We Try Your MTB Hacks / Tech Myths - Do They Actually Work?

We regularly get sent in some amazing, and some questionable... Hacks & Bodges and Top Mods. In this video, Anna and Isaac try a few of the most common hacks and myths to see if they actually work!?
00:00 - Intro
01:27 - Grass in tyre?
04:30 - Shoelace quick-link remover
08:01 - Home-made Sealant
14:19 - Taped mud baffle
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What's the craziest hack you've heard of when it comes to bike maintenance? 🤔 💭 Let us know and we might try it👇
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[@gmbntech]

What's the craziest hack you've heard of when it comes to bike maintenance? 🤔 💭 Let us know and we might try it👇

[@Pies.]

tyre inserts buy some elastometric pipe insulation or similar in as big a size you can get as long as it fits the tyre and thwn cut it in half if you want but then you have some sort of rim protection. Not nearly as dense as cushcore or rimpact, but it does save your ass a lot

[@neiv9574]

the poor man's pad cleaning technique : if you getr some lightly contaminated pads on your ride, you can usually safe them them by coating your disk in mud (can be made from your own water bottel if it's dry) and them re bed your brakes on a gentle slope. It will shriek horribly at first but once it goes away the brak should feel fine. I suppose the mud wears off the top portion of the pad that's been contaminated

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Integrated frame storage on any bike, I know you have angle grinders and lots of frames lying around, c'mon 😂

[@HelplmAlive]

With the shoelace method, you can use a tire lever or piece of wood to use as a windless and start turning and it wont just blow open.

[@TitoJoebs]

I tried WD-40 applied on the lower portions of the frame (downtube, seat stay, chain stay, rear derailleur, cogs, chain ring and of course, the chain itself) on wet season. Very minimal mud had been stuck.

[@devincook3278]

The quick link trick works best if you tie the string in a knot then stick a lever of some sort in the loop then twist with one hand then you can hold the chain with the other, catching any flying links once the connection is broken free. Plus its much less labor intensive 👍🏼

[@DjDolHaus86]

A quick double overhand knot that won't slip and then use a metal tool like an allen key/screwdriver/spanner to twist until it pops, a stick about as thick as your finger will do in a pinch as long as you make sure it's not rotten and mushy/brittle

[@SteepMountainGames]

I love it when an adult mountain biking how-to video quotes Sponge Bob.

[@kentb3175]

Been making my own sealant for years - similar recipe to the one featured only I use propylene glycol not antifreeze, ammonia is needed in the latex as it stops it going hard and is found in lots of commercial sealants that use latex. Not 100% environmentally friendly but nor is shipping carbon fibre frames from the far East.

[@Trixter45]

Actually the grass hack worked, but it should be used with a punctured tube and not with a tubeless tire. Find the punctured area of the tube and tie like a knot. Pump air back in the tube. The space that the tube knot makes inside the tire is filled with grass. Just make sure the vegetation you use to fill the space has no thorns in it😊

[@alexo4600]

the method shown also works. Look for "Fabio Schäfer Vlog #81" - it's in german though :D

[@jdjones7469]

Did the tube knot a few times. It’s better than walking. Just have to get the tube as tight as possible. The talc in the tube tends to limit the ceiling ability. Washing the talc off before tying the tube for best results.

[@fredohyeah]

done that lol

[@synthbent715]

Just used the quick link / shoelace trick on a friends bike mid trail last week. Makes things a lot easier if you pull the chain off the front ring first to get the tension off of it.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

I'm not a scientist or anything, but..... I have one piece of advice. Don't stuff the flat tire full of poison ivy.

[@Pies.]

oh that might be a nice idea

[@dystopiaisutopia]

Leaves don't work either

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Maybe save the piles of foliage raked off your yard in the fall, and stuff that into the tire, grass clippings and all.

[@Mark28th.Mechanised.Brigade]

Car tire sealant $2.70 for a bottle that does both wheels. Actually seals larger holes as well as thorns. I use all motor vehicle stuff like sealant, mineral oil, grease etc.

[@rustler08]

Like what? Slime is heavy garbage, and most of the other ones are one-time uses.

[@Mark28th.Mechanised.Brigade]

@@rustler08 Don't know what is called it's Ukrainian.

[@TooMuchBike]

This was fun! You should make this an ongoing series.

[@tychoMX]

I know he's from the skinny-tired dark pit... but the sealant design was tailor made for Ollie! The real litmus test for sealant is durability and stability after a few weeks/months in the tire. It's really just glue, but with the catch that it has to seal fast, but stay liquid very long times.

[@dirtjunkie77]

A hack I like to use is to cover my frame in silicone spray (making sure to keep well away from the brakes of course). Having an old-ish anodised Canyon frame (2016 spectral) , mud sticks like sh1t to a blanket! With the spray on the frame, some mud just doesn't even stick, and what does stick comes off with a garden hose making cleaning super easy. Can be applied just by spraying (remove wheels and cover calipers) or spray onto a clean cloth and rub all over the frame.

[@jdmbeaner182]

I used to do that on my intense. My current bike is bike wrapped and nothing sticks to it now I just wipe it down with a microfiber after a ride.

[@rustler08]

Or just wash your bike with something with wax in it. Or wax the bike after. Then it looks good and isn't covered in silicone.

[@alanmartinezrodriguez884]

I love the videos that you guys do together. Good duo!

[@outdooristjeff4649]

For chain quick links… I’m old and started biking long before the Interwebs. Always opended links by pushing them together with my fingers. Incredibly frustrating. Now I have a pair of aluminum link pliers with an extra link and a short section of wire coat hanger with 180 degree Hooks bent on the ends to in-tension the chain. Plus a pair of latex gloves. Luxury.

[@chrisridesbicycles]

I tried the greens in the flat tire many years ago and the result was the same. You can as well start to walk home instantly. On the roadie side, there is this hack with the gel wrapper used to cover a longer cut in a tire to hold the inner tube in. Maybe you can test this. Isaac‘s kit creation looks pretty good. There should be a GMBN kit with the yellow stripes design.

[@lookwhotalkin]

The grass hack does work, you fill it once. Then it compacts it. Take tyre off again refill it, job done. Protects the rim which is all you need. Saves the walk..

[@rustler08]

By the time I've done that, I would have been home already.

[@KDog2264]

I have used the shoe lace hack the only difference is I used a stick to twist tighten the lace it is much more controlled way of doing it. I actually keep a shoelace in my pack all the time.

[@metalwheelz]

For the shoestring trick - simply wrap a cloth or something around the link area to prevent parts from flying.

[@fabian-barrington-hirst1974]

Love watching you Anna,your funny.tried the grass thing once myself,Yer,it doesn't work.long walk home that day.👍

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Sealant is pretty cheap, but pancake mix is cheaper 😂

[@TheProjectX3]

Classic- mounted the tyre backwards XD

[@chrisparkes7980]

If the crash test jersey was real id buy it

[@yoderman280]

Added benefit of all the grass, could attract cows to the trails with all that fresh grass in the tire 😂

[@gustavomello6667]

having flashbacks with the shoelace method.😂😂😂😂

[@timnoko3588]

The quick link hack is much easier, if you use a "twist a stick"-method to tighten it. No force needed and no parts flying around. I don't carry a quick link tool with me after learning that method, I just have a piece of dedicated string in the saddle bag, in a plastic bag, cause it does get dirty with use. You can of course also use any tool to twist it, if there are no sticks around. :)

[@WorkLessRideMore]

I used the shoelace trick on a single speed chain worked so easy. Didn't lose the link either.

[@stevowyeth]

To stop issues with mud sticking to my bike I moved to Australia.

[@BlueKnows]

It you're going to to an advert... That's how you do it! Great British brand Peaty's, with lots of great products other than their sealant 👌🏻

[@raff5604]

I wonder if adding the corn meal to regular sealant would work just as well as the home made version.

[@SesmaGabrielle]

Some add a bit of ground pepper

[@paulwrite1405]

The shoe lace. Trick is to put a knot in the lace and put a stick through the loop and turn the stick like a Cork screw

[@TivonSanders]

A hack for those who still use tubes, is to use any kind of stretchy tape, like Stans No Tubes rim tape, as patches. Just used some on a punctured tube on my mtb a couple days ago, and it's holding very well.

[@jdmbeaner182]

Why don't you convert to tubeless?

[@deepdiver49]

With the shoe lace split link device, use another shoe lace or zip tie to hold the tension on the chain. The the chain won’t recoil spraying the quick link everywhere.

[@dcv9460]

Awesome! 👍💯😎

[@TheButlerNZ]

Has anyone tried Teflon or silicone (like Selleys Water Shield) or windscreen watershield on the frame to repel mud... On the motorbikes we used to spray the motor with silicone.. It didn't stop the mud but it came off easily... We changed this to Truck Wash (CT18 was a personal preference)... A spray before the ride... a spray after the ride before loading on the trailer.. and a wash off at home left the bikes looking like they were polished when we were too lazy to do more than a hose off... I still use Truck Wash on the MTB... It's brilliant and cheap.. (Face it, no one want's to anger truckers with a product that doesn't work... Which reminds me.. fre a GOOD meal cheap on the drive... forget a restaurant, go to a truck stop... Face it... No one wants to anger truckers... again...

[@janeblogs324]

Everyone has, but just buy ceramic car spray (silicon ceramic in wax)

[@rustler08]

No, because there are vastly superior options that exist. Waxing your frame will do the same thing without being nasty, or ceramic car spray.

[@TheButlerNZ]

Actually there's a product the Speedway guys use and they are basically racing circles in mud for a living... "Mud Slide" ... and it's plant based so warm fuzzies to the planet etc.

[@ebikescrapper3925]

Home made chain oil, rapeseed oil, liquid vegetable glycerin and olive leaf pomace. I think this is the ingredients of green oil chain lube

[@petermooney1178]

Back in the early 2000’s I filled my tyre with grass to get me home and I can confirm that it does work enough to get me home.

[@noke1785]

@isaac , you can easily cut the strip on your cap to length, it dont has to floppy-flap around like a propeller ^^ or is it a funny gimmick,then nevermind ^^ nice video btw, very entertaining ;)

[@noke1785]

🤣🤣🤣@@Isaac-Mundy

[@nickmassey9104]

Full fat cream works on sealing punctures .also a brown egg in the mixture helps too . More research needed

[@jamesthomasson8276]

Maybe packing peanuts are next? Bubble wrap?

[@richday5520]

Split a chain with some strimmer cable once before i brought some pliers😂 but a chain pliers tubeless pump are essentials

[@DougieFresh13]

Mud baffle does make sense.

[@Rifffilledlands]

The shoe lace method would have worked better if you used the clutch on the mech. Less tension on the chain and the link wouldn’t have gone flying

[@DaveMustaine.]

GMBN Tech Mythbusters :-)

[@johnlantz7278]

When you realized you need a crud catcher but all is not lost duck tape mud slingers , check with Dotty

[@ExplosiveNotes]

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACKS AND ... bodges Definitely do more

[@kylegoodson729]

Mr Muscle oven cleaner to clean chain and drivetrain works a treat ps make sure to rinse properly

[@Wimbelder]

You did do it wrong whit te quick link shoelace put it true the chain but make a knot and put a stik true it and turn

[@TheButlerNZ]

Grass in a flat. FACT. I have done it (albeit on a 2.25 or less tyre) You need to use as dry a grass as possible, pack it as hard as possible (requiring levers to remount a tyre you probably mounted by hand previously as you can no longer put the bead in the centre of the rim as easily...) and you may need to repack it at least once on the ride back depending on distance travelled... Why?.... Because a 10k ride on a very soft tyre, very carefully (with weight redistributed to favour the good tyre) is still possibly quicker/better than pushing/carrying a bike that distance... AND... If your going to push the bike, packing the tyre with grass allows it to roll a lot better than just on the flat, as an unpacked flat tyre will quickly unbead leaving the rims exposed to damage from even a smooth gravel or tar seal road. I rode home from the top of a local quarry on sharp shrapnel rock and a steep shingle rocky exit, followed by about 3k of gravel road and 1k chipseal road to home. (See 'Red Rocks track' , Owhiro Bay, Wellington New Zealand. (This track will destroy a motorcross tyre in one day of riding (done that many times before they shut the track off because Wellington needed another barely used MTB track at the expense of the last free motorbike tracks that weren't sharing the beach with the public at Red Rocks itself... did I stand on a Soap Box again...

[@MrSupermugen]

theres alot of myths in MTB, surprised to see none of the actual ones here....

[@andrewsiasparks]

Every time I've had a flat there's no long grass too be seen for ks

[@benconnelly5246]

#gmbntech tbh the shoe lace one does work but its definitely better if you lock the derailleur out or turn the clutch off haha

[@matoatlantis]

With longer shoe lace one can use twigs or something similar so that lace doesn't cut through hands.

[@dirkmoolman]

You are using the wrong grass. In my country you get tall veld grass that ties together in bundles, that can be used in an emergency in remote areas.

[@zonoskar]

I actually used the grass in tube hack, but as it was very wet, the grass disintegrated in the tire and colored it very green. It all bunched up in one spot too, making for a very bumpy ride. Not something I can recommend.

[@ianlamberts1199]

More pls

[@kryghyzho7868]

You should try covering a slash in your tire with a bank note before putting in an inner tube. You know, to stop the tube from coming out thru the slashed tire.

[@Pies.]

i did that once... the cash flew out and i was stuck with no money and a ripped tyre. i couldn't even buy a slash repair kit anymore.

[@billblake4029]

Anna and Isaac, the two of you work really well together. This was really an entertaining episode and for what it's worth, that physicians coat with your glasses and long hair look really spectacular. 😉 As far as the mud sticking goes, a really good ceramic coating tends to do the trick without any of those crazy add on pieces to the frame, just sayin'.

[@aaronwaderides7209]

Try floor sealer , it works

[@LLeoBan]

Isaac's shirt and pants are really nice..

[@antonia4722]

Take the tension off of the chain first!

[@paulsymons562]

not using glitter for enviromental reasons, but then adding antifreeze? hmm.

[@wanderer2246]

You will not lost the qiuck'link if you will make another loop around the linkage, plus, I cant believe you dont have chain holder or you cant make one with the lace.

[@gavindean]

I have done the tire thing with pine cones worked ok got back to the car

[@alexh.4068]

just fill it with grass and dirt.. DIRT

[@kenetics1344]

Is the front tire on backwards?

[@DannyMoreComedy]

Is this seths bike hacks meets brainiac?

[@user-lb9wj6qy2p]

That grass fix would just destroy your rim , not worth it . bring a tube and pump

[@charlie9ine]

Was it fun to watch? You Bet! would I try any? Ah… no.

[@christhompson4542]

I’ve seen someone use a SlimJim beef jerky stick to fix a broken spoke. It somehow even riding extremely gnarly trails.

[@Casualfulltime]

Please trim your cap floppy flappy at the rear 🤣

[@Radingtonbear]

Think I’m ok using sealant and just carrying some basic tools. My time not fannying about with these sort of things is worth more than the tools/products cost.

[@JustYourAvarageJoe]

lol anti freeze is not that bad iv been covered in it from head to toe it does not do anything they have to put labels on incase some one is sensitive to it

[@stujm8376]

Won’t be trying any of them… what about using plumbers foam pipe covering instead of an insert

[@neilelliston]

I have this on my ebike. 3£ from b and q 😁

[@tomrengert1221]

Love you's

[@HindsightFPV]

I'm one of the weirdos that makes their own sealant. Haven't purchased sealant in well over 12 yrs. I live in the Hot AZ desert and I can manipulate my formula to last longer in my tire without drying up. I also haven't flatted on trail in years. Used it in carbon and aluminum rims and never had and issue with tires.

[@playgroundchooser]

Well, give us the recipe! :) :) That's got to be a good one with Arizona's hot, dry air with sharp rocks and spines all over the place.