Hi, i am looking for tips on what to where when downhill or cross-country, on what to where, how to prep bike before and after, what to take etc.
If you're heading off to a trail centre or similar: When putting your bike in the car, don't drive off leaving the front wheel leaning against your garden wall.
Ahhhhhaaaa, i take it as you have done that then, and thanks for that site its really good !!
Ride everywhere! Don't overecompartmentalise it, just get out and ride 🙂
breathable clothing, layers so you don't overheat or freeze. Cycling gear is expensive, with a capital 'fffffff how much' Keep an eye out in Lidl and Aldi for when they do their cycling gear, it may not be the absolute best but is is bl00dy good value to get started. think base layer, midlayer and jacket, it is best if it's breathable all the way through.
Bike prep: [url= http://www.doitbycycle.com/maintenance/bikecheck.aspx ]MCHECK[/url] look after your bike it will look after you.
Flake the mud off when it dries, oil the chain and moving parts, wipe off excess oil.
take a lid, something to eat and hydrate.
Ok do you mean Down hill in the true sense. Sorry its a stupid bit of terminology but it means racing or ridding very steep techinical terrain generally on a very specialist bike.
My tips
Brakes workinh
Gears working and not to noisey
tyres pumped up so that that you can push you can dent them with your thumb
wear a helmtake a pump and tube
where clothes appropiate for the weather
Ask here where the best local ride is
go for a ride and enjoy
If things get to much on the trail you can always walk. I'd avoid escessive speed for the moment
if anything in particular causes a problem ask again
Thanks
Decide what you need to take with you for a ride and put it one place. There's nothing worse than dicking around for 30 mins looking for stuff before you go out, particularly if you're meeting other people for a ride.
For me this is: tube / levers / power links / patches in a saddle bag.
Multi tool and water bottle on bike
pump and another tube in jersey pocket, plus something to eat.
You can take more or you can take less, use a backpack or not, but the point is to have a clear idea of your kit and where it goes.
Check the tyres and oil the chain before you leave the hoose. Anything more substantial like brakes or gears I like to sort out when I'm not riding.
those mtb britain tips are so biased it ridiculous!
Agreed, they're horrific.
"if in doubt, spend over £500 and buy Specialized"
practise changing an inner tube inside in the warm. you don't want to learn when you're outside, it's cold dark and raining.
and it's [i]wear[/i], not where*.
happy to help.
(* the spelling police can be brutal round here - that was a gentle correction)
[i]those mtb britain tips are so biased it ridiculous! [/i]
They're also about 8 years out of date - recommending RockShox Psylo forks, saying that carbon is fragile, telling you to fit neoprene shock covers etc.
🙄
yup those articles haven't been updated since about 2004.
wow! dynamic climbing... shouldn't that be how to ride a bike ?
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Don't waste a fortune on expensive clothing you might rip it first ride!
My best buy has been Shimano's cheapest Spd shoes with lace catcher. 6 yrs old, thousands of miles and good as new.
Wiggles DHB stuff is good. All helmets pass the same protection tests although i like the Giro Hex.
Every pair of gloves i buy die too early so just buy whatever they have on sale.
Look into the cycle to work scheme for your purchase and spend as much as you can afford after you decide what kind of riding you intend to do (don't open this can of worms on here...)?
wear whatever is comfortable for you. I find that anything too baggy is crap in the rain as it hangs heavy when wet so tend to wear tighter fitting stuff if the weather is shite. If the weather is unpredictable I like to take a spare top in my camel back in case I need it, and have space for if I need to lose a layer. In winter or when high up you can get cold quickly just stopping to sort a puncture out. If it is really wet and cold and you're going out for several hours you might want to take a spare pair of gloves... cold wet gloves are not funny.
Take a multitool, tyre levers, patches /spare tube (or both?) and a pump.
before riding make sure the QRs for both wheels are done up properly. Make sure the gears work properly if you have /need them. Make sure the brakes are working. Check stem bolts are tight, check saddle height is correct and seat tube QR is tight.
after riding hose bike down, throw it in the shed and get a beer.
Kev
Thanks, and sorry about my spelling. 🙂