Cheap Or Free Mountain Bike Upgrades

Are you looking to upgrade your bike but on a budget or want to avoid spending money? In this video Neil Donoghue shows you the best cheap or free upgrades for your mountain bike.
⏰ Time Stamps 👇
00:00 - Intro
00:14 - Volume Spacers
01:26 - Frame Protection
03:28 - Custom Stickers
04:08 - Tidying Cables
06:00 - Covering Scratches
06:25 - Race Number Plate Zip Ties
07:34 - Tubeless Valves
08:00 - Front Mudguard
09:01 - Fresh Grips
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[@hollakeef]

Use a different colour split link than your chain, a dark split link is easier to find on a silver chain.

[@user-om1hh8oj6g]

I know a really good cheap bike upgrade! In Ukraine, there is a VeloCartridges company that manufacture air cartridges, and with this cartridge you can change your spring fork (such as Suntour, RockShox, Rst, etc.) to an air one. They have their own KZbin channel, you can check it out.

[@willmod223]

Be safe mate

[@sjaan7370]

Pledge furniture polish works great as an inexpensive cleaner/polish for the frame and better than a sharpie for touch up is a black acrylic permanent marker pen. Cheers

[@michaelsturgeon5210]

Black car touch up paint works better than a sharpie as it lasts longer . You can get from Halfords etc and come with a small application brush

[@dennispaiva927]

Surprised nobody brought up wrapping the chain stay with an old tube and zip ties to both, protect the paint and drastically reduce chainslap noise. I know some newer bikes come from factory with some sort of protection but many don't.

[@visjenl]

Valve caps, loads availabe in different colours. Great to match them to your bike colour.

[@odys3803]

Nah, throw them away, it's free weight reduction.

[@gmbn]

Making your bike pop with a sick colour scheme can look awesome! 👍

[@Bulkin22]

@@odys3803 bro it's such a little weight that unless your racing, you don't need to worry a out it

[@Pienimusta]

With the silicone spray, remember to apply it to a rag away from the bike. Spraying it to your brakes will make next ride interesting.

[@gmbn]

Yup! Never spray your brakes with silicone spray!

[@atk1097]

I second the furniture polish, most supermarkets have their own budget brand and they work really good on a bike frame. As for black part scratches I use nail varnish from a pound shop. I went OTB on my last ride and touched up the brake lever ends etc and now looking at the bike you would not know that ever happened. Chainstay protector wise I use old innertubes wrapped around with a zip tie at one end.

[@S3RI0USL33]

My favorite cheapest upgrade on my bike are my brake lever sticky fingers! Love em!

[@bikingwithryan5968]

Same here 👍

[@TheButlerNZ]

Reusable Zip Ties: Do you have a clip on pump or similar that can pop off when riding.. so you Zip tie it on, but then have to cut the zip tie... Automotive wire looms use Zip Ties with a long tongue on the teeth that lets you unlock it and loosen the Tie, then re-attach it over and over... I get mine from the car parts picking yards... there are some under any bonnet. My bike pump (well unfortunately there's no mounts for it on my old Giant Faith... but on my other bikes) is easily removed and refitted (Even with one hand I have found) and on those cheap water bottle mounted bike pump clips they have a nice slot underneath already, and the bent clip remains in place while the pump is in use.

[@markprice8153]

The number plate tip ftw! Cheers.

[@BinManSays87]

Don't silicon spray your bike all the dust will stick to it turtle Wax ice wax or auto gleam show shine both work a treat though

[@snoopy10411]

Car polish/wax is good for bike frames, I use Autoglym Super Resin and Autoglym Extra Gloss on my shiny frames and Autoglym Rapid Aqua Wax on matte paint, makes them so much easier to clean at the end of a ride, just needs a hose waving at it and the mud just falls off the frame. Always a bit much to consider making a front mudguard rather than buying one of Fleabay for about a fiver. Same with using mastic tape as a chainstay protector, why bother with messy tape when an unbranded neoprene/velcro protector is just a few quid and can be removed, washed and reapplied as needed. Seems crazy that someone who spends thousands on a bike would want to skimp on buying some of those things.

[@j8lech]

Automotive vinyl works incredibly well for frame protection.

[@more_beans_mr_taggart4057]

Thin flexible cutting mats make good mudguards.

[@MeDdZ1000]

Rotor, stem and brake caliper bolts are a nice upgrade.

[@gmbn]

Upgrading your stem is such a good shout! If you try a different length, stem it'll make the bike handle way nicer depending on your preference!

[@mikaelnielsen9342]

Yo Niel instead of the heat shrink on the cables you can also use electrician tape thats does the job for me and you dont need to unfit the break hoses

[@MrPeeceecee]

stoic ftw

[@TheButlerNZ]

Cheap mudguards.... Cut them out of an old oil container... and the containers come in all sorts of colours... Red, Black, Yellow, White, Blue, Green, Gold, Silver.. Even Clear!

[@chrisridesbicycles]

The best way to get the front mudguard is to go riding a few days in Sölden and collect the stamps.

[@wookdatook1728]

Clear Book cover cut into a shape of a mudguard 💯💯💯

[@lincolnblack3140]

I used a plastic 2L milk container once. I'm not even sure I removed the label.

[@gmbn]

Both of those are sick hacks! 👍

[@deniahmetaj]

Clear anything will just look dirty and dusty as soon as you start riding. Black (or colored matching your bike) plastic folders are better in my opinion

[@wookdatook1728]

@@deniahmetaj I meant the hard cover on a clear book. It usually comes in different colors.

[@TheButlerNZ]

Oil containers (and radiator fluid). They come in a huge range of colours including clear and even fluro for some things like the radiator fluid or other 4lt guff. I'm making a chrome one from a near chrome oil container but they also have gold, clear & opaque etc.

[@szymonszatkowski9768]

9th what would happen if i put 150mm travel forks on a hardtail

[@arfarzam]

It depends on what fork it came with. If your new fork has more travel, it will change your stack and reach which is easily adjustable with swapping the stem but it also raised your BB which is not adjustable.

[@allangrant1326]

Muc off valves are not cool. Installed two a month ago and they’ve already blocked up with sealant 😕

[@Does_It_matter-No_it_doesnt]

Love the holographic rim deals, but can't find them online anywhere. Any ideas?

[@nodaysoff23]

Try eBay

[@MeDdZ1000]

AliExpress or eBay

[@Does_It_matter-No_it_doesnt]

@@nodaysoff23 literally none

[@Does_It_matter-No_it_doesnt]

@@MeDdZ1000 tried. No such thing seems to exist

[@nodaysoff23]

@@Does_It_matter-No_it_doesnt dang. I didn't find anything either. Those are slick. Maybe this Etsy person can do custom? They have a bunch of other logos. SlleepyStixx

[@st1808]

It seems to me that expensive bikes should have a firm coating and a thick layer of polish, so there's no need to put that frame protection.

[@jacobproffitt2279]

Hoya

[@iggalan]

The sharpie tip is genius, my handlebar has some scratches so I will try it 👍 . My cranks get so many scratches that I don’t bother with these 🤣

[@reonhill6671]

5th

[@NelsonWillis-kt8ck]

This is my first road kzbin.infoUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA and I have taken it out a handful of times and so far it is exceeding all of my expectations. I didn’t want to break the bank on a first bike and the herd is a great option for getting a fast bike with reliable components. I plan on riding this bike for many years to come. Thank you Sava!

[@bobbybrown5217]

for all those out there who cares about scratches 😂🤣

[@NRLBOY9]

First!

[@thomasstubbington3249]

6th

[@mahennaiker5072]

Notting is cheap

[@bobothericefarmer1878]

E

[@tomridesmtb7014]

I was waitin for this video because I have 30 dollars and don’t know what to buy

[@Mcfc2Rich]

A gram of meth an a 30 foot gap

[@gmbn]

Hopefully this has given you some ideas, Tom! Thanks for watching!

[@tomridesmtb7014]

Yo this just made my day I didn’t know you guys reply

[@miau31333]

My friends: *INVEST*

[@miau31333]

Me too actually