Send in your top tech tips to bucks_mtb@hotmail.com

Top Ten Submitted tips from you guys & gals:


1. "Tyre Troubles"
When out on a ride, especially a long XC ride, keep your food wrappers all day - if you get a tyre split, you can put the wrapper between the tyre/gash and the inner tube and it will survive until you get home. Nutri Grain bar wrappers work really well !!! - Kris

2. "Snapped rear mech"
If you manage to wreck your rear mech when out on a ride, if you have a chain tool to hand, remove the mech, select a comfortable gear and chain ring and shorten the chain = simple single speed solution - Scott

3.  "Snapped Spoke Quick fix"
Carry a small amount of electrical or gaffer tape with you on long rides - if you manage to snap a spoke or two you can tape them together to keep them out of the disc rotors or drive train until you can make it home - Mark

4. "Must have"
Always carry a couple of zip/cable ties with you, whether it be a long XC ride or a visit to the local DH trails. There's nothing you can't fix with a zip tie ;-) - Tim

5. "Snapped gear cables - quick gear fixes"
 If your unlucky enough to snap a gear cable when out on a ride, you can bodge the bike to get you home again quickly and easily - if the front mech cable fails just put the chain in the appropriate chain ring and undo the allen key bolt holding the mech onto the frame and move it up the seat tube/frame out of the way. If your rear mech cable goes, you can alter the bike to a single speed using the mech as a tensioner in the appropriate cog by just adding a small twig between the 2arms of the mech to keep the mech spring tensioned and the chain rolling free - not ideal but might help you get home before dark... - Matthew

6. "Bedding in disc brakes"
If your finding that even after a long descent, heavy braking and making the pads and rotor wet to bed the new pads in try using some Coke - really only a short term fix but gets the pads sticky and hot quickly. Just speeds up the agonisingly long bedding in process - James

7. "Simplicity"
You cant get any more simple and handy than these - self adhesive puncture kits. Use them, why not, way better than the old school glue and 'hope for it' patches. Superb for racing too - lightweight (fewer tools etc) and much quicker to fit and get going again - Sarah

8. "Bleeding Hope Disc Brakes"
If your having problem with regular bleeding of Hope Brakes and you keep getting a spongy feeling lever try this... remove the top cap and bleed the brake as normal (send the old fluid out as u apply new fluid and squeeze the lever to get the air out, tap the hose to get rid of unwanted bubble blockages) leave the bike with the brake lever zip tied  reasonably tight to the bar (normal brake pressure say) to the bar overnight with the top cap off to make sure all the air comes out. Top up oil in the morning and job done. Seems to work for me - Ollie

9. "Brake Lever Set up"
More technique than tech but hey... If you find yourself uncomfortable on descents and have sketchy moments - keep your weight right back - to help you do this raise your brake levers up higher (as far as up as level with the bar, normally just below, few degrees below horizontal). This will push your hands back slightly on the bars which in turn will push your arms straighter and back which will push your shoulders back and then push your weight back over the bike. Simple set up which will do wonders for your riding. Drop your heels too to add to the weight over the back effect - Ian

10. "Cables"
Not really a major tech tip, but a recommendation. Keep those cable ends tidy and always keep a cable end on. If the cable end gets lost and the cable starts to fray, cut the fray off and add a new cable end. If for example the cable frays all the way up to the attachment for a mech etc then its time to replace the cable - Jamie