- Do you only have one bike?
Are you jealous of all those lucky people out there
who seem to have it all?
Well, this is a problem, and I'm here
to make sure you can put that one perfect steed to good use.
Capitalizing on every opportunity
to ride it, and a few tips
to optimize your one and only
so it can handle all that you throw at it.
Have you ever hear that equation
that some mountain-bikers like to live by?
N plus one.
If you're not familiar, it basically means
that no matter how many bikes you have,
you always want one more.
But for the vast majority of us,
this just isn't realistic, but that's okay
because in reality all you actually need is one bike.
And in the right hands, any bike is capable,
within reason, of being your one and only.
(magical harp music)
There are some limitations that even the most skilled
and capable riders will struggle with.
You're not going to have a good time
pedaling your downhill bike along, well, anything really.
Pedaling downhill bikes sucks!
And on the other extreme,
a road bike isn't going to do well
when there's even a glimpse of dust on the horizon.
That guy's good.
But, we're not here for skinny tires anyway,
let's stick to what we do best, mountain-bikes.
You might be screaming at your screen,
telling me that there's no way
that a hardtail is going to be able to get down
the double black diamond trails and survive.
And I'm not here to tell you
that you're necessarily wrong.
But, that does look good.
What I am going to ask you though, is this.
Do you really want to ride that trail?
If you do, and you're capable of taking on
a trail of that nature,
then the bike isn't going to hold you back.
There's been a fair few videos of pro-riders
taking cyclocross bikes down some of the biggest
that Whistler has to offer.
And Blake took his Digger out
for some loops round Wind Hill too.
But they're just good, and the bike doesn't matter
to those guys.
Most of us aren't that good,
but it doesn't mean that we can't push ourselves
or our bikes to the limits.
Your basic hardtail can easily take on
a red level trail, and it's down to your skills
to limit what it can do.
It's important to bear in mind
that skill-level will also be a factor
in how well the bike will survive those trails.
Generally speaking, riders with more skill
will be able to negotiate a lesser bike
down a gnarlier trail with fewer breakages.
Understandably, you might want to look at some upgrades
to make sure your bike is in with a fighting chance.
Tires play such a big part of the bike,
and are all to often ignored.
So once again, we're going to push tires
into your upgrade list.
A solid pair of tubeless tires
can make all the difference on the trails.
Giving you the confidence that no other component can.
But what works on the trails just won't work on the roads.
If you've ever ridden much on the road
with a knobbly and slow rolling tire,
you'll know how much of a difference
a second set of more suitable road tires could make.
So, if you're looking to use your bike
as a daily driver as well then a couple of pairs of tires
might be handy to have.
One pair for the trail, and one for using
on the road to get around town.
It could be a faff, though,
changing your tires all the time.
How about going for a second pair of wheels,
if you can stretch to it?
This would be ideal, so you can quickly swap
between the two setups, perfect.
Wheels and brakes also play a significant role
in how much your bike performs,
as well as your confidence
in how hard you can ride your bike.
Suspension is one of those things
that everyone thinks they need.
But if you see a BMX rider and of course,
trials riders, and see what they can do,
you'll see that suspension is not absolute necessity.
A solid pair of wheels, though,
lets you ride easy in the knowledge
that your bike won't fold underneath you
when the trails get rough,
or you misjudge a landing.
And reliable brakes give you the speed control,
literally at your fingertips.
And having control of your speed boosts confidence too.
Because you know you can stop your bike
in almost any circumstance.
But here's a big but.
If you're not going to maintain your bike, there's no point.
Your wheels won't hold up if the spokes are loose,
your brakes aren't going to do any stopping
if there's air in the lines.
You only have this one bike, right?
Well, let's make it the best it can be
and show it some love.
Imagine you had all those bikes
that you've always dreamed of,
then put all the love for those bikes
into the one you do have.
Regular maintenance is super important.
This can be as simple as cleaning your bike
after every ride.
When you clean it, you're getting to know it better.
You're going over the whole bike
so you can see if there are any problems at all.
You can take this time to check the bolts are tight,
lube the chain, check the spoke tension,
a little goes a long way with regular maintenance.
You can avoid big bills
if you put a little time in after each ride.
If where you live is anywhere like the UK,
then you're going to be dealing with a lot of rain.
And that means you'll be generally getting wet.
Now, we can all deal with that out on the trail
because we're not worried about going indoors afterwards
and looking presentable.
But, if you're going in the office,
for this reason a good set of mud guards
is a great idea for your commuting.
You might be rained on but you won't have skunk tail
or water splashing up your front
from the wheel, blinding you.
Ideally what you want to do is make your bike
as versatile as possible.
So make sure you can ride it
in as many places as you can.
Some bikes can help with this,
bikes like the Canyon Strive have geometry
that you can actually change,
but sometimes having something as simple as a lockout
on the front or rear shock can make the bike much easier
to climb with, or use on the road.
So, there's some ideas to make that one bike
do more for you.
Did I solve the problem?
Is one bike now enough?
I seriously doubt it.
Let me know in the comments section down below
if I nailed it or if you have any gem ideas
for making one bike go a little bit further.
And if one bike isn't enough,
then you know, what would your next bike be?
Let me know in the comments below.
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