Yes, this video is way oversimplified and at times, flat out dismissive of details. I know Sram and Shimano 12 speed MTB chains aren’t “perfectly” compatible. Some bikes have freewheels and don’t take cassettes. There was a time where no bike took a thru axle. You could in theory buy a 12 speed HG cassette which would be incompatible with Microspline, which I omitted. Yes, rims have widths too. Older bikes have rim brakes. Valve caps aren’t universal-especially since some riders are going back to shrader. In our original footage I went on forever about wheels and Boost, but we edited it down to a minute because it felt overwhelming and counterproductive. In the end I didn’t feel these caveats would be important to someone who doesn’t have enough experience to Google something. This will hopefully be a simple and welcoming way to get them started out. Thanks for understanding, and feel free to include more info below because the comment section itself is a valuable resource.
Hey, Berm Peak Do you know if the xtrada 6 27.5" bike from polygon is any good for someone who rides very rocky places and is 85kg 5"8 "i can't afford anything over $600
@@Wulesh any bikes a good bike long as it gets you riding. Where I ride is also kinda rocky and before I got a norco sight I had a $700 hard tail and that was jus as if not more fun to ride. Cheaper bikes forks break pretty quick on rough stuff but other than that get some decent tyres and later better brakes and then wider handle bars an you’ll be great tho everything won’t be as durable on budget bikes especially rims so jus keep that in mind
Tip: If you have an older bike, most large bike companies have an "archive" of past bikes different years. Vital MTB also has good archives of specs and geomentry of different bikes. My bike is a couple years old, and by going to its manufacturer's archive, I can see all its specs and what parts fit.
And in case this doesn't work out it's helpful to save the product webpage as a pdf when you buy a new bike so you can capture all that valuable spec info while it's easily available.
also true for other industries. Intel has all the information for older cpus archived and msi for their motherboards etc. probably a lot of other examples out there as well
YES! So many people don't cover this. For people starting out it can be some sort of black magic until you learn what measurements you need to record to find parts.
As a certified mechanic I can tell you that a non mechanic thinks you know how to fix every mechanical issue in the world on every vehicle in the world, I show them my process on how I find my answers too. I was a bike newbie once too, and I used to ask the newbie questions too, a bike mechanic showed me their process, now im good. Thank you for this video.
as a bike newbie that has a automotive background to bikes are complicated as there are to many standers ! in the auto motive world take carburetors in 4bbl type just 2 bolt patterns and square vs spread bore! things are bolt on and go not to much adjustment! we in the bike world need: #1 a equivalent of a Napa, jegs , summit for bike parts! #2 we need a book that explains all the different bike standards listing the size of the various components! #3 we need a parts index look up interchange guide that lists the bike make, model, year and the components used ! this way one can hunt down part from other bikes to to a bit of factory or parts bin hot-rodding! #5 a good hints and tricks guide to building up a bike! all so the bike world needs to move a way from the need for sepal tools! working on old cars just standard tool and a feel for things is all you need!
I bought a new mountain bike for 150 dollars from my local store. I am from India and upgradability and adding new parts are very hard. Roads in India are very rough and that was the main reason I bought a mountain bike to go school. But after a few rides I don't know how , cycling always brings the joy during the tight schedule of life . So then I started spending some time for my bike and then the fate dawned on me, since I bought a cheap bike upgrading was no easy task for me . But most of your videos helped me in most tasks . So this video was a very helpful one for me. Also I had to mention that I started watching your videos from the time when you made a video about the Mongoose fat bike .
Bike parts nowadays ain't cheap, but somehow Shimano is still able to provide quality affordable components. MT200 hydraulic brakes and Alivio gropuset are always good for their price, compared to road bike parts. Even Shimano Sora can't compare to MT200+Alivio when it comes to price vs performance. I rarely ride off road but my setup is MT200+Alivio. Bad city pavement and overpriced road bike parts kinda forced me to use budget MTB parts for my casual cycling.
any bike you buy from the local store for less than $300 is a toy, meant to be ridden infrequently and not that hard. Something you would buy your kid when they said "i want a bike" and then when they break it you bin it. I get things are not easy over there in india but my advice would be: Save up hard and when it's time for the next bike go check out CRC and see what they have in one of their many sales. I picked up a £1k XC bike for £350 in 2015 from them in the summer sale.
bikes that cheap should only be ridden till they break, then you should decide if you want to ride a proper bike or to continue the pain of riding some messed up cheap bike. But you can focus on the ergonomics- better grips, some wider handlebar (if possible), new pedals. And the only upgrade should be the tires, they make all the difference. When you try to upgrade that cheap thing, you end up with bad frame with added expensive parts. Then you realize that you should have bought that "expensive" bike with all the good parts, design, technology.
A good trick if you don’t have calipers, find a decent adjustable spanner (one that hasn’t developed a lot of play yet) and tighten it in untill the edges measure the part and then measure the gap with a ruler.
Also visit your Local Bike Shop, but actually spend money. I needed a 113mm tapered square bottom bracket for my old hardtail and was unable to find one online. Stopped by my Local Bike Shop and they had one in stock. Also grabbed some spokes while I was there.
@@cataplt I will admit that even if I love to do things myself, my local bike shop has saved my ass a few times already, and they're a great resource for obscure info and unique requests, love you Igartua (no homo).
Although his website is not focused on mountain bikes I think every cyclist should know about the Sheldon Brown (may he rest in peace😞) wiki. He basically compiled his entire knowledge on bicycles into a wiki. It includes great overview of parts, their different standards andwhat measurements are important about them.
I have a 2006 Foes Racing FXR that I rebuilt last year, went from a 2x to a 1x and it was a nightmare trying to match the compatibility of everything! It's great to see vids like this with high level overviews.
Not gonna lie, came back to cycling after a long lay off (we're talking years here) a few years ago. Only to find pretty much everything had changed. Could've done with this advice back then. Hopefully this will help new riders and people who are in the position I found myself in. Good work 👍
Nice video as always! Two things tho: -Valve caps can be diffrent (at least we have 2 or 3 diffrent ones in Germany) but I guess that is not that big of a deal. -You have to think about the chain a bit more sometimes. For 7speed downhill cassettes you might need an 11speed chain because the space between the cogs is the same but there is a spacer from cassette to the wheel.
The HARDEST part for me when I was first researching bike parts was not knowing how much I didn’t know. This helps a lot to understand what to look for in parts in order to have them fit and work properly on our bikes. Thanks!
Seth, this is such a great resource filled video, I really appreciate it. My first real MTB, I ended up putting it all together along with my friends, I had to search, measure and it was a roller coaster; but in the end it was worth it.
Make a log book. This book can have your specs eg Bars: 35 clamp, 38 rise, 800 wide or maybe Cassette: SRAM NX 12, 11-50 HG spline. Anything like that you can refer to and have specs clearly listed so you can reference if something will fit. This log also allows you to record any servicing on the bike whether that's your work or a professional job, eg. 12-06-22 Rear Shock Air Can Service, Fork/Shock Sag set 30/25%. Or 04-02-21, Forks serviced TF Tuned. Seriously helps keep everything running smooth, simplifies ordering spares and makes diagnosing issues easier. Maybe there's a creak, could be linkages or could be BB. Check the book and maybe it'll narrow down the possibilities like you might have forgotten about the Bottom Bracket swap you did 2 months ago then notice the last linkage Service was almost a year ago. Really makes the job easy.
You're videos have helped me so much and got me back into riding after about 20 years. I didnt buy anything fancy just a DB hook. I felt it was good entry level choice after all these years of not riding and its easly upgradable and easy to maintain Thanks again.
Hey Seth, how about a video of you servicing one of your forks? I seen a bunch of videos, but all seem beyond my level. Was hoping for something that I can understand and relate to better. Your pretty good at breaking things down and explaining them to simpler people like myself.
".... what other store sells shirt other than GAP?" I love the bike mentality, $10k on a bycicle, $200 on a tire, $2k on a wheel, totally normal, but shirts should not be more than $10 bucks
Hey Seth ! I am a bicycle mechanic with about 12 years of experience and although i know i won't learn anything in this kind of video, i always watch them and find them entertaining ! Mountain bikes have become more and more complex and you are absolutely right about the ''standards'', when 12x142 was the new big thing, then the year after : we have that new thing called boost spacing 148 its going to be so much better ! Sometime i wonder if its only to sell more bikes/parts.
OMG dude, finally a bike content creator made one of this videos, im not a beginner but i appreciate this content, i give feedback to beginners daily of what to use what to do, and what parts to install .... i will share this video from now on... the community thanks you🙏
Man you are a true hero for being that outlet for new comers. This would have been a live saver back when I was scavenging the internet for all the little numbers and jazz.
Great video for beginners. Been Mtn biking for 30 years and it's a blessing that the internet grew along with biking. Used to be so simple. Now I swear I spend more time on Google than I do working on the bike.
I quit MTBing in 2006 after knocking my front teeth out and quit road biking in mid 2010 because I wanted to see what I could do as a runner...well in 2022 I decided to get back into MTB, and wow is a different world! Liking these videos though, because many times they answer questions I didn't know I had!
I only found Berm Peak about three weeks ago but I bet my life on saying that Seth is one of the nicest dudes around without question. I've learned so much from this channel 👌
This video was super helpful. Please keep up the educational videos. My husband and I are new to riding and learning all this is overwhelming. This is an easy way to learn. My husband just broke his derailleur and the derailleur hanger. Our local bike shop had to tell us what to order for replacement parts.
You’re a good man, Seth. Like you said, you could totally blow us off and say “give it a goog”. Instead you take time and do stuff like this. Thanks for being you, man!
For me my bike manufacturers page and youtube tutorials have help me with over 90% of all my bikes servicing, repair and upgrading. Also looking at multiple sources of information for one particular thing especially more complex things always helped. Getting different ideas and methods and finding the one that works best for you.
What you're saying speaks to me because I'm a web developer. Specifically an efficiency and accessibility consultant. A lot of times my cleints -- or their users -- know that something is wrong. The problem is they're not experts, so they don't know how to articulate it. There's all sorts of lingo and jargon and it's painfully easy for beginners to get buried under it. It's why when a lot of other web developers say idiotic thigns like "The user doesn't care about the code" I worry. It's not that they don't care. If something is wrong usually they know it, they are just too ignorant on the topic to articulate it. Quite often I get questions where it's so badly worded, I have no clue what they're talking about. People often just seem to make up words for things and expect us to know what it is. Hell, I've dealt with that in bikes where even in my relative novice status, I've got locals flooding me with questions. Which is why I constantly google bike diagrams to know what each part is called. Like a friend was talking about "top rings"... when he meant a headset spacer. Or "barrel choke" because they're a gun person, when what they meant was a star fangled nut and spacer cap. A rookie website owner isn't going to know the difference between a Node and an Element, any more than a rookie bike owner will know the difference between a quick release and a nutted rear. And it takes a lot of patience when people come to you with questions where you not only don't know what they're talking about, it turns out to be something insanely mundane and simple. You WANT to say "Oh FFS just google it", but quite often people don't know the right words to even search properly in the first place!
I feel your pain, I learned not to ask and look for the info myself. have put many of your videos to good use on my fat tire ebike, have a mtb on the way and have been googling for days, checking websites, reading manufacturers pdf files on the bike and parts, ordering compatible parts. its been crazy but at the same time satisfying because I know once I get the parts they will ALL fit without no issues. Only time i ask something is if i REALLY need too or need to confirm something, other than that its hours upon hours of reading and searching. sadly people nowadays want the answers to things without doing the work and without understanding how their own product works. So people get to know the product you own it will pay in the long run. Sadly that's the world we live in where people would rather ask instead of doing a little bit of work.
Sir I love you videos I'm watching your videos for more then 3years and recently realized I wasn't subscribed to your channel , I'm from south africa I recently lost my bike, Learned so much from you you are a legend ❤
Hey Seth how are you doing. I started riding Mountain bikes only last year. I bought a Gary Fisher rig hard tail, so the question I have is for the bottom bracket. I purchased a Race Face drive train or crank. What I didn't know is that it was going to be a nightmare to remove this crazy Trex contraption holding the crank in a 56mm bottom bracket. I'm going to look it up myself but I wanted a reason to message other than to say I watch your Flip show religiously. I just wanted to show my appreciation and gratitude as I've learned tons from watching. I'm in my 40's now and want to be in the parks this coming season. I don't know how I've gone this long without a mountain bike. It's my new passion. Once again love the shows, keep up the great work! Thanks Scott B🚵
I don't know why.. there's no specific reason.. but from the start of your UA-cam journey.. I just love watching your videos... Even after I'd quit cycling.. I still loved your videos! ❤️
Man, I've learned so much from watching your videos. From adjusting the limiters on my derailer to changing my pedals, you've saved me time again! Thanks for everything, dude, keep doing what you do!
I recently updated the drivetrain for one of my gravel bikes because I wanted better range. First go around, I ended up with the wrong bottom bracket because my new crankset is 19mm (which is supposedly weird) and I ordered a 24mm. That was a minor setback but no big deal once I ordered the correct one. Also, just because something doesn't "work" according to the website doesn't mean it can't be made to work. My 10-11 speed crankset works just fine on my 9 speed drivetrain. My 11-42 tooth cassette works just fine on my Sora drivetrain with a Wolftooth Roadlink that claims to max out at 11-40 but worked fine. Bikes are fairly simple and sometimes you can "Hack" something together as we all know thanks to Seth
Seth - just want to say thanks for all the vids. Helped me get over the uncertainty to work on my bikes, and upgrade them too. Your method of communicating information is excellent, friendly and easily consumable. Thank you!!
I'm so glad you made this video. I always cringe a little when I see somebody ask you parts compatibility questions in the comments, because (1) I know you won't have time to answer it, even if they did provide enough details for you to answer it definitively and (2) if somebody is going to work on their bike, they need to learn how to answer these questions for themselves.
As a bike mechanic at a shop that sees more beginner MTB'ers than expert know-it-alls, I love videos like these. I work a few days a week and in those few days, often times customers will come to me to ask these extremely complicated questions that in order for them to fully understand the answer that I need to give them, they have to understand the basics and more often than not, they don't. Thats not exactly their fault but more so that fault of companies making bikes so hard to understand when starting out. Google really can be your best friend if you are not sure of the answer to something and many times each month, i find myself watching youtube tutorials with customers or just for my own sake on knowing how to do something. Google is awful if you don't know what youre looking for because if you don't know, neither does google.
I am so scared to get into high end mountain biking there so many new parts and I am so lost idk what I do without Seth, he allows me to understand nice and easy, thank you
For all the beginners out there, there IS a point where you will be super knowledgeable and experienced about parts and sizes and can begin to build/service your own bikes, but it takes experience and mistakes which comes with the territory. But you never 100% master it because we all still goof up from time to time when I build or working on bikes!
It's hard to tell what your best video is.. but this certainly lives in the top 5! You are the greatest mate, your enthusiasm for bikes is unparalleled 😁
An in depth video going over a freewheel vs. cassette would be fantastic! I more or less understand it now, but it’s one of those Google searches where it’s challenging to search the correct way for the detail you want.
This reminds me when I was starting out and I didn’t understand all this bike jargon. Cassette, Bottom Bracket or worst BB, FreeHub or FreeWheel. I end up googling most of it and ironically this is how I learned of your channel. Can’t tell how many jams you’ve gotten me out of with your hack videos.
As for tires/tyres, the exact width is written in the ETRTO measurement. Youll find a number like 60-622. That 2 digit number being the exact width of your tire in millimetres. This is always measured at the sidewall, so this is the best we have at the moment for accuracy of tire width
A great primer. I’ve been taking bikes apart since we called them “ten speeds” (2x5) and it even helped me with some of the newer standards. I hope there will be more over time perhaps on specific sub components
This is a great 50,000 ft overview! I'd only add that if you have any questions that the techs at your local bike shop are often more than happy to answer questions. Especially questions from new cyclists.
This has been really really helpful as someone who has been out of bike game for over 10 years! Thinks that were normally resurved for only very high end bikes are now main stream or things that didn't even exist in my day.
This was such a help. After recently getting into mountain biking I have had a lot of questions regarding my bike. This helped so much. I’m glad I have a reliable source to go to for help and simply for enjoyment. Thanks Seth, You are such a help.
Love it, I bought a lightly used Snap-On Fat Tire mountain bike, as it has a lot of nice features that I liked (Hydraulic Brakes, etc...) but there was no spec sheet on the internet, or included. It is obviously a re-branded bike and most places say its either a Trex or a Chinese copy. Most of the parts are labeled though (Shimano) and are easy to figure out, for the rest we have google, and a pair of Calipers.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Seth. Google search is so helpful and quick. its a lot better than digging through bicycle books trying to find a certain something.
I wish you had gone into the specifics of boost/non-boost. I know you ran into that problem building the single-speed Slopeduro bike. I'm still confused about the difference and haven't found a clear answer on the interwebs. BTW: MTB forums tend to be full of snobs who just trash talk newbies so it's nice to have an expert address these questions clearly, concisely, and without condescension. Thanks!
Honestly you don't really have to worry about what it's called. Boost is just a trade name. You should be looking at the dimensions ex. 15mm x 110mm or 15mm x 100mm. If you are wondering what axles and hubs you have, find the model number by looking on the parts themselves and checking their manufacturers website. Sometimes what the bike company says your bike comes with can differ slightly from what it actually has. If you do better with visual learning, go to a decent bike shop and ask them to show you the differences. Then maybe buy a few bucks worth of chain lube and grease as a thank you.
Could’ve used this video 3 days ago when ordering parts for my bike. Lucked out and everything fit. This video will really help me for the next go around. Thanks Seth!
Once you've found out the correct manual for your bike, fork an shock, download and save them. In the same folder, make a .txt with the correct shock/fork PSI- and rebound etc settings. If you send your shock/fork for a service, it's faster to just look from there than to go through the same sag-tests etc to find the good ones.
I had such a hard time with finding out what were the parts for my bike, I wrote absolutely everything down when I knew it was right and now I know.. 😎👌🏻
This video was super helpful for beginners I’m sure! I learned all this from visiting my local bike shop or watching UA-cam videos over the years. A lot of beginners just got a big boost in basic bike maintenance knowledge!
We need more videos like this out there. My first venture into doing some upgrades to my bike was a bit overwhelming even with a solid at home car repair and DIYer background. I'm pretty mechanically savy but holy crap I didn't realize there was so much to know about bikes.
When I first got into mountain biking, I didn't realize how many sizes I needed to know. I made a lot of mistakes, and this video would have saved me tons of $$, time, and frustration.
this is all good info, and i support folks wanting to learn home mechanic skills, but sooner or later you'll learn the hard lesson that when in doubt, your local bike shop knows best.
Holy crap I wish you had made this video 2 years ago. I have made all of these mistakes by trial & error as I have learned in real time :) Handle bar diameters, seat posts, brakes, etc. GOOD video.
I am so glad you made this video! Half the time, I can't even find what I'm looking for on google so i appreciate that so much Seth. Also I was at Berm Park a few weeks ago and it was AWESOME! I cannot wait to get back out there!!
Buying a digital calliper was one of my best buys for starting a toolkit, mine is Park Tool, but there are many other lookalikes that do exactly the same but aren’t blue. They’re great for measuring the gap between seat stays to work out what tyre width will fit. I bought a 2nd-hand 1994 Kona Cindercone for £105 and the callipers helped me reckon that Schwalbe Marathon Plus ATB tyres in a 26x2.15” width will fit, taking into account clearance for mud and mudguards. Also, they’re very useful for calculating the I/D and O/D of the head tube. My back can’t take a 130mm flat stem, so now I’ve got a 28.6mm quill stem adaptor to take an 28.6mm aheadset 90mm stem from Uno.
brilliant video Seth, we definitely need more people to go over things like these. As someone who's been riding my MTB properly for about a year now but just riding on and off prior to that, it often feels overwhelming when looking to either maintain or change parts on a bike. I've only just recently done my own drivetrain maintenance and took off my cassette and indexed my own gears without any bike store help which feels really good. I now need to figure out how to bleed my hydro brakes and pump some air into my air fork.
This saved me a lot of headaches! Getting ready to source used frames for single-speed mtb and will use your overview to guide my search. Thank you! Mark in Oregon
For thoose who are starting, don't be afraid to look up thing's names, search "bike wheel parts" or things like that and find breakdown pictures of the structure with markers that tell you what specific things are, once you know enough look for info and see if there are variables, in case there aren't, you're good to go, if there are, try to learn about each. It takes time to get it all in but it's worth it once you have that knowledge.
Another option if you don’t have callipers yet (seriously, get them, you’ll need them also around the house): circumference can be used to figure out diameter. You can use a soft tape measure or even string and a ruler for diameter, if you have to measure an outside diameter. :)
This video 👏👏 absolutely prefect! It took me around 8 hours of searching to find the right bearing cups to do a fork conversion on my cube aim pro to fit a pike fork to it! And I had the same issue when converting the shifters to 1 by 12. I eventually figured it all out but dang it took some time! This is for sure gonna help out a ton of people for sure!
Great vid, just worth mentioning though chain compatibility can get a little more complex at 12 speed, if in doubt stick to chains from the same manufacturer as your drivetrain.
love the video and love the solution - maybe you should send your video to the manufacturers and maybe your videos will help businesses understand how a normal person thinks and looks at a bike. Great job as always.
re: chains. I use 12 speed chains for all 10-12 speed and single speed drivetrains now. They work perfectly (maybe even better / quieter on 10 & 11 speed drivetrains than the "proper" chains). Give me the option to stock 1 chain that will work on any of my bikes rather than a mish mash of various chains. The SRAM XO1 chains are reasonably priced when you consider I'm starting to believe they can't be worn out. When I find them on sale, I just buy a bunch for stock.
Just bought my first MTB as an adult after 16~years of not cycling..it was one of the cheapest, 26" wheels, and everything connected to the chain sucks balls...but after riding on the first (deserted) MTB course of my life I really had a blast. Every minute you ride that bike, it feels like it's coming apart. The thing is so small for me that it almost feels like a BMX bike..everything feels cramped...probably bought a kids bike but at least I'm enjoying it
Bro i found this now after searching for weeks on like a basic good break down of the bike because i used to watch you back when you lived in ft laurdale when i got into mtb'ing n i couldnt find any other video that break down every basic stuff i wanted to know !!
dont forget how huge of a resource your local bike shop can be, if you want to replace a component with the right thing a shop will usually be happy to give you insights on the options, order the right thing, and put it on correctly for you.
For tire width, just contact your bike manufacturer. Tell them the tire you want to use and ask how wide you can go. Someone who works there has probably used that tire.
Yes, this video is way oversimplified and at times, flat out dismissive of details. I know Sram and Shimano 12 speed MTB chains aren’t “perfectly” compatible. Some bikes have freewheels and don’t take cassettes. There was a time where no bike took a thru axle. You could in theory buy a 12 speed HG cassette which would be incompatible with Microspline, which I omitted. Yes, rims have widths too. Older bikes have rim brakes. Valve caps aren’t universal-especially since some riders are going back to shrader. In our original footage I went on forever about wheels and Boost, but we edited it down to a minute because it felt overwhelming and counterproductive. In the end I didn’t feel these caveats would be important to someone who doesn’t have enough experience to Google something. This will hopefully be a simple and welcoming way to get them started out. Thanks for understanding, and feel free to include more info below because the comment section itself is a valuable resource.
Hey I’m a upcoming mountain bike UA-camr. I would appreciate some feedback and how I could Improve. Thanks for your time!
i rebuild an old bike and it feels more like rocket science than building a simple mtb xD
Hi just wanted to say I love the vids
Hey, Berm Peak Do you know if the xtrada 6 27.5" bike from polygon is any good for someone who rides very rocky places and is 85kg 5"8 "i can't afford anything over $600
@@Wulesh any bikes a good bike long as it gets you riding. Where I ride is also kinda rocky and before I got a norco sight I had a $700 hard tail and that was jus as if not more fun to ride. Cheaper bikes forks break pretty quick on rough stuff but other than that get some decent tyres and later better brakes and then wider handle bars an you’ll be great tho everything won’t be as durable on budget bikes especially rims so jus keep that in mind
Tip: If you have an older bike, most large bike companies have an "archive" of past bikes different years. Vital MTB also has good archives of specs and geomentry of different bikes. My bike is a couple years old, and by going to its manufacturer's archive, I can see all its specs and what parts fit.
And in case this doesn't work out it's helpful to save the product webpage as a pdf when you buy a new bike so you can capture all that valuable spec info while it's easily available.
I'm not so lucky cause i used a raleigh frame that was sold as like a full bike at canadian tire
also true for other industries.
Intel has all the information for older cpus archived and msi for their motherboards etc. probably a lot of other examples out there as well
Depends on maker and age, for example trek doesn't have anything pre 2002 - not exactly helpful for info on an 830
Too bad Cube only goes back to 2016. I got a bike from around 2009 where I had to find everything one component at a time.
YES! So many people don't cover this. For people starting out it can be some sort of black magic until you learn what measurements you need to record to find parts.
As a certified mechanic I can tell you that a non mechanic thinks you know how to fix every mechanical issue in the world on every vehicle in the world, I show them my process on how I find my answers too. I was a bike newbie once too, and I used to ask the newbie questions too, a bike mechanic showed me their process, now im good. Thank you for this video.
Care to share your knowledge with us other newbies on how to find the answers and their process?
as a bike newbie that has a automotive background to bikes are complicated as there are to many standers ! in the auto motive world take carburetors in 4bbl type just 2 bolt patterns and square vs spread bore! things are bolt on and go not to much adjustment! we in the bike world need: #1 a equivalent of a Napa, jegs , summit for bike parts! #2 we need a book that explains all the different bike standards listing the size of the various components! #3 we need a parts index look up interchange guide that lists the bike make, model, year and the components used ! this way one can hunt down part from other bikes to to a bit of factory or parts bin hot-rodding! #5 a good hints and tricks guide to building up a bike! all so the bike world needs to move a way from the need for sepal tools! working on old cars just standard tool and a feel for things is all you need!
I bought a new mountain bike for 150 dollars from my local store. I am from India and upgradability and adding new parts are very hard. Roads in India are very rough and that was the main reason I bought a mountain bike to go school. But after a few rides I don't know how , cycling always brings the joy during the tight schedule of life . So then I started spending some time for my bike and then the fate dawned on me, since I bought a cheap bike upgrading was no easy task for me . But most of your videos helped me in most tasks . So this video was a very helpful one for me. Also I had to mention that I started watching your videos from the time when you made a video about the Mongoose fat bike .
Bike parts nowadays ain't cheap, but somehow Shimano is still able to provide quality affordable components. MT200 hydraulic brakes and Alivio gropuset are always good for their price, compared to road bike parts. Even Shimano Sora can't compare to MT200+Alivio when it comes to price vs performance.
I rarely ride off road but my setup is MT200+Alivio. Bad city pavement and overpriced road bike parts kinda forced me to use budget MTB parts for my casual cycling.
any bike you buy from the local store for less than $300 is a toy, meant to be ridden infrequently and not that hard. Something you would buy your kid when they said "i want a bike" and then when they break it you bin it. I get things are not easy over there in india but my advice would be: Save up hard and when it's time for the next bike go check out CRC and see what they have in one of their many sales. I picked up a £1k XC bike for £350 in 2015 from them in the summer sale.
@@M3PH11 can you tell me what CRC is and how to find good sales. And also thank you for replying.
@@bharathskumar2340 That would be Chain Reaction Cycles, one of many online shops that sell decent bikes at discount prices.
bikes that cheap should only be ridden till they break, then you should decide if you want to ride a proper bike or to continue the pain of riding some messed up cheap bike. But you can focus on the ergonomics- better grips, some wider handlebar (if possible), new pedals. And the only upgrade should be the tires, they make all the difference. When you try to upgrade that cheap thing, you end up with bad frame with added expensive parts. Then you realize that you should have bought that "expensive" bike with all the good parts, design, technology.
A good trick if you don’t have calipers, find a decent adjustable spanner (one that hasn’t developed a lot of play yet) and tighten it in untill the edges measure the part and then measure the gap with a ruler.
As a mechanic at an LBS, I approve! Keep up the amazing videos Seth!
Also visit your Local Bike Shop, but actually spend money. I needed a 113mm tapered square bottom bracket for my old hardtail and was unable to find one online. Stopped by my Local Bike Shop and they had one in stock. Also grabbed some spokes while I was there.
@@cataplt I will admit that even if I love to do things myself, my local bike shop has saved my ass a few times already, and they're a great resource for obscure info and unique requests, love you Igartua (no homo).
@Isaac, ditto! And @cataplt, double ditto!
Although his website is not focused on mountain bikes I think every cyclist should know about the Sheldon Brown (may he rest in peace😞) wiki. He basically compiled his entire knowledge on bicycles into a wiki. It includes great overview of parts, their different standards andwhat measurements are important about them.
Legend!
I'm going to look him up! Thanks!
I have a 2006 Foes Racing FXR that I rebuilt last year, went from a 2x to a 1x and it was a nightmare trying to match the compatibility of everything! It's great to see vids like this with high level overviews.
I did that with my 2009 Lapierre Froggy 318 and it was as easy as mounting a single gear dish and dismounting the derraileur
"When you have 85 standards it's not a standard anymore." Made my day! Thank you Seth!
Not gonna lie, came back to cycling after a long lay off (we're talking years here) a few years ago. Only to find pretty much everything had changed. Could've done with this advice back then. Hopefully this will help new riders and people who are in the position I found myself in. Good work 👍
😂 same here! I was like “ hydraulic brakes!? Now HTF I’m I gonna service this?” 🤦🏻♂️ man do I love UA-cam 😎
Nice video as always! Two things tho:
-Valve caps can be diffrent (at least we have 2 or 3 diffrent ones in Germany) but I guess that is not that big of a deal.
-You have to think about the chain a bit more sometimes. For 7speed downhill cassettes you might need an 11speed chain because the space between the cogs is the same but there is a spacer from cassette to the wheel.
nice thanks for the info i didn't know that
would you have to shorten the chain then ? more than if you were gonna use a actual 11 speed cassette
@@AlexGirodo Depends on the setup I guess. But it doesn't really matter, since you have to shorten the chain either way.
The Presta/Schrader/Woods valves?
@@cerberus1981 I think yes. They are named different in German but after a quick Google search I think we mean the same ^^
The HARDEST part for me when I was first researching bike parts was not knowing how much I didn’t know. This helps a lot to understand what to look for in parts in order to have them fit and work properly on our bikes. Thanks!
Seth, this is such a great resource filled video, I really appreciate it. My first real MTB, I ended up putting it all together along with my friends, I had to search, measure and it was a roller coaster; but in the end it was worth it.
Videos keep getting better and better, keep up the great work!
Hey I’m a upcoming mountain bike UA-camr. I would appreciate some feedback and how I could Improve. Thanks for your time!
@@LukeDoesStuffYT I've looked at your channel and I'd say maybe make your videos a bit longer like 8 minutes or so. I enjoy more longer videos.
@@TysonEvansMTB thank you
@@LukeDoesStuffYT yeah np
Make a log book. This book can have your specs eg Bars: 35 clamp, 38 rise, 800 wide or maybe Cassette: SRAM NX 12, 11-50 HG spline.
Anything like that you can refer to and have specs clearly listed so you can reference if something will fit. This log also allows you to record any servicing on the bike whether that's your work or a professional job, eg. 12-06-22 Rear Shock Air Can Service, Fork/Shock Sag set 30/25%. Or 04-02-21, Forks serviced TF Tuned.
Seriously helps keep everything running smooth, simplifies ordering spares and makes diagnosing issues easier. Maybe there's a creak, could be linkages or could be BB. Check the book and maybe it'll narrow down the possibilities like you might have forgotten about the Bottom Bracket swap you did 2 months ago then notice the last linkage Service was almost a year ago. Really makes the job easy.
Your ultra beginner videos are my absolute favorite. Thank you for these Seth!
You're videos have helped me so much and got me back into riding after about 20 years. I didnt buy anything fancy just a DB hook. I felt it was good entry level choice after all these years of not riding and its easly upgradable and easy to maintain Thanks again.
Hey Seth, how about a video of you servicing one of your forks? I seen a bunch of videos, but all seem beyond my level. Was hoping for something that I can understand and relate to better. Your pretty good at breaking things down and explaining them to simpler people like myself.
Same
I wish there was a vid like this like a decade+ ago, when I just started getting into MTB.
Seth is awesome as always 👍👍👍
".... what other store sells shirt other than GAP?" I love the bike mentality, $10k on a bycicle, $200 on a tire, $2k on a wheel, totally normal, but shirts should not be more than $10 bucks
10Bucks ?!?? For a SHIRT ??? That's a LOT 😮😱
😜
Hey Seth ! I am a bicycle mechanic with about 12 years of experience and although i know i won't learn anything in this kind of video, i always watch them and find them entertaining ! Mountain bikes have become more and more complex and you are absolutely right about the ''standards'', when 12x142 was the new big thing, then the year after : we have that new thing called boost spacing 148 its going to be so much better ! Sometime i wonder if its only to sell more bikes/parts.
Now on to SuperBoost!
I need more people like Seth in my life. He genuinely wants to be there for people. Most people I cannot say that for.
OMG dude, finally a bike content creator made one of this videos, im not a beginner but i appreciate this content, i give feedback to beginners daily of what to use what to do, and what parts to install .... i will share this video from now on... the community thanks you🙏
Hey Seth, you should show us and go over all of your bikes in your collection
That’d be awesome man thanks 👍
Man you are a true hero for being that outlet for new comers. This would have been a live saver back when I was scavenging the internet for all the little numbers and jazz.
Bill Nye the science guy 😂😂
Hey I’m a upcoming mountain bike UA-camr. I would appreciate some feedback and how I could Improve. Thanks for your time!
Great video for beginners. Been Mtn biking for 30 years and it's a blessing that the internet grew along with biking. Used to be so simple. Now I swear I spend more time on Google than I do working on the bike.
10:19 your Browser wanted to search for Diabetes and Diarrhea before it says Diamondback, is everything okay?
I quit MTBing in 2006 after knocking my front teeth out and quit road biking in mid 2010 because I wanted to see what I could do as a runner...well in 2022 I decided to get back into MTB, and wow is a different world! Liking these videos though, because many times they answer questions I didn't know I had!
laughs in bmx
I only found Berm Peak about three weeks ago but I bet my life on saying that Seth is one of the nicest dudes around without question.
I've learned so much from this channel 👌
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I just love the way you break things down. So simple without being demeaning or offputting. Class act my friend 🤘
This video was super helpful. Please keep up the educational videos. My husband and I are new to riding and learning all this is overwhelming. This is an easy way to learn. My husband just broke his derailleur and the derailleur hanger. Our local bike shop had to tell us what to order for replacement parts.
You’re a good man, Seth. Like you said, you could totally blow us off and say “give it a goog”. Instead you take time and do stuff like this. Thanks for being you, man!
For me my bike manufacturers page and youtube tutorials have help me with over 90% of all my bikes servicing, repair and upgrading. Also looking at multiple sources of information for one particular thing especially more complex things always helped. Getting different ideas and methods and finding the one that works best for you.
Lot's of people don't have the attention span to search. It's nice that you took that much time to help the little people
People like myself just starting down the MTB path really appreciate videos like this.
What you're saying speaks to me because I'm a web developer. Specifically an efficiency and accessibility consultant.
A lot of times my cleints -- or their users -- know that something is wrong. The problem is they're not experts, so they don't know how to articulate it. There's all sorts of lingo and jargon and it's painfully easy for beginners to get buried under it. It's why when a lot of other web developers say idiotic thigns like "The user doesn't care about the code" I worry. It's not that they don't care. If something is wrong usually they know it, they are just too ignorant on the topic to articulate it.
Quite often I get questions where it's so badly worded, I have no clue what they're talking about. People often just seem to make up words for things and expect us to know what it is.
Hell, I've dealt with that in bikes where even in my relative novice status, I've got locals flooding me with questions. Which is why I constantly google bike diagrams to know what each part is called. Like a friend was talking about "top rings"... when he meant a headset spacer. Or "barrel choke" because they're a gun person, when what they meant was a star fangled nut and spacer cap.
A rookie website owner isn't going to know the difference between a Node and an Element, any more than a rookie bike owner will know the difference between a quick release and a nutted rear.
And it takes a lot of patience when people come to you with questions where you not only don't know what they're talking about, it turns out to be something insanely mundane and simple. You WANT to say "Oh FFS just google it", but quite often people don't know the right words to even search properly in the first place!
Im twelve years old and have become a great mountain biker because of your videos. Keep making great content!!!
I feel your pain, I learned not to ask and look for the info myself. have put many of your videos to good use on my fat tire ebike, have a mtb on the way and have been googling for days, checking websites, reading manufacturers pdf files on the bike and parts, ordering compatible parts. its been crazy but at the same time satisfying because I know once I get the parts they will ALL fit without no issues. Only time i ask something is if i REALLY need too or need to confirm something, other than that its hours upon hours of reading and searching. sadly people nowadays want the answers to things without doing the work and without understanding how their own product works. So people get to know the product you own it will pay in the long run. Sadly that's the world we live in where people would rather ask instead of doing a little bit of work.
Seth, you are always looking out for us little people and that's what I appreciate most about you
Sir I love you videos I'm watching your videos for more then 3years and recently realized I wasn't subscribed to your channel , I'm from south africa I recently lost my bike, Learned so much from you you are a legend ❤
Hey Seth how are you doing. I started riding Mountain bikes only last year. I bought a Gary Fisher rig hard tail, so the question I have is for the bottom bracket. I purchased a Race Face drive train or crank. What I didn't know is that it was going to be a nightmare to remove this crazy Trex contraption holding the crank in a 56mm bottom bracket. I'm going to look it up myself but I wanted a reason to message other than to say I watch your Flip show religiously. I just wanted to show my appreciation and gratitude as I've learned tons from watching. I'm in my 40's now and want to be in the parks this coming season. I don't know how I've gone this long without a mountain bike. It's my new passion. Once again love the shows, keep up the great work! Thanks Scott B🚵
I don't know why.. there's no specific reason.. but from the start of your UA-cam journey.. I just love watching your videos... Even after I'd quit cycling.. I still loved your videos! ❤️
Man, I've learned so much from watching your videos. From adjusting the limiters on my derailer to changing my pedals, you've saved me time again! Thanks for everything, dude, keep doing what you do!
Wish I had watched this video before I started wrenching on bikes years ago. Would have saved me a few headaches. Great vid for new riders to watch!
Thank You for not forgetting what the beginner goes thru... Your a good man!!! We all start somwwhere,., RIDE ON!!!!
I recently updated the drivetrain for one of my gravel bikes because I wanted better range. First go around, I ended up with the wrong bottom bracket because my new crankset is 19mm (which is supposedly weird) and I ordered a 24mm. That was a minor setback but no big deal once I ordered the correct one. Also, just because something doesn't "work" according to the website doesn't mean it can't be made to work. My 10-11 speed crankset works just fine on my 9 speed drivetrain. My 11-42 tooth cassette works just fine on my Sora drivetrain with a Wolftooth Roadlink that claims to max out at 11-40 but worked fine. Bikes are fairly simple and sometimes you can "Hack" something together as we all know thanks to Seth
Seth - just want to say thanks for all the vids. Helped me get over the uncertainty to work on my bikes, and upgrade them too. Your method of communicating information is excellent, friendly and easily consumable. Thank you!!
I'm so glad you made this video. I always cringe a little when I see somebody ask you parts compatibility questions in the comments, because (1) I know you won't have time to answer it, even if they did provide enough details for you to answer it definitively and (2) if somebody is going to work on their bike, they need to learn how to answer these questions for themselves.
As a bike mechanic at a shop that sees more beginner MTB'ers than expert know-it-alls, I love videos like these. I work a few days a week and in those few days, often times customers will come to me to ask these extremely complicated questions that in order for them to fully understand the answer that I need to give them, they have to understand the basics and more often than not, they don't. Thats not exactly their fault but more so that fault of companies making bikes so hard to understand when starting out. Google really can be your best friend if you are not sure of the answer to something and many times each month, i find myself watching youtube tutorials with customers or just for my own sake on knowing how to do something. Google is awful if you don't know what youre looking for because if you don't know, neither does google.
I am so scared to get into high end mountain biking there so many new parts and I am so lost idk what I do without Seth, he allows me to understand nice and easy, thank you
For all the beginners out there, there IS a point where you will be super knowledgeable and experienced about parts and sizes and can begin to build/service your own bikes, but it takes experience and mistakes which comes with the territory. But you never 100% master it because we all still goof up from time to time when I build or working on bikes!
It's hard to tell what your best video is.. but this certainly lives in the top 5! You are the greatest mate, your enthusiasm for bikes is unparalleled 😁
Small detail on chains, do NOT mix 12 speed chains, Sram and shimano are not compatible, check your compatibility! Love you videos Seth
An in depth video going over a freewheel vs. cassette would be fantastic! I more or less understand it now, but it’s one of those Google searches where it’s challenging to search the correct way for the detail you want.
This reminds me when I was starting out and I didn’t understand all this bike jargon. Cassette, Bottom Bracket or worst BB, FreeHub or FreeWheel. I end up googling most of it and ironically this is how I learned of your channel. Can’t tell how many jams you’ve gotten me out of with your hack videos.
You da man. Again. This video will help THOUSANDS of riders.
As for tires/tyres, the exact width is written in the ETRTO measurement. Youll find a number like 60-622. That 2 digit number being the exact width of your tire in millimetres. This is always measured at the sidewall, so this is the best we have at the moment for accuracy of tire width
A great primer. I’ve been taking bikes apart since we called them “ten speeds” (2x5) and it even helped me with some of the newer standards. I hope there will be more over time perhaps on specific sub components
This is a great 50,000 ft overview! I'd only add that if you have any questions that the techs at your local bike shop are often more than happy to answer questions. Especially questions from new cyclists.
This has been really really helpful as someone who has been out of bike game for over 10 years! Thinks that were normally resurved for only very high end bikes are now main stream or things that didn't even exist in my day.
You have the best bike channel on UA-cam. Thanks for taking care of us🤠👍
This content Seth came up with will help Tons of Mountain Bikers who are just getting into the Depth of the Sport!!!
This was such a help. After recently getting into mountain biking I have had a lot of questions regarding my bike. This helped so much. I’m glad I have a reliable source to go to for help and simply for enjoyment. Thanks Seth, You are such a help.
Love it, I bought a lightly used Snap-On Fat Tire mountain bike, as it has a lot of nice features that I liked (Hydraulic Brakes, etc...) but there was no spec sheet on the internet, or included. It is obviously a re-branded bike and most places say its either a Trex or a Chinese copy. Most of the parts are labeled though (Shimano) and are easy to figure out, for the rest we have google, and a pair of Calipers.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Seth. Google search is so helpful and quick. its a lot better than digging through bicycle books trying to find a certain something.
I wish you had gone into the specifics of boost/non-boost. I know you ran into that problem building the single-speed Slopeduro bike. I'm still confused about the difference and haven't found a clear answer on the interwebs. BTW: MTB forums tend to be full of snobs who just trash talk newbies so it's nice to have an expert address these questions clearly, concisely, and without condescension. Thanks!
Honestly you don't really have to worry about what it's called. Boost is just a trade name.
You should be looking at the dimensions ex. 15mm x 110mm or 15mm x 100mm. If you are wondering what axles and hubs you have, find the model number by looking on the parts themselves and checking their manufacturers website. Sometimes what the bike company says your bike comes with can differ slightly from what it actually has. If you do better with visual learning, go to a decent bike shop and ask them to show you the differences. Then maybe buy a few bucks worth of chain lube and grease as a thank you.
Could’ve used this video 3 days ago when ordering parts for my bike. Lucked out and everything fit. This video will really help me for the next go around. Thanks Seth!
Thank you Seth, for making biking and bike maintenance exciting and accessible for others. Truly a legend!
Possibly the bloody informative bike video on the internet. Thanks Seth.
Once you've found out the correct manual for your bike, fork an shock, download and save them. In the same folder, make a .txt with the correct shock/fork PSI- and rebound etc settings. If you send your shock/fork for a service, it's faster to just look from there than to go through the same sag-tests etc to find the good ones.
I had such a hard time with finding out what were the parts for my bike, I wrote absolutely everything down when I knew it was right and now I know.. 😎👌🏻
I love you Berm . So genuine. Such a good man !
This video was super helpful for beginners I’m sure! I learned all this from visiting my local bike shop or watching UA-cam videos over the years. A lot of beginners just got a big boost in basic bike maintenance knowledge!
We need more videos like this out there. My first venture into doing some upgrades to my bike was a bit overwhelming even with a solid at home car repair and DIYer background. I'm pretty mechanically savy but holy crap I didn't realize there was so much to know about bikes.
This was the perfect video for me, trying to replace my rear hub that went bad 😵💫 nice to know HG is more universal than I thought.
When I first got into mountain biking, I didn't realize how many sizes I needed to know. I made a lot of mistakes, and this video would have saved me tons of $$, time, and frustration.
this is all good info, and i support folks wanting to learn home mechanic skills, but sooner or later you'll learn the hard lesson that when in doubt, your local bike shop knows best.
Holy crap I wish you had made this video 2 years ago. I have made all of these mistakes by trial & error as I have learned in real time :) Handle bar diameters, seat posts, brakes, etc. GOOD video.
I am so glad you made this video! Half the time, I can't even find what I'm looking for on google so i appreciate that so much Seth. Also I was at Berm Park a few weeks ago and it was AWESOME! I cannot wait to get back out there!!
Buying a digital calliper was one of my best buys for starting a toolkit, mine is Park Tool, but there are many other lookalikes that do exactly the same but aren’t blue. They’re great for measuring the gap between seat stays to work out what tyre width will fit. I bought a 2nd-hand 1994 Kona Cindercone for £105 and the callipers helped me reckon that Schwalbe Marathon Plus ATB tyres in a 26x2.15” width will fit, taking into account clearance for mud and mudguards. Also, they’re very useful for calculating the I/D and O/D of the head tube. My back can’t take a 130mm flat stem, so now I’ve got a 28.6mm quill stem adaptor to take an 28.6mm aheadset 90mm stem from Uno.
brilliant video Seth, we definitely need more people to go over things like these. As someone who's been riding my MTB properly for about a year now but just riding on and off prior to that, it often feels overwhelming when looking to either maintain or change parts on a bike. I've only just recently done my own drivetrain maintenance and took off my cassette and indexed my own gears without any bike store help which feels really good. I now need to figure out how to bleed my hydro brakes and pump some air into my air fork.
This saved me a lot of headaches! Getting ready to source used frames for single-speed mtb and will use your overview to guide my search. Thank you! Mark in Oregon
For thoose who are starting, don't be afraid to look up thing's names, search "bike wheel parts" or things like that and find breakdown pictures of the structure with markers that tell you what specific things are, once you know enough look for info and see if there are variables, in case there aren't, you're good to go, if there are, try to learn about each. It takes time to get it all in but it's worth it once you have that knowledge.
Another option if you don’t have callipers yet (seriously, get them, you’ll need them also around the house): circumference can be used to figure out diameter. You can use a soft tape measure or even string and a ruler for diameter, if you have to measure an outside diameter. :)
Excellent video. Some people are like that, telling people to google it instead of giving some ideas what to google.
This video 👏👏 absolutely prefect! It took me around 8 hours of searching to find the right bearing cups to do a fork conversion on my cube aim pro to fit a pike fork to it! And I had the same issue when converting the shifters to 1 by 12. I eventually figured it all out but dang it took some time! This is for sure gonna help out a ton of people for sure!
Great vid, just worth mentioning though chain compatibility can get a little more complex at 12 speed, if in doubt stick to chains from the same manufacturer as your drivetrain.
I just recently split my chin open and fractured my wrist in 2 places in a bike crash on a rocky trail so I am gonna watch your videos while I heal
love the video and love the solution - maybe you should send your video to the manufacturers and maybe your videos will help businesses understand how a normal person thinks and looks at a bike. Great job as always.
re: chains. I use 12 speed chains for all 10-12 speed and single speed drivetrains now. They work perfectly (maybe even better / quieter on 10 & 11 speed drivetrains than the "proper" chains). Give me the option to stock 1 chain that will work on any of my bikes rather than a mish mash of various chains. The SRAM XO1 chains are reasonably priced when you consider I'm starting to believe they can't be worn out. When I find them on sale, I just buy a bunch for stock.
Learning how to google effectively is one of the most important life skills nowadays and information like this an important start :)
Just bought my first MTB as an adult after 16~years of not cycling..it was one of the cheapest, 26" wheels, and everything connected to the chain sucks balls...but after riding on the first (deserted) MTB course of my life I really had a blast. Every minute you ride that bike, it feels like it's coming apart. The thing is so small for me that it almost feels like a BMX bike..everything feels cramped...probably bought a kids bike but at least I'm enjoying it
Bro i found this now after searching for weeks on like a basic good break down of the bike because i used to watch you back when you lived in ft laurdale when i got into mtb'ing n i couldnt find any other video that break down every basic stuff i wanted to know !!
dont forget how huge of a resource your local bike shop can be, if you want to replace a component with the right thing a shop will usually be happy to give you insights on the options, order the right thing, and put it on correctly for you.
For tire width, just contact your bike manufacturer. Tell them the tire you want to use and ask how wide you can go. Someone who works there has probably used that tire.
Bought some manual calipers at Harbor Freight for $3-4 about 12 yeas ago. One of the best tool purchases I've made.