When Doddy said 'mud will hold it together' it reminded me of the time I took apart the rear derailleur on my mums old road bike and, what I thought was a washer, turned out to be a ring of compressed mud!
Great deals can be found on barely used stuff too. Just wait until this latest bike boom is over! Unless you're professional you don't 'NEED' the latest and greatest. Its the rider, the motor, the operator who urges the bicycle forward. The machine goes nowhere without the passenger. Improve YOURSELF until your bicycle is holding you back. IGNORE marketing BS!
Rotating chains is a good one to help preserve the life of your drivetrain. I run 2, ideally 3, chains & rotate every 4-6 weeks to even out wear, introducing a new chain when one reaches 60-75% wear. I've got hundreds of extra miles out of a cassette using this method. I also lube with wax all year round.
It's ok to put a front tire on the back. Front tires are a safety item. It's not wise to compromise something allowing you to steer. Rear tires wear faster than fronts anyways.
An absolutely, brutally honest review of consumable components from Doddy. More major channels should be like this , not being so concerned with sponsors or advertising. Doddy, you are an amazing oracle of MTBing with your little nuggets of information. On a side note, I will hopefully send photos of my bike for top mods. Unfortunately, not got my new handlebar yet but apart from that it's pretty much sorted.
When you buy a new bike for that big stage race like BC Bike Race, right away you put on cheaper chain, chain ring, cassette, and maybe even disc rotors. Then train all spring in the rain and mud on the cheaper consumeables. Then a week before the race put the original high end light weight parts back on, get new brake pads and gear cable. It'll be like having a new and lighter bike for the big race week.
I train and ride all winter on a very inexpensive fixed gear cyclocross bike or a couple singlespeeds. Why should I wear out my nice custom bikes in the slop of winter? Much of my winter bikes are free, donated or very old. There is very little to fail or maintain. Air in the tires and oil on the chain, thats about it. These bikes never break down. Singlespeeds are what I ride locally 70% of the time. They're all 'I NEED'. I am 59 years young and live surrounded by mountains, so there's no excuses! One's mind is one's greatest weakness. Fear IS the mind killer. Riding a singlespeed is a very liberating experience. You go as hard as you can until you can't. Then you walk a bit. Try harder next time you climb back on. Singlespeed is really simple this way too. You forget about the bike and concentrate on the fastest line. Fixed gear offroad is more fun than should be legal.
@@rollinrat4850 I'm with you there! You just described my winter setup. My commuter is an old 90s mtb with one gear. My summer commuter is a cheap steel fixie. No need for Zwift when a recycled/repurposed old bike gets the legs grinding just riding to work. Singlespeeds for the win. Just ride, rinse, and repeat.
@@newttella1043 I think we've had this conversation before. I recognized your handle. For a killer high energy ride snack try Nutella, pbj and bacon sandwiches.
#GMBNTech "Clean your bike!" Amen Doddy. I think I enjoy cleaning my bike as much as riding it. Seriously proud of how mint my bike looks and how long my drive trains last.
I realize this is an older video, but I thought I would put this here for anyone watching. Sometimes running a nicer chain and cassette can actually save you money. For example, I switched from a GX chain and cassette to XO1 and found that I got triple the life out of the chains, and nearly quadruple the life on the cassette! On top of that, they look pretty and shift much smoother!
Love the video, also, I'd like to mention that Sram XO1 lasts A LOT longer than GX , and I mean A LOT. There's a reason besides just lighter weight to the almost double price between the two. And speaking of Shimano SLX and XTR , I've no idea because I've not tried the new ones yet. To my experience, with Sram.., the more expensive stuff is made from higher tolerance materials and even coated with a harder anodized layer that makes it harder, shifts smoother and last longer, in my book,.. that's worth every penny, and remember... You only live ONCE, only ONCE. Enjoy yourself while you're still alive! 🤘🤘🤘
I used to ride with several, somewhat season bound tire sets. For the winter I switched to tires more fitted for wet conditions. I have stopped doing that when I started to ride tubeless. Cleaning up the old latex and adding new latex is to much of a hassle for me. And I am not sure if you save money that way. I mean, I don't get my latex for free. I do save money with my Shimano cassette (11 speed 11-42). The 11,13,15 sprockets wear out long before the rest of the cassette. Luckily I have found an web shop that sells them separate. So when my cassette wears out, most of the time it is sufficient to replace the three smallest sprockets and I am good to go again. Setting me back around 11 euro's and not 50 euro's. I can do that two or three times before I need to replace the whole cassette. If needed the 17 and 19 sprocket can be ordered and replaced separate as well (costs around 4,00 and 3,00 euro).
@@georgegande1779 At Rosebikes, a German bike shop (rosebikes.com) with a Dutch site (rosebikes.nl). The sprockets are for 11 speed XT CS-M8000 cassettes but are compatible with SLX CS-M7000 and CS-HG800-11 cassettes. Often they have them in stock but sometimes the delivery time is a couple of weeks. I haven't seen individual sprockets for other cassettes though. Would have like it for my 10 speed setup when I was still running that. EDIT: Correction. They do have sprockets for 10 speed cassettes.
i have SO much to learn as a mech...... i am a roadie, so all this is a whole new world and i make money fixing bikes so this is gold to me. Thank you Mr doddy
Be careful when washing your drivetrain with degreasing agents. I managed to stuff up the pivot bearings on my first full sus because it washed out the grease from the bearings. That can be fixed though by packing them with CRC Marine grease (light blue) which is the same grease Enduro uses in their bearings.
Did a full bearing swap on my four year old Lapierre Zesty last summer. I could not believe the amount of crud in the races. Definitely a thing to watch.
I have a relatively budget hard tail and upgraded to a Sunrace cassette for better ratios on a 9 speed (12-38 tooth swapped to a 11-42). Huge improvement for me. Shifts better than stock did and makes climbing a lot easier.
The Sunrace 12 speed cassettes 1) are not that much cheaper than Shimano Deore and SLX and 2) have the old issues with backpedaling and shifting under load that Shimano has solved. There's a reason why Marin dropped the Sunrace cassettes this season now that more micro spline hubs are available.
Doddy is spot on! Cassettes aren't a life long component unless your using the largest cogs all the time and they are super clean. On my winter hardtail I put a 5 dollar Bell brand chain on it and its working! Sram brake pads cost more than pads for a car...
One tip I’ve discovered this year is to use an all weather lube during winter (Weldtite tf2 or similar). It may sound obvious, but I’ve often found myself on winter a ride and it’s not actually raining, but there’s a few more puddles than expected. In the past I’ve found Dry lube can wash off too easy and wet lube attracts too much grime, even if it’s wiped off before the start of a ride. I think the worst bit of winter riding is cleaning off that black gunk off the drivetrain, also that stuff kills your expensive cassette and chain! now I just use all weather lube throughout winter, it’s so much easier to clean and doesn’t make your chain look nasty after every ride. I now only use wet lube when it’s actually raining. Hopefully helps someone out there 👊
Great video! Less Shimano-centered than some recent ones, but rather tuned towards useful knowledge beyond a few featured brands - and beyond buying new bling stuff over and over! Thank you, I like!
Yeah! Haha, take that 'nice stuff' out and ride it hard in conditions it wears twice as fast. Real bright. Get a cheap singlespeed (or build free junk) with steel gears and you'll have a reliable bike that never breaks. Simple is as simple does!
I love my Shimano XT cassette, I have the same cassette for 2 years and just replaced the smaller cogs once they were worn. Doing 30-40 miles a day on it.
I wrecked a chain due to letting it seize up in the wet, was a nightmare 10 miles from home. Uberbike race matrix pads are the best pads I've used, I'll never use original pads again.
Want to save money? Ride a singlespeed. I'm 59 and ride 3 singlespeeds or fixed gear in mountains, mostly on trail. You can do it too if you put your mind to it.
Recently I "downgraded" back to 10 speed with advent x cassette (@ $40 on eBay!) and shimano Saint shifter w/Deore 10spd derailleur. Bingo, all the range with tougher, more durable chain and cheaper to replace! For tires, Maxxis Ikon lasts FOREVER, (decent rear tire).
Checking chain wear is key. Have run the same 11speed XTR cassette for over 4 years. Been through about 7 chains but have crisp shifting all this time. Working in the trade I have had to replace many expensive cassettes. Which could mostly all been avoided if people had a chain checker.
@@ryang123 I’ve never run ceramic. I’ve used organic and metallic and found metallic better. I had a look at the N&T website and found a set compatible for £5.99. If they are better then it is well worth it. How good are they compared to Shimano?
Dawn Disk Soap, car cleaning brushes, car oil/lube, pressure washer(from work), air compressor(from work), & visit do-it-yourself bike shops. I haven't owned a bike over $100 yet. I tend to get em used and outgrown them fast as I was growing up.
Funny you say about that 26'' Foxy, my Specialized SX Trail has small bearings everywhere, I change them every 6 months of riding (that's because during winter I ride my hardtail, and I still turn them bearings to dust :) )
Hey Doddy. I managed to destroy my 13t cog on my Occam somehow, but was chuffed to discover that SunRace sell a little lock ring kit with the 11, 13 and 15t sprockets! £13 and I was back riding and saved money on the rest of the cassette!!
The SunRace 11-50 12-speed cassette with Shimano hyperglide interface lasted me about 3500km - same as the original SRAM NX cassette that came on my bike. Weighs less, costs less, looks cooler :) In my limited experience you can increase the lifespan of a cassette by getting a new chain before or at 0,5% wear for a 12sp, but this only works for three chains or so. After that, just ride it till it fails and then replace the drivetrain front to back.
There are chain checkers available, but you'll replace chains more often using them. They're not very accurate. Measure any chain with a ruler. This is the best way. Measure 12 links pin to pin. 12" when new. You can't do this practically with a metric ruler, so no complaints! When those 12 links becomes 12 1/16", that is .5% wear. Chain manufacturer's replacement recommendation. I clean and oil my chains often and perfectly and get 4-5 chains out of a drivetrain for hard offroad use. Your mileage may vary.
Timely video! I need to replace the drivetrain, rear tyre and rear hub bearings on my Cotic Rocket. Money was tight so haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Now I’m just going to ride those parts to destruction for another 6-8 weeks!
@@garygilbert1127 yeah same cassette with a up graded chain plus I went from a 30t chainring to a 34t because I kept spinning out in high gear, but I just recently changed the 34t to a 32t and so far it seems to be the sweet spot for climbing and putting the power down.
If you practice what you preach, try out microshift advent x. 167.00 for groupset and is lighter than sram gx. That is what I'm going to go to when mine wears out.
For commuting, I run coil SunTour fork for less maintenance. Every spring I take the lowers off and clean the old grease out and put fresh stuff, and I prefer a hard tail, again for less maintenance. Here in Canada I don't even bother cleaning my bike if it's -10c below warmer days I'll just clean chain + cassette While I'm cleaning the lowers on the forks I tend to clean and regrease barrings in the headset and quite happy with the tourney group set to be honest
Age-old advice, but consider buying workshop bulk packs for the lowest-tier consumables such as shifter cables, outers and brake pads. The cost up front is naturally higher, but you will easily save around 40%-50% of the individual unit prices in the long run.
Also, you get more use out of a basic bottle of chain lube if you go for an applicator, such as Flectr’s Green Disc / Lubri Disc, for example. Low-cost stuff, granted, but a good idea if money’s tight and from an environmental perspective, especially if your preference is a non-biodegradable wet lube.
FINALLY! Someone who agrees with me on the transmission subject! The last 5 builds that I’ve made have had 1x10 speed transmissions with SLX derailleur, Zee shifter, Sunrace 11-46 cassette, Absolute Black chainring and KMC chain. With a bit of careful shopping around I can make a full drivetrain for less than the cost of a SRAM GX cassette! And I’ve never been hunting for a gear or wanted for a ratio. My latest build (which I’ve submitted to Top Mods) is a new experiment for me with a Box2 9 speed drivetrain that still has an 11-50 cassette and a full drivetrain with Eagle range cost me £230! But now I can fit a larger chainring too!
I recall a visit to my local bike shop a couple of years ago. They had a nice Trek Pro Cailiber hard tale 2018 model. I was truly suprised/anoyed to see it had Deore shifters but XT derailleurs. Stupid if you ask me.
As for bearings, another thing you might have to watch is sometimes they regrind the bearings to a diferant size, so the origanal bike bearing is actualy a diferant size than the same size and part number of a off the shelf bearing, have found that a fare bit with with them as my mate is the manager off a bearing company and i can sometimes get them cheeper from him, have found it's the same for my motor bike as well as some saw mill equipment, they don't always do it but it dose happen.
I run two wheel sets each with its own cassette and disks. One set is narrow, fast, and lite. The other is wide, aggressive, and heavier. Two wheel sets do wear chains faster (4 in 2 years). But all the parts that make up a wheel set are wear parts. Now these wheel sets are wearing slower from sharing the time on the frame. Well maybe a rim is not a consumable but still I consider this method a cost savings and a performance boost.
I enjoy watching your Money Saving Ideas.. It's Helped me with being able to get Suntor Components instead of those very expensive SHIMANO Products that also wear out to.. So far I been able enough several Bags of my favorite Marijuana and continue smoking while I ride my bike back home from a candy store..
For brake pads I am using the website Disco Brake, Kevlar model and they are great both in the summer when I am in the mountain, as well at home in winter muddy conditions. And the price is reasonable
Save money by spending it same amount over a period of time. VS all at once so you have to play keep up. Custom is always the way to go and self fulfilment is the best feeling ever VS showing off exspensive art someone else built and you just happen to have extra money to throw away.
Singlespeeds are waaay cheaper! Mine were nearly free! Mine never break or fail and require minimal maintenance (chain snd tires) in the worst conditions all through the winter. Fear is the mind killer. Riders only think they can't. Most have never even tried. That's just a bad attitude.
i dont have suspension tuners or good bikeshop, they suck or cost ridiculously much so i do my stuff myself, someone thought my suspension was broken because i used 70% of my travel at max psi at a indoor park weighing 57kilos but further inspections that suspension is totally fine
I had hope brakes on my old bike and ran Uberbike pads on one occasion racing a Scottish enduro series race, they were shocking! Replaced them mid race and the guys in the bike shop said I wasn’t the first that day to be getting rid of Uberbike pads for propper hope ones, sometimes it’s worth paying up for the right parts
SRAM 1130 chains. 23 dollars retail and are good solid reliable chains for 11 or even 10 speed bikes. If you put lots of miles on your bike especially off road mud miles these chains are the best value for the money.
I want to change my transmission because producer made a mix with Sram, Microshift and KMC. I was looking for alternatives and find out that is cheaper to put entire Shimano transmission. Shimano Deore casette is cheaper than Sunrace for 11v. So it's Shimano. I'm an enthusiast rider and I don't need the most expensive or competitive parts.
What about Hellbender bearings? My BB should be fried by now but it's not. That brings me to another point. Everyone knows about the influence motor sports and aerospace have on industries on MTB. What about the less obvious tech history? For instance, MTRX bearings came from the food industry and hydroformed tubing came about to make bathroom fixtures and faucets. The entire GMBN tech series is a $ saving tip. Thank You.
Motor sports and aerospace have almost zero influence on bicycle 'technology'. Whether they say they do or not is a matter of marketing, sales and lies. I work in all these industries in a very hands on capacity. Ive worked to the highest quality standards on earth. The modern larger bike industry is concerned with profit and the bottom line. Nothing more. What you pay for is generally marketing BS. Practically, very few riders can afford real aerospace technology or quality. If you really want good stuff that really lasts, you need to ignore marketing and learn fact for yourself through knowledge and experience. Oh yeah! Don't forget to save your pennies!
Yes doddy its about time gmbn looked at real world mtb riders . Not everyone is sponsored. I have a cube stereo ebike I was lucky enough to win a competition for a dreambike. But when it was time to my chain & cassette ( EX1 transmission) wow the price was mental so I got ZITTO cassette which was not even quarter of the price so far it has matched the same mileage as EX1 . Already ordered 2 cassettes which should last couple of years.
i was wasting way too much dry lube upon application, for every 2 drops on the chain, another 1 or 2 ended up on the floor...even tried a special bottle with an applicator pad and it didnt work very well, still wasted a bunch...bought a little bottle with a metal needle for arts and crafts(was like 3$ on amazon)...and it works amazingly...not 1 wasted drop since...
Get a needle applicator tip from a hobby store. Screw it onto your lube bottle. One drop per link is all the oil you need. Work it in by shifting over and over then wipe everything off the outside of the chain. It should appear clean and shiny when you do it right. A bottle of bike chain oil should last well over a year. If you use lots and leave it visible on the chain, you create grinding paste which grinds your drivetrain into oblivion. The only time you over oil your chain is in nasty wet and muddy conditions. Stuff is inevitably going to wear out faster. It's why I ride singlespeed mostly in the winter.
I'm in the process of changing the drivetrain on my hybrid. It has a 3x9 Deore, SLX mix. I am changing it to a 1x12 drivertrain. I am going for the 12 speed Sunrace drivetrain. I will be using the 11x50 HG cassette. I would also be able to use the 10x50 XD cassette if I change the freehub. I am going for the RaceFace Aeffect cranks and use a gravel bike size chainring. This is for the road riding and the light off road as well.
Chinese cassettes are Awsome and 1/3 of the price of the equivalent big brand. Using the ZTTO Ult Pro 9-50t cassette and shifting is every bit as good as an xtr or x01 giving away 20-30g tops for the sake of a £200+ saving. Great durability too👍
I would disagree, I have ridden my own bike with Shimano cassette and Shimano derailleur , and my mothers bike with a Chinese cassette with a Shimano derailleur, and my own bike is easier to pedal than my moms bike. But well that’s my opinion and I respect yours
That must be why Shimano released the BB30 as 'DO NOT DISASSEMBLE', as they are not full compliment bearings and have large spacers fitted. Naughty naughty.
Hey Doddy, loving the content. Most of these I have used at one time or another apart from the epoxy one but it makes sense. I am currently trying to rebuild a 1998 Santa Cruz heckler and am looking for some advice on which forks to run. I was running them with an old set of RST delta TL however they have seen their best. I haven't ridden in a while and am gonna try and get back to a bit of XC, free ride, and maybe some enduro. I have a cane creek DB air for the rear but looking for the best 1 1/8 steerer 26" wheel based fork and at least 100mm travel. Thanks mate. #GMBNTech #GMBN
Cool vid. I found silicone lube spray to be one of the most effective things to keep my bike going - anything from suspension to pivots and brake levers. I'd also check the spokes occasionally - once you got some loose, you may start breaking others and they are a pain to replace + your wheel may go. It'd be cool to see what are the limits of the components if they are not maintained.
@@Will99x Where did you read that? Anyway, I've been using the stuff for years and as a bonus GMBN has released this vid last year: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HL9xMR3NR2Q.html
@@riggidybang I can't remember unfortunately but you're right the majority of places do seem to suggest using it. However Rockshox don't recommend it bikerumor.com/2017/11/08/suspension-tech-lube-forks-stanchions/
To save money on servicing my suspensions, I have found a workshop that will do the service + teaching me for the next time. I will invest to learn something I have not yet done to be able to do by myself now afterwards.
Don't buy stupid pricey chains. Look at SRAM Eagle. The NX and GX chains are something like £30. Why spend the best part of £80 on an XX1 chain? It's only going to get worn out and replaced and does the same job. Save that £50 difference and invest it into good brake pads, tyres or something else that really makes a difference.
Tyres: the cheaper, chunky tubeless ready tyre, a pair. When the rear is near to self destruct, I put the front worn tyre in the rear and put a new tyre in the front. And repeat, when one is too worn, put the front in the rear an put a new tyre in the front. Cheap smart way. Brake pads: the cheapest Transmission: the cheapest that works well Suspension: the cheapest that works well, but it depends a lot about you riding, the terrain, your weight, etc
There is a German bike magazine called bike, they compared chains and cassettes and especially chains they found out that the better or higher end components not only live longer but can be the most cost effective Sram x01 chain doesn't hold up as long as the xx1 but ist better compared km to € The worst are Nx chains Same thing with Shimano except! The aluminum sprockets they won't last as long as steel sprockets. If you guys want I'll search for the link
Rotate your tires! If your rear has more wear than the front, and you need that rear grip and traction, swap it to the front, and use the front tires for the rear!
With the chain, i buy the best chain I can afford, i,e., XT or XTR for Shimano or XO1 for Sram. They last much longer than their cheaper cousins and don't wear your cassette as quickly. Much cheaper in the long run.
my specialised enduro 2015 used to use pads and chain once a month, the bearings had to be degreased and re packed every 2 months, forks and rear shock every 2 months, rear tyre 3 months and front 4 to 6. now i have no money for curries, where did my life go wrong?
I want to upgrade the damper on my fox34 Rythm that came on my bike from the grip to the fit4 damper, the fox-support was great help but i can't fit it, because of the hole in the bottom for the rebound adjuster... So I have to buy a new fork in the long run 😅 maybe i go with a rockshox pike on my Canyon Neuron, but for now i can't afford it.
