As seen on Mountain Flyer online:

I love disc brakes. LOVE THEM! They’re more powerful than rim brakes, less affected by inclement weather and new rotors are a lot cheaper than new rims. That being said, one of the things that annoys me the most is when my disc brakes rub. Partly it’s that I don’t like doing more work than I need to, but mostly it’s the noise. I hate riding along and hearing “schwing, schwing, schwing” or, even worse, a single high-pitched note as if my brakes are trying and failing to sing. (...read more)

As seen on Mountain Flyer online:

Because of my experiences this past weekend I decided to explain how to fix a bent chain link. The first method (no tools needed) is the method I used during the XC this past Saturday. It is a great trailside fix. But the second method is quite a bit easier if you’re near your toolbox.

Disclaimer: This is a temporary fix. If you’ve bent a chain link, you should replace your chain as soon as you can. Otherwise you risk breaking it (and nobody likes that). (...read more)

I originally posted this on an old blog of mine almost exactly three years ago. It also happened to be on a Tuesday. Turns out it is just as applicable now as it was then and since it’s a really useful tip, I thought I’d re-share it (with some edits)!

Tubeless rocks! Especially tubeless with sealant. Not only does it get rid of annoying flats like goat heads, glass, and small rocks, but it allows you to run lower tire pressures without risking pinch flats. Personally, I run WTB TCS (Tubeless Compatible System) tires (26 PSI front, 28 PSI rear), but as long as you’re using sealant, you can run most tube (...read more)

If you’ve hung out with bike people, especially ones who work with kids, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard the expression: “A clean bike is a happy bike.” If not, you have now.

The real question is, what does this mean? Since I have yet to find a bike that has feelings (at least one that can express them) I think of this quote as: “A clean bike [makes for] a happy bike [rider].” This makes more sense and, it turns out, is true! (...read more)