Technical

This section will try to provide all sorts of information regarding the technical aspects of mountain biking

Some useful hints and tips

Drive train creaks.
These can be the most annoying sounds that you can experience whilst out riding, and generally these can be the hardest to diagnose. As a general rule of thumb, if it creak is every revolution of the cranks then it's either pedals or chainset, if it is every 2-3 revolutions of the cranks then it's chain related.

I've recently had one of these creaks and it was related to my pedals. I removed them from the cranks, packed the bearings with grease and coated the threads of the pedals with lithium grease and put the pedals back on. At the same time I checked that the cranks where tight on the Bottom Bracket and that the chain rings where also tight.
Hopefully this work will have cured the noise, as it was starting to drive me insane.

Fixing grips to handle bars
One problem I've found is that it's difficult to get grips on to handle bars. In the past I've used washing up liquid, but this causes problems as the grips are always loose.
A friend advised me that the best way to get grips on bars is to use GT85. Spray the bars and the inside of the grips then slide them onto the bars. The GT85 will evaporate and then the grips will stick to the bars. However, if this method fails, another way to fix the grips is to put a little bit of paint on the inside of the grips instead of GT85, when the paint dries it will lock the grips to the bars.
With both methods to remove the grips, slide a thin piece of metal between the grips and the bars and rotate it around the grips to break the seal, then they will just slide off.

What to do with old inner tubes
Theses are useful items to keep hold of. Use one as a chain stay protector and secure it with zip ties. A few bands of inner tube around aluminium "fuel" bottles stop them rattling in the cage and make them easier to grip in the hand .

Cable (zip) Ties
These have to be the most useful things every made. They are ideal for securing brake hoses to forks and frames. Keep some in your tool box.

Cleaning Hydration Bladders
A good rinse through of the tube and the bladder with warm water, then fill it again and leave overnight with a steredent tablet inside, then rinse and hang it up to drain with the bladder stuffed with a couple of plastic items to keep it opened up, so it can dry. I use the plastic cat balls from a pet shop. Tip from Alan Heeley

Removing Octalink style cranks
This Octalink Chainset Plug Tool tool fits into the apertures at the end of Octalink cranks, enabling you to press the arms off with a crank extractor. Without it, you'll strip the threads inside the bottom bracket axle.

Paint Chips
If you get paint chips, especially on a steel frame, use clear nail varnish to coat the chipped area. This will stop it rusting, until you get the opportunity to touch it up properly

Glasses Steaming up
If you glasses steam up when you stop riding here's a tip that works great.
put a small (and I mean small) drop of washing up liquid on the inside of the lense and then polish it in to the lens. This will stop them steaming up during your ride.