Tips & Tricks: MTB Home Mechanic

Check out how-to videos and blogs for the MTB Home Mechanic here on BikeCo.com.

From standard service to more specific projects we have a variety of MTB service tips & tricks here.

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  • Various Tips

MTB Helmets: Ride the Best & Replace them Yearly…

Never a review we want to do - but, here's a life example of why with MTB Helmets you ride the best quality and replace them yearly... If you watched the video you know I had quite the week. Really feeling blessed and lucky that it wasn't worse. It felt like a lot of things [...]

Tips & Tricks: 3 Tips to Mount MTB Tubeless Tires with a Handpump

Whether you're on a trip, or helping someone out at the trailhead (or helping yourself occasionally...) some quick tips will help you successfully to Mount MTB Tubeless Tires with a Handpump. Check out this quick video from BikeCo.com or glance through the short write up below. Mount MTB Tubeless Tires with a Handpump Tip One: [...]

Nukeproof Ride Review: Mega 290 & Reactor 290

Mike, Tracy and I had a chance to take out two of the most popular bikes in the Nukeproof lineup. While we didn't have the most cooperative SoCal June weather we defined what we liked about the spec and how the Nukeproof Mega 290 and Reactor 290 ride on trail. Mega 290 & Reactor 290: [...]

Will SRAM Transmission Fit on My Bike?

We've got a lot of questions on what bikes are compatible with the new T-Series SRAM Transmission Drivetrains. So, Will SRAM Transmission Fit on My Bike? It's pretty easy to tell: Does your bike have a UDH rear derailleur hanger and is it designed with a 55mm chainline? (at this junction I havne't seen a [...]

Mondraker FOXY Carbon Review: Extended Ride

Well, I’ve put in some really enjoyable months and miles on my FOXY Carbon so, it’s time to put down my Mondraker FOXY carbon Review: Extended Ride. The abridged version: I love this bike and build. Love it. The FOXY Carbon is confident, predictable and it pedals amazingly well for what I would have considered [...]

Understanding Maxxis MTB Tires

Want to learn more about the technical details of Maxxis MTB tires? BikeCo.com explains tires including PSI, sidewalls, compounds and tread patterns to help you fine tune your bike's performance. Maxxis MTB Tires One of the things you'll take away from this video is how riders are using sidewall technology to fine tune PSI as [...]

Five Ten Stealth vs Ride Concepts Max Grip

A lot of flat pedal riders ask about the difference between the Five Ten Stealth vs Ride Concepts Max Grip soles. Well let's take a look at why we stock both the Five Ten and Ride Concepts shoes here at BikeCo.com. So what's similar? They both work well. Confident and predictable grip is critical to [...]

Comparing FOX GRIP2 and Ohlins RXF Forks

It’s our goal to ensure we know what parts are right for what rider. Sometimes that means trying a new part, although mostly that’s left to our racers. Sometimes it means looking at a new tune option. This time, it meant finding the edge of the Ohlins suspension on my Mondraker Foxy Carbon. Let’s take [...]

4 Common Reasons Your MTB Shock is Losing Air

You’ll hear this a lot from MTB and eMTB riders: my shock (or fork) is losing air. Every time I check it it’s lower than I left it. Well there are a few reasons that a functioning shock will show lower PSI. Are you Pre-Charging your Pump? The most common is not pre-charging the pump [...]

Extended First Ride: Mondraker FOXY Carbon Review

Well, after about 4 years I changed bikes this week. I demo-ed the aluminum Mondraker FOXY and decided the carbon version, with suspension and brakes I liked would be a good fit. So far, I’ve been blown away with how right that is. Here we go with an Extended First Ride: Mondraker FOXY Carbon Review. [...]

Adding Volume Spacers to Ohlins TTX Air Shock

Enjoy a quick video, blog and some detail photos which detail adding volume spacers to Ohlins TTX Air Shocks. Now, Ohlins has some great data on their site as well, we'll provide a couple links below, but here's a couple real world tips and tricks for the Ohlins TTX Air Shock spec'd on the 2022 [...]

Mondraker MIND Telemetry Unavailable in the US

(clip from) Mondraker FOXY Carbon First Ride Review: Extended Mondraker MIND Telemetry Unavailable in the US   I DON’T MIND   A question my, rather small, set in our ways, group of riding friends asked was what I thought about the Mondraker MIND Telemetry.   Well, for whatever reason: App licensing? Patent limitations? Something else [...]

Increase Support & Improve MTB Small Bump Compliance

As your riding progresses your settings and preferences are going to change. Faster, more aggressive riding puts different demands on your equipment and balancing your setup with these changes will help you improve your riding experience. You’re likely to find you need additional support from the suspension. This is typically done with increased compression or [...]

Getting a Grip: Ahead of Time is the New Just in Time

I need new grips. The grips I love are allegedly not available for a year. But the economy is dead, never to work again, in anyway shape or form? If you read the headlines it’s shocking we’ve made it this far. Don’t worry, they’ll tell you where the cliff is. Right, right, right past that [...]

Pedal Feedback Through Suspension Stroke Comparison

A lot of times on our blog and videos we're working to illustrate something with a clear point, ie your drivetrain wears as a group, brake feel is in part a condition of lever setup and thus leverage ratio, etc, etc. Well, this one I haven't fully decided on the "what" of what we see [...]

Gimble on Chesty?

Disclaimer(?) - not sure that's the "best" word but in the modern social world I guess you have to announce all this right?? We do not sell GoPro bits or accessories. None of the pictured or utilized bits were provided in exchange for content or whatever. I bought them. Cause, it's easier to buy stuff [...]

When You Slip Down the Rabbit Hole Writing a Social Post

OK, nothing's simple. Welcome to the 2020's right? What started as a "rah-rah" post quickly turned into questions, a bunch of searching around on the web, ordering a wack of washing bags, learning about external washing machine filters I need to research more tonight - buuuuut, we're trying really hard not to green-wash posts right? [...]

Clipless or Flats for MTB?

Wondering if clipless or flats are right for you? Let's take a minute and go through some of the differences and preferences that will help you define Clipless or Flats for MTB. First let's look at some pedaling basics that will help you whether you choose to ride clipped in or on platform pedals. Good [...]

5 MTB FUNdamentals for your new Mountain Bike A lot of new riders are gravitating to the Ibis Aluminum Frames, the Ibis Ripmo AF and Ripley AF. So what are some of the tips and tricks to help you have the most fun on trail? Funny you should ask… Here are some of the top [...]

Adjustable Travel on Dropper Posts Fine tune your MTB fit with these MTB  seatposts featuring adjustable travel on dropper posts. Adjusting adjustable travel? Isn't that like a double negative? No, not really. For riders who are looking for the maximum travel on their dropper post the adjustable sizing from OneUp Components and PNW provides a [...]

Understanding MTB Suspension Controls Air Pressure, Volume Spacing, Rebound and Compression work in concert to fine tune you bike's performance.  Watch the video and read through the blog to be a step closer to understanding MTB Suspension Controls! Video: MTB Suspension for Beginners Click through the tabs below to learn more about the specifics of [...]

Interactive Ramp Rate Comparison with Graph

Ramp Rate Graphing Example To help our clients better understand volume spacing and ramp rate we built an interactive google sheet. This google sheet may not work with all browsers and navigation - if you find issues please let us know and we can help you navigate as needed. Ramp Rate Comparison: How It Works [...]

CushCore XC Install & Ride Review I started thinking about rim protection a few rides ago. I managed to shove a branch through the center of a tire. Murphy’s law meant it went straight through a spoke hole puncturing the tubeless tape. No quick fix to that one on trail… Before we get into the [...]

BikeCo Tips & Tricks: Understanding Rear Shock Negative Air Chamber A fairly common question is “why does my rear shock lose air when I check it?” While there are mechanical issues that may cause air loss not pre-charging a pump or understanding how the negative air chamber works are more often the culprit.

BikeCo Tips & Tricks: Service Chris King Headset Bearings Enjoy a quick video and write-up that illustrates how to easily service Chris King headset bearings. One of the great draws to these products is with very basic maintenance you can expect them to easily last the lifespan of your bike.

BikeCo Tips & Tricks: Basic MTB Suspension Setup 2020 brought a lot of new faces to MTB. We’re stoked to see more people benefit from the sport we all love. That said, a lot of shops simply can’t support rider development like we can. So, here’s a video & blog going through Basic MTB Suspension […]

BikeCo Tips & Tricks: Shifter Barrel Adjustment In this How-To we have a video and write-up showing some basics of shifting trouble shooting as well as how to use your barrel adjusters. Barrel adjusters are used for minute shifting corrections and are useful on new builds due to cable stretch (or housing shrink depending on […]

BikeCo Tips & Tricks: Dismount Tire, Repair Tape & Remount Tire Here’s a How-To showing how to remove an MTB tire, repair tubeless tape and remount the tire. Video & blog below! (PS, excuse some of the wind / street / cat in the audio – we’ve wanted to make sure client’s have access to […]

BikeCo Tips & Tricks: Aligning MTB Brake Calipers In this Tips & Tricks post we look at how to quickly and easily align MTB brake calipers that are dragging. Video & Write-Up below!

BikeCo Tips & Tricks: Adjusting Chris King Hubs It’s typical to need to adjust Chris King hubs when the bearing breaks in. This video and write-up will show you how easy adjusting King Hubs is. (excuse the breeze noise in spots on the video – the Covid home studio can be noisy…)

MTB Tire Removal – BikeCo Tips & Tricks Enjoy a quick video and write up illustrating MTB Tire Removal in this post of BikeCo Tips & Tricks. Modern sidewalls can make MTB Tire Removal a bit more of a challenge, but with a couple quick tidbits you will make your life notably easier.

New Bike Assembly A typical new bike delivered from BikeCo.com doesn’t need much to hit the trails. With some basic tools and a bit of skill you’re on your way. You’ve got a fresh BikeCo Build. New Bike Assembly shouldn’t be intimidating. (so, the modern work from home means this video is in the yard, […]

Improve Chain & Cassette Wear There are a lot of tips and tricks to improve chain & cassette wear. This tip helps minimize wear and bent cassette teeth. It’s pretty simple. Check out the video then read the post for more details.

PreCharging a Suspension Pump – BikeCo Tips & Tricks Let us show you how to precharge a suspension pump for the most accurate air suspension setup. Many of our clients, and all of our racers, are looking to really dial in suspension. In order to accomplish this it is important to make minute adjustments to […]

Install MTB Fork Volume Spacers Want to increase or decrease the ramp rate on your fork? You can easily modify the ramp rate with volume spacers. Disclaimer – If you doubt your mechanical ability utilize a professional resource. Suspension is critical to performance and your safety. This video assumes your fork is in good working […]

Install MTB Shock Volume Spacers Want to increase or decrease the ramp rate on your MTB shock? You can easily modify the ramp rate with volume spacers. Disclaimer – If you doubt your mechanical ability utilize a professional resource. Suspension is critical to performance and your safety. This video assumes your shock is in good […]

Bike Yoke Revive Seatpost Hydraulic Reset The Bike Yoke Revive seatpost has been extremely popular. Along with a variety of available travel lengths the Bike Yoke Revive seatpost also stands out with it's simple hydraulic reset. If your Bike Yoke Revive adjustable seatpost is "squishy" air has mixed with the hydraulic fluid. To quickly reset [...]

MTB Bolt Checks – Simple but Critical To Your Safety Consistent MTB Bolt Checks are critical to your bike’s reliability and safety. While components should be checked throughout their service life, it is particularly important to check new fittings. Stem, handlebar, grip and brake assemblies are especially important. Why You Need to Bolt Check Light […]

Chain Lube? Yup, Chain Lube. Pre-Ride Best Practices Really? Chain Lube? Yup. Because adhering to good practices cleaning and lubing allows your drivetrain perform better and last longer. Skipping these steps? Well you might have issues that drive you, or your riding buddies nuts. Some quick drivetrain basics. Your cassette, chain and chain ring wear […]

Pre-Ride Chain Cleaning & Lube – BikeCo Tips & Tricks Chain Lube? Yup, it’s that important. Want to read more? Check out another blog post about why it’s important as well as my personal program…

Eliminate Cable Slap – BikeCo Tips & Tricks Some internal cable routed frames have tubes between cable ports while others are open. One isn’t necessarily right and the other wrong and each can have unique considerations. Open frames may suffer from cable slap which this video and blog will address.

Headset Adjustment – BikeCo Tips & Tricks

Headset Adjustment – BikeCo Tips & Tricks OK, disclaimer time. Headsets are critical to your safety. If you aren’t sure of your mechanical aptitude find a professional resource.

MTB Brake Bubble Bleed – BikeCo Tips & Tricks Assuming a quality initial bleed most lever related issues can be traced back to air in the master cylinder. An occasional bubble bleed will help keep your lever feel consistent and brake performance at its best. OK, disclaimer time. Brakes are critical to your safety. If […]

Basic Bike Wash – BikeCo Tips & Tricks Enjoy a quick video of a Basic Bike Wash to keep your mountain bike looking as well as riding its best. I love to ride my bike. Frankly, I’m not sure I love maintaining it. But with some basic maintenance everything lasts longer and works better. This […]

On Trail Rotor Resurfacing – BikeCo Tips & Tricks In a pinch, you can correct some rotor contamination or heat saturation issues on trail.  This BikeCo Tips & Tricks video illustrates how On Trail Rotor Resurfacing works. Rotors that are heat saturated will show excessive black along the pad contact area. This is typical when […]

Coil Spring Tuning Basics With the launch of the new Yeti SB165 we’ve had a lot of questions. Here we go with some Coil Spring Tuning Basics. Some very basic principals to start with here. Coil springs are rated by the weight that creates an inch of spring compression. So a 400lb spring requires 400lbs […]

Confidence with Compression: Adjusting your fork Confidence with Compression – sort of a vague title right? Am I gaining confidence on trail from compression? Am I confident adjusting my compression? Well, both. The abridged back story: I had a chance to move further south. BikeCo’s website has been growing at a rate that I can […]

Front End Support – Fork Air, Volume & Compression Between our BikeCo Pro Tune services as well as working with some of the fastest racers in MTB we get a lot of questions regarding suspension tuning. Modern forks offer more ways than ever to dial in your ride. Getting the right front end support with […]

MTB Brake Pad Wear Limits Safety, Performance, Predictability. All are reasons to check your brake pads regularly and change as appropriate.  Let’s look at some basics about MTB Brake Pad Wear Limits.

Rear Suspension Setup Some quick reminders on rear suspension setup! The Best Baseline Measure the sag. The old days of eye balling (or using a finger versus a thumb) are gone. The introduction of Metric shocks created a huge variety of stokes making it more important to measure the sag in millimeters. For instance, the […]

Suspension Compression Tuning Basics So you’ve gone through our volume spacing and sag calculators – ready for the next step? Let’s go over some Suspension Compression Tuning Basics. The compression circuit of your MTB suspension is one of the more misunderstood adjustments you have at your disposal. A good reason for this is frankly MTB […]

MTB Handlebar Setup Concepts Dialing in your setup – MTB Handlebars MTB Handlebar setup is important to a bike’s personality. Suspension, Tires, Brakes are important as well, but if your cockpit isn’t setup appropriately this can be all for not. A proper handlebar with the right setup will be comfortable and predictable across a variety […]

How to Wash a Mountain Bike – Quick Tips from BikeCo Keeping your bike functionally clean will keep it on trail longer between services. If you stay on top of these cleanings somewhat regularly a quick functional wash will take 5-10 minutes. In this write-up we shoe you How to Wash a Mountain Bike. Located […]

Fix A Broken Chain with a Power Link Video Fix A Broken Chain with a Power Link – get pedaling quickly with this tip. How-To & video.

MTB Preride Check Video Check out this video of a basic MTB Preride Check. Going through these details before each ride improves service intervals as well as performance. How-To & video.

Bike Cable Housing Connector – Quick DIY Video Clean up your build by making a quick Bike Cable Housing Connector. These are common to keep lines parallel particularly near the controls. Video & How-To below.

Trimming Zip Ties Flush Video – BikeCo Tips in Sixty Trimming Zip Ties Flush Video – this tip helps your build look sharp. Of course when the tail of a zip tie isn’t flush they can be super sharp!

Burp MTB Fork Video – Burp & Lube Seals to improve small bump compliance This simple step will help you release built up air pressure in your fork lowers and at the same time put a bit of lube on the seals, foam rings and bushings. How-To write-up below video.

How To Open Chris King Bearings for Service Pro Tips by BikeCo’s Joe Binatena. How-To below video.

MTB Shifting Barrel Adjustment Video MTB Shifting Barrel Adjustment Video – Fine Tune Your Derailleur with the Shifter’s Barrel Adjustment. Video & How-To write-up below.

MTB Shifting Issues Video Learn about common MTB Shifting Issues in this Tips in Sixty Video. How-To write-up is located below video.

Mountain Bike Brake Bubble Bleed Video Tips in Sixty – Mountain Bike Brake Bubble Bleed Video. Watch the video then read the How-To below video. If you have any questions or doubts find a professional to service your brakes.

Changing Mountain Bike Brake Pads Video Changing Mountain Bike Brake Pads Video – best practices for ultimate performance. How-To text & video.

Resurface MTB Rotors Tips in Sixty Video. Learn how to quickly resurface your rotors for improved performance by removing pad glaze.  

Precharge a Shock Pump Video

Precharge a Shock Pump Video This video & blog were updated 11/27/19 check it out here!   Learn how to Precharge a Shock Pump for the most accurate adjustments. We get a lot of clients looking to really dial in suspension. Here’s an often overlooked trick – how to precharge your shock pump. It’s not […]

Setting up MTB cockpit controls Setting up MTB cockpit controls is critical for performance and comfort. One of the final touches to any MTB build is dialing in the controls. While you can get it close in the parking lot it often takes a bit of fine tuning on trail, or riding experience, to know […]

MTB Suspension Setup – How to use the controls MTB Suspension Setup – this is a topic of constant conversation at BikeCo. In January we hosted a Suspension Clinic for clients BikeCo.com. We had a great turnout for what turned into a couple hours of BikeCo owner / World Cup level mechanic Joe Binatena explaining […]