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3 ways your mountain bike can open your next post-ride beer

You know you're drinking after your ride

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Ferment Brewing beer.
Ferment / Ferment Brewing

Staying hydrated is essential while on a mountain bike ride. But the post-ride hydration can be equally as important–and enjoyable. There’s nothing better than rolling up to your buddy’s truck on your mountain bike and being handed an ice-cold IPA. 

But if that mountain biking buddy didn’t bring a bottle opener, here are three ways your bike can open your beer.

Using a mountain bike multi-tool to open a beer
Travis Reill / The Manual

Mountain bike multi-tool

If you’re not mountain biking with a multi-tool, you should be. These compact tools have nearly everything you need for a rattling or loose bolt on your mountain bike.

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And while a multi-tool technically isn’t your “mountain bike,” it is likely attached to your mountain bike—so we’ll count it. While there are many different wrenches and keys to choose from on a multi-tool, the one likely to open your beer is the chain breaker tool.

The chain breaker tool commonly has an 8mm and 10mm wrench opening. This is the part of the mountain bike tool to use.

  • Open the multi-tool and firmly hold the chain breaker tool between your thumb and index finger.
  • Use the opening on the 10mm wrench opening to pry up the individual crown caps on the beer bottle.
  • Once you’ve gotten a few in a row, you should be able to pry up the rest of the bottle cap.

Using a mountain bike pedal to pop a beer cap off

Mountain bike pedals

Depending on which type of pedals you have on your mountain bike, you may have to get creative on this one. If you are mountain biking with clipless pedals, this could either be very easy or very challenging. If you ride flats, your pedal should get the job done.

Depending on the design of the flat pedals you ride, there might be an opening between the outside of the pedal and a spindle big enough to pry open a beer bottle. If not, use the pedal like the edge of a table.

You’ll need some assistance with this one.

  • Have the pedals in the 12:00 and 6:00 positions—one up and one down.
  • Have a buddy stand with a foot on the down pedal, holding the handlebars.
  • On the other side, flatten the up pedal and place the crown caps so they catch the outside edge of the pedal.
  • Bring your palm down firmly on the top of the bottle cap. Repeat until the cap is off. 

A spinning mountain bike tire opens a beer bottle

Mountain bike tires

This is the mountain bike beer opener trick that will impress your buddies. There are several variations—all are acceptable, but let’s focus on the easiest one.

  • Extend your seatpost and flip your mountain bike upside down, as if you need to change a flat tire trailside.
  • Grab one of your pedals and spin your cranks to engage your rear wheel.
  • Once that rear wheel is spinning fast, slowly approach it with the top of your beer bottle. The idea is to have the edge of your tire tread catch the bottle cap, removing it.
  • It is important to consider the direction in which your tire tread is spinning and the angle at which you hold the beer bottle. The tread should spin away from you as you present the bottle cap to the mountain bike tire.

Other variations include doing this for your buddies by performing a stoppie or going off a jump. Both are recommended for experts. Another variation uses the mountain bike wheel’s spokes rather than the tire tread, which can lead to breaking the glass of the bottle.

So don’t worry the next time you are without a bottle opener at the trailhead—your mountain bike has got you covered. 

Travis Reill
Travis Reill
Former Contributor
Hi! I’m Travis, a teacher turned stay-at-home dad turned freelance writer. Mountain biking is my passion. Fortunately, I’ve… Read Full Bio
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