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February Bike of the Month & Motatapu Preparation Tips
26 February 2016 3:14:13 pm NZDT
Winner of Shockcraft Suspension Service
Congratulations to Melanie F for winning the Shockcraft Suspension Service competition. We have her Fox RP23 shock booked in and will shortly have it running sweetly with new seals, oil & hardware. Melanie dobbed in a mate so we could spread the word about how well we keep bikes running all over the world. Thank you to all of you who entered this competition. Next month we'll provide before and after photos and details.
To book in your own suspension service click here.
Bike of the Month - February 2016
This month we bring you Cam R's Specalized Enduro in 26" (the best wheel size ever). Cam has travelled much of the country with this bike and the build keeps evolving. He recently upgraded from a Pike RC to a new Manitou Mattoc fork set at 170 mm and 26". The rear is running an Ohlins TTX coil rear shock. You'll find Cam and his Enduro riding Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown and even Alexandra.
If you look closely you'll even see the Shockcraft valve adapters and valve caps nicely aligned for the photo.
If you look closely you'll even see the Shockcraft valve adapters and valve caps nicely aligned for the photo.
Motatapu Preparation
On 5th March the Motatapu race from Wanaka to Queenstown kicks off. If you're racing (or just riding) in this then here's a few things you should check:
Bearings
If these are shagged then you're pedalling a whole lot harder than you should be. Take the front and rear wheels out, hold the axle and let them spin. Any grumbling or grinding means the bearings need replaced; smooth drag is fine.
Derail the chain off the cranks and see how they spin. They should spin smoothly and run for at least a couple of revolutions. Just like the wheels, smooth drag is fine.
Headset should turn smoothly each side. If it clicks then check it's not cables knocking. If it knocks then loosen the stem, gently tighten the preload bolt on the top and tighten the stem again. There's a fine line between good and too tight. Too tight wears out the bearings faster. Then you have to buy more from us!
Bearings
If these are shagged then you're pedalling a whole lot harder than you should be. Take the front and rear wheels out, hold the axle and let them spin. Any grumbling or grinding means the bearings need replaced; smooth drag is fine.
Derail the chain off the cranks and see how they spin. They should spin smoothly and run for at least a couple of revolutions. Just like the wheels, smooth drag is fine.
Headset should turn smoothly each side. If it clicks then check it's not cables knocking. If it knocks then loosen the stem, gently tighten the preload bolt on the top and tighten the stem again. There's a fine line between good and too tight. Too tight wears out the bearings faster. Then you have to buy more from us!
Not sure which headset bearings you need? Use our Headset Bearing Identification Chart to work it out:
If you need any replacement bearings, then we've got them and can offer stainless steel for many applications. Email or call us if you're not sure.
Forks & Shocks
If you need any replacement bearings, then we've got them and can offer stainless steel for many applications. Email or call us if you're not sure.
Forks & Shocks
Push up and down to see how they feel. If you are flying with your bike then get a diary and write down all the suspension settings (air pressure, rebound knob settings, compression knob settings) as they can get bumped during the packing and unpacking.
Check the air pressure, take note of the reading and check it again. Notice how much pressure dropped with hooking the pump on and pump them back up to that much over the first reading. This is the pressure you need to record as that's where the fork/shock was before you started monkeying with it!
Check the air pressure, take note of the reading and check it again. Notice how much pressure dropped with hooking the pump on and pump them back up to that much over the first reading. This is the pressure you need to record as that's where the fork/shock was before you started monkeying with it!
Valve CapsThey may be a PITA, but if you don't have valve caps and you need to pump up your tyres after riding through rivers then you're going to be blowing water and little bits of gravel into the valves and your pump.
Brakes
Check your pads. If they are worn tapered or one side is worn more than the other then you might have a stuck piston. Not a big problem, but certainly one you want to fix before a long race with a lot of vertical. If the pads are more than half worn then get a new set and make sure you ride them enough to bed them in before the race. New pads can take a while to reach peak power.
