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14 cheap tricks: explore the everyday alternatives to spendy cycling kit

Money saving tips that'll save your arse, clean your chain, and much, much more

Most of us like to treat ourselves to cool new bike stuff from time to time but there's a place for saving money too, so here are some tips for using everyday alternatives to expensive cycling products.

Some of these suggestions come from the road.cc team and some come from readers.

If you have any more to add, sling them in the comments at the bottom. Oh, and if you want to give us any Viz Top Tips-style suggestions, try to make sure they're funny!

Slap on the udder cream

Teisen Uddercream

Yes, udder cream; cream for udders. As the name suggests, it's designed to maintain good udder condition in dairy cows. Moisturising and often antiseptic, it's also a cheap alternative to chamois cream.

Chamois cream reduces friction between your skin and clothing, and so avoids chafing. It can be quite expensive, though — compared to udder cream, at least. Teisen Uddercream will set you back £21.84 for 2.5 litres.

If you don't want that much — and you probably don't — the same stuff is available in a 200ml tube for £3.90. Plus, there's a small chance that your milk yield will go through the roof.

Go for fig rolls rather than energy bars

A 55g PowerBar Energize energy bar contains 36g of carbs (21g of which are sugars), 2.6g of protein and 2.8g of fat. A bar will set you back around £1.50.

McVities Fig Rolls

The nutritional data for three McVitie's Fig Rolls is similar: 37.2g of carbs (18.9g of which are sugars), 2.4g of protein and 4.5g of fat. A whole 200g pack, containing 12 biscuits, currently costs £1.45 from Sainsbury's, so you're looking at about 36p for the equivalent of an energy bar. Bargain!

Use your phone as a GPS bike computer

A GPS bike computer on the handlebar makes a lot of sense for a lot of people but the smartphone that you're probably already carrying in your pocket has a huge navigational capability and will do a great job for some. Use an app that allows you to download and save maps when you have access to WiFi and you won't eat into your data allowance either.

Quad Lock Bike Kit for I Phone 7 - mounted top.jpg

You'll need a mount for your mobile – something like a Quad Lock Bike Kit — but that'll be cheaper than shelling out on a bike computer.

What if you don't want to stick your posh smartphone on the handlebar?

"An old, unwanted smartphone makes a perfectly functional bike computer. Bonus: stick your SIM card back in it and you have an emergency phone," says Tim Meyrick.

Clean your bike with wet wipes

"Cheap baby wipes are great for cleaning bar tape, saddles and any sticky residue on your bike," says Peter Atkin.

Water Wipes

Wipes that are labelled as bike or workshop-specific are available, but you can save a lot of money by heading down to your local supermarket and picking up a regular pack of wet wipes or baby wipes to use on everything from your chain to your fingers.

You'll still need to give your bike a regular clean and degrease, but the wet wipe solution is the equivalent of putting on an extra spray of deodorant rather than getting into the shower; it'll do for a while!

Of course, using a bucket and water is even cheaper, but this isn't always a practical solution.

Clean your chain with paraffin or white spirit

Paraffin makes a cheap chain degreaser (although some chain manufacturers will tell you never to remove the original factory lube).

Take the chain off your bike and soak it in a shallow dish of paraffin (some people use white spirit – including a number of the road.cc team). Give it a clean, perhaps with something like an old toothbrush, wipe it down, put it back on your bike and apply some lube.

Paraffin

Save the paraffin and you'll be able to use it again (it's a petroleum product so go careful; it's not nice stuff).

You can buy paraffin all over the place. A tenner gets you four litres from B&Q.

Store your phone in a freezer bag

Most modern smartphones are waterproof but if you want to protect yours from getting scratched in your pocket you can use a a freezer bag/ snack bag instead of a brand name wallet.

Ziploc bags

A Ziploc Snack Bag, for instance, measures 16.5cm x 8.2cm so will fit perfectly into most jersey pockets, and it has a sealed top. Head over to Amazon and you can buy 90 of them for £9.49 or go to any supermarket and you'll find various options in different sizes, some more durable than others.

Make your own energy drink

A DIY energy drink is really easy to make and much cheaper than buying a ready-made sports drink.

One method is to add 500ml of orange juice to 500ml of water, add half a teaspoon of table salt and... that's it.

Tesco Orange Juice

This drink gives you 235kcal of energy and 52g of carbs.

A litre of orange juice is currently 69p at Tesco, but you only need half that so you're looking at 33.5p.

Use safety glasses

"Wear safety glasses instead of Oakleys," says Pete Watts.

Bolle Ness+

You can buy safety specs from any DIY store for £2 or £3. Bollé even makes some, like the Ness+, with a sporty look and a scratch and fog resistant coating. You can pick up a pair for £9.49.

Clean your disc brakes with propanol

Propan-2-ol-3D-balls (wikimedia commons)

Propan-2-ol (wikimedia commons)

Most commercial disc brake cleaners contain a form of the alcohol propanol. You can buy it on its own from somewhere like Amazon (five litres for £20.95) and use it to get oil and grease of your brakes.

Propanol is highly flammable and can cause serious eye irritation, so be ultra-careful.

Wear waterproof latex gloves

"Latex gloves work well under [outer] gloves in the rain," says Kris Pratt.

Latex gloves

Disposable latex gloves aren't breathable but they are waterproof, if that's your number one concern. They're also cheap. You can buy a pack of 100 for £4 at B&Q.

If you're sensitive to latex or want a more robust barrier against solvents, you can get nitrile gloves from about £9 for 100 from Amazon.

Wear freezer bags as waterproof socks

"Use freezer bags inside shoes instead of expensive waterproof outer socks," says Dominic Epsom.

Not everyone agrees.

"I've tried that and water trickles down the inevitable gaps in the top, unless you gaffer-tape the tops to your legs," says Jo Burt.

Like latex gloves (above), freezer bags obviously aren't breathable but the fact that they're waterproof might be more important to you on some rides. You can buy 40 for £1 at Tesco.

Tesco freezer bags

Some people also wrap a layer of aluminium foil around the outside of their socks to keep heat in on cold rides.

Stash your tools/spares in an old bottle

Water bottle as tool storage - 1

A tool holder bottle doesn't cost a whole lot but the chances are that you have an old bottle kicking about that'll do the job equally well.

There are two ways to do it: either use a wide necked bottle or you take a tall bottle, chop it in two and use the top half as a lid section.

Use a pencil case as a tool roll

"My tool roll fits an inner tube, multitool, two tyre levers, a CO2 pump and two canisters. It's a 50p pencil case from Tesco that fits in a jersey pocket," says Gareth Gaffer George.

Pencil case tool roll

Push the boat out and you can get this one (above) for three quid! Other bags will do a similar job, of course.

"Last year I got a Muc-Off wash bag for Christmas that I now use it as a tool bag in my panniers," says Wolf Simpson.

Drink chocolate milk for recovery

This one is well known. Sports scientists will tell you that a good recovery drink should have a carbohydrate: protein ratio of 3:1 or 4:1.

Frijj chocolate milk (1)

A 400ml bottle of Yazoo Chocolate Milk gives you 36.4g of carbs, 13.2g of protein and 260kcal of energy, while a 400ml bottle of Muller Frijj Chocolate Milkshake gives you 44g of carbs, 13.2g of protein and 300kcal of energy. They cost about £1 each from a supermarket.

These are very similar values to those of a recovery drink from a sports nutrition brand. You probably wouldn't want to survive on the stuff but chocolate milk does the job after a tough ride.

Quad Lock Bike Kit for I Phone 7 - mounted top.jpg

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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94 comments

Avatar
severs1966 | 3 years ago
1 like

£7.98 for 4 litres of paraffin, or

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-heavy-duty-degreaser-5ltr/88668

£8.99 for 5 litres of degreaser from Screwfix, which is extremely effective when diluted half and half with tap water (i.e.you actually get 10 litres of mix for your money). It can be used as a general degreasing wash when diluted 10% degreaser and 90% water.

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NPlus1Bikelights | 3 years ago
0 likes

Sudocrem slightly easier to get than Udder cream. Huggies baby wipes remove all drive train related grease and dirt very well - better than Water Wipes but no wipes are eco - maybe the new actually flushable ones. Single use non nitrile gloves?

Friji? Really? Is this sponsored content

Avatar
Smoggysteve | 2 years ago
2 likes

I know its an old old thread , but In no way shape or form is a smartphone a cheap alternative to a GPS. Yes, I may have it on my person already but placing it on the handlebars/stem is more likely to get it damaged. At least I can secure my garmin with a lanyard. Id much rather have to pay for a replacement GPS at circa 150 quid than a £700-£800 iPhone. 

Avatar
peted76 | 2 years ago
4 likes

I'm still proud of working out just how efficient fig rolls are in comparison to energy bars.. possibly my second finest road.cc moment  1 

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henryb | 2 years ago
1 like
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lukei1 | 2 years ago
0 likes

Is there such a thing as biodegradable degreaser? Don't fancy using all these horrific petroleum based products

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Flintshire Boy | 1 year ago
0 likes

.

Re. the udder cream - now being packaged as a generic skin cream, so looks a touch less scary.

.

BUT - they have a £10 delivery charge, so you would have to order a fair number (the mathematicians among you could no doubt work out the exact quantity) of the £4.88 200g tubes to make it cheaper than - say - the £11 235g shammy butt'r that you can get from SigmaSports (5.53p / gramme, when £2 postal charge is included).

.

 

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Chris Hayes replied to NPlus1Bikelights | 3 years ago
0 likes

Doesn't Sudocrem have zinc in it?  You'd soon regret that  1  I use Savlon from time to time.  But you can't skimp on cheap fig rolls.  I think it must be Rule # 47 or something... 

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to peted76 | 2 years ago
1 like

peted76 wrote:

I'm still proud of working out just how efficient fig rolls are in comparison to energy bars.. possibly my second finest road.cc moment  1 

for powering the bike? or keeping things regular?

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to Smoggysteve | 2 years ago
0 likes

New types of holders like Quad Lock are pretty much bulletproof, or, as some people I know do, you can just use an old phone, you don't need a Sim card or a data connection, just download the bits of Google Maps you're going to be using. 

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Jules59 replied to severs1966 | 2 years ago
1 like

+1 for thr Screwfix degreaser.

I make my own drink - diluted squash, plus electrolyte tabs and sugar if required. Aldi have a variety of clones chocolate based bars at reasonable prices. I like the Racer bars 

I also use my trusty Motorola G8 Power with OSMand for GPX navigating etc with a freezer bag if necessary. Could not see the point of buying another GPS system just for the bike.

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OnYerBike replied to lukei1 | 2 years ago
0 likes

lukei1 wrote:

Is there such a thing as biodegradable degreaser? Don't fancy using all these horrific petroleum based products

I think all of green oil's products (including degreasers) claim to be biodegradable and are probably the best bet for genuine eco credentials: https://www.green-oil.net/products.html 

Various other brands also have "biodegradable" degreasers but I would be a bit more suspicious of their claims e.g. this article lists all nine degreasers as "bio-degradable" but evidently a lot of them are still likely to be bad for the environment and human health: https://cyclingtips.com/2018/12/the-best-degreaser-for-bicycles/ 

 

Avatar
peted76 replied to wycombewheeler | 2 years ago
0 likes

wycombewheeler wrote:

peted76 wrote:

I'm still proud of working out just how efficient fig rolls are in comparison to energy bars.. possibly my second finest road.cc moment  1 

for powering the bike? or keeping things regular?

Why, literally and figuratively of course. 

Avatar
HaveLegsWillRide replied to Rendel Harris | 2 years ago
0 likes

This is not true! I managed to knee my phone out of my quadlock climbing out the saddle & if I'd not had insurance would have had a costly new purchase. Possible freak accident as on my MTB a quadlock has been great, but proof placement is important! 🤦🏻‍♂️There is ALWAYS a lanyard on my Garmin

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Rendel Harris replied to HaveLegsWillRide | 2 years ago
0 likes

HaveLegsWillRide wrote:

This is not true! I managed to knee my phone out of my quadlock climbing out the saddle

Well okay, I accept an amendment to my comment, Quad Locks are bulletproof unless you actually wallop them with your knee, or a hammer, or a car drives over them. I would maintain that in the course of normal riding you will not lose your phone, obviously no system is guaranteed against accidents any more than it is guaranteed that your phone will not be damaged sitting in the zipped pocket of your jersey if you have an accident.

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Velo-drone replied to NPlus1Bikelights | 3 years ago
4 likes

Flushable means nothing in environmental terms. It's purely marketing and the only meaning is that they are better in the physics sense at actually flushing rather than floating back up.

Their environmental impact identical - still contain plastics and therefore don't biodegrade and can't be recycled - and they will still create fatbergs on your sewer. In short, they're a con.

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cyclefaster replied to Smoggysteve | 2 years ago
0 likes

I think a phone is a good first entry to GPS. If you're getting into cycling and arent yet doing long rides that put pressure on the battery there's no need to spend extra money on a GPS when you already have a phone. Most head units with mapping cost north of £200.  I gave up buying flagship phones years ago but as you say, I might not want to have a fancy phone on the handlebars. 

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Simon_MacMichael replied to peted76 | 2 years ago
2 likes

peted76 wrote:

I'm still proud of working out just how efficient fig rolls are in comparison to energy bars.. possibly my second finest road.cc moment  1 

May we ask ... which was the finest?

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ChasP replied to lukei1 | 2 years ago
0 likes
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maviczap replied to cyclefaster | 2 years ago
0 likes
cyclefaster wrote:

I think a phone is a good first entry to GPS. If you're getting into cycling and arent yet doing long rides that put pressure on the battery there's no need to spend extra money on a GPS when you already have a phone. Most head units with mapping cost north of £200.  I gave up buying flagship phones years ago but as you say, I might not want to have a fancy phone on the handlebars. 

Indeed, although I'm using my Garmin, I'm using an old smart phone with a Giffgaff PAYG sim to use as my cycling phone. I use the Follow my ride on my Garmin using the data on my phone so my girlfriend can see where I am when I'm out. I don't want to risk using my main phone when I'm out, just in case I lose or damage it.

Even then there are plenty of cheap smart phone to use instead of a dedicated head unit.

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peted76 replied to Simon_MacMichael | 2 years ago
0 likes

Why of course Simon.... seventh fastest (for a few hours) on a flying lap of Brands Hatch in the 2015 edition of Revolve24 with fellow forum'ers and the road.cc crew, such a fun weekend... Or maybe that was my third finest, I'd almost forgotten about the wonderful turnout and ride we had in the name of road.cc to the Straw Kitchen (in Whichford, which is always worth the effort to get to BTW)... 

 

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wycombewheeler replied to NPlus1Bikelights | 2 years ago
4 likes

NPlus1BikelightsNJerseys wrote:

...no wipes are eco - maybe the new actually flushable ones. 

Please don't flush wipes, sanitary products or even tissues (kleenex etc), only toilet roll and what comes out of the body. These  wet wipes do not break down and therefore block the sewage system, (Potentially leading to foul flooding) and also remain in the environment after sewer overflows in extreme weather.

 

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brooksby replied to NPlus1Bikelights | 2 years ago
1 like

NPlus1BikelightsNJerseys wrote:

Sudocrem slightly easier to get than Udder cream. Huggies baby wipes remove all drive train related grease and dirt very well - better than Water Wipes but no wipes are eco - maybe the new actually flushable ones. Single use non nitrile gloves?

Friji? Really? Is this sponsored content

Everyone who's ever had children will have a tub of Sudocrem around the house somewhere.  Following a nuclear war, cockroaches will be using it to salve their wounds (while they eat shrinkwrapped Twinkies, allegedly).

Avatar
peted76 | 3 years ago
5 likes

Your fig rolls price example is way off, in relation to the headline of this article. 

There is net zero nutritional difference between a branded pack or an 'own brand' super market brand. 

Tesco - £0.45 200g pack / Sainsubrys - £0.45 200g pack / Asda - £0.40 200g pack / Aldi - £0.37 200g pack

So go to Aldi and you'll spend less than ten pence for the equivalent to your powerbar example. Or if your posh go to Sainsurys and you'll spend less than twelve pence.

But you'd have to be some kind of shortbread to spend £1.45 on fig rolls!

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mdavidford replied to peted76 | 3 years ago
1 like

peted76 wrote:

Tesco - £0.45 200g pack / Sainsubrys - £0.45 200g pack / Asda - £0.40 200g pack / Aldi - £0.37 200g pack

...Home-made - priceless

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RoubaixCube replied to peted76 | 3 years ago
2 likes

NIce way to fig-ure it out.

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wtjs replied to peted76 | 3 years ago
1 like

So go to Aldi and you'll spend less than ten pence for the equivalent to your powerbar example. Or if your posh go to Sainsurys and you'll spend less than twelve pence

Agreed- fig rolls are just the job and I, too, can attest to the Aldi and Sainsbury's ones being very good.

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MattieKempy | 4 years ago
3 likes

Most of the tips are horrifically environmentally unfriendly! I can't believe a bike website would recommend using paraffin or white spirit in 2020!

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NZ Vegan Rider | 4 years ago
0 likes

Don't drink chocolate milk - there's NOTHING good in it for recovery or anything else ;-(

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mike the bike replied to NZ Vegan Rider | 4 years ago
6 likes

Nonsense sir.  Cows' milk is good for us, chocolate is good too, all in moderate amounts.  The protein, carbohydrates and energy are just what you need after a hard ride.  On a bike.

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