00:00Here are seven relatively inexpensive everyday products that are actually brilliant for cyclists
00:06and of course I've linked them all down below.
00:09This hand pump sprayer is usually used for stripping wallpaper, watering plants or spreading
00:15lawn chemicals.
00:17However, when I tested this as a portable washer for my bike, I was seriously surprised
00:22at just how well it worked.
00:25The reason why I tried this solution out is because I live in an apartment and I don't
00:29have a backyard or garden area to clean my bike, but what I do have is a big car park.
00:36So I like to fill up this five litre bottle with hot water and just get cracking.
00:41You can adjust the spray pattern via the nozzle at the end here, it has a pressure relief
00:45valve in case you pump it up too much and the wand even has a nice little feature down
00:50at the trigger which means that you can continuously spray, meaning that you don't have to hold
00:55down the button the entire time.
00:58I find it packs in enough power to dislodge big bits of dirt, but is gentle enough to
01:04not penetrate the bearing seals.
01:06As a cheap alternative, this works surprisingly well.
01:11In the same vein as its bigger brother, I think that one of these smaller units is also
01:19worth considering too.
01:21I really like to fill these up with muck off and then use it as like a pseudo snow cannon.
01:27Other than the usual pump action bottles that bike cleaning solution tends to come
01:30in, being able to continuously spray product just makes that process a little bit easier
01:36and more efficient.
01:38Usually what I'll do is add some concentrate to the bottle and then fill it up with hot
01:41water.
01:42From there, I'll cover the bike and then use the bigger five litre sprayer for rinsing
01:47duties.
01:48It's so simple.
01:50One product that I have been using for literally years now, rather than opting for the generally
01:56more expensive cycling branded alternative, is plain old isopropyl alcohol.
02:02This stuff is incredibly close to what you'll typically find in cans of disc brake cleaner.
02:07Sure, when it's in the can, it is pressurized, which can make blasting dirt and grime away
02:12much easier.
02:14But if you want to save costs and be a little bit more friendly to the environment, then
02:18just buy a bottle of isopropyl alcohol.
02:21You can either use it directly on components with a cloth or instead pop it in one of those
02:26hand pump sprayers for cleaning things like your chainset or rotors.
02:30You'll find that many car mechanics do something similar when they need to degrease components
02:34in situ.
02:35You'll save yourself money and help cut down on the use of disposable cans.
02:40It is a proper win-win.
02:44Riding in the rain is not fun.
02:46What's even less fun is heading back out after a wet ride only for your shoes to still be
02:52soaked.
02:53This is why a boot dryer is well worth grabbing if you regularly find yourself in this predicament.
02:59Originally designed for hikers, walkers and just enjoyers of snow sports, a boot dryer
03:04like this could be incredibly useful.
03:06It couldn't actually be much simpler to use.
03:09When you get back from your ride, simply turn it on and then slide your shoes into place.
03:13It'll completely dry them out and make your next ride a whole lot more pleasant.
03:18An added bonus of always keeping your shoes dry is that they shouldn't get that weird
03:22mildew damp smell.
03:24But if you have particularly smelly feet, then you may want to put this in the garage
03:28while you're using it because I cannot imagine that that would be a pleasant smell at all.
03:34I'm assuming I'm not the only one who has more bidons than they know what to do with.
03:40All too often I resign one of these bad boys to the back of the cupboard when a seemingly
03:44weird black blob appears at the bottom, which is seemingly impossible to clean.
03:51Well, no longer does that have to be the case.
03:55Grab yourself some Milton tablets and you can effectively clean and sterilize your bottles,
03:59meaning that they are kept in tip top condition.
04:02I believe that Milton tablets tend to be used for cleaning baby bottles, but the same theory
04:08applies here too.
04:09So grab your bottles, pop a tablet in and then add some water and let them fizz away
04:14and then do their work.
04:16When it comes to emptying them out, I like to put the lid back on and then squeeze that
04:20Milton solution back through the mouthpiece so that you can give that part a really good
04:25clean as well.
04:26Milton tablets aren't the only baby related product which can be super useful to us cyclists.
04:33So once you've cleaned your bottles, using a bottle drainer like this one can be a really
04:38good way to help them dry faster and also get some more ventilation on the inside to
04:43help them smell that little bit more fresh.
04:46Plus I found that a drainer like this one actually kind of brightens up my worktop.
04:51Getting a chip in your paint is really annoying.
04:54First you have the disappointment of your bike gaining a battle scar and not quite looking
04:58its best, but there's also now the risk that the frame underneath could start to corrode.
05:04My plan of attack has always remained the same.
05:07If I can't obtain some touch up paint to apply to the chip, then dab on some clear
05:12nail varnish instead.
05:14It will help protect the frame material from the outside elements.
05:18Even for you carbon fibre bike owners, despite the fact that carbon cannot corrode, it's
05:22still a good idea to apply some varnish as it provides the surrounding paint with a little
05:27bit more strength and may help preventing any further chipping or spreading of the problem.
05:33We're not far off the end of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, but we've still
05:37got about a month or two to go before it properly gets warm again.
05:41So, if you're finding that your feet are still getting pretty cold when you're out
05:45riding and don't want to fork out for some overshoes, then you could try using some tinfoil
05:50on the inside of your shoes.
05:53Not only will it help block them from any wind coming through, but it will also insulate
05:56them, hopefully resulting in you not losing all feeling in your toes.
06:01It's a really simple trick to try if you're struggling and could help make these remaining
06:06winter rides that bit more enjoyable.
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