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.