MTB Myths that need to die-and some that are true!
Vložit
- čas přidán 1. 05. 2024
- Today we talk about some ideas and discussions in mountain biking that are outright false, and some that have some truth to them. Enjoy!
Free yourself from the algorithm and join us on Substack! 🚲 bermpeak.substack.com
Videos 2 weeks early • Exclusive articles • Discussions • You’re in control!
The Berm Peak Ranger Station on Airbnb 🏡 www.airbnb.com/rooms/50301108...
Berm Peak Hoodies, Beanies, Jerseys, Shirts
cognativemtb.com/collections/...
Want us to review your unique mountain bike or outdoor product? www.sethsbikehacks.com/produc...
Check out our main channel / sethsbikehacks
Follow me on Instagram / sethsbikehacks
Berm Peak Merch cognativemtb.com/collections/...
Music in this video is from
share.epidemicsound.com/trQSg - Jak na to + styl
The myth about airplanes is insane.
I was an Airplane electrician. The bike travels in the cargo zone of the plane. Which is in fact right below the passenger seats. Lift one of those floor tiles you're sitting on and bam, you're looking at the cargo. Which means, they are in the same pressure zone as a passenger, which means it's still air pressure of around 1 bar and the same temperatures you're experiencing.
Hope that has cleared things up a little bit.
That’s unbelievable that they store the bikes at the same pressure as the cabin, and TSA will routinely tell you to let all the air out! Your revelation makes it even more ridiculous.
Yeah, otherwise pets couldn't travel in the cargo hold, there wouldn't be enough air to breath. (Usually, the temperature is adjusted if animals are in the cargo hold, so they won't freeze to death.)
There are too many passanger aircraft myths, that people take waaaaay too seriously, 'cause "they don't want to take that chance"
@@BermPeakExpress They do this, because "Someone told them so"
Mythbusters had a whole episode, dedicated to debunking aircraft myths.
Not really 1 bar. Usually the airplane is pressurized to a normal pressure at 3000 meters altitude (about 9000 feet). But it does not make any significant difference for the tyres anyway.
I loved that phrase:
"You never want to feel like it's do or die in a mountain bike recreationally"
It isn't do or die, it is do and die
@@Henrix1998 Assuming that you're reffering to the famous Tennyson poem, then yes, it is "Theirs is but to do and die". It is one of the most frequently misquoted line in literature. It's nice to see someone noticing these things.
@@jennyjohn704 nah, you are giving me too much credit. I was just enforcing the dangerousness of the situation.
We all fall down and get hurt emotionally, but only Jesus understands your pain. Follow him and he will fill your heart.awdasdadawdaawsadas
I think that last run isn't due to the superstitions, it's due to being tired at the end of the day and being overconfident from riding the same trails. Being tired and over confident is when things happen.
Poor judgement! last run after dark!!
Yup, you want to send that last run the hardest to make it really count. That paired with tiredness and overconfidence... for the last run, just take the blue line to enjoy the scenery... sending it is for midday.
It also happens in other sports. "Last last track" whilst 4wdriving is often a bad idea.
@@KiterTMKin my experience (and also according to the paramedics I talked to) are the most prone to accidents since people are not really concentrating or overestimating their abilities, even more so on the last run. Just don't do the last run, it's simple.
@@johnfriedl7126 that's literally what I've said.
About the "last run" thing :
Some friend of mine got the habits of calling their last run "the One before last". That time we were skiing with a bunch of friends, at the top of the hill the "okay guys let's do the One before last" and we headed down. One of our friends went down a bit slower, and not seeing us at the bottom thought we went up for the last run since we said one before last but we were waiting for him just a bit further down 😂
Make sure that if you're using codewords everyone is aware if you don't want to end up in silly situations 😂😂
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
When someone announces "last run", it's because they're tired, and that's when you're most likely to make a serious mistake. The point is, if you're feeling fatigued, then just call it quits. You can always ride again another day.
@@Durwood71 exactly, when we realize we should stop, but don't want do yet, we give ourselfs some sort of time frame. 1 more, 5 more minutes, etc. while it's better to quit then and there. Listen to your body
When snowboarding I announce my last run because then I know I have to stick that trick I've been struggling on all day or it's not getting landed. For me that's very often exactly the mindset I need to commit properly. Sometimes, depending on who I'm riding with and after negotiations that ends up meaning one more park run and then a "last run" just carving the slope.
@@Durwood71 still got enough go for one more run 🤠 we hope haha.. but I agree there's no voodoo, you just gotta know yourself.
I learned to bunny hop with clips. Sometime later I switched to flat pedals. First time I tried to bunny hop with flat pedals I jumped straight off my bike. I think I learned bad technique 😂
I second... Took me 2 months to get rid of 'bad technique', but maybe switching to a front-heavy E-bike had something to do with it as well... ;) Anyway, NEVER going back to clipless, I think that technology is great for road bikes, but not (E)MTB.
It’s a different technique, it’s not necessarily “bad”
@@pjgalligan it is bad if you have to rely on being clipped-in just to perform a bunny hop. Your legs shouldn't be lifting the rear tire (which is bad technique enabled by clipless pedals), your arm's should be doing that by pushing the bike forward.
@@sepg5084 it may not even necessarily about lifting. With clipless your legs might slide left or right and you may not notice it because you're clipped in, you don't have to try too hard to keep your foot right above the pedal. Once you went flat, your foot is going everywhere.
I did dirt jumping on my bmx when I first started riding, and then later got into bmx racing where I ran clipless all the time, after I stopped racing and went back to dirt jumping it took me a LONG time to relearn how to jump with flats. So yeah you can pickup some really weird habits which are a huge PITA to unlearn.
Sometimes, a crash becomes your last run. I am not superstitious, but I think I crash less on my last run. Usually, my third or fourth run I tend to push the limits and crash.
i crash when its like 7:30 to 8:00 pm (Whistler closing hours) which is usually when i go for my last run
My last crash a couple of weeks ago was during my last run lol
We call it “shred-iquette”. Never call last run because it will curse you and you’ll end up hurt 😂 Learned it from a trans world sow mag back in 2005.
From my experience snowboarding it tends to be near when I would call my last run or on when I decided my last run would be... just overly tired and pushing my luck that way. Not as crisp and tight on the turns and control....
I think your brain is saying "OK make sure this is the last run as your £¥€&ed tired" and sure enough you've not as much wits/ scenses/ strength and then....... crash bang wallop. But also 3/4 lap cockinies gets me too
I don’t own an ebike but appreciated your final comments. A few weeks back I passed another cyclists while cranking up a long hill and he momentarily took offense when he thought I was on an e-bike . When he realized I was not, he was OK with the idea that I caught up to and passed him. He then launched into a rant about how e-bikers are lazy and are not as committed to fitness and the purity of cycling. I’m forever amazed and saddened that people will find any reason to create silos and hate on the “others”. If it’s not bikes vs e-bikes, it’s something even worse. Live and let live people!
He's probably just too poor for an e bike 😆
My main beef with them is the way they tear up the trails, especially when they are immature and think flinging dirt drifting through a turn is cool.
the problem is they always drive at the maximum speed they're still supported at, never faster nor slower, they're really dangerous in general, more so if you try to overtake them, especially large groups
@@randomvideosn0wherethat's a myth, what is your reasoning ebikers do this and bikers don't?
@@KiterTMK Because the way pedaling does not lend itself to burnouts the same way an electric motor does. For starters, most people have flat pedals and the sudden lack of resistance would cause their foot to fall off thus no torque. Second the power is in strokes with no substantial rotating mass so you only spin the tire at times vs consistent output of electric motor. Then figure the extra 30 pounds an ebike weighs...
I’ve been a motocross rider my whole life, and “this is my last lap” is NEVER words you should say.
The same in surfing “one more wave” but that usually means 4 more waves but getting slammed occasionally happens
I agree as a former pro snowboarder. Never say "last run"!
In skateboarding most of our falls come from trying to clean up a trick you've just landed
Found myself in Asheville a week ago and my cousin and I made the trip to berm park.
Great park! I also found out that Asheville has some great urgent care facilities and got 4 stitches in my right arm from our "last run"
Probably the cheapest souvenir of the trip 😎👍
Stitches were your cheapest souvenir? In this American healthcare system mud made by mixing dirt and spit to patch your wound would costs like $15,000.
@@thefox47545 I'm from MA. I have state subsidized health care that I do pay a decent amount for. The visit was a $22 copay. Although they had flat rate prices and it would have been a max of $258 out of pocket according to the signage. That was for basic checkout and stitches. If I needed x-rays or more it would have been a visit to the ER. My copay for that would have been $100, and out of pocket would have been $$$$.
mission hospita saved my life in a situation most others would not have even really tried tbh.. great little town
@@thefox47545 urgent care is cheap my dude, it's the hospital visits (and ambulance rides) that fuck you
Regarding one last run:
Statistically 100% of serious mountain bike injuries do happen on the last run, so people who confuse correlation and causation may swap the causation around.
Further, intuitively when you say "one last run" you're probably pretty tired. So you're already half-way to getting injured. I'd guess this has a lot more to do with it than feeling overly aggressive because it's your last run.
It's fairly likely there's some sort of mentality associated with saying "this is my last run" that causes you to crash more. In surgery, people generally agree that placebo effects have a significant impact on the likelihood a patient will recover. For an example of actual science about this, look up, "surgeons’ behaviors and beliefs regarding placebo effects in surgery"
Brilliant! Just in the same way your keys are always in the last place you look...
Well, if you get seriously injured, it's likely your last run, regardless. LOL.
I would agree
Definitely true on skis, too.
Regarding e-bikes - I have a mild form of Muscular Dystrophy, although sometimes it feels like I'm "cheating" or whatever, it actually allows me to get out and ride bikes, and be more active than I could otherwise be. It certainly takes the edge off and allows me to explore my limits without getting stranded! I have got into riding bikes because of your content and I love that I can be a part of it. I converted an old mountain bike - one day I might get something fancier, but I was also inspired by the Flip Bike series. I'm here for all your content, thanks for the inspiration!
i have myositis....my immune system attacks my muscles - esp my quads and forearms. I refuse an eBike....and some of my post diagnosis rides have beaten my pre-diagnosis rides. so. theres that.
It is amazing. My girlfriend with knee issue starts mountain biking with me on e-bike after 10 years off bike because that knee issue. And love to "racing" against e-bike. Seth inspire me to bike upgrades, so also for my girlfriend I install dropper seatpost and she now can ride pretty rough terrain.
I have a motorized 2 stroke hardtail (ICE cause cheaper and easier to modify and have fun), fucked up my knee more than a year ago. It got me back into it real hard, sometimes just pedaling with the clutch.
E bikes are great, I love seeing people on trails that wouldn’t be able to ride otherwise. Enjoy your ride I hope to see you out there.
@@amc5926 I love when people come in with their anecdotes for absolutely no reason. Do you want a pat on the back for not riding an e-bike, buddy? Or are you trying to suggest that because your disease doesn't make you ride an e-bike, that he shouldn't be riding one? Because, if so, that just makes you a dick.
I thought the quick release myth was that you shouldn't lock them facing forward in case you brush by something thick/solid enough to open it up.
I always figured it was a myth until a buddy did it immediately before going down a steep hill. When we got to the bottom of the hill, he said something felt weird with his suspension so started to inspect it, but then he lifted his fork up and it wasn't even connected to the hub. The wheel just completely detached from the fork and fell over. We were both amazed at how close he came to a serious accident, but couldn't help but laugh about it.
The concern about the QR skewers I always heard was about not closing them towards the front of the bike - because they might snag on brush and get yanked open.
Yeah. And a rock knocking it open. I’d fully close it in a way that made that scenario impossible
I have mine facing back so you can just grab em and pull. I've had punctures on the moors before where it's so cold your hands don't work.
I've never had one snag on anything before but I have been too cold to open a q/r from the usual position.
Yep, happened to me, can confirm it is correct.
not an MTB concern but riding a road peleton you're not allowed to have the wings of the skewer outward as it can catch the disc or tire of another rider and cause a crash.
Another one I’ve heard was flipping the QR to the drive side so that if you had to remove the wheel after a long DH run, it was less likely that you’d end up burning your hand on a hot rotor.
I only treated the quick links as single used when I worked at a bike shop. It made sense for us to replace them each time for liability reasons.
Yeah that is pretty much the case for the big two also. But maybe that's why I see alot more broken chains while watching the tour now. .. I really don't like them anyway I do believe those little bullets that Shimano makes are far less likely to break open. That is the one that you have to break the guide end off when you are done installing. The one that came stuck in the chain from the factory was garbage it almost always cut a little sliver of metal out of the open side of the chain when pushed through. I just figured that can't be good when I noticed that little crescent moon shaped sliver on my finger. Then I noticed it didn't seem to matter how careful you were...there was that sliver again....so I stopped using the pre installed one totally.
E-bike rider here; I had a knee injury a year ago while working that now makes it difficult for me to pedal even the 10 minutes it takes for me to get to and from work, so I rely on my e-bike to help me with the pedaling. I do tend to use the throttle more, because my job as a hostess is physically active and I do not currently trust my knee to support me after pedaling and walking across the entire length of the building all day.
Appreciate he info and comments on ebike riders! I don’t have one, but I’m all for getting and keeping more people active for longer!
Hanging up the bike with the fork being at the top, it'll actually make your suspension feel better. This way the oil flows up to the foam rings, stops them from drying out.
This man knows what’s up
I had a Manitou on my FSR that had a known problem of leaking fork oil when hung upside down, but it was the exception to the rule. The vast majority of bikes should be fine hung upside down.
Yeah good point. When forks are shipped from factory to retail in crates they do not have even have a this way up label. If the manufacturer isn't concerned about which way up there forks are for the months they are in transport/warehouse/stockrooms surely there is no need for users to be.
Several major manufacturers recommend inverting your fork regularly for this specific reason (probably common knowledge for those that actually read the information provided by manufacturers!)
What if i have an open bath fork (Marzocchi 888 rc3 evo v2) with seals that doesn't have foam rings like Enduro Seals? Does storing it upside down help me?
The last run we used to say 'just one more' and then go home. It's that mental shift to put it all together and squeeze that last bit of juice out of the ride. Thinking there's one more run your mind set is to keep something in the tank.
I always say I’m doing 2 more runs but not the second one.
@@davidshaw164 yup, a good ol’ “2 minus 1”
You make more mistakes when you're tired. You're the most tired at the last run.
I'm the opposite. After I finish a run, that's when I determine if I'm done.
"Two more skip the last?"
People hating on ebikers are just snobs. If you truly love something and have a passion for it, you want to share it and teach it to everyone. Not everyone can ride and may have a handicap you can't see. Ebikes keep people out on trails after injuries. Spread the love brother
Nice video man! I wasn't ever aware of half of these myths. In fact, I'd never heard em before (I live in Switzerland and cycle mostly solo or with my family, so I haven't had much outside influence).
There are 2 points that I'm curious about now, though. If anyone has a second opinion, I'd love to hear it!
1. I remember a bike mechanic told me once that to make the bike fork work better and longer, to once in a while flip the bike upside down and leave it upside down overnight/for 24 hours. I did it, and my suspension (air fork) did feel a good deal bouncier than the day before.
2. In the early-ish days of quick links, my brother and I both had chains with them. We hadn't taken them on and off much at all. I remember the links would sometimes come undone, especially while pedalling, and BAM! suddenly we'd have no chain. We had to go back and hunt for the chain and the links on the path. Has anyone else had this experience? It was in 2008 or so.
Thank you for your observation about e-bike riders. My husband can no longer walk far, even with a cane, but he can still mount his e-bike and ride. I, too, ride an e-bike. I could ride a regular mountain bike but honestly, I could never keep up with him. Both our bikes have throttles. He uses it to get started and sometimes, so do I. For many, e-bikes are a true blessing.
I genuinely believe ebikes could change lives. I often think mine might be my favorite possession. I can ride long gnarly trails, and I can casually zip down to the store. I think the hate around them may be one of the most harmful examples of gatekeeping in biking.
The argument that ebike riders are lazy is ridiculous. If people riding ebikes are lazy, then what does that say about MX riders? Are ebike riders considered athletes compared to people driving cars? Plus ebikes let you go as hard as you want, so ultimately, you can lay down as much power as a traditional rider and just go faster. That argument is division for the sake of division.
The one of the best thing about e-bikes is how many people bring back to mountain biking after injury or health issue.
@@chrisgenovese8188 I am at just under 6000km in 15 months on my ebike. I take it everywhere. More mileage on it than my truck in the last year. It is so much fun, and I pedal like a demon, I just go faster.
It is probably the best money I have spent, ever. It really helps out on dark days when things are not going well, as we have had in the last 2 years. My business and finances took a huge hit, I can honestly say my ebike kept me here on earth.
The purists can snob right off, and leave us to do our own thing. Many happy miles.
- Cheers
@@dsp4392 100%!! I can work as hard or as little as I want. My bike weighs 60lbs if I really want to work out, even slight up hills with no assist fits the bill.
It is so much fun to ride, I hardly ever drive my truck, and even after a more casual but long (50km+) ride I usually pound it hard the last 10 home. If ebikes don't give exercise, than why am I always hot and sweaty when I get home. LOL.
My max distance based on my 624 watthour battery is about 115km. I KNOW I have gotten exercise at the end of a day like that. ebikes rule!! - Cheers
To expand on the quick-link issue, there are versions that are recommended as "one use" only, like the ones that come with some Shimano HG chains for example, they are differentiated by a small notch at the edge of the locking pin hole, otherwise quick-links can be reused a few times. I tend to used them until they are too easy to click into place or remove by finger pressure only, if they are too sloppy then I wouldn't trust their integrity.
In regards to the quick release thing, when I was racing cross country years ago, you wouldn't have the rear quick release pointing rearwards as there was a risk, if you were riding in a group of other riders, that one of their front wheels could knock into the rear quick release and the spokes could catch the lever and open it. Also, the front QR should always be pointing rearwards as bushes and plants etc could catch the lever if it is locked in the forward position and open it as your moving forwards.
Great myth busting vid, thanks.
Your segment about chain master links and reference to chain cleaning triggered a thought. I would be interested to hear your thoughts about chain cleaning regularity and the effectiveness on chain life etc.
In my case, I never specifically take the chain off to use a degreaser and properly clean the chain. I only ever use a combo cleaner/lube which is a solvent that contains PTFE as the lube. I use it after each ride with the chain still on the bike. This may seem expensive to some, but I weigh 120kg and I'm lucky if my chains last between 1000 to 1500km anyway. I always just use a brush then a cloth to wipe off any dust and dirt from the chain, chain ring and cassette before lubricating and wiping off excess. My thoughts are that this is almost better and less effort than frequently taking the chain off and cleaning with degreaser, because when you clean a chain, depending on the trail conditions you ride on, the chain is only clean for the first few minutes anyway. After that the dust/mud is on the chain and busy working its way back in to those link rollers.
Maybe the ‘last run’ might be due to tiredness rather than mindset, or something else.
‘Correlation does not imply causation’
Or just running out of luck…
For me it's def the mindset, but being tired does make it worse. Because you better believe thst I'm going to give it my all when it's my last lap, I'm gonna go down thst hill like I'm contending for number one overall at world champs.
I think fatigue has a lot to do with it. You're feeling good, so you go a little faster or go on a little harder run while at the same time fatigue sets in. and leads to technique breakdown. That run that was fine at 10:00 in the morning suddenly isn't as easy. My rule is always do the hardest/fastest runs in the morning and dial it back a bit in the afternoon, even if I'm feeling good.
@@DragNetJoe I found it the same when skiing. Start the day with blue, work up to the black or double black, finish the day with a blue, or if the scenery is nice take the longest green to the bottom.
Legs are pretty rubbery at the end of a long day, no sense trying to set course records!! LOL!
Also, if you're not careful your mind starts to wander on your last run thinking about grabbing a beer at the bottom or finally having to mow the yard when you get home or worse, work the next day.
Sometimes, I resuse quick links on my bikes, including road bikes. I tend to get 10k miles on a quick link (road). AND I also take off my chain sometimes to clean it. The chain is under tension, so the QL does not come loose.
Hi, let me add a little confusion to the skewer-myth. It did not occur 2015 after a recall. When I bought my first MTB in 1989, there was already a rule, to put the skewer to the on-drive side. That was for several reasons. Most people hop on the bike from the left side. So before you mount your iron horse, you can have a quick glimpse, if the skewers are in place an closed. Next is, you want to have the skewers on the same side, and because the rear derailleure is on the (narurally!) drive side, you put the rear skewer on the opposite side, to have it easier getting the wheel in and out. Otherwise, you can get tangled up by the chain or derailleure. It establishe like one of those "rules" roadbikers live to. (only black bips and stuff like that) As disc brakes came up, and no thru axles already at sight, keeping your hands away from an overheated disc, or its quite sharp edges was much more to worry about. And btw., another rule about skewers was, the rear one had to be closed to the front, aligned with the chainstay, the front skewer up-, or at least backwards. It was not to hook onto any obstacles.
Dude, disks don't get that hot and they aren't sharp. Come on.
@@garymitchell5899 I did not say this is my opinion, that was really given as a reason back in those days.
@@garymitchell5899 and btw. have you ever made the mistake to put your finger in while spinning the wheel? Do't try this at home!
The QR skewer-disc issue predates that recall by a couple of decades, but it is also a lot less dramatic than having it jam in the disc. The reason to put the lever on the opposite side was merely to avoid reaching for your QR and getting burned by your hot disc. Trail flats or just wheel repositioning can get you grabbing that lever right after a stop and the discs are still hot. Sometimes the force needed to flip a tight skewer will get you to inadvertently touch the disc.
Making sure the lever clears your DR is a little too basic to mess up I think.
I had trouble with my disc brakes for two years in a row. To avoid fingers oiling up my discs ("ugh the brakes are squeaking... again???"), I switched QR lever to the drive side.
Oh and I do have a Shimano internal QR that no longer has a functional end-stop, so I guess there's like 0.1% chance of QR lever ending up in the disc?
@@chameleonh If it works for your specific situation I agree, do what works. I'm really referring the typical rider, and why the tendency to put the QR opposite the disc first arose. There is no rule, and putting the QR on the same side as your disc is not 'wrong' by any stretch.
I'll still keep my QR on the Disc side like I always have thank you very much. 10,000 miles+ and I've never burned myself on the rear disc or had the QR get caught in the disc.
@@SternLX You are an ace
Man, I know I'm not the most mad rider ever, but I'm so far off 'I've actually made my discs hot with my aggressive braking' it's ridiculous.
1 - The "last run" is definitely sort of true, but not due to any witchcraft and it's an issue in other sports as well. Skiing and snowboarding injuries tend to occur at the end of the day, because you get tired, technique suffers while at the same time you are feeling a little more confident and go for that one slightly harder run that you've been eyeing all day. I have a strict rule, I do an easy warmup run or two, then hit the hardest/fastest runs in the morning. Afternoon is for cruising.
2 - The cargo compartments are pressurized on modern aircraft. Totally irrelevant.
Its the same as the "one last hand" at poker...always spells disaster 😥
100% exactly how I skied. Never suffered an injury. - Cheers
I think the “one last run” being plausible is due to fatigue as well. We have all been tired and made stupid mistakes during a ride.
As a mechanic, I’ve only ever given someone a new quick link when it’s obviously loose. Sometimes I can take it on and off with my fingers, presumably because it’s been reattached many times. I assume that’s not ideal.
I used some pretty damn sloppy quick links growing up but never had a chain come apart thankfully lolol
@@6door6four96 yeah I mean I think theoretically chain tension should keep it together but it’s not a risk worth taking for a shop
First of all. Nice video!
On The last 'run one'
For me its, -1 the mindset and -2 I want me (or my guest ) to have the feeling they have energy to do 2 more runs. That way im sure me, my friends and my guests have enough energy and concentration during the run before 'the last run' Then after we dont do the 'Last run' or do a flow trail chill ride. This is also a nice rule for riding in a freestyle park in winter.
Seth...you are always informative and I come away from your videos more informed for watching them. Decades ago I worked at a bike and ski shop when Mountain bikes were in their infancy. The bike we assembles came with "roadie" quick releases, as mountain biking had not yet established its own standards. The levers on the roadie skewers was flat and if you did not orientate it in the correct direction (trailing, with the lever facing backwards), as opposed to (leading, with the lever facing forward) like you have on the derailleur side, you run into a small problem. We, the guys I rode with, learned a valuable lesson one day on a ride ripping through the woods of Massachusetts on our new Univega MTB's. One of the guys ahead literally just flipped over the bars for no reason. It took a bit, but we "scienced it out" and found that a branch/root/bush grabbed his "leading edge" lever up front and opened it up. This was before the "Nader tabs" were added to the bottom of the fork legs to stop open QR's from letting the wheel fall off. So his wheel INSTANTLY left the fork and sent him over. After that, I have applied every single QR lever to the "trailing" position, on the left side as instructed by the Manufacturer. Just saying, there is a reason to some myth...FYI...disk brakes didn't exist on MTB's back then, so we just always told people the story of my buddy bailing. Keep up the great content.
I've noticed that storing a bike upright will let the foam rings in the fork dry out and make the fork feel a little sticky. I've flipped my bike upside down for a night to get the foam rings oiled again, and it totally worked. Fork felt great after that. One thing that happened from that, though, was the brakes felt spongey afterward. I think that was probably due to improper bleeding to begin with, though. All I had to do was flick the levers back and forth for like a minute and they felt fine.
There's only one point about quicklocks that still applies today.
Don't put it facing forward because if it wraps around a twig or wine or root etc it's going to unlock and you will drop your back wheel at some point down the trail.
I've always put mine facing upwards in line with the frame so there's less chance of stuff getting in between it and unlocking it.
I don't put it facing backwards because then it can (easily) catch something as i roll the bike backwards and unlock it without me noticing it too.
But never in my life have i been scared of it catching a disc brake... They physically can't do that, if designed correctly.
However, I have had derailleurs find their way into the spokes of a wheel before when rolling backwards. Make sure your derailleur is healthy and fastened properly and use quality components and properly lubricated and free of debris.
And with V-brakes i've also seen a case where the V-brake pads worked themselves into the spokes and all hell broke loose.
My dirty little secret is out. Reusing quick links was something i always kept private and hid the shame. Now that its out there, i feel free!!!
Great job dispelling some of those myths Seth. But remember, there will always be a know it all, keyboard cowboy just waiting to tell you how you did this wrong or that. Really its their own emotional baggage speeking. Dont let it bother you. You do an amazing job!!!
ebikes aren't just for "lazy" people, they also increase access to nature for people that are disabled. great vid!
It's also good for me to commute into town to do some quick groceries without using gas. I'm not going to climb up steep hills for 2 miles just go buy a gallon of milk, but I'll let the hub do the work to not use gas.
Buddy of mine has asthma and would never be able to mountain bike of it wasn't for e bikes
That's why I hate when people make fun of ebike users. You don't know why they are using it, they might very well be recovering from an injury or a disease or are chronically ill and that's their way of getting outdoors.
@@jakobschultz1663 exactly - and more to the point, it's none of anyone's damn business what someone else chooses to ride anyway!
@@chasm9557 I put ALL the short run miles in the last year on my ebike, even winter.
When I am blazing home at 35kph with that gallon of milk, I remark to myself: 'why would anyone take the car when they could be doing this' .
I still pound it on the hills, it is just a different work out, but also more fun. If the downhill is particularly fun, I can turn around and do it all again. - Cheers
The last run is always the most dangerous because you're tired. Same thing with skiing, only magnified, because then you're really tired.
So true. A case of the mind/spirit totally ignoring the body physical. The body always wins in the end. 😐
I always did my last ski runs as casual, taking in the scenery etc, as I have already pounded it all day. A relaxing run not too technical always seemed like a good way to wind down the day.
skiing might be the easiest "action sport" of all lol
I once spent 3 hours getting concussed trying to learn how to snowboard, decided to switch to rental skiis for the first time and went down the mountain with no real issues besides a small section with alot of ice lol skiiing is insanely easy
@@BodieMoto I think it has a super low baseline. I had to practice snowboarding a dozen times before I even had a hope of getting down a green run without falling over. Like three years before I felt like I could actually “snowboard”, and a few years after that before I thought of myself as “decent”. And I snowboarded almost every single weekend.
First time trying skis, strapped them on, went down the hill, turned and stopped. This was before I really learned snowboarding so it definitely wasn’t crossover skills from snowboarding.
However if you want to be an exceptional XC skier I think it’s harder than being an exceptional XC snowboarder. Same with jumping.
Snowboarding has a very steep learning curve with a big plateau whereas skiing is much more gradual, but the difficulty ends up higher.
True, but that won't change based on whether you SAY "one last run."
Re: Bunnyhop clipless, learned to do it on BMX bikes as a kid, haven't been on flats since I was 16 really but every now and then I'll do one when I can on another bike (or even on my eggbeaters with flat shoes, not recommended though, LOL). I've probably picked up some bad habits over the years, but for MTB, I just choose when to bunnyhop and when to "plow over" whatever obstacles. I've actually found it most useful on the road of all places for those pack rides when suddenly the pack is swerving left/right and in the middle see "POTHOLE" straight ahead, had to bunnyhop one about 2ft across one time unexpectedly not long after I'd just gotten back into biking after about 15 years of no biking... was happy muscle memory kicked in!
Re: quicklinks - one key/slightly funny thing about them is that they cannot possibly unlink "under load", basically you are pulling it tighter/more solid together while pedaling. So if it's sloppy, it has to be so sloppy that when the chain is slack and either you are backpedaling, or maybe hub-driving the chain (especially if it happened maybe mid-derailleur shift), that it actually causes enough sag/"push" on the chain to pop the pins towards each other. That's HIGHLY unlikely.
Alternately as mentioned, the friction can/could eventually wear the slot or "tabbed" sections enough to actually allow them to pry the pin through the slot on a hard gear change or such, so as mentioned in the video, if your QL is not snug enough to require some "snap" to assemble, then yeah, replace it!
Last run of the day - as others mentioned, LOL, probably mass numbers of people having NO crashes on their announced "last runs"... and probably tons of crashes happening on any "random sequence" runs... but since the last run of the day is the last thing to remember, remembering it as a run you crashed (especially if badly) makes it stand out more in everyone's minds, forgetting the 6 other times that day they picked themselves up and dusted themselves off, LOL. And maybe it WAS going to be the last run, or maybe not, but now that you've crashed and broken "bike, self, ego"... it's by default now for sure the last run, no waffling about "okay, let's go back one more time" when parts of your body are no longer attached properly, LOL.
Generally, airliner cabins (which include the cargo deck) are pressurised to the equivalent of 8000ft altitude, which is roughly two-thirds of sea-level pressure (which in turn is about 14.5psi under standard conditions). So the increase in gauge pressure seen by the tyres of a bike stored in that cargo will normally be at most 5psi. You won't see much offset from temperature, either, because the passenger cabin is heated to about room temperature, to keep the passengers happy - and most of that heat also filters through to the cargo deck. Some long-haul airliners even put a kitchen, accessible by the cabin crew, below the cabin floor, and effectively in the cargo deck.
However, one aspect of airline safety is what happens in the event of a sudden cabin *decompression,* eg. due to a window breaking, or the latch of the cargo door failing. This could cause the ambient pressure to drop from the normal 10.9psi of a pressurised cabin to the 2.7psi at 40,000ft in less than a second. This would of course trigger the oxygen masks to fall from the ceiling, and the pilots would immediately descend the aircraft to where people can actually breathe without oxygen assistance, but that pressure difference *will* be felt by your bicycle tyres, and it could be very sudden. This is probably what the security guys at check-in are concerned about; airline safety is all about guarding against even quite remote possibilities.
Fortunately, most tyres nowadays are designed to withstand significantly higher pressures than you would normally need to ride on. My hybrid bike's tyres are rated to 85psi, but I usually inflate them to 50psi (front) and 65psi (rear). That leaves more than 20psi margin on even the higher pressure tyre, which means even if I subjected them to hard vacuum, they wouldn't burst.
That point about "one last run" is so true. I was practicing a jump a few weeks ago and was slowly getting the hang of it. At the top I decided "Welp, this is gonna be my last run so imma make it a good one" and low and behold, I made a stupid mistake that someone in my group had already pointed out a couple runs before (something I was avoiding to do entirely) costing me a broken collarbone.
Ouch! Hope you heal up quickly
I've found this to be said in multiple sports or hobbies that involve extreme focus. I think it's a psychological thing that happens whenever you know it's your last run. Idk if it's because we push past our limits, fixating on a single thing and forgetting the basics, or just being nervous in general
Always a good day when Seth posts
Great channel. I've got a 2013 Giant XTC 29er 2 that I've rode a ton but never really put the care into it that it needs. I can already tell your videos are going to be a great resource for finally learning how to service and take care of it.
Great job busting myths. Without reading all the comments regarding shocks requiring servicing after storing your bike on a wall vs the ground … some frame shocks are mounted vertically whereas other shocks are mounted horizontally. So I’d bust the myth on that engineering mount alone. As you mentioned just cycle or ride the bike and service when needed.
Side comment, I can’t wait to book a trip at the Ranger Station!!
I never use the phrase one last run, or my last run. When I first started downhill, I did use it and was quickly corrected. But I actually am at the point where if I even think that, I don't do the run because that's where I'm most likely to get sloppy and get injured.
The only "bad habbit" wit clipless pedals, I've ever had is trying to "unclip" the same way on flats.
That's actually amusing when you realize it while doing it, isn't it? The stupid little things you do that don't do any harm, but are hilarious.
@@chrisko6439 At some point I rode my hardtail with clipless pedals, and my downhill bike with flats.
I crashed on the bike park's parking lot, trying to "unclip" on my flats.
New five ten shoes and pledals with huge pins.... I nearly pissed myself laughing.
In all of my years of riding, I've only had a master link come undone once when shifting with a front derailleur in traffic (the chain completely fell off and I had to walk back and grab it). Despite that, I still don't buy a new master link with every chain reinstall. I only use the fresh master link that comes with a new chain when installing that new chain.
As a fat guy (I'm 421 lbs), I can confirm that e-bikes are very helpful. I need a little help pedaling right now, and it's a god send. You are also correct about the lazy part. I'm not lazy. My wife and I will load up my 100# e-trike into the truck to go biking somewhere. I'm loving it too! So much fun. Wish I hadn't stopped riding so long ago.
E bikes are great, I love seeing people on trails that wouldn’t be able to ride otherwise. I don’t have an E Bike yet, but I definitely will as I age. Enjoy your ride I hope to see you out there.
me too! I got an ebike and I'm slightly less fat than I was before but it gets me out if the house because I want to go cycling! It's more easy and fun to do something when it doesnt hurt.
The question is
How did you end up over 400 lbs and fat if you're not lazy?
@Lee-ic2yn Height also affects weight, genetics affects weight, hormones, etc. The real question is, why do you think you can judge when I'm sure you're no adonis either?
I really appreciated the last one about quick links, I’m always afraid of take my chain off my bike, now I’ll be more relaxed in doing so
I never close my tyre levers facing forwards incase of picking up any bush/shrub/vines and risk ripping the lever open, what do you think about that?
I happen to have my (one and only) QR lever pointing forward, straight along the chainstay on the drive side. In that position, anything that would hit the lever from the inside would also hit my pedals and the rear derailleur mechanism. It's never been pulled out of position, even after having to deliberately hug some foliage to avoid a track covered in soft sand. In summary, the chainstay makes for a pretty good guard.
Ebikes are not just for lazy people they are also for people like me who own a ebike instead of a car
nice video and agree with you with everything and btw I've heard one serious mechanic claim that hanging bike is actually good for your front suspension :)
Learned to ride clipless, started to do drop off with 0 technique, went fine for a while but because I was used to just let myself fall off the drop I had my feet disconnecting from the pedals few times causing bad crash that never heppened before with clipless or after when I went back to clipless. I could bunny hop both types of pedals. Another problem is that with clip you don't need to drop your heels to ride rough sections or for hard braking which means when you go to flat pedals those events are mostly not controled and get sketchy for something you normally know. After at least a decade refusing to touch a flat pedal again I now force myself to ride flat during winter to learn those technics but reseting basically a lifetime of bad habits is hard and it hasn't really made me go faster than my normal speed either but at least it brings variety in my riding and I chalenge myself a little bit. I taught my GF to ride on flat and she proload the bike when taking a drop and drops her heels when necessiry if she moves to clipless one day for some reasons at least she has the right technic ingrained in her riding style.
I had someone tell me that dropping the heel wasn't actually a very big deal. That happens automatically when obstacles come up. What you want to do is keep your feet level relative to your center of mass. When you're going downhill, your mass moves rearward, and your heels will naturally drop to compensate. When going uphill, your center of mass moves forward, and your heels will rise a bit. When on level ground, your heels will drop for power, and rise for efficiency, or cycle between the two if you're pulling on the pedals as well. When you're riding off drops, your heels will rise to help you push against the pedals to keep them attached. It's a very dynamic thing and there is only one right answer: respond to the terrain.
@@BoycottCZcams289 many people, especially beginners don't drop their heel when they should. Contrary to what you said it is far from natural. Coach some people, even observe people at a bike park you would be surprised. No idea for flat I don't ride such terrain, and for climbing I do but couldn't care as I mostly climb on fire roads to get to the top as efficiently as possible lol.
A buddy of mine evoked the "last run" god at Wintergreen and went home a day late with cast on his right arm and a concussion. I'm a believer.
By definition you won't be able to keep riding after a bad crash so a bad crash always happens on your last run. Logic versus superstition.
@@indy.b Well, no, it's not like people are intentionally crashing when they announce "last run" before dropping in. The reality is that they say it because they're feeling fatigued, meaning they're more likely to make a mistake. So if you're feeling tired, then you should recognize you've hit your limit and pack it in for the day.
regarding storing the bike and oil in seals -- how do the suspension companies and bike shops handle forks that are in inventory? Are they rotating them to avoid having stuff "dry out"? How about seals that are replacement parts. They're not stored and shipped wet are they? I hear the same thing in plumbing sometimes: "Don't drain your pipes the faucet seals will dry out and go bad," but the new seals I buy when I need them come dry in boxes and have been sitting around that way for months or years.
My chain broke from the master link the other day. I replaced the chain without a master link this time. Took more effort to install but hope it doesn’t brake this time :)
In the 2000's I heard that putting the lever on the disc side was dangerous because the heat from the brake could melt the resin of the lever.
It was more plausible of an excuse and even at that time I laughed at that Idea.
I could make a 1 hour video about how kickback doesn't work the way people think it works but I suck at making videos. But no, kickback won't increase with POE (or, not as much as you can feel the difference). Bike's response to rider input will increase tho. Making people think they are feeling kickback.
I know what you mean, I've tried telling people it's a myth and why but very few actually think it through and realise why, your wheel's rotating forwards and spinning inside the freewheel so how is a tiny bit of motion on the chain going to suddenly engage the freewhee enough to get the crank to turn backwards?
"melt the resin of the lever'. FFS you guys.
On the clipless pedals bunny hop thing..... I lent my bike, with flats, to a friend who virtually has never ridden flat pedals on a mountain bike. He can bunny hop just fine and all, and doesn't appear to have bad technique necessarily. BUT, he lost one of the pedals and shanked my bear traps right up into his shins trying a bunny hop of flats for the first time. My thoughts: Riding clipless all the time can give you a crutch in finding the pedals as you soar through the air. You get so used to being attached that you don't know how to find the pedals if they do fall away, a vital skill if you're going to be sending your bike into the air at all, imo.
That is possible, but it can also work the other way. I clip in, but I still frequently unclip when I'm riding through areas with traffic lights where I have to stop and put my feet on the ground, or if I have to stop on a trail because of the terrain being too technical for my current skills. I'm way better at finding the pedals than I would be on flat pedals because I don't just have to find the pedal when I want to clip back in, I have to find the pedal's exact position to line my cleat up and push the cleat in.
It's a lot more challenging if I'm having to do it on a climb where I need to push one pedal AND pull up on the other pedal in order to maintain enough power to climb at all, and it's an extra challenge I would not have if I was just riding flat pedals.
@@AlexandarHullRichter do you ever unclip while in the air? Finding your bike again if it starts falling away can be tricky, much more so than while riding on flat or standing at a light.
Also, I've heard from some sports physicians that pulling up with your clipped in foot can lead to problems with your quads/hams and potentially your joints. Do your own research, but I would not recommend. Plus, you get so much more power from pedaling down that the added benefit of pulling up will be outweighed by the energy lost trying to do so.
@@frankleemadere9020 first, most recommendations about clipping in are that you pedal full circles, and not pedal in only one or two directions (also called pedaling 'squares'). This is hugely advantageous when climbing because it means you have two feet on the pedals at all times, instead of only one foot at a time. Pedaling full circles also means you have no dead spots in the pedal stroke.
The effects of that are you have about twice as much power in low cadence situations and can therefore climb much steeper hills than you would be able to on only flat pedals with the same gearing, you can maintain a much lower cadence without hurting your knees because the knee under stress from pedaling too slowly is assisted by your other leg, and also you can pedal more smoothly and avoid baking traction because you are not suddenly slamming on each pedal one at a time.
It is also kind of fun to take off at a stoplight and not need to put your other foot on the pedal at all for several strokes because the foot you left clipped in has you continuously (although I am either distracted by traffic I'm interacting with for totally showing off when I do this).
Second, any muscle/tendon issue that develops can occur in any muscle that you overuse without adequate training. That's why it is important to ride consistently and not to expect to be able to ride like a pro when you are very first starting a particular technique. You have to train the muscles that pull up and push forward on the pedals before you can expect to get much use out of them.
I would also say midair is not the place to try clipping in. That's where you need to handle the bike, and ride out your jump. After you're on the ground is when you should be trying to clip in because of the added difficulty. Also, you don't really have the necessary resistance to force the cleat to lock in place unless the back wheel is on the ground and you can pedal against it or put enough downward force into the bike to overcome the cleat binding.
I love these videos and I don't even mountain bike. I have a BMX, a motorcycle, and a scooter. But even the BMX I only ride to the store or to friends houses. This is great content with great presentation. I don't even plan on buying a mountain bike, but I'll gladly spend my time watching these videos
Are QR quick engagement hubs a thing? I have 2022 giant talon1 and want a QE hub but cant find any with QR attachments.
The airplane cargo hold is also kept pretty close to normal temps, like 45 to 65 deg F -- something that will ease your mind if you're worried that a sudden temperature differential will separate embedded aluminum parts from the CF matrix they're in due to differences in thermal expansion.
Okay, so yes they can temp regulate the cargo holds, but they dont have to, and usually only do if there is obviously temp sensitive cargo. I know this for sure, because a friend of mine told me a story about when the airline she worked on accidentally warmed the wrong cargo hold and someone's pet sadly did not make it.
I mean, this definitely comes back to skiing and boarding and stuff. It's pretty common to do a green circle at the end of the day to avoid injury. It's also a cool down thing just like after working out. Easy movement helps to keep you less sore the next day
Exactly. I always took it casual on the ski hill at the end, just nice long glide to wind up the day.
Heck yeah. The long green run at the end of the ski day is the way to go. Just cruise and relax 😎.
I actually heard about the last run taboo in skiing years before I heard it biking. It definitely carried over.
Whenever I hear someone say last run, I default to saying: "Let's do one more and we'll see after."
Yea, never say it's the last one. Because it could very well be.
That was a creative and useful idea for MTB video. Thanks Seth. Always good.
In the 80’s as a teen i could bunny hop over a typical 13 gallon kitchen trash can with no ramp. My BMX bike was chrome alloy with skyways instead of spokes (not the lightest). The trick is to keep the tires fully inflated. You have to remember that a Bunnyhop is actually bouncing the bike off the ground. Therefore, suspension on bicycles works against you. You can Bunnyhop better with a hard tail and with forks with no suspension (or lock off the suspension).
It was pretty cool to be able to Bunnyhop up steps and over guard rails. But I’m too old for that now. Just being able to bunnyhop over curbs and small trees is good enough for me now.
also, I never expected to be able to Bunnyhop as high on a mountain bike as I could on a BMX bike which is smaller and more controllable.
I came to mountainbiking in the mid 90s and for nearly 15 years only used clipless pedals. CZcams tutorials did not exist, and I was not integrated in some kind of progressive riding community so I never learned how to properly bunny hop until 3 or 4 years ago. I always did the ridiculous "piggy hop" where you pull at the pedals. I massively improved my overall riding by getting rid of the clipless pedals! So this is absolutely no myth!
I bought my first clip pedals somewjere around 2018 😂
The quick link is due to replacement only when you can detatch it with your bare hands. 99.99% of the time, chain is under tension so unless that tension is gone, and the quick link can move itself to the to thehole where you disassemble it, there is no way it will ever detatch because it was reused. I've put some 9,10,11 quick links and I didn't even need pliers to snap them on. The only thing they need is a little bit of friction to not slide back.
Where you should replace q-links is when you change your chain. They will still stretch and even if it's a negligible amount, better to be safe than sorry
A new chain will have new quick links. Obviously.
Unless that link is from Connex Wippermann, as they are designed to be opened and closed by hand, and are approved for repeated use 🙂
Hey! I found your video by scrolling like that.
Fair I'll probably be stuck on this channel for awhile.
So happy for slide typing and STT.
What up Seth. Thank you for all of your videos. I recently purchased 5 acres in the Santa Cruz mountains. It has 150'-175' elevation change. I was curious how many acres Berm Peak is and the elevation change?
About the quick release lever position, I always recommend pointing it backwards... WHY? Often when riding near bushes, especially berry bushes it is easy to catch a branch on a forward facing QR lever which will instantly bring your bike to a sudden stop and send you flying over the H-bars. Up here in the northwest, it happens all the time.
About hanging your bike vertically, its not good for hydraulic disc brakes MTB or Road... WHY? It tends to position either the front or rear rotor caliper higher than the lever reservoir that contains oil & "air". If left hanging long enough in that position, say a day or more, the "air" will start to work itself into the brake line. All you need is one tiny bubble to enter the line and the brake will go spongy. So, store any bike with hydraulic brakes level. A good method is to hang the bike on a hook by the nose of the saddle. And no, if you flip the bike upside down for a short time like to fix a flat, the air will not instantly go into your brake line. ENJOY!
totally agree, everyone always talks about the suspension when hanging a bike, nobody talks about the brakes
The brake issue mentioned won't be a problem if there is no air in the system in the first place. A properly bled system shouldn't have any air in it.
@@marcelknop1 At my shop I deal with all types of new and old disc brake systems. Unfortunately, even brand-new disc brake systems have air as I've bled a few new brake systems and always a few bubbles always are present. And I can assure you, just about every near new system has air. not to mention older systems that feel and work perfectly fine. It just not worth placing the lever reservoir lower than the brake caliper.
I feel like there’s an entire different attitude to these videos now that the sponsor is gone. And it’s great!
And I read somewhere that the max inflation on a tire is half the amount that will blow the tire off a rim. If that’s true, a flight won’t make a difference at all.
The max inflation is not the real max. Just a legal precaution and practical measure. No point inflating above max, as benefits are very minimal.
@@markconnelly1806 Usually max pressure will make your tire rock hard, which you never want.
Back when I used QR skewers, I would always put them on the derailer side but it wasn't because I was afraid of it hitting the rotor, it was specifically to give my derailer one more little "shields" to potentially protect it from a rock hit. But its not going to be a great sheild. So I was better off switching to bolt-on-skewers before I ended up getting a more modern bike with a rear thru-axle
I can really relate to the first myth, not because I'm a mountain biker, but because I'm an RC pilot, we have the same superstition that you're going to crash when you say you're going up for your last flight.
Your dog it's awesome! Seeing him grow up from a crazy, overly energetic little puppy to an imposing photogenic young dog makes me really happy.
As someone who wax his chains and needs to remove the quick links, i've reused some of them 10 times without any issue, Then I had to replace the chain and that same quick link is now in my spare bag, as long as it closes tightly and doesnt open too easy just reuse it
I also wax, so I have to take my chain off weekly, I've found that only the really cheap, crappy, AliExpress type links are the ones that fail after a few months.
I had one because I wanted to get my bike assembled quickly and then i just forgot about it until one day going to work it exploded as I got the green light. Nothing happened to me, I kept control luckily.
That incident did scare me enough to get good quality links (KMC are great, not expensive too) and now I retire my quick links every 6 months to my patch kit, give them away to people on the trail usually.
Enjoyed the video! For road bikes even more true that you DO NOT need to deflate tires (15 psi change on say 120 ...still that is the myth.) Lots of things with bike are taken as true when it is wrong, unmeasured or just tradition...Your Quick link example is a good one. I think if you measured the wear in opening and closing that link it would be a lot of closures before you could even measure the difference in force to open it.
Another example is the direction of the thread for pedal axils, right is right, left is left handed thread. I was told so the axil is self tightening when riding. BUT if you actually check on what happens when you pedal you will see that any resistance in the bearings when pedaling will tend to unscrew the pedal. So this some kind of myth or tradition...
Relating to the quick release lever direction:
I often ride trails where small to medium sticks get thrown up into the bike.
Having the lever project out next to the disc adds a small but non-zero chance of catching a stick between them.
It makes sense to close the lever close to the frame to eliminate the risk.
My latest bike is thru-axle so it is a non-issue.
The quick link thing reminds me of the tire plug myth. I've heard people say a plug is just to get you back to the car and that you should replace the tire asap. Unless you have a sidewall puncture there's usually no need to.. Tires can last for a long time after a proper trailside repair with a plug. Spend $90 on a new tire?.. Again, hell no !
I've had plugged car tires last 20-30,000 miles after plugging.
Plugs can definitely get ripped out even if they've been in the for awhile. You don't necessarily need a new tire but it's best to patch the tire when you get home
I have an automotive plug strip in my bicycles front tire for a few hundred miles now. It looks like I ran over some chewing gum so annoys me whenever I notice it, but it's definitely not worth replacing for that
Plugs are illegal in the Uk
13 yr maintenance engineer.... Very few bolts on a mountain bike are torqued to the extremes heavy equipment is.
Using a hex key ball end in highly torqued cap screws will eventually wear the ball and then the worn ball will will wear the cap screw head.
Also the reduced contact area of the ball will allow the ball to deflect the walls of the cap screw socket and round the hole...
If you have a new set of Allen keys (or at least a set that has only been used on your MTB) and they are not cheap (may as well use a screw driver over a cheap set of "soft" Allen keys.) it's fairly safe to use the ball even for unlocking of the initial 'stick' but if you can use the non ball end, always do for unlocking the initial turns.
Personally I always reaffix a cap screw with ant seize paste. Anti seize does not allow a bolt to loosen itself but helps ensure that oxides (rust etc) does not 'Glue' the bolt in place. (Removal of a corroded bolt, often due to different types of metal reacting like a battery, will usually cause damage to the softest of the 2 metals (rusting metal often makes the surface harder so it will rip apart alloy with its rough surface. Anti Seize has an added bonus of creating a protective layer on the surfaces of the metals helping prevent oxide.
Personally I use Anti Seize to hold the caps on water blasters that can be holding 4000+ PST on a vibrating piston head. I have NEVER seen one loosen that was prepared with Anti Seize, but I have near destroyed brass in brass caps where the oxides glued the pair together and even a smack with a hammer (old trick for shock release of brass fittings, when done right doesn't damage the cap especially if using a brass drift)
Stainless in stainless seems the worst. Stainless can suffer 'galling' where a clean stainless bolt can stick in a clean stainless nut, and when removed, the friction can create tiny balls of debris that jam often breaking the bolt head rather than loosening the nut...
Anti Seize! Put it right next to your can of spray grease and Brake Clean! (and if your in New Zealand... a length of #8 fencing wire.
(Odd fact, I have repaired a broken throttle cable on a Honda CBR250rr with some duct tape, a Broken Heart necklace.... and a piece of fencing wire!
allowing a 200k return trip home... with a reverse action throttle... sort of glad I wasn't the one riding it...)
Great video.
I can't bunnyhop with flats anymore. Almost 40 years riding clipless, I'm worthless on flats!
I guess I just suck then! (But learned on my Mongoose with flats, so I put in the time!)
To add to the "storing a bike vertically" debate, it gets even more absurd with tandems! Some worry endlessly that hanging their tandem on the wall by one wheel will damage the wheel. "But my wheels are CARBON and LIGHT WEIGHT and REALLY EXPENSIVE! I'd NEVER hang my tandem by ONE wheel!"
So then I ask them what happens when they hit a bump on their tandem? A tandem with a 350 lb. team flying down a hill at 40 mph hitting a pothole, rut or bump. The peak forces on the wheel hitting the bump are truly insane. Especially a road tandem without suspension, 28mm tires at 120psi, at speed, and hitting hard asphalt or concrete surface. Which is why most tandem wheels are over-engineered to withstand the crazy forces acting on them. (Ask me about high torque loads on rear hubs....)
And you're worried about hanging a 40 lb. tandem on a hook? PUHLEEEASE! "Oh but over TIME, the wheels will warp!" Oh lord!
I've gone round and round with these nitwits and usually just give up!
On that last note regarding ebikes.....Yup I am so lazy I bought an ebike June 16 2021, and as of today, I am just under 6000km. More km than I put driving. I bought it to ride more and I ride it almost everyday and only use my truck if I need to carry something. Even for hauling I got a small trailer so I still use the bike more than my truck.
For arguments on being lazy at the trail site, I simply point to chair lifts or other means that are out there to avoid riding to the top. On trails where riding up is the only option, you get to put in more runs, and if you want to really get a workout, go ahead and climb with no assist. My bike weighs just under 60lbs, so hill climbing a heavy bike is certainly a work out.
The lazy myth with ebikes is based on not understanding, that you can work as much or as little as you want. I do NOT throttle around town, I have pedalled 99% of all those kilometers.
That extra myth about ebikes was actually funny and true. I had never thought of it like that. Indeed, lazy people would not leave the house in the first place.
Wrong. My blind brother runs a e-tandembike club for disabled people. They go 75-100 km 4 times a week.
I'm also disabled and I'm out on my ebike riding a minimum of 20km daily.
Did you read their comment? Did they say disabled people or lazy people?
Quicklinks being one use always made me laugh) Actually, some of my quicklinks outlived more then one chain) And I was snapping it very often since I used oil and cleaned the system once every week or two. It was kinda cheap decathlon one. It had less strong engagement then the 1st time but I have never had an issue with it.
Nice video THX. The myth about the suspension problem is interesting I remember that the Marzocchi bomber from 1996 (open bath) had a problem with leaking oil when you put it upside down.
The "last run" jinx is the same in skiing, I was a patrolman and it is amazing how many people get hurt when they know they should be done and go for one more.
One thing you might mention on the hanging the bikes is: Don't go squeezing the brake levers while hanging (with the bars up)... if you are low on brake fluid at that angle you can pump air into the brake line.
Totally agree about brake levers. On a previous post about this subject I mentioned about my breaks seizing after my bike was stored vertically, someone replied saying it was not possible, I told him it had happened to me twice and he still insisted that I was wrong and shouldn’t be riding bikes if I didn’t know the basics about brakes 😐.
Yep, found out the hard way. I had mine on steady racks and pumped the breaks to get them down and learned that air bubbles got into the brake lines. Then you have to remove the brake reservoir screw and pump out the bubbles with a bleed kit. Lesson learned.
Dropper seatpost myth: "You'll destroy your dropper post if you use it hang (clamp) your bike into a work stand!". Only partially true. (To avoid certain damage) A dropper post must be out at its full extension when clamping your bike into a work stand.
Also depends on the stand. If the stand doesn't have well made circular clamps to match to seatpost (or really worn down clamps), it can break.
This story doesnt exactly apply to seatposts, but one time a buddy of mine tried clamping his carbon bike by the seat tube, and the jaws weren't exactly well shaped to fit the bar, and he cracked the frame. He had to get a new bike.
I don't know why it would be a cause of concern to hang it from the dropper post to work on it, considering the forces it is required to withstand in its lifetime.
Funny enough, in the FPV drone world we also have the curse of the "last run."
We call it the "last pack" (battery pack) and on the few occasions that I have said it, it tends to not end well as well.
That's why I bring more batteries than I usually have the stamina to fly now. I'm never on the "last pack"
There's a few I think might have got missed.
- When you're learning to ride, starting on a hard tail makes you a better rider. I'm unsure of how true this actually is.
- The attitude that only the really expensive bikes are worth it. I've seen that come up occasionally and I kinda think it's a bit 'snobbish'. It's true that a top of the line bike will be better and more capable than a Walmart bike, but I've got a 2014 model hard tail that went for a bit under $A1000 when I bought it new that I've maintained over the years and upgraded as I've improved and it still goes. If you choose wisely, even a bike that's just one or two steps above 'bargain basement' can be a very good buy that can give you years of good service. After a certain point you're spending a lot of extra money for only very small improvements.
This is great, definitely learned something today. Thanks Seth!
I once felt the wrath of stating one last try. My friend's cautioned me and said don't do it. I laughed at them and dismissed their advice. I landed straight on my head and all my friends just stood there around me laughing while I was laying on the ground trying to collect my senses and pointing at me saying, we told you so! At least it makes for a good story now and I've never said those words again before trying a stunt.
I hope you got some new friends, because people who will stand around and laugh at you while you're possibly injured are not your friends.
The reason I've been told for turning your quick release levers around is to prevent burning you fingers on a hot brake rotor. I've never heard of this myth that the quick release gets stuck in the rotor until now. I turned around my skewers around back in the 90's, when my brake rotors could get hot, but I don't do it much anymore. Thank you.
Decades ago, I owned a road bike that had vertical rear dropouts that had been cut down by the frame builder to the tiniest size possible.
I loved to put the quick release skewer in backwards so the left side only had the "nut" on that side. It looked really sleek.
I'd occasionally get negative comments from other riders who were certain that it would cause one problem or another. I invariably told them that I'd been riding it that way for thousands of miles and there wasn't any merit to their claims.
Ahhh you're gonna make me have dreams of Whistler tonight. Thank you
Re: rear QRs. One minor thing that can be important (more so if you're doing group rides on the road) and safer is to point the QR lever into the rear triangle (not backwards away from the bike) when you've closed it. I've actually seen it happen in races where two riders overlap wheels and the rider behind actually opens the rider in front's QR, and they had stop because of a loose rear wheel. It doesn't happen often, but why not completely eliminate that possibility by making the lever face forward?
You're right. We followed the same reasoning. But the counter-argument to facing the QR lever forward was catching it with a branch while mountain biking, and having your rear wheel release. So the agreed-upon ideal position was facing up along the seat stay. That position prevents pretty much every inadvertent QR lever release. But with disc brakes today, it's not as straightforward as it was.
100%. qr levers should be angled in such a way that they are the least likely to catch on things.
and one benefit of keeping the levers away from brake rotors is that if somebody is taking a wheel off or putting one on they might have dirty or greasy hands, potentially contaminating the brake.
Regarding quick release levers: *Never* close them facing forward, always close them facing backwards. Why? Because vines/cables/random junk on the trails or wherever you're riding can catch them and snatch them open.
I recommend considering the same thing whenever installing a single sided clip master link for a chain, observe which way you install the clip so it won't have any chance of catching something on the bottom of the chain run and popping off.
Most any of those quick release or quick clip mechanisms can be prone to popping loose if you hit or even bunny hop some sort of unexpected obstacle on your ride.
It's not the most likely scenario, but it's happened to me before. Stay safe out there fellow riders!
so here is some insight a little bit late but better late than never. thermo(and aero)dynamics graduate here. so this is is true but not for the reasons you might think. the problem with inflated tires is not on your routine flights. as previously mentioned and correctly, the cabin and cargo pressures are the same. the problem occurs when there is a loss of cabin pressure. if for some reason the cabin loses pressure, the pressure and temperature differences between the tire and the ambient environment can make the tire expand a lot more than intended, and some low quality brands, or just bad luck, can cause the tire to blow up. now, for the spin off: the tire blowing up and exploding does not endanger anyone and could not affect the flight physically at all. the sound of an explosion however, especially during a rapid pressure decrease, could cause panic and mass hysteria on the plane, that could lead to injuries and loss of life from the mayhem. hope this helps you a bit to understand more of how when you combine several concerns in one solution can lead to some strange looking rules.
The ball end is designed geometrically to engage properly. If your bolt is not damaged, it cannot engage differently than a regular allen key. It does have a smaller contact area though. But any real damaged you get is from it rubbing, because it is basically a universal joint which is not constant velocity. which there are two things to consider:
1. This mainly happens while screwing it in
But
2. It doesn’t really hurt much unless there is force AND you turn multiple flats at once
The best option is to reduce the angle you are using it at. In that example you were 100% clear to move it vertically and probably should have.
I want to know what causes the seeming aversion to using a hex key socket in the bike world. I can't begin to count the videos I've seen where they are using full sized allen keys and thinking to myself why isn't this guy/chick just grabbing a ratchet and getting it done in a fraction of the time?
It isn't a universal joint which does have changing rotation speed, it's a constant velocity joint (CV) found on the front of all FWD and AWD vehicles. The sliding motion you mention is how it maintains constant velocity. Good in cars for at least 100,000km.
I think I’m more concerned about making sure my camelbak is full and that my cell phone is charged before I worry about “pedal kickback”! 😎
I hung a perfectly funcitioning SID fork upside down on a hook in the garage. When I used it on a bike next, a few months later, the lockout didn't work. If you're familiar with the SID lockout, it typically fails closed (e.g. you can't unlock it) but in my case it has failed open (I can't lock the fork). I've never had that issue with my Fox forks though.
actually, if you store your bike fork-side up on the wall, oil from lower legs sponge up into the foam rings under the dusters and stanchions will be properly lube :)
Nice vid