I was just going through some of our archives and found this little gem…

Learn how to install your favorite beer cap on your bike!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Ok this letter is directed to some of you people that are STILL taking your bikes to you the LBS. Sure there’s valid reasons why you need to take a bike to the LBS for some repairs or services such as “I like to get reamed when paying for a tune up.” People also take their bikes to get their wallets emptied to “change a flat.”

In reality, if you have a set of these…

and these…then you’re pretty much going the right direction.

Here’s the thing, about 85-90% of all mechanical problems that occur with your bike, you can fix! Seriously, there’s no need to spend your cashola just to have some teen age kid or a guy that still lives at home to fix your bike.

All you need are some basic tools such as a set of allen wrenches, bottom bracket tool, cotter less crank remover, diagonal cutters, pliers, chain whip, cassette remover and a bottle opener, that’s for the beer!

You can actually get a decent home mechanic tool set from places like Pricepoint.com or Nashbar.com

The best thing to do is get one of those kits that I mentioned from either retailer, just consider it as an investment. Then watch or read some of our Tech Tips, or get a buddy to show you how to fix things, better yet, get a DVD that shows you how to repair bikes. Fixing bikes isn’t rocket science. You’d have to be really We Todd Did if you can’t figure out how to tune a derailleur, its really simple. Just like with anything, the first time can be apprehensive, but with a bit more practice, you can start saving some major dough and start socking that money away for your kids college fund or towards your dreams…a Monkey Space Ship!

Popularity: 7% [?]

I really should start calling these “Tuesday Tech Tips” since I get these out around Tuesday of each week…

Anyhow, at last weekend’s 24hours of Fullerton, legendary mountain bike hall of famer, Steve Boehmke showed us a great tip. Check out the video and you’ll see how to do it.

Popularity: 5% [?]

On my SRAM X7 rear derailleur, I noticed that I had misplaced the nut that holds down the cable.

After searching for over half an hour for the nut in my garage floor, I decided to McGyver it. First thing you do is get an old reflector mount. This has a set of screws and nuts on it that you can use. I actually only used one of the nuts…sounds funny…

Then I took one of those things that came off a V-brake pad, can’t recall the exact name, but you see that its flat on one side.

I put it all together and voila! It works! The nut is just the right size for the derailleur screw.

So if you misplace that nut on your SRAM stuff, just try this tip!

Popularity: 3% [?]