Custom parts
With 3D printers entry cost so low it was a no brainer last year to pick one up and try to see what I could print. The first few months with kids and 3D printers are mostly just printing Pokémon and Fidget toys but once that is over its time to print some functional parts. We picked up an Ender 3 V2 and it has been great so far. Easy to use right out of the box and since it is so popular and inexpensive there is a ton of online resource to draw from.
The ability to rapidly prototype with Tinkercad or find something someone has already modelled on Thingiverse makes getting custom parts printed for your mountain bike easier than ever! You can choose a filament that matches your bikes color scheme which obviously ads to the appeal.
While I have only been dabbling in this space a short time here is my five favorite things I have printed so far for my mountain bike.
Top 5
Print time: 1.5 hours
While measuring your chain is not that glamorous this is a quick print to add a functional tool into your shop that can save you some major cash in the long run. A guy I ride with just had to replace his entire drivetrain to the tune of $1500 all due from an old chain.
Print time: 30 minutes per bead
A throw back to youth and a huge hit with my kids. These spoke beads are just awesome. I ended up printing them for a guy online who was looking to color match and they have held up extremely well. They can be locked onto your spoke nut? or let they float free along the whole spoke. Highly recommend for something fun.
Print time: 20 minutes
This one is a great quick print with great functionality. Ever wonder how much sealant you have in those tubeless tires? How about the to check if it it still flowing at a nice consistency? This dipstick fits through your valve stem and you can dip your sealant to check it out. Once you get a baseline for where the level needs to be it can be easy to top up and maintain. It also has a nice hole to hang it on your pegboard when you are done.
Print time: 5 hours
Plenty of the best trails are in bear country and We have all struggled in one way or another to fit the can of bear spray in our hip packs or backpacks. All the while thinking that if I actually need to use this…..could I unzip in time? Well worry no more. Pick your color and in 5 hours you can securely mount your bear spray in your bottle cage. This thing is sturdy and very well designed keeping your bear spray handy when needed in the backcountry.
Print time: 5 hours
Another item I struggled to fit in my hip pack on long rides is a spare tube. With this print I was able to strap the tube to my secondary bottle cage bolts. When most of these mounts retail around $50 it was an easy choice to try and print one. I don’t use the strap they recommend however I managed to print my own out of TPU using this Hoopin Cable and working to get the size just right. I recently had a good all day ride with this setup and you couldn’t even tell it was there. Great print for lightening up your pack weight!
Sum it up
While not everyone owns a 3D printer you probably know someone who does. With filament being so cheap and readily available it can be easy to have your own custom color parts and accessories. If you have any prints you love feel free to throw them in the comment section below.
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