15 Ways To Spend Less On Mountain Biking

Ill fix #15 for you.

#15. You really DONT need 1x.  EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES.   See #1-14 about keeping the old clothes working.

#16 decide that some days are just too filthy wet and muddy, you're wearing a bike and the trails out.

#17 buy general outdoor or running gear, much is cheaper and better than cycling clothing.

#18 home-made snacks and food, not bought gels or Uber schporty trail food.

Waterproofs - usually the most expensive bit of clothing, and the ones most likely to be prematurely damaged, even with large amounts of care - aren’t needed unless it’s actually raining.

Measuring your chain stretch and swapping it out once it gets worn will mean you get more life out of the cassette. It’s cheaper to swap the chain out than to wait until it all starts skipping gears and then need to swap the whole drivetrain.

How about "Measuring your chain stretch and replacing it once it gets worn will mean you get more life out of the cassette. It’s cheaper to replace the chain than to wait until it all starts skipping gears and then need to replace the whole drivetrain."

"swap" indicates that something will happen to the one I'm taking off the bike. In the case of a worn chain I'm pretty sure it's going in the bin/recycling.

You really DONT need 1x. EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

New? Been 1 x since the 20th century, emperor's old hand me downs more like

swap” indicates that something will happen to the one I’m taking off the bike. In the case of a worn chain I’m pretty sure it’s going in the bin/recycling

Or on your singlespeed bike

This shows up the dilemma. A magazine like Singletrack needs advertising so you can't say the obvious: don't buy stupidly expensive stuff. Here's a hint from me. If you need a small zip up bag to keep your tools together in your pack, a pencil case costing around a quid will do the job nicely. Oh and instead of expensive bars, fig roll biscuits and custard creams will keep you fed on the trail.

Well I saved money by reading the comments and not paying to read the obvious.

Don’t buy more stuff just because it’s being promoted in a magazine

Fig rolls- this is the most wisest comment. Although I do like to call ‘em Fig Newtons, which can cause consternation among my ride companions.

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Goddammit...

Love fig rolls.

Other cheap calories for cycling and recovery.....
- Malt loaf
- Milk
- Hobnobs
- Flapjack
- Fruit and nuts
- Dried fruit like figs, dates, raisins etc
- Cheese and pickle sandwiches
- Marmalade sandwiches
- Homemade sports drinks, Rubena with a pinch of salt works fine.
- Garibaldi biscuits
- Yop
- Rice pudding

I'm sure there's lots more but IME there's no need to buy expensive sports nutrition and recovery foods/drinks unless you're needing to make that marginal gain.

Waterproofs – usually the most expensive bit of clothing, and the ones most likely to be prematurely damaged, even with large amounts of care – aren’t needed unless it’s actually raining.

This!!!

Save your expensive full Sus by riding your old shonky Hardtail/rigid/singlespeed throughout the filthy winter.

Don't be tempted to build up a blinging singlespeed 🫣

Homemade sports drinks, Rubena with a pinch of salt works fine.

and a few slices of cucumber

hard boiled eggs aren’t easy to eat on the move, but good when stopped, likewise tinned sardines/other fish.

Don’t be tempted to build up a blinging singlespeed 🫣

this is where is goes right off the rails for me. 🙂

Singlespeed hack for the winter slop! or stay on better surfaced gravel/road rides. Or forget it and go running or swimming for a bit instead.

Save your expensive full Sus by riding your old shonky Hardtail/rigid/singlespeed throughout the filthy winter.

I have to say, I never get this advice, you spend a fortune on a bike and yet ride a piece of s*it in the winter leaving your expensive, perfect for winter bike depreciating away in the shed. They're not an investment, you bought it, just ride and enjoy the damn thing. Maybe buy a cheap £30 bearing press set off ebay so you can freshen up your bike for the dryer months.

#19: Changing frame bearings is really easy. You can get a bearing press sets off ebay for £30ish that is more than adequate for home mechanics like myself and will make the job of pushing in bearings REALLY easy. It will probably take you the same amount of time to do the job as it'd take to drop your bike to and from the bike shop. You'll save a wedge of cash and have the satisfaction of working on your own bike. Plus, you don't need to have a second "winter" bike taking up space. Look at youtube, people have posted great videos re every possible maintenance job.

Yeah, I firmly believe anyone that tells me they use a second bike in winter (because it ‘saves money’) is probably rubbish at maths. By all means own two bikes if you like.

But how else can you bore the pants off everyone if you don't ride a HT in winter? Talking about micro-brewery boutique IPA's and coffee can only do so much to send a glass eye to sleep.

1. Don't race DH
2. Don't race DH and live 150 miles from every race
3. Don't have a small child.

This shows up the dilemma. A magazine like Singletrack needs advertising so you can’t say the obvious: don’t buy stupidly expensive stuff.

And this is why I will never be a full member of STW. They just don’t give real world reviews of kit. Yes review the stupidly expensive kit but also review it against the cheap kit.

Save your expensive full Susmoney by riding your old shonky Hardtail/rigid singlespeed throughout the filthy winterall the time.

Another tip. Save fuel money - be inspired to ride locally because your bike is unrideable at many locations.

LEt me know how that goes for you at a decent trailcenter 😀

Rode Cwncarn the other week, was fine... Arms have almost recovered already.

LEt me know how that goes for you at a decent trailcente

Quite a few of us on here have ridden most of the trailcentres singlespeed.

Quite a few of us on here have ridden most of the trailcentres singlespeed.

You're very brave/foolish 😀

#16 - don't buy an unnecessary subscription to a magazine to read an article on how to save money

We really are delving into writing articles for the sake of it now aren't we??

#101 - don't open any forum discussion with "PSA" in the title 😀

Quite a few of us on here have ridden most of the trailcentres singlespeed

Agreed. lack of gears isn't a huge issue at trail centres. Full rigid isn't greatly enjoyable though.

I only have one MTB now, a midrange hardtail which is not horrifically expensive to maintain.

#16 decide that some days are just too filthy wet and muddy, you’re wearing a bike and the trails out.

This makes lots of sense to me - especially if you live in an area that does kit destroying filth (not all filth is born equally). Add the trail damage caused by pressing on through the gloop regardless and to me the right course of action is sometimes to do something else.

My contribution. Don't buy yourself a big, long travel bike just to make the tough stuff easier. In the 20 years since I got back into mountain biking I've noticed an odd arms race - a desire to ride tougher trails (or the same trails but faster) and then an equal and opposite desire to buy 'trail crushing' bigger and burlier bikes to pacify them back to the same level of technicality to make them accessible to mere mortals level of rideability. Result, same levels of adrenaline for higher cost....with an added side portion of making every other bit of countryside less enjoyably challenging to ride and bigger more hurty offs.

Can't see the article, but seems rather pointless on this site - people LIKE to spend their money. They LIKE to have branded, expensive clothing and unnecessarily expensive bits on and for their bikes.
I mean check out the "rack for a Passat" thread. I've got a £30 Halfords rack from the 90s that still carries 2 or 3 full sus bikes adequately when needed, but people WANT to spend upwards of a grand getting roof-bars, tow balls, light bars and fancy name branded racks hanging off their cars.

And this is why I will never be a full member of STW. They just don’t give real world reviews of kit. Yes review the stupidly expensive kit but also review it against the cheap kit.

Don't agree with this. Their reviews/ articles are always very balanced and nothing compared with other sites/ magazines in terms of paid for promotion etc.

AndThey just don’t give real world reviews of kit. Yes review the stupidly expensive kit but also review it against the cheap kit.

Don’t agree with this. Their reviews/ articles are always very balanced and nothing compared with other sites/ magazines in terms of paid for promotion etc.

Indeed. And on those occasions they do review stuff from decathlon or the like those who moan still point out they ride in waterproofs made from old carrier bags they collected before the charge came in then sellotaped together and they're just as good as the decathlon & gore kit in the review, and how come ST don't review homebrew waterproofs that everyone actually wears.

Can’t see the article, but seems rather pointless on this site – people LIKE to spend their money.

Assuming they do have money to spend, and assuming the potential running cost of a current bells and whistles bike is justifiable if they do.

They LIKE to have branded, expensive clothing and unnecessarily expensive bits on and for their bikes.

Some people do, some don't and it's not necessarily about affordability?

Don’t buy yourself a big, long travel bike just to make the tough stuff easier. In the 20 years since I got back into mountain biking I’ve noticed an odd arms race – a desire to ride tougher trails (or the same trails but faster) and then an equal and opposite desire to buy ‘trail crushing’ bigger and burlier bikes to pacify them back to the same level of technicality to make them accessible to mere mortals level of rideability. Result, same levels of adrenaline for higher cost….with an added side portion of making every other bit of countryside less enjoyably challenging to ride and bigger more hurty offs.

You are an enemy of The Industry! Silence!

(I agree)

Assuming they do have money to spend, and assuming the potential running cost of a current bells and whistles bike is justifiable if they do.

I think you've misunderstood my post

^ maybe? Some people do like to spend oc, but to say it's a rather pointless article on this site seems dismissive of those who aren't spending £ as if it's a hobby.

4b. Stop wasting your time and money washing your bike. Look after the drivetrain and the slidey bits on fork, shock and dropper post. Forget the rest, water is bad and detergents worse!

Indeed. And on those occasions they do review stuff from decathlon or the like those who moan still point out they ride in waterproofs made from old carrier bags they collected before the charge came in then sellotaped together and they’re just as good as the decathlon & gore kit in the review, and how come ST don’t review homebrew waterproofs that everyone actually wears.

clothes! what a waste of money. Youre falling for the industry's narrative.

I ride naked with a single aldi sausage roll up my bum to provide warmth at the start, and then a mid-ride snack.

I have to say, I never get this advice, you spend a fortune on a bike and yet ride a piece of s*it in the winter

I don’t get it either. But then I just ride a piece of shit and that’s fine by me. I may not be the target audience here.

buy a pinion winter hardtail, big upfront cost but think of all those times you left your bike dirty and chain or BB rusted and no more bent/snapped derailleurs.
although my mate says the grips are expensive.

I’ve noticed an odd arms race – a desire to ride tougher trails (or the same trails but faster) and then an equal and opposite desire to buy ‘trail crushing’ bigger and burlier bikes to pacify them back to the same level of technicality to make them accessible to mere mortals level of rideability

riding a modern bike fast/on harder trails is safer than old bikes slowly on easy trails, while generating more adrenaline and less terror. they are a sensible purchase