Pre-Ride Checklist for Mountain Biking

Video Transcript

"Hi, My name is Debbie, and I’ve been teaching beginner mountain biking for over 10 years. This clip will be about a bike check and gear check for before you leave your vehicle. First you want to make sure that your tires are properly inflated, depending on the trail you want to ride. Check them by feel or put a gauge on them. I want to make sure that my front wheel is on securely and spinning freely. Make sure your rear wheel is on securely, spinning freely and the brakes are not drowning. Before I go on a ride, I want to check and make sure my chain is lubed. I use a wax-type lube, and apply it almost every ride. Put the lube on and spin it to distribute the lube. Make sure it stays pretty clean. I want to make sure I have all my gear that I’m going to need to change a flat. I keep all of those materials in a little seat bag. Any time you ride, you want to make sure you carry enough water. I have a hydration pack that carries 70 ounces of water with a convenient straw. Helmet, eye protection, gloves. It’s really icky to pull gravel out of your hands. Gloves may not seem that important, but when you hit the ground, you really don’t want to pull gravel out of your palms. "