Mountain Bike Fun!

Even if you have the best friendship in the world with the mechanics down at the local bike shop, you should be prepared to do the most basic repairs yourself. To do that you will need a good basic toolkit. What should go into this toolkit though?

The first thing you should put in is a full Allen key wrench. You will need one with a ton of different sizes and all in one easily accessible central place so you can quickly test through them to find the right size for the job. The reason for this is that just about everything on a new bike or even a bike from the past ten or 15 years is adjusted by Allen wrenches.

The next thing you will absolutely need is to have the tools to easily change a tire. This is the single most common bike repair procedure you will be doing and you will want to have everything on hand so that when it happens you can quickly and easily repair it. The tools you will need are a patch kit, a spare inner tube for when its really bad, and the tools to remove the tire from the wheel. If you are really good you will also have backup rim tape you can use.

Next up is to have all the cleaning and lubrication things you will need to keep the bike running smoothly. Grit and grime work their way into a bike with ease all the time so it is important to clean and maintain your bike regularly. The easiest way to do this is to keep a chain cleaning kit, degreaser and some form of chain lubricant. Using these regularly(some people do it every ride, some people every couple) on a set schedule is very very important. Also for the best effect with the chain lubricant make sure to use the same type every time.

By: Jeff Hendrix

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Alison Addy asked:




Repairing your bike yourself is often essential if you want to save yourself a lot of money. Maintaining and keeping your bike in good condition is one of the best ways to prevent your bike from braking in the first place, but if you have to do a repair then a mountain bike stand will be a handy piece of equipment to have.

Kick-stands simply won’t do the job as well as a mountain bike stand. An ordinary stand will keep hold of the bike whilst you carry out your repair work. However there are a number of different stands to choose from and so you really need to ensure that you choose the right one for you.

What to Think About when Purchasing a Mountain Bike Stand

When looking for a mountain bike stand to suit your needs you will obviously need to consider your budget. You should also check that the stand is freestanding and that it can take the weight of your bike when it is placed onto it. The stand should keep hold of the bike no matter which ground you place it on.

You could even carry around a foldable mountain bike stand. This is ideal if you take part in competitions and races, or if you just plan on going on a long journey. If you plan to be riding over tough ground then a tripod stand may be your best option. They are extremely good at staying put even on the toughest of surfaces.

One important factor you should look at when considering any mountain bike stand is the single lever quick release mechanism. This helps to hold the bike upright and you can adjust the stand to support the weight of the bike. The grip should also ideally have a single quick release lever so that you can remove the bike easily when you have finished.

Choosing a good mountain bike stand is easy once you know what to look for. You need to think of how easy you want the job to be. If you don’t want to do a lot of hard work then purchasing a stand which you can adjust is definitely a good idea. The adjustment lever will be found on the telescoping pole and it allows you to move the bike either downwards or upwards to make the repair work easier.

Overall you can pick up a good stand for under $100. However, it may well be worth looking into higher priced, better quality ones if you plan to be doing a lot of work on the bike.

SnowboardPowder asked:

This is one of the last runs of the Season held on the last day of Whistler Mountain Bike Park being open. A-Line was so Buff and smooth as the trail crew did a fantastic job grooming it before season shutdown. Great times and kinda sad that it had to end. Until next time sweet Bike Park! See you then.

lockergnome asked:

live.pirillo.com – geeks.pirillo.com – Eric Lin, a longtime fixture in the San Francisco tech scene has recently made his home in Seattle to work with HTC. Long before he found a way to turn his lust for technology into a job, he worked in bike shops and outdoor outfitters. This really was just an excuse to play with more affordable gadgets, and get paid to spend time outdoors. Now, Eric is more likely to be found riding one of his many bikes through the city streets rather than mountain trails. He has also shifted his athletic interests to less gadgety sports like kickboxing, crossfit and urban mischief.

ChrisB5String asked:

Stephen in the Fort Custer Mountain Bike race on 5-6-07./ He finished 3rd and did an excellent job of holding his sppeed for the whole 19 mile race.

tomstickland asked:

More messing about on bikes, this time in the Forest of Dean with Lewis, Job Bridget.