Ollie being picky about each bike that is leaned against the wall stationary for a bike vault, but at the same time smashes this poor orbea's handlebar like a beast while washing it ;)
Also, the insulated Camelbak bottles are brilliant when the weather is hot. If you fill them 2/3rds and freeze them, then top em up with tapwater before you ride, they'll stay cold and slushy for 2-3 hours. Makes all the difference when it's 30 degrees C.
@@mlgugb8965The new metal vacuum-insulated podium is much more effective than the old polystyrene-insulated plastic podium, it actually keeps water cool for hours!
i completely agree with you, it's a game changer for me the podium ice one is amazing its a must have ,very important to drink and so refreshing when its cold
@@yohansharp3040 ideally you’d service it every year but can’t say that I’m that I’ve ever serviced it. It seems accurate enough and I’ve never tested it from new anyway.
I'm using the one recommended by my bike shop when I told them I want to to experiment with tire pressure (also the only digital one they carried) I've been using it since 2019, but always wondered about the accuracy of it... recently saw a video checking the accuracy of various tire pressure gauges, and it turns out the one I have is actually one of the more accurate ones. the downside is that it doesn't refresh the readout if the tire pressure changes while you do the bleed, which seems like a massive oversight, since if you want a new reading you actually have to take it off and reapply it to the valve, meaning you're probably going to reseat it incorrectly, ruining any bleeding. does this topeak pressure gauge stay attached to the valve while you pump and bleed? or do you need to swap back and forth between the pump and the gauge? honestly I wish there was one that replaces the valve cap and you leave it on permanently. another idea that would be good for tubeless is to have two valves: one for sealant/high volume air and the other a normal presta/Schrader, but the normal one isnt only a valve, it's a TPMS sensor as well as a pressurized reserve tank, set and maintain the pressure via a set-point in an app and this would enable the ability to adjust tire pressure on the fly from the cockpit. I'm no expert of course but it seems like the only tough bit is a small enough pump that can fit inside the rim to remove pressure from the tire to put back into the tank when you want to lower the pressure in the tire. the tank is easy it would be a tube that wraps around the inside of the rim. probably a bit much for your average ride, but imagine how it would change cobblestone races
I think you need something that clamps firmly onto the nozzle to get an accurate reading. I have a digital car tyre pressure gauge and it's pretty hopeless because you're supposed to hold it against the valve stem, but it's hard to get a proper seal. So you get inaccurate readings and lose pressure in the process.
Best of the lot is the disc centring device. I have a couple in the workshop and I carry one on the bike. I have most of the rest bar the pressure gauge - how does it cope with sealant? FWIW Decathlon throw a simple torque wrench in with their bikes (clang). Never tried it, already have a decent one. Own favourite gadgets: bit of wire with two 90° bends to hold chain together while fiddling with quicklink, old spoke bent into a hook at one end to pull chain through derailleur when fitting & yet another spoke bent into a chain hanger for waxing. You can put a hook in one end to go over the rim of the pot and screw the nipple onto the other end to stop the chain slipping off. A couple of dog dishes for soaking chain in petrol and washing latter off before waxing.
Ollie, your recommendations are excellent. Thankyou. Now I need you to do one more video on the nutrition you recommend for endurance rides. Specifically, how in the heck did you avoid cramping whilst climbing 18,000 meters in 36 hours ?
Gizmo I'd add - a pair of chain pliers to break quick links that also have a chainbreaker built in. I have a Lyzene pair that also hold magnetically spare quick links and it fits inside the topeak ratchet case 🙂
@@SniperSnake50BMG Yes - and I also have a pair of large chain link pliers for use at home. The Lyzene ones with a chain breaker built in (also has a rotor straightening part, a valve-core tool - plus magnets for holding spare links) is for carrying on the bike - considerably lighter and smaller than a standard pair of pliers.
I prefer Elite fly or fly tex bottle cages. Super light, and the nozzle is a lot simpler and easy to clean! Doesn't have a fancy valve, but I don't find that to be a dealbreaker.
I recently got an Elite Fly 950ml bottle free from The Feed. It's great to have that much volume in same space as other bottles. However it has zero insulation properties. I use the Elite as my first bottle and bring a second or third Camelbak Podium Chill or Ice for a cold drink 2-4 hours into a long ride.
Highly recommend the Cycplus portable air compressor. Absolute game changer. No need for a stupid mini-pump and it has the pressure gauge built in so you can set you pressure. easily fills up two tyres from flat to 61PSI and has juice for more. Fits in the downtube storage bit of my bike as well
Since you mention torque wrenches, it would be good that you make a video, or at least mention it sometimes, how to properly use it (also torquing greased or glued/locktite bolts). I get often bikes that were (according to the customers) torqued to the specs, but really weren’t (so the parts were making noise or got loose).
Would be interesting to see how big diffrence torque wrench makes for installing 6 bolt rotors. Some people say that without it their rotor gets bent slightly which causes rotor rub.
I have one and like it, but what it doesn't have is thermal insulation. On a hot day, it will be warm within an hour, whereas a Podium Chill will be cold 2 hrs in, and a Podium Ice will still be cold 4 hrs into a ride. Makes a big difference when you're 60 miles in on a hot summer day.
If you have the room, and the spare cash, get yourself an air compressor. You can get water hose attachments and use it as a pressure washer, then use an air nozzle to dry off the bike very quickly and thoroughly. And for mounting tubeless tyres, they are invaluable. Bonus for never having to visit and pay for air in a garage to pump up your car tyres either...
Agreed. I picked one up recently, and while it's a bit of a brick (they do make smaller), it seems to work great on testing--including topping up a tire which has a bit of sealant in the valve so it's hard to hand pump air in.
I'm not sure about using a brush on the inside of your bottles. At least with the Purist water bottles (and I know Camelbak doesn't make a Purist bottle) the instructions are to be pretty delicate with the inside. Even with a regular bottle I'd be worried about scoring the inside of the bottle and thus creating a place for things to grow inside. I don't quite understand how people's bottles get so dirty. As soon as I get home after a ride I empty the bottles and leave them on the kitchen counter with the lid off so that everything dries out fairly quickly. I suppose if you forget when you get home or have driven someplace for a ride and then discovered them in your car a week later... Great video!
I suggest the Camelback podium. I scored a deal on one at REI because someone returned it thinking the straw inside was the wrong size (the straw isn't for sucking in water). I don't care about it being heavier than a normal bottle, especially when I've just ridden 20 miles and still have cold water.
9:10 Even not every pro-cyclist wears aero-socks, many of them prefer more classic common socks instead. So it is really unnessesary thing for cyclist. I self have one pair and I use it only for social rides when I want to look stylish.
On a recent ride, one of the other riders commented that he thought that I had a childs jersey on, to which I replied, no, it just fits, nice and snug and no flapping. The change in fit of jerseys etc. over the past few years is very marked, just having a proper skin-tight fit that is still comfortable and non-restrictive makes you so much more aero and faster for no extra cost. This is coming from a now recreational cyclist, no races or chaingangs, just want to enjoy my riding with little hassle, but the aero just makes things speedier for the same effort. I would say with aero socks, don't over spend, just be reasonable (Mr Cavendish I'm looking at you).
You're telling me that "overly long" socks are uncool because I'm no longer at school, but last week you were telling me that loud freehubs are cool, just...because... You can't have it both ways Olly 🤔😉
I've now got quite good at just eyeballing the disk calliper alignment after failling with all the hacks including business cards, hold on brake lever etc. Generally when you finally pinch the bolt up tight, the calliper moves a little as you turn the bolt, ggrrr! This as you say may be down to poor facing. Saw one new hack, which is to put a tiny bit of grease between bolt mount on frame/fork and calliper so that it slides easily when you adjust the calliper, I will try this next time.
Yea, it’s pretty useless most of the time for me, unless as you say, your mount posts have been machined perfectly and your disc itself has to be perfect also. I just go by ear. And if there is 1 small rub, I can normally get rid of that 1st try with a slight tug on the rotor with rotor truing tool.
Can you talk amongst yourselves about listing some tools in the GCN shop, not necessarily workshop tools, but tools suitable to carry on longer rides and bikepacking adventures. I live in a place that has several bicycle shops, but they all seem to use the same catalogue from the same franchise, and the tools on offer are low cost and hard to use. Probably because that is all the locals will buy. Also check out the baby bottle steriliser industry, some of the equipment is expensive, but obviously babies need clean sterilised bottles. Perhaps you could talk with a sponsor like Camel to develop a useable and cost effective bicycle water bottle steriliser system, that includes bottles capable of being boiled as well as being easy to pull apart for cleaning. Boiling as a means of sterilisation does not require strong chemicals. For a bikepacking version, the bottle could be used as a kettle on an adventure, but for general use discussing an additional few grams vs suffering food poisoning could be discussed. Another also, the germs and microby things that grow in water bottles may not give you food poisoning, but they may cause other unhealthy effects like rotting teeth and bad breath.
A torque wrench is a cracking investment, I got one as soon as I got a carbon frame. You're talking to a man who once broke a cylinder head bolt on a Mini, sold it soon after !
Please get Ollie into a room with Richard Ayoade. Their humour is so similar. I love it. And Richard actually has a great love for cycling. At least for his three speed Brompton anyway.
Quite agree with the tyre gauge Dr. Bridgewod. Changed my rides and hence my life. Thanks for the tool tip and good on you for pointing out quality matters in tools. I quite agree with Felix (or the Ginourmous Leprechaun) per socks though. They are silly. I prefer the German attitude towards clothing. Fun vid
The thing with chain wear tools is it depends on your application. Yes the latest 12 speed components are going to mean you have to remortgage your house if you want to replace them, but if you are commuting on an 8 or 9 speed drive train, it is often only marginally more expensive to replace the cassette and chain at the same time over buying 3 or 4 chains to stop the wear causing issue. All while in the former situation, you only have to do one job, the latter you have to do the same thing 3 or 4 times. I just run by drive train into the ground on my commute bike, and replace the whole thing, on my nicer road bike I check then wear and replace the chain every 4000-5000 miles.
Exactly. I don't like the fad for getting rid of front derailleurs for that very reason. 8 speed chains and cassettes are easy and cheap to change, less fiddly to maintain and more robust. And you don't have to tediously click through 11 or more gears if you go straight from a long downhill to a sharp climb.
I woudl have said inner tube fixing kit, but tyres seem to have improved a lot in the last 15 years. I used to fix my inner tubes at least once a month when I rode to school, but now I've been riding for over 6 months without any problems, except the ones I caused myself.
I have 2 torque wrenches. One for various fasteners with min torquing of 5 Nm and a bigger one CW/CCW for the bottom bracket (goes to 40 Nm) I haven't bought but is needed a torque screwdriver for the range of 1-4 Nm for the very small parts that screw on carbon fiber threads
Only agree with the Camelbak... I use Zefal bottles as they are just as easy to clean and have a wider neck for filling with powder...better nozzle for drinking and half the price.
"If you won't wear aero socks because you think they look silly then you're silly" "If do get aero socks don't get ones that are too tall because they look silly"
Have them all - except the socks! Most important = the torque wrench without question. People risk thousands of pounds of damage and/ part failure without one.The topeak mini ratchet kit has one included for low torque settings, so double benefit. As far as water bottles go - I clean mine regularly with miltons fluid, or sterilising tablets. A good soak and in bleach followed by a good rinse afterwards does the trick. Annoyingly, my daughter chews the end of the valve on her bottles, so they don't last that longe a time!
Hey Ollie, have you seen that there's now a chainring wear checker tool? Wipperman make it. Would be interested to hear your thoughts. I don't know if it works on cassettes too but it could be a game changer if so.
Regarding the pressure gauge, it is possible to look for a correctly calibrated device and compare the data with those displayed by the pump (your own device) and know how much to inflate. I did the same with a torq wrench of mediocre quality
I liked this video and found it useful. On the bike I use Topeak tools and pump, off the bike I use Park Tool incliding the stand. And I have a wash mitt very useful.
#3 and #4 I've had for decades. #2 I rarely use mine. The rest I still don't know that I need: Pressure gauge on my pump is just fine, bottles I get free with the tubs of powdered "iso-swill" mix. Sox? You're kidding me! Wash mitt? My brushes work just fine and don't scratch...in some cases I'd wonder about mitts that hold grit might be worse?
I'd recommend proper pair of heavy workshop tyre levers (I have some Topeak stainless steel ones). They remove the most stubborn tyre with contemptuous ease.
i don't know why but silca calculator always tells me to use higher pressure than is actually optimal for rolling resistance. even if i tell it that i am riding on the worst road possible it still gives me too high number. maybe it's because i am not using road bicycle tires?
Ollie, I'd like your opinion on this: Should the threads of most fastening bolts (e.g. for stem, seat post binder, seat angle etc.) be greased? This is something that is rarely mentioned, but in my experience it makes a big difference, particularly when using a torque wrench. When you grease the threads (and not the shoulder) of a bolt, there is less friction on the bolt threads while tightening. As a result, the bolt tightens with more force resting on the shoulder or fixing the parts more tightly together. When I first started adjusting my saddle (without having greased threads), the clamp and would come loose after 30 minutes of riding, even when carefully positioning and tightening the clamp. Now, I grease the threads and everything stays torqued. I usually check it once after 30 minutes of riding, to be sure. What do you do? And what do manufacturers recommend?
Very good choices, I use Venzo torsion torque wrenche, very easy and compact to use even on the road. Completely agree about bottles, I've known about serius illness due to microbes on the bottles, but I would choose simple bottles, camelback are quite difficult to clean and I ended up not cleaning as well as I should, at the end that went bad...
After you patch a tire on the road, remember when you get home to RE - TORQUE your axel bolts, those are 15 nm spec and as far as i know there are no small portable torque tools out there that reach 15nm.
That topeak toolkit seems the best of the lot. Which of those did you show, Ollie? Their store had a range- was it the DX, NTX, NTX+, other? If it's good enough for Dr. Bridgewood..., thanks in advance, cheers!
Elite Jet bottles are dishwasher safe and only have 3 parts, which are easily dis-/reassembled. And they are cheap and have generos flow. They are somewhat heavier than absolute lightest bottles, but we're talking about 25-ish grams per bottle. I happily take that weight penalty when I can just throw them to dishwasher after a ride. But Camelback is the bottle sponsor nowadays so...
If toothbrushes and socks count as gadgets, then how about arm warmers? They're great, especially in spring when temperatures climb fast in the morning.
One comment to add to the aero sock idea: Even if you’re not super interested in going faster, surely you’d be happy going the same speed with less effort?
Tire pumps are a pita. Their gauges are typically low quality and set up for everything from kids’ bikes to track bikes. Way too broad a range for any kind of accuracy. A pump manufacturer should take a modular approach… chuck, hose, pump, gauge. All quick connect, multiple options. Same pump body. Could switch out everything else according to need. Cost effective for some consumers. Highly profitable for the company for those wishing to get on various upgrade paths… digital gauges, multiple chucks, etc.
Slightly cheaper, lighter and even easier to clean bottles: Elite, their bottles are really nice, not super strong though. But a lot nicer to use than tacx.
What did you think was the most important of the lot?
I would say a chain checker is the most important.
Torque wrench
The Patrik Berger headband
Thanks for reminding me that bottles need to be cleaned often. Aero socks are not as good as shaving your legs and arms.
You missed off tyre glider a brilliant gadget. I suppose they don’t sponsor the channel or am I being a little cynical?
Ollie being picky about each bike that is leaned against the wall stationary for a bike vault, but at the same time smashes this poor orbea's handlebar like a beast while washing it ;)
BecoZ when stuff is free / sponsored, it's fine. 😂
I felt that, watching those poor shifters 😢
Also, the insulated Camelbak bottles are brilliant when the weather is hot. If you fill them 2/3rds and freeze them, then top em up with tapwater before you ride, they'll stay cold and slushy for 2-3 hours. Makes all the difference when it's 30 degrees C.
30C Isn't even hot. That's just nice riding weather
@@richardggeorgetry that in my area where it is often 90% humidity at that time. The cold water makes a huge difference
This. Also having two different colors to know what bottle has electrolyte or glucose and what is pure water
@@mlgugb8965The new metal vacuum-insulated podium is much more effective than the old polystyrene-insulated plastic podium, it actually keeps water cool for hours!
i completely agree with you, it's a game changer for me the podium ice one is amazing its a must have ,very important to drink and so refreshing when its cold
Torque wrench was one of the best tools I first invested in.
Completely agree. Essential for a carbon frame, I’d say.
Completely agree. Essential for a carbon frame, I’d say.
@@axum.gebreyohanes yeah I got it building first bike. Had a carbon aero seatpost and thought I’d been putting off owning the tool long enough.
I just wonder how long it takes before their readings become inaccurate, since you're supposed to check or recalibrate them
@@yohansharp3040 ideally you’d service it every year but can’t say that I’m that I’ve ever serviced it.
It seems accurate enough and I’ve never tested it from new anyway.
Pad centering tool… ❤!
The Topeak pressure gauge is great. I've got the older model - it's a bit cheaper and works fine.
Strong recommend.
I'm using the one recommended by my bike shop when I told them I want to to experiment with tire pressure (also the only digital one they carried) I've been using it since 2019, but always wondered about the accuracy of it... recently saw a video checking the accuracy of various tire pressure gauges, and it turns out the one I have is actually one of the more accurate ones. the downside is that it doesn't refresh the readout if the tire pressure changes while you do the bleed, which seems like a massive oversight, since if you want a new reading you actually have to take it off and reapply it to the valve, meaning you're probably going to reseat it incorrectly, ruining any bleeding.
does this topeak pressure gauge stay attached to the valve while you pump and bleed? or do you need to swap back and forth between the pump and the gauge?
honestly I wish there was one that replaces the valve cap and you leave it on permanently.
another idea that would be good for tubeless is to have two valves: one for sealant/high volume air and the other a normal presta/Schrader, but the normal one isnt only a valve, it's a TPMS sensor as well as a pressurized reserve tank, set and maintain the pressure via a set-point in an app and this would enable the ability to adjust tire pressure on the fly from the cockpit. I'm no expert of course but it seems like the only tough bit is a small enough pump that can fit inside the rim to remove pressure from the tire to put back into the tank when you want to lower the pressure in the tire. the tank is easy it would be a tube that wraps around the inside of the rim. probably a bit much for your average ride, but imagine how it would change cobblestone races
I think you need something that clamps firmly onto the nozzle to get an accurate reading. I have a digital car tyre pressure gauge and it's pretty hopeless because you're supposed to hold it against the valve stem, but it's hard to get a proper seal. So you get inaccurate readings and lose pressure in the process.
Best of the lot is the disc centring device. I have a couple in the workshop and I carry one on the bike. I have most of the rest bar the pressure gauge - how does it cope with sealant? FWIW Decathlon throw a simple torque wrench in with their bikes (clang). Never tried it, already have a decent one.
Own favourite gadgets: bit of wire with two 90° bends to hold chain together while fiddling with quicklink, old spoke bent into a hook at one end to pull chain through derailleur when fitting & yet another spoke bent into a chain hanger for waxing. You can put a hook in one end to go over the rim of the pot and screw the nipple onto the other end to stop the chain slipping off. A couple of dog dishes for soaking chain in petrol and washing latter off before waxing.
Can't over emphasise having clean bottles, as Gianni Bugno once said about Belgium "a lot of the s**t on the roads is actually s**t".
agree with all, I have an old metal coffee can in the garage full of old toothbrushes.
Ollie, your recommendations are excellent. Thankyou. Now I need you to do one more video on the nutrition you recommend for endurance rides. Specifically, how in the heck did you avoid cramping whilst climbing 18,000 meters in 36 hours ?
Didn’t know the bottle valves came apart! Thanks for the tip!
Gizmo I'd add - a pair of chain pliers to break quick links that also have a chainbreaker built in. I have a Lyzene pair that also hold magnetically spare quick links and it fits inside the topeak ratchet case 🙂
Normal pliers work just fine if yo know how to use them. Even needle pliers
@@SniperSnake50BMG Yes - and I also have a pair of large chain link pliers for use at home. The Lyzene ones with a chain breaker built in (also has a rotor straightening part, a valve-core tool - plus magnets for holding spare links) is for carrying on the bike - considerably lighter and smaller than a standard pair of pliers.
I prefer Elite fly or fly tex bottle cages. Super light, and the nozzle is a lot simpler and easy to clean! Doesn't have a fancy valve, but I don't find that to be a dealbreaker.
I recently got an Elite Fly 950ml bottle free from The Feed. It's great to have that much volume in same space as other bottles. However it has zero insulation properties. I use the Elite as my first bottle and bring a second or third Camelbak Podium Chill or Ice for a cold drink 2-4 hours into a long ride.
Highly recommend the Cycplus portable air compressor. Absolute game changer. No need for a stupid mini-pump and it has the pressure gauge built in so you can set you pressure. easily fills up two tyres from flat to 61PSI and has juice for more. Fits in the downtube storage bit of my bike as well
Thanks, I'll look it up, I got one on my motorbike but it's too heavy for the bicycle
Since you mention torque wrenches, it would be good that you make a video, or at least mention it sometimes, how to properly use it (also torquing greased or glued/locktite bolts).
I get often bikes that were (according to the customers) torqued to the specs, but really weren’t (so the parts were making noise or got loose).
Would be interesting to see how big diffrence torque wrench makes for installing 6 bolt rotors. Some people say that without it their rotor gets bent slightly which causes rotor rub.
Absolutely love the camelbak bottles!!
Hi Ollie
Elite bottles have the same feature. I like them better as the nozzles have less parts and are easier to clean and reassemble
I have one and like it, but what it doesn't have is thermal insulation. On a hot day, it will be warm within an hour, whereas a Podium Chill will be cold 2 hrs in, and a Podium Ice will still be cold 4 hrs into a ride. Makes a big difference when you're 60 miles in on a hot summer day.
If you have the room, and the spare cash, get yourself an air compressor. You can get water hose attachments and use it as a pressure washer, then use an air nozzle to dry off the bike very quickly and thoroughly. And for mounting tubeless tyres, they are invaluable. Bonus for never having to visit and pay for air in a garage to pump up your car tyres either...
The pad centring tool is definitely brilliant. Rubbing discs are the most annoying noise that suddenly appear. This tool works every time.
Can you do a video on small electric pumps? Wonder how they actually do relative to hand pumps on real world rides
Agreed. I picked one up recently, and while it's a bit of a brick (they do make smaller), it seems to work great on testing--including topping up a tire which has a bit of sealant in the valve so it's hard to hand pump air in.
I'm not sure about using a brush on the inside of your bottles. At least with the Purist water bottles (and I know Camelbak doesn't make a Purist bottle) the instructions are to be pretty delicate with the inside. Even with a regular bottle I'd be worried about scoring the inside of the bottle and thus creating a place for things to grow inside. I don't quite understand how people's bottles get so dirty. As soon as I get home after a ride I empty the bottles and leave them on the kitchen counter with the lid off so that everything dries out fairly quickly. I suppose if you forget when you get home or have driven someplace for a ride and then discovered them in your car a week later...
Great video!
I suggest the Camelback podium. I scored a deal on one at REI because someone returned it thinking the straw inside was the wrong size (the straw isn't for sucking in water). I don't care about it being heavier than a normal bottle, especially when I've just ridden 20 miles and still have cold water.
9:10 Even not every pro-cyclist wears aero-socks, many of them prefer more classic common socks instead. So it is really unnessesary thing for cyclist. I self have one pair and I use it only for social rides when I want to look stylish.
On a recent ride, one of the other riders commented that he thought that I had a childs jersey on, to which I replied, no, it just fits, nice and snug and no flapping. The change in fit of jerseys etc. over the past few years is very marked, just having a proper skin-tight fit that is still comfortable and non-restrictive makes you so much more aero and faster for no extra cost. This is coming from a now recreational cyclist, no races or chaingangs, just want to enjoy my riding with little hassle, but the aero just makes things speedier for the same effort. I would say with aero socks, don't over spend, just be reasonable (Mr Cavendish I'm looking at you).
@@ysarn Told my dog about aero-socks, he just rolled over and laughed.
Camelback water bottles are great...get the cheap silicon cap as well, and no more grit, dirt, and worse in your nozzle on rides!
Yes we use these and they are definitely worth putting on your bottles
Best tip of the lot “Don’t buy cheap”. Nothing worse than rounding out a fastener using a cheap Allen wrench.
The harbor freight Allen wrenches are great though
Yep. Especially the smaller sizes that require lower torque,,,I’m looking at you bleed port screw that I stripped using a cheap 2mm Allen key.
You're telling me that "overly long" socks are uncool because I'm no longer at school, but last week you were telling me that loud freehubs are cool, just...because...
You can't have it both ways Olly 🤔😉
The pad centering tool is a great tool but only if your brake mounts are perfectly flat. Useless if the mounts aren't faced
I've now got quite good at just eyeballing the disk calliper alignment after failling with all the hacks including business cards, hold on brake lever etc. Generally when you finally pinch the bolt up tight, the calliper moves a little as you turn the bolt, ggrrr! This as you say may be down to poor facing. Saw one new hack, which is to put a tiny bit of grease between bolt mount on frame/fork and calliper so that it slides easily when you adjust the calliper, I will try this next time.
Yea, it’s pretty useless most of the time for me, unless as you say, your mount posts have been machined perfectly and your disc itself has to be perfect also.
I just go by ear. And if there is 1 small rub, I can normally get rid of that 1st try with a slight tug on the rotor with rotor truing tool.
I'm completely in agreement with you on 6 of the 7 gadgets, but I draw the line at aero socks ;)
06:45 Camelbak makes a cover for the valve top. Recent experience with wet conditions makes that a new "must have".
That toothbrush was immaculate.😮
Can you talk amongst yourselves about listing some tools in the GCN shop, not necessarily workshop tools, but tools suitable to carry on longer rides and bikepacking adventures. I live in a place that has several bicycle shops, but they all seem to use the same catalogue from the same franchise, and the tools on offer are low cost and hard to use. Probably because that is all the locals will buy. Also check out the baby bottle steriliser industry, some of the equipment is expensive, but obviously babies need clean sterilised bottles. Perhaps you could talk with a sponsor like Camel to develop a useable and cost effective bicycle water bottle steriliser system, that includes bottles capable of being boiled as well as being easy to pull apart for cleaning. Boiling as a means of sterilisation does not require strong chemicals. For a bikepacking version, the bottle could be used as a kettle on an adventure, but for general use discussing an additional few grams vs suffering food poisoning could be discussed. Another also, the germs and microby things that grow in water bottles may not give you food poisoning, but they may cause other unhealthy effects like rotting teeth and bad breath.
Elite has already made sterilising system for their bottles. You can check their website to find more info about it.
A torque wrench is a cracking investment, I got one as soon as I got a carbon frame. You're talking to a man who once broke a cylinder head bolt on a Mini, sold it soon after !
Probably better to say it is an anti-cracking investment.
Great video Ollie. I think the torque wrench is the most important tool that you discussed.
the pad centering tool is cool! 👍
I have the same disk brake centering tool. It works... Sometimes... Rarely. Usually you still need to finally ajust the caliper by feel
What makes a digital pressure gauge more accurate than an analogue one? When was it last calibrated......
My thoughts exactly. Fatuous precision without accuracy. Having said that, I have a digital one because I'm very shallow :)
@@robbybobbyhobbies😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Please get Ollie into a room with Richard Ayoade. Their humour is so similar. I love it. And Richard actually has a great love for cycling. At least for his three speed Brompton anyway.
Quite agree with the tyre gauge Dr. Bridgewod. Changed my rides and hence my life. Thanks for the tool tip and good on you for pointing out quality matters in tools. I quite agree with Felix (or the Ginourmous Leprechaun) per socks though. They are silly. I prefer the German attitude towards clothing. Fun vid
The thing with chain wear tools is it depends on your application. Yes the latest 12 speed components are going to mean you have to remortgage your house if you want to replace them, but if you are commuting on an 8 or 9 speed drive train, it is often only marginally more expensive to replace the cassette and chain at the same time over buying 3 or 4 chains to stop the wear causing issue. All while in the former situation, you only have to do one job, the latter you have to do the same thing 3 or 4 times. I just run by drive train into the ground on my commute bike, and replace the whole thing, on my nicer road bike I check then wear and replace the chain every 4000-5000 miles.
Exactly. I don't like the fad for getting rid of front derailleurs for that very reason. 8 speed chains and cassettes are easy and cheap to change, less fiddly to maintain and more robust. And you don't have to tediously click through 11 or more gears if you go straight from a long downhill to a sharp climb.
@philiphumphrey1548 Actually, 12 speed chains are generally the strongest, and some of the high-end ones wear the longest, by far.
Thanks for the video.
Hi Ollie, Great tips thanks. Saw you last Saturday as I finished climbing Sa Calobra you were on your way down. Great weather unlike here. 😢
I woudl have said inner tube fixing kit, but tyres seem to have improved a lot in the last 15 years. I used to fix my inner tubes at least once a month when I rode to school, but now I've been riding for over 6 months without any problems, except the ones I caused myself.
I have 2 torque wrenches. One for various fasteners with min torquing of 5 Nm and a bigger one CW/CCW for the bottom bracket (goes to 40 Nm) I haven't bought but is needed a torque screwdriver for the range of 1-4 Nm for the very small parts that screw on carbon fiber threads
I really like camelbak podium bottles but trying to take that nozzle apart is ridiculously hard that I just never bothered in the end
Grab the top of it with your fingernails and pull it off sideways.
Only agree with the Camelbak... I use Zefal bottles as they are just as easy to clean and have a wider neck for filling with powder...better nozzle for drinking and half the price.
"If you won't wear aero socks because you think they look silly then you're silly" "If do get aero socks don't get ones that are too tall because they look silly"
Another bonus gadget: hairband
Have them all - except the socks!
Most important = the torque wrench without question. People risk thousands of pounds of damage and/ part failure without one.The topeak mini ratchet kit has one included for low torque settings, so double benefit.
As far as water bottles go - I clean mine regularly with miltons fluid, or sterilising tablets. A good soak and in bleach followed by a good rinse afterwards does the trick.
Annoyingly, my daughter chews the end of the valve on her bottles, so they don't last that longe a time!
Hey Ollie, have you seen that there's now a chainring wear checker tool? Wipperman make it. Would be interested to hear your thoughts. I don't know if it works on cassettes too but it could be a game changer if so.
The Topeak Mini 20 Pro is brilliant. Bigger and better models are available but for it's size and cost it is to me the best for my repair/tool kit.
How are aero socks different and how do they work in contrast to regular sock.
They have a dimpled surface like a golf ball, supposed to not drag as much
Thanks
Regarding the pressure gauge, it is possible to look for a correctly calibrated device and compare the data with those displayed by the pump (your own device) and know how much to inflate. I did the same with a torq wrench of mediocre quality
I liked this video and found it useful. On the bike I use Topeak tools and pump, off the bike I use Park Tool incliding the stand. And I have a wash mitt very useful.
What torque wrench can be used for bottle cage bolts?
1/4-inch torque wrench, usually 3 Nm should be enough, but I always use perceived effort, never damaged a single cage or broke a single bolt.
#3 and #4 I've had for decades. #2 I rarely use mine. The rest I still don't know that I need: Pressure gauge on my pump is just fine, bottles I get free with the tubs of powdered "iso-swill" mix. Sox? You're kidding me! Wash mitt? My brushes work just fine and don't scratch...in some cases I'd wonder about mitts that hold grit might be worse?
A fellow fan of the Listerine Reach toothbrush for both teeth and bike cleaning (other brands are available)
You should take a look at Keego bottles. Squeezable Titanium bottles with disassemblable caps that are super easy to clean and dont taste like plastic
One gadget that Ollie needs is a hair brush.
Comment of the week!!
Disc brake centering tool is a must have!
what a useless thing, way should i make the disk thicker and then center the calliper.
saw video, purchased the Ratchet Rocket
Which bottle cage do you use with the camelbak bottles?
Same as any other standard bottle.
I'd recommend proper pair of heavy workshop tyre levers (I have some Topeak stainless steel ones). They remove the most stubborn tyre with contemptuous ease.
I agree it amazes me how people don’t wash their water bottles. It’s also amazing how few letter “t”s gcn include in their bottles.
Excellent
how often do you get the pressure gauge calibrated
i don't know why but silca calculator always tells me to use higher pressure than is actually optimal for rolling resistance. even if i tell it that i am riding on the worst road possible it still gives me too high number. maybe it's because i am not using road bicycle tires?
Ollie, I'd like your opinion on this: Should the threads of most fastening bolts (e.g. for stem, seat post binder, seat angle etc.) be greased? This is something that is rarely mentioned, but in my experience it makes a big difference, particularly when using a torque wrench. When you grease the threads (and not the shoulder) of a bolt, there is less friction on the bolt threads while tightening. As a result, the bolt tightens with more force resting on the shoulder or fixing the parts more tightly together. When I first started adjusting my saddle (without having greased threads), the clamp and would come loose after 30 minutes of riding, even when carefully positioning and tightening the clamp. Now, I grease the threads and everything stays torqued. I usually check it once after 30 minutes of riding, to be sure. What do you do? And what do manufacturers recommend?
Very good choices, I use Venzo torsion torque wrenche, very easy and compact to use even on the road. Completely agree about bottles, I've known about serius illness due to microbes on the bottles, but I would choose simple bottles, camelback are quite difficult to clean and I ended up not cleaning as well as I should, at the end that went bad...
Anyone knows his aero socks model ?
After you patch a tire on the road, remember when you get home to RE - TORQUE your axel bolts, those are 15 nm spec and as far as i know there are no small portable torque tools out there that reach 15nm.
talks about importance of cleaning the bottle, meantime on the main GCN show we're still getting occasional champagne checks from Manon's last show!
Just found out there's a beam type torque wrench...and ordered a Park Tool one.
That topeak toolkit seems the best of the lot. Which of those did you show, Ollie? Their store had a range- was it the DX, NTX, NTX+, other? If it's good enough for Dr. Bridgewood..., thanks in advance, cheers!
Super thanks 😂. But seriously, super interesting, as I have a these gadget and often wondered if I'm over thinking it.
Nice vid Ollie❤
Great film some nice tips there!!
Makita LXT compressor brilliant easy and has digital pressure gauge and which you can set and it automatically stops 🥳👌🏻
chain checker the topeak ratchet had to be there^^
I was missing just the disc brake centering tool. I was :)
all about the pressure forsure
Best gadget I have is tubeless air liners. Zero watts lost, and has saved me in several races
I think these are the best 6 if you travel by plane; otherwise we should include the bike stand
How do you know that the Topeak pressure gauge is more accurate than the Topeak track pump gauge?
Elite Jet bottles are dishwasher safe and only have 3 parts, which are easily dis-/reassembled. And they are cheap and have generos flow. They are somewhat heavier than absolute lightest bottles, but we're talking about 25-ish grams per bottle. I happily take that weight penalty when I can just throw them to dishwasher after a ride. But Camelback is the bottle sponsor nowadays so...
The Elite are not insulated though. The Camelbak Podium Ice will keep drinks cold for 4 hrs in the heat.
I just bought disc brake tool :) also need electronic bike pump
Very nice. My only complaint is the lighting. I'm not into the dark, mood lighting. For what it's worth.
How know what pressure tyre should be inflated?
use an online calculator such as silca
20000kms in a year. That’s an average of nearly 55kms/day if you ride every day. Certifiably nuts!
If toothbrushes and socks count as gadgets, then how about arm warmers?
They're great, especially in spring when temperatures climb fast in the morning.
I have everything but the socks and wash mit. I so not like mid calve socks, like my wool cycling just over the ankle socks much better
One comment to add to the aero sock idea:
Even if you’re not super interested in going faster, surely you’d be happy going the same speed with less effort?
Who is the manufacturer of the bikepacking toolkit you showed?
Topeak
what about the new Sugino derailleur jockey wheels ? Their center is out of the middle
Instead of a digital pressure gauge get yourself a battery operated mini pump with a built in digital gauge - now that’s a 2 in 1 excellent gadget.
2:06 One Gadget You Know You Don't Need On Rim Brakes!
But then you have rim brakes....
Nice stuff. I do wonder though when you last used a chain breaker on a ride?
Tire pumps are a pita. Their gauges are typically low quality and set up for everything from kids’ bikes to track bikes. Way too broad a range for any kind of accuracy. A pump manufacturer should take a modular approach… chuck, hose, pump, gauge. All quick connect, multiple options.
Same pump body. Could switch out everything else according to need. Cost effective for some consumers. Highly profitable for the company for those wishing to get on various upgrade paths… digital gauges, multiple chucks, etc.
Slightly cheaper, lighter and even easier to clean bottles: Elite, their bottles are really nice, not super strong though. But a lot nicer to use than tacx.
Not insulated though, which is Camelbak's big advantage.
I only buy bottles that are dishwasher friendly, stick them in every few weeks, easy.