Mountain Bike Tune Up Tips

Mountain Bike Tune Up Tips - MTB News & Reviews

If you don’t ride in the winter, you’ve probably spent the winter months on the couch eating chips and watching television. Before you know it, spring will be here and a new season of mountain biking will begin. Even though your body may not be in shape, these tips will ensure that your bike is.

Before you take your bike out, check for wear and tear on your components and adjust them if its necessary. Start off with your chain. If you haven’t replaced it in a year or more, it’s time to do so. 

Over time, the individual parts in the chain will get worn out, increasing its effective length.

As this happens, the chain is no longer able to conform to the cog and the teeth of the chain ring, so it wears those teeth out to fit the profile of the chain. If you can replace the chain before it stretches too much you’ll save yourself from having to replace high priced cogs and chain rings.

Now, check the bearing surfaces. These include your bottom bracket, hubs, and the headset. Each of these should turn without a problem with no play in the system. Before checking the bottom bracket, make sure each cranking arm is snugged tight. Next, hold on to the crank arm (not the pedal) and wobble it back and forth. If you hear any clicking or if the crank arm binds, the bottom bracket needs to be adjusted.

Do the exact same thing with your hubs. Take the wheels off the bike, spin the hub axles, then feel for any free play or binding. If you feel play or binding, you need to make an adjustment. To check the headset, start off by putting the newly adjusted wheels back on the bike.

Now, grab the front brake and pull and push the handle bars back and forth. There shouldn’t be any play. If you lift the front end off the ground, the fork should turn very smoothly. If it feels rough, it needs to be either adjusted or replaced.

While your looking, check the condition of your cables and housing. The cables should be rust free and the housing shouldn’t be cracked or kinked. If you see any of this you should replace the offending device, as if you don’t your shifting and braking will be sluggish.

Last, you should inspect your brake pads. Most pads will have ridges or indicator marks that will let you know when they need to be replaced. Brake pads that are worn out will compromise both safety and braking efficiency.

Once you’ve got the tune ups out of the way, it’s time to go for a ride. With your mountain bike running better than ever, all you have to do now is have fun!

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Mountain Biking Safety Tips

Welcome to our ' Mountain Biking Safety Tips ' article, where we try to cover the main Mountain Bike Safety Tips.

There are numerous ways that you can improve your mountain bike safety. Many riders will tell you that wearing a helmet is the most important step to staying safe. The second most important step is that you should always ride in control of your mountain bike.

By riding in control you’ll not only prevent crashes, but keep others on the trail safe as well. When riding out of control you loose the ability to adjust to the terrain as you ride over it. This can and usually does result in serious injury to yourself and others.

Follow these helpful guidelines and you’ll remain safe when riding your mountain bike.

MTB Gear

Always make sure that you wear a helmet and other necessary safety gear for the conditions that you plan to ride in.

Never ride beyond your control

There is never any shame in walking the areas of the trail that you don’t feel comfortable in riding and you should never let anyone else tell you that there is.

Keep your speed under control

Always make sure you keep your speed at a level where you can quickly adjust to any obstacles or change in the trail.

Knowing your trail

You should never push the limits on trails that you aren’t familiar with. You should take trails you aren’t familiar with at slow speeds until you learn them better.

Slow down around blind corners

If you can’t see past a corner you should always slow down, as you never know who or what is around it.

Start small then go big

Work your way up to stunts or obstacles. Practice in less difficult or dangerous situations before you move up to something more dangerous.

Playing it smart

If you start to question what your doing, you probably shouldn’t be doing. Always think about what you are doing and go with your instincts.

Don't get "derailled" by complicated bike repairs!

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Before You Buy a Mountain Bike - A Buyers Guide

Buying a mountain bike can be a bit frustrating and can take some time. This guide will help you put some thought into it before you lay down the cash and make the process go a bit smoother.

Determine Your Price

There is virtually no limit to how much money you can spend on a new mountain bike. To keep your spending under control, figure out what price range you are willing to pay for your new bike and try to only look at bikes within that price range. I do not recommend buying a bike from a mass-merchant store such as Walmart or Costco. Support your local bike shop and get a better product and much better service.

Find Your Style – What Kind of Riding Do You Want To Do

Mountain bikes are designed for several different riding styles and terrain. You will need to figure out what type of riding you'll be doing most of the time. Is it smooth trail riding, cross-country racing, all mountain cruising or lift accessed gravity mayhem? Make sure the bikes you look at fit your riding style and not the sales staff’s.

Full Suspension or Hardtail ? – Comfort vs. Efficiency

I always recommend a full suspension mountain bike if you can afford it. Hardtails, without rear suspension, are lighter weight and pedal more efficiently but full suspension designs offer more comfort and better control. You will want to decide based on your price range, riding style and terrain.

The Component Conundrum – Find Your Favorites

It is nearly impossible to compare mountain bikes component to component. There are simply too many combinations. I recommend finding a few components that are most important to you for comparison and make sure the rest fall within some sort of minimums for your price range. I usually start with the fork and then look at the wheels and rear derailleur.

Sales, Seasons, and Bonuses – Get a Good Deal

Mountain bike prices can fluctuate significantly during the year. The main buying season is from spring through summer. If you are lucky enough to be able to wait until the right price comes up, usually in the fall and winter, you can save a few hundred dollars. You will also find that a lot of bike shops will offer discounts on accessories or other products and services when you buy from them. There is nothing wrong with buying last years model if it fits your needs.

Find a Good Dealer

Finding a good dealer can be more important than getting a good price. Find a dealer that cares more about selling you the right bike than selling you the more expensive one. A good dealer should have a clean repair shop and you should feel like you can trust them.

Test Ride, and then Test Ride Some More

Test ride as many bikes as you can in your price range and riding style category. You will find that some bikes will just feel right while others don’t. The more bikes you ride the better feel you will have for what you like and what you don’t.

Do Some Research – Read Some Product Reviews

Product reviews are a great way to find out about a mountain bikes performance and reliability. Look your bike up before you buy it and make sure there isn’t anything someone else discovered that you might not like.