Before you head out on the trail, it’s smart to give your mountain bike a quick pre-ride check to make sure everything is in good working order. Follow these 5 quick steps from our MEC bike mechanic to cover the basics.
Video: Mountain bike pre-ride checklist
How to do a pre-ride bike check
You’ll need a few simple bike tools to do your check: a tire pump, a multi-tool with Allen keys and a spoke wrench, and a shock pump.
- Check spoke tension: Make sure all of them are a consistent tension; if any are too tight or too loose, then adjust with a spoke wrench if needed.
- Check tire pressure: Feel your tires to see how the pressure is, and pump them up if needed.
- Tighten up bolts: Work back to front so you don’t miss any.
- Check brakes: Make sure your levers don’t go all the way to down to the handlebar. Adjust if needed.
- Check fork and shock pressure: Use your shock pump to adjust pressure as needed.
If you have any questions about how to do any adjustments on your bike, ask your local MEC bike shop for a hand.