i hopefully pick up my new full sus bike on friday.having never had discs or full sus is there anything other than setting up the suspention adjustments that i should do? i read somewhere you need to break in disc pads a certain way so as not to glaze them?? anything else? can i expect the bike to come with lots of info manuals or not(boardman pro)

*trys to be diplomatic*

from recent Halfords builds i have seen, you would be advised to drop it by a good workshop before you ride it.

well thats a consideration i had thought about.how “built up” would it have been? im thought about removing cranks and stuff thike that to then grease and refit. would it be worth having spoke tention checked or would the wheels be fairly safe as they would have come direct from manufacturers?

loosen the stem bolts and top cap and put the fork on the right way round 😆

Bed in the brakes before you get them covered in crap. Get the use of a shock pump so you can set up the shocks. If they do it in the shop know your weight fully clothed and loaded with kit.

Get someone you trust to give it a quick once over

check all bolts, check rotors are running true, wheels should be fine for tension – machine built….

check the shifting, check the QR’s.

with bedding in i heard they shouldnt be got to hot to quickly?but if you dont build any heat in them they dont bed in?is this right?

security corner: Photos, reciepts and serial number of frame and fork in a safe place. Also put your your address in something indelible somewhere hard to find like the bottom of the seat tube, inside the handlebar etc so you can prove its yours if you ever see someone riding it.

oh and an old inner tube ziptied on is a good and easy-to-clean chainstay protector

All of the above is good sound advice, However in my personal experiance, Get some kind of metal impliment and scratch the paint work somewhere just to get that first dink over and done with and not worryabout it.

might wanna do scratch protectors for the cables.
and a chainstay protector

Put a scratch on it. Get the initial pain/anger/sorrow over and done with as soon as possible, and then you can ride it properly without fear of putting that first blemish on it!

lube chain?

just look at it for a moment.

then go and enjoy it.

Do lots of braking, without locking the wheel (eg: ride up and down hills with your brakes on). Spray water on the rotor. If it sizzles, the brake pads are good to go.

Take a picture of it. In a badly tended garden if possible. Post it on here to be ripped to shreds 😛

Yes, and make sure the tyre logos arent lined up.

cable rub preventers eg helicopter tape. chain stay protector and lastly some photos of it looking clean cos it will never be quite the same as clean again

savour the feeling and take pics before it’s ridden as it’ll never look as good again (unless you are justa)

It might be just me but I quite like to knock a quick one off the wrist over my new bikes. I find the resulting ‘residue’ helps to lube the chain and beds the discs in nicely.

ha ha well thanks for the advise altho i think maybee we are getting slightly off topic?! good point with the security tho as haddent considered that.had considered keeping in my bedroom tho so i actually can get some sleep (this is in no way connected with geetee’s comment!)

Safety checks. Run it in lightly.

Repeat safety checks. Ride!

I’ve seen some terrible work coming out of our local Halfords. If you don’t know someone who can help, get a good bike shop to PDi it for you. Money well spent for the long term welfare of you and your bike.

buy a bike book and some tools and learn to do it yourself. bikes are quite simple things, once you get the hang of them. look at a mechanics course of something.

i’ll look over it if you’re near me (south mids)

Remove all the reflectors (If it’s an MTB) and all those silly little warning stickers all over it.

When I picked up my Boardman Pro it had been well built, all the reflectors, bell etc were handed to me in a bag (“you probably won’t be wanting these sir”), and the bike was good to ride. All Boardman salespeople get extra training I believe.

I changed the awful saddle, and put a QR seat clamp on it. You might also find the tyres a bit poor in mud.

Enjoy the bike – it takes a few rides when going full sus for the first time, but once it all clicks, it is excellent.

Check the chainring bolts are tight. I’ve never ever checked this before, but on Sunday my granny ring fell off – only one bolt was left! (Cranks are a couple of months old.)

Polish it with good quality car polish or Mr Sheen (but nowhere near brakes or tyres 🙂 )

Helps make the muck drop off with a quick hose down.

I prefer to just look at the stuff my self. Least you are to blame if a wheel drops off then!

ride it twice then sell it and buy a rigid ss 29er. then sell that. its the stw way.

Wee on it just like a new wet suit ;o)

Take a picture.

wheels should be fine for tension – machine built….

FAIL – handbuilt surely?

loosen the stem bolts and top cap and put the fork on the right way round [:lol:]

LOL.

Should be decent quality anyway but a little hand fettle goes a long way when it comes to wheels.

REALLY GOOD TIP !!!!!!

buy some “helicopter tape” , can be got from biketart or others . Apply to parts of you frame to stop cable rub , chips , abrasions abd bike rack rub .

Money well spent.