- Mountain biking can be an expensive sport,
especially to start out with
so here are our top ways to save yourself a bit of money
whilst doing the sport that you love.
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Now a lot of these ideas do involve a bit
of initial investment but we're really talking longterm
that you'll see the pay off and you'll start saving money.
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Don't pay to ride, ask at your local bike shop
where the good trails are.
Chances are they'll say your nearest bike park
or trail center,
ask them where the really, really good trails are
and they might give you a different answer.
Natural trails can be built by local riding communities
and often are some of the best riding around.
Unlike a bike park, the best bit
about riding these trails is that they're often free.
Just turn up with your yourself, your gear, your bike
and enjoy, no day ticket and more money in your wallet.
- So this is my local woods where it all started.
This is where I did my very first race in '95
but it's also where I still ride a lot nowadays.
Typical of UK riding, it's not huge elevation
but it's muddy, it's technical.
I think I learned almost everything here,
as well as riding the local dirt jumps,
this is my place really.
- However, trail etiquette does come into this.
These locations should be treated with respect.
Volunteers have put a long time building these trails
and you should show your appreciation of that
whether it's a voluntary donation
to the trail management organization
or offering your services on a dig day to help out
with maintenance and get closely involved
with the riding community.
Either way, it's cheaper than a day pass,
than your local bike park
and every weekend you'll experience
some new trails, win win.
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Spares and repairs.
Throwing the whole derailleur in the bin?
How about saving those jockey wheels for another time?
Chances are, you might not need them
but there's always a chance
that you're new mech will meet the same fate as the old one.
Or even someone you know may have just the right mechanical
that calls for their use.
Save up parts with some life left in them just in case,
partly worn grips, jockey wheels from mechs, shifters,
brake hose connections, brake pads, springs, even bolts.
You never know what you'll need or when.
So start building up a stash.
- So, I've got a few of these boxes
that's full of random old bits.
So if I have a brake part, what I do is I just strip 'em
for nuts and bolts and you'd be surprised
how often I have to dip into this for various bits and bobs.
Yeah, saved my life a few times.
- Even that old worn down tire, you could swap the front
to the rear runner part worn on the back
during the summer months
or upcycle it into the rock strike guard for your down tube.
You could do lots with that tire.
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Maintenance, ever heard the phrase gotta spend money
to make money?
Well that sentiment is true when it comes to bikes.
It's your pride and joy, chances are you've spent a lot
on it in the first place.
So put the money behind it to maintain it.
Okay, don't go getting a full service every month
but the correct maintenance
at the correct time can definitely save you money.
A safety check every handful of rides
could catch that loose bolt
that could cause your bar to slip
and prevent that crash
which costs you a few hundred to fix, that'd be a nightmare.
That frame inspection before the warranty period ends,
may discover a flaw that gets you out of jail for free
or that suspension service after a long, harsh winter
will catch the fact that your seals need replacing
and all the oil has turned to gloop,
saving you hundreds in repair bills further down the line.
Realize when a job needs doing
and what the longterm repercussions
of not doing that job are.
Think timely as well, if your BB's got another month
of winter nasty riding but it's looking rather rough,
maybe crisis manage it, nurse it over the line
till the days start clearing up
before replacing it with a brand new one.
That way the new one will last much longer
than if you'd installed it onto your bike
with a month of that muddy punishment.
We've got a library of maintenance videos,
as has Doddy on GMBN Tech, that you can use to learn
how to maintain your bike yourself
which will save you a wedge of money.
By all means use a qualified mechanic
for anything you're not sure of
and the jobs you think are too big to handle.
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Tools and supplies.
So when it comes to self-maintenance, Doddy always says,
only a rich man buys cheap tools.
He's clever, ain't he?
It's worth covering yourself
with the basics such as decent set of Allen keys,
some grease and some chain lube.
They'll pay for themselves in no time.
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Trail tucker.
Have a watch of Blake's Bakes where you can see all manner
of tasty trail snacks that you can make for yourself.
If you bring food and drink with you it saves money
on that coffee and that huge hot lunch
that makes you not wanna ride in the afternoon anyway.
Now, we're not saying don't support local business
but, remember that if you're lookin' to save money,
you can always do it in moderation.
Besides, who actually wants to ride again
after that burger and chips for lunch?
Eat smaller portions of energy rich food
to keep your body ticking over nicely throughout your ride.
Less time in the cafe is more time on the trails
but remember, pack it in, pack it out.
There's no excuse for leaving your rubbish behind.
- Take your rubbish!
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- Buy second hand!
There's always a bargain to be had on second hand markets.
Make sure you investigate if you're in the market,
from parts to complete bikes,
you can always find something that piques your interest.
Check out classifieds, eBay, Craiglist or Gumtree.
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Plan ahead.
It may well be worth bulk buying to save money
in the long run.
If you're gonna be riding
and maintaining your bikes longterm then think
of bulk buying cleaning fluids, greases,
lubricants, cables or nutrition.
- Down here, this is one of the best purchases ever made.
I bought a couple of big boxes of Shimano cables,
so inner and outer,
they're actually custom ones, they say Don on 'em.
But it just saves me going
to the bike shop every time I wanna change my gear cable.
- This is also true when it comes to sales.
Winter riding kit will be on sale in the height of summer
so if you're not too fussed about having the latest clothing
you could pick yourself up a bargain ahead of time.
Sit on that bargain for six months
and then it could get its use in the winter conditions
and you'll be feelin' amazin'.
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Go tubeless, again a bit of spend-to-save situation
but the cost benefit to goin' tubeless is one
of the lowest ones out there.
You need tape, valves and sealant.
You can even use a good quality Gorilla tape around the rim.
Cut the valves off old tubes,
that way you just have to spend on the sealant.
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Buy older models.
It's nice to get the newest bike and tech
but how bad is the older stuff really?
The newer models of bike
or components will drive the older models' prices way down
so maybe plan your purchase for when shops get new stock.
They will discount the older stock
and you can grab a bargain.
Also don't be so caught up with certain colors,
you're more likely to get the discount on the uglier options
that aren't so popular.
For more money saving tips, click just here.
And don't forget to subscribe on the GMBN Globe just there.
Lastly give us a thumbs up like
and I'll see you another time.