So you’ve booked your spot on a TrailCoach course, which means it’s time to get ready! Preparing for your session ensures you have everything you need in good working order so that we can maximise ride time on the day.

What you’ll need!

  • Yourself
  • Your Bike
  • A Helmet
  • A backpack

Setting up your Bike

Mountain bikes differ from regular leisure bikes and road bikes in various ways; such as tyre tread and suspension travel, material and geometry. Ensuring your mountain bike is set up to suit your style of riding is crucial. Here are some simple changes you can make to get the most out of your ride.

The Cockpit

The contact area on the bike is referred to as the cockpit. The set up of brake levers, bar roll and height will determine your ride feel, and affect your body position therefore an individualised, well set up cockpit is crucial, and will determine the control you have over your mountain bike.

Brake Position

As mountain bikers, control over rough terrain is what we are striving for. One or two finger braking is necessary, therefore this may mean moving the brake lever inwards on the bar to ensure the braking fingers are in line with the lever. This gives you more strength to hold onto the grips with.

Brake Angle

Understanding that the angle of the brake levers will have an impact on body position is important. While there are pros and cons to both a steep and flat lever set ups. Rider comfort and control is most important, therefore this is often determined by rider preference.

We advise that both brakes are at the same angle and are working effectively.

If desired, we will go into detail about brake angles on the day of your session.

The Handlebar

Similarly to brake set up, your handlebars will determine the trail feedback and affect your body position on the bike. Handlebar width, rise and roll should reflect your height and riding style. There are pros and cons to running wide and narrow bars, but again rider preference is most important.

Ensuring the bars place you in a balanced, neutral position when riding is essential in gaining the most control from your ride.

If you are interested in setting up your cockpit to suit your body measurements, riding style and personal preferences, why not book onto a bike set-up day here.

Let’s Talk Pressures

Tyre and suspension pressures are the biggest variable in trail feedback, these provide the cushioning over the rougher terrain and assist you in finding grip on the trail. Our specialist insight can assist you in understanding the pros and cons of running both firmer or softer pressures on your mountain bike.

Tyres

The pressure of your tyres will massively affect the feedback from the trail, harder pressures often give the feeling of a rough, and unforgiving ride but offer more rolling speed. Lower pressures provide great compliance on the trail and excellent grip, however, a compromise of rolling speed and puncture risk comes with these benefits.

Tyre pressure should reflect your weight and riding style, but like most aspects of set up, tyre pressures should be comfortable and fit your preferences.

Suspension

Suspension pressures should also suit your weight and style of riding. Higher pressures will suit heavier, more aggressive riders whereas lower pressures will often assist beginner riders to gain control over rougher trails and feel when the fork is working appropriately. Your pressures should reflect your weight and if adjustments are required, these changes can be made depending on personal preference, riding style, and trail feedback.

If you are interested in understanding more about your suspension, why not book onto a suspension set-up day here.

Checking your Bike

To prepare your bike for a TrailCoach session, it’s best to carry out some essential bike checks to ensure everything is in good working order during the session. These checks will allow you to understand the components of your mountain bike more, and ensure the bike is as safe as it can be on the trail.

Bolt Check

The most effective method to reduce rattle or ‘play’ in the frame is to carry out a simple bolt check; with your multi tool or a set of allen keys, ensure all of the frame bolts are tight. Often these come loose over multiple rides, and should be checked regularly to avoid any damage to the bike.

Pressure Police

Tyres are the only point of contact between the bike and the trail, therefore ensuring your tyres are at a suitable pressure and in good condition is essential. Tyre pressure should be firm enough to resist punctures, but soft enough to grip the trail, we recommend a ‘little bit of squidge’ when checking tyre pressure.

Wear on the tyre is visible from the tread pattern, the edges should be sharp enough to dig into the trail to slow the bike down, if the tyre is well used – it may be time to invest in some new rubber. Why not try out TrailCoach trusted Vee Tyre?

Brake Check

To assess the brakes, walk alongside your bike and gently pull on each brake lever individually to ensure the front and back brake engage, and will effectively bring the bike to a stop. 

If your brakes aren’t very responsive, some fresh brake pads, hydraulic fluid or cables will bring your brakes back to life; nothing that a quick trip to a bike shop can’t fix.

Shifting Gears

To check your gears are shifting effectively, pedal gently on a flat surface and shift the gear lever one click at a time. Each click should move the chain onto the next cog in the cassette.

If you find that your gears aren’t shifting one-click-at-a-time, it might be time to visit your trusted bike shop once more for a little gear tune up.

If you’re not sure about your bike, send us a photo, and we’ll be able to advise on its suitability.

Preparing Yourself

With your bike fully checked and ready to ride, it’s time to think about the essentials you’ll require on the day. 

The most critical piece of protection is your helmet. It’s a requirement of ours and all accredited mountain bike centres, so ensuring your helmet fits and is in good condition will provide maximum safety during the session. Inspect your helmet for cracks, splits and damage from previous impacts as these can weaken the integrity of the helmet’s structure and will reduce the helmets protective ability.

On the day of your TrailCoach session, we recommend you have a few snack bars to give you some much-needed energy, especially important if completing a guided ride, as these are typically longer days in the saddle.

We recommend a layering technique for riding in. Depending on the temperature, and forecast – having a good base layer, jersey and waterproof jacket combination is ideal as you can alter your layers throughout the day. 

Bringing along a small backpack with you. This will be useful for storing extra layers, tools (we suggest you bring a spare innertube to fit your bike’s wheel size, a multitool, and a pump) some water and snacks along with your valuables.

On the Day

Ensure you arrive for your session in plenty of time to meet your guide. Your TrailCoach for the day will run through the plan for the session, followed by safety checks and questions.

By preparing your bike and equipment, you can rest assured that on the day of your TrailCoach session, you can maximise your time on the bike, learning new skills, building confidence and, most of all, having fun!

If you’re unsure of anything, feel free to get in touch, and we’ll be happy to answer any queries you have.