Getting your bike “Dialed In” before a race

Race days comes sooner than you expect. Usually you’ve done quite a bit to get yourself prepared by training, and dieting. You’ve even check out the previous year’s race results to see how close you need to be in order to place or at least not be last. You’ve probably even test rode the course just to make sure you check out the places you can take advantage and places where you need to be careful at.

Some of the things I’d recommend in doing to make sure your bike is dialed in or in other terms, working like a well oiled machine is to check a few things.

1. Make sure your bike is clean. Not only does it look great when it is, but it also works better if there’s not grit or grime in your gears .
2. Clean your drive train thoroughly. Get a chain cleaner, and run it a few times until that chain looks brand new. If you’ve got one of those quick links on your chain, take it off, soak it in some degreaser and get that junk out.
3. Lube your chain. I like to apply lube on my chain at night, then come back to it the next morning and wipe it off. This gives the lube opportunity to get in between the rollers.
4. Tune up your bike. That means make sure the derailleurs are shifting smoothly, your brakes are braking and you’ve got the proper air pressure in your tires.
5. After you’ve done all the stuff previously mentioned. Test ride out on the street and make sure your hitting each gear. Sometimes when you’re working on your bike on the stand, it reacts differently when you’re actually riding it. This happens allot on full suspension bikes more than hard tails.

Once you’re bike is dialed in you can now place on the podium at the race!