Neil: I've been mountain biking for about 25 years now, believe it or not. I guess you can't
believe it. Look at my gray hairs. Many products have been and gone over the years. Here are some
of my favorite mountain bike accessories that I've bought and I've had loads of use from.
I say bought, but there is an asterisk up there, so I'll be 100% honest with you.
We do have some partner brands here at GMBN that make it possible to make these videos,
and yes, I was a sponsored rider for quite a long time. Some of those are products that I've had for
years and years, and I've never let go of them. I haven't technically bought every single one of
these products, I've been given them, but they are my favorites, and I would have bought them
had I not been given them. Let's start. [music]
Number one, my trusty Park Tool portable work stand. Now, me and Martin talked about these
the other week actually in a show, because I realized just how long I've had this. I
reckon I've probably had this about 20 years and it still works perfectly. I still use this
every day, not every day, but pretty much every day, it's all the time. Yes, a team
I rode for back in the year 2000 was sponsored by Park Tools, so I didn't pay for this either.
It's just been one thing that I've probably used the most in all of my years of riding mountain
bikes. I get to use this all the time. It's been to fields all around the UK and all around Europe
when I race downhill and it's still going strong. Why do I love it? It's robust, it's portable,
although it doesn't really go many places nowadays, it stays in my garage most of the time.
I just don't know how you would ever work properly on a bike without a work stand.
It's definitely had its money's worth. Doing your gears, working on pretty much anything
on your bike without a work stand is just more difficult, so I love it.
Bib shorts. Yes, the lycra padded shorts with the straps that go over your shoulders. Now maybe not
just one pair of these have been my favorite, but they are my go-to undergarment for riding
a bike. They're super comfortable. I feel secure, if you get what I mean.
Also, you never have to worry about pulling them up or anything like that, just sorted for riding.
Also, with the bibs, it's super helpful for bigger rides. Just a nice little place to
stash things. I'll often stick a bar, or a gel, or even an inner tube I've put in the back of there.
Just the things you can get in there for longer rides. Yes, the expensive road ones
are worth it. In my opinion, they're super comfortable. Thank you very much, GCN.
A mobile toolbox or a tool wrap. They're really good actually.
I like to be prepared when I go for a ride. Any vehicle I'm in, I always take this with me.
What I do, I downgrade my tools. I've got my big toolbox at home with all my A-grade tools, and
when they get old and worn, I stick them over into my mobile toolbox. I'm still really well prepared,
but maybe they're not the tools I want to use all the time, because I really hate going somewhere
for a ride and having to borrow something off someone. Like, "Oh, can I just borrow that
thing?" or even if you're at a bike park and go to a shop, I hate going in there and being like just
"Can you just tighten my axle or whatever?" I like to be prepared. I don't take loads of
things, but quite a few spares, bits and bobs, spare tubes, brake pads, occasionally tools like
this where they've basically got loads of little functions. This is a Topeak survival
gearbox. You've got loads of little bits in here that'll get you out of pretty much anything.
Like I said, not the tools I use all the time, but tools that can get me out of a sticky spot.
A jet wash for washing off my bike. Yes, full disclosure, of course, this is a Muc-Off version.
Over the years I've had loads of different ones from the full-powered petrol ones
to the plug-in electric ones at home. Petrol I would use quite a lot back in the downhill
racing days. We've got really mucky bikes and to blast it off in the field, get ready for the race.
This one is designed specifically for bikes, so there's no mad power on this one at all,
and you've got those handy accessories that you can plug in your wash and spray down the bike.
I think, personally, if you do it right, you're not wearing your bike out any faster anyway as
long as you're a bit careful with it. I think, actually, if you're cleaning your
drive train off better and then lubing it, then, that's lasting longer anyway.
I don't know how people survive without a jet wash, especially living in the UK.
You can see how muddy it is this time of year. I use this jet wash at home a lot.
The windproof gilet or vest, or whatever you call them, body warmer, I guess. Yes,
they can make you look a little bit like a bin bag because they are that shiny windproof stuff.
Yes, this is a GMBN one, but I've had loads of these over the years. Other than bib shorts
and riding jerseys, these are probably my next most favorite piece of riding gear.
Under-jersey base layers. Now I've probably got, I don't know, 8 or 10 of these. They last years.
I wear them a lot of the time in the UK. Merino wool, that's always a winner. Nice and warm,
breathable, that's the important thing, I guess, with any under-jersey.
Base-layer, make sure they're breathable so they don't get super sweaty. Worth spending money,
I think on Merino ones, because, again, they last you years, and it's such a nice material.
A Hiplok. Now, this is a genius piece of kit that is just like a belt. You use the Velcro, sling it
around your waist, and off you go. I use this all the time for popping into town, or for riding to
work, saves you having to use one of those big D-locks or strapping anything to your bike.
A flask for the car. Obviously, riding bikes is thirsty work, so I'm always filling up
receptacles to take with me wherever I'm going, and single-use plastics is no good for anyone,
so I like to keep a flask in the car and just refill this, obviously. You can buy yourself
a GMBN one as well, but any one of these flasks is great, and I use it all the time.
A mountain bike GPS. I'm definitely not a rider that has to have this on every ride, and,
"Look at my miles at the end of the year," but I do like them, especially for training and for
cross country or road bike. I've even got a power meter, actually, on my cross-country bike. I like
digging into my data and actually train quite specifically and getting my most bang for buck.
Obviously, I've got my head unit which I do use for more cross-country
road and a bit of enduro, but I do like having a watch as well, it's really nice.
Mainly, I use this for recording times for dyno runs and enduro. Yes, we're partnered by Garmin,
but you can get any brands of these. I actually find them really useful,
kind of, like I said, for digging into the data, but also sometimes for tracking those rides,
but, like I say, I'm not 100% into tracking every ride, and I'm not super disappointed
if I forget it, or whatever, but I do like geeking out sometimes on the riding data.
They are some of my favorite mountain bike accessories. Definitely let me know yours
in the comments down below, I'll check them out. If you want some more tech mountain bike videos,
don't forget to head over to GMBN Tech and subscribe, because [unintelligible 00:07:04] has
got loads of great info over there. [00:07:07] [END OF AUDIO]