean if you get it right!
im new to the mtb scene, are you referring to zip ties and an inner tube?
whats the best way ro go about the process?
Albert francis Yes, thats it. Simple
Thank you for your advice a big help for the new bikers
Thanks guys this will help me out a lot because I just got into MTB properly.
If you have disc brakes, remove the reflectors from the spokes and put a few pieces of reflective tape on the rim.
This is something Seth should have included, cheap and actually useful as opposed to cosmetic
what have disc brakes to do with reflectors?
Johannes Nilsen If you have rim brakes, the reflective tape will get in the way of your brake pads. You're better off making little reflector tape flags on a few spokes in that case.
Scott J of course I though you meant spoke mounted reflectors, but I broken some of those, I never ride with reflectors anymore,but not st tried reflector warping wheels yet.
or the tire valve covers that light up work equally as well
Guys I start my mtb journey on saturday!! I just bought a new bike and some gear and im so stoked!!
When I got my first trek hardtaili used an inner tube split length wise and wrapped around the frame to protect it from chain slap it didn't look the best but when I went to sell it, it showed the purchaser that I cared about the condition of the bike and increased its resale value some
I just wanted to say thank you for the informative video. I just purchased a Specialized Rockhopper 2023 so I would love to upgrade it naturally I’m alway on a budget.
Hey! Seth thx for this video now I upgrade my MTB and i am happy
Keep posting video like this and post some tips and my question how to replace my suspension? cause mine super cracked
good for you:)
You can use an old inner tube to protect the chainstay and makes your bike quieter over rough stuff
Your video was very helpful!!
Getting my boardman hybrid monday and just ordered most of these extras going with yellow since its the accent colour 🔥🤙
Also make it more recognisable if it ever gets stolen... be an amazing coincidence it's the one exactly the same coloured cable ends an dust caps.. 🤔
I put strong tape right beside the handle bars, and my bike is small and green so i can remember what it looks like
exactly. A thief won't steal a bike that's hard to sell
@@KiLLJoYRUclips So, I just make by bike ugly as possible? Check.
I PUT mini gps in all my stuff. i use outside.
Pro tip for zip ties: use a fingernail clipper to cut off the excess. This will get the tails ultra short and won't be sharp!
Cutting edge pro tip!!
velotunes wow that's something I never thought of. Thanks for that tip!
Velotunes really I use proper snips.nail clippers lmfao
A knife does the best job. You can cut it all off perfectly.
You people are very very ill !!!! 😂😂😂😂😂
Love ur vid keep it up your doing great i subbed
Super Top video jajajajaj. Now I feel big motivated to get on the trail myself, what gets me going the longest while bike is *Delta Parole* or other rokk music!
Bought myself the zipties, carbon spacers, and the cable ends for my Cervelo!
what model is your cervelo
MrAlexanderHwang bikes are so simple
Amazon echo dot hookup
In dusty conditions cut out a strip of furnace filter about 15” x 4”; zip tie it to the frame support just behind the front wheel; small piece of tape keeps zip tie from sliding; now I don’t need to wear uncomfortable dust mask and the filter is super lite.
MrAlexanderHwang I
You should do a video on why you use dropper posts,or the best for the money! Just an idea tho
I really love these ideas! Don’t forget about customized headset caps though
You really help me on buying parts for bikes thank
Why would you ride your brand new bike lol
It's a joke kid
EXACTLY!!!!
oooooh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's a horrible joke 😓 bikes are meant to be ridden!!!!!!
Nice one Felpel102!!!
Informative, but there are places called 'local bike shops' to get bike parts and accessories. Not just Amazon.
Bike shops often times charge a lot more, defeating the purpose of a cheap upgrade.
bike shops are now more of a snob starbikes. Everythibg is a premium. Its better to bit by bit equip your homemade repair center.
Or local s-market
Awesome video, thank you!
Quick easy tips for anyone with a bike. I've done quite a few of these when I was in college on a budget looking to make my bike cooler!
Dangit seth, you posted this vid right as i got home from getting my paycheck. I now know what to spend my money on hahaha
Luckily you won't need to spend much!
flamezor123
The dork disc potentially saved me about a month ago. A small mishap on the trail (off the side of the trail and into a creek) knocked my derailleur out of adjustment. A bit further down the trail and thought my chain came off, only to find that the chain was riding between the cassette and the disc. While I don't know how much damage was avoided, I do know a quick adjustment on the side of the trail and I was able to make it home to properly adjust the derailleur without having to spend any money on repairs. Function should never take a backseat to appearance.
fuck off
@@CUZC0M salt?
Love your works
Nice! Concise, simple, doable, practical and even trick. Well except for the bit about the e-tape wrap on the chainstay. I don't consider a bike truely my own without tweaking the build a little or a lot. Craftsmen leave their mark with just such little details to set their work apart from production runs. Thanks. Consider me subscribed.
Next on 10 cheap upgrades for your mountain bike:
Multicolor wheels
I bought a 2019 Cannodale Jekyll, it's going to be a while before I recover lol.
Very informative and useful video
Awesome. Thanks for sharing.
this was my first ever video and I've watched all your videos since then
Who's watching this in 2018 and probably in 2019
2020
I'm not even joking when I say this the first 17 seconds of the video are all true completely true he truly understands me
Love your videos!
I’ve watched this video 12 times. Could you please make a couple more of these?
Right dad
2:38 Haha no way i just ordered these yesterday!
Nobody:
Seth every 10 seconds:
B O R I N G
Thanks for the information 👍
So cool. Another Part pls