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. This hand pump sprayer is usually used for
00:12stripping wallpaper, watering plants or spreading lawn chemicals. However when I tested this as a
00:19portable washer for my bike I was seriously surprised at just how well it worked. The reason
00:25why I tried this solution out is because I live in an apartment and I don't have a backyard or garden
00:30area to clean my bike but what I do have is a big car park. So I like to fill up this five litre
00:38bottle with hot water and just get cracking. You can adjust the spray pattern via the nozzle at the
00:43end here. It has a pressure relief valve in case you pump it up too much and the wand even has a
00:49nice little feature down at the trigger which means that you can continuously spray meaning that you
00:55don't have to hold down the button the entire time. I find it packs in enough power to dislodge big
01:01bits of dirt but is gentle enough to not penetrate the bearing seals. As a cheap alternative this works
01:09surprisingly well. In the same vein as its bigger brother I think that one of these smaller units
01:18is also worth considering too. I really like to fill these up with muck off and then use it as like a
01:25pseudo snow cannon. Rather than the usual pump action bottles that bike cleaning solution tends to come
01:31in being able to continuously spray product just makes that process a little bit easier and more
01:36efficient. Usually what I'll do is add some concentrate to the bottle and then fill it up with hot water.
01:42From there I'll cover the bike and then use the bigger five litre sprayer for rinsing duties. It's so
01:48simple. One product that I have been using for literally years now rather than opting for the
01:56generally more expensive cycling branded alternative is plain old isopropyl alcohol. This stuff is
02:03incredibly close to what you'll typically find in cans of disc brake cleaner. Sure when it's in the can
02:09it is pressurized which can make blasting dirt and grime away much easier but if you want to save cost
02:15and be a little bit more friendly to the environment then just buy a bottle of isopropyl alcohol. You
02:21can either use it directly on components with a cloth or instead pop it in one of those hand pump
02:26sprayers for cleaning things like your chain set or rotors. You'll find that many car mechanics do
02:31something similar when they need to degrease components in situ. You'll save yourself money and
02:37help cut down on the use of disposable cans. It is a proper win-win. Riding in the rain is not fun.
02:45And what's even less fun is heading back out after a wet ride only for your shoes to still
02:51be soaked. And this is why a boot dryer is well worth grabbing if you regularly find yourself in
02:57this predicament. Originally designed for hikers, walkers and just enjoyers of snow sports a boot
03:03dryer like this could be incredibly useful. It couldn't actually be much simpler to use. When you get back
03:09from your ride simply turn it on and then slide your shoes into place. It'll completely dry them out and
03:14make your next ride a whole lot more pleasant. An added bonus of always keeping your shoes dry
03:20is that they shouldn't get that weird mildew damp smell. But if you have particularly smelly feet
03:26then you may want to put this in the garage while you're using it because I cannot imagine
03:30that that would be a pleasant smell at all. I'm assuming I'm not the only one who has more bead
03:37ons than they know what to do with. All too often I resign one of these bad boys to the back of the
03:43cupboard when a seemingly weird black blob appears at the bottom which is seemingly impossible to clean.
03:52Well no longer does that have to be the case. Grab yourself some Milton tablets and you can
03:57effectively clean and sterilise your bottles meaning that they are kept in tip top condition.
04:03I believe that Milton tablets tend to be used for cleaning baby bottles but the same theory applies
04:08here too. So grab your bottles pop a tablet in and then add some water and let them fizz away and then
04:14do their work. When 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 clean as well.
04:26Milton tablets aren't the only baby related product which can be super useful to us cyclists.
04:32So 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 help them smell
04:44that little bit more fresh. Plus I found that a drainer like this one actually kind of brightens up my
04:49worktop. Getting a chip in your paint is really annoying. First you have the disappointment of your
04:55bike gaining a battle scar and not quite looking its best but there's also now the risk that the frame
05:01underneath could start to corrode. My plan of attack has always remained the same. If I can't obtain some
05:08touch-up paint to apply to the chip then dab on some clear nail varnish instead. It will help protect
05:15the frame material from the outside elements. Even few carbon fibre bike owners despite the fact that
05:21carbon cannot corrode it's still a good idea to apply some varnish as it provides the surrounding paint
05:26with a little bit more strength and may help preventing any further chipping or spreading of
05:31the problem. We're not far off the end of winter here in the northern hemisphere but we've still got
05:37about a month or two to go before it properly gets warm again. So if you're finding that your feet are
05:43still getting pretty cold when you're out riding and don't want to fork out for some overshoes then you
05:48could try using some tin foil on the inside of your shoes. Not only will it help block them from any
05:54wind coming through but it will also insulate them hopefully resulting in you not losing all feeling
06:00in your toes. It'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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