Bike SetupUpdated 8 months ago

Seat post/ saddle height - The saddle height should allow you to just touch the pedal with your heel when the pedal is at the bottom of the stroke, and in line with the angle of the seat-tube. When you're peddling using the balls of your feet, this should allow you to retain a very slight bend in your knee, and keep your hips level. The guideline for the angle of your saddle is between 0 degrees (horizontal) and 4 degrees nose down.

Cockpit positioning - Your cockpit set-up gives lots of options for tuning your weight distribution and therefore the dynamic interaction between you and your bike. The best way to work out what you need to change is to think about what’s happening with your bike and your body as you ride, then make adjustments and see what impact that has. If you need any further information we can always help point you in the right direction.

Pedals - The two most common types of pedals are clipless and flat - each of which provides a slightly different riding experience. In these two categories, there are some designs which are better suited to mountain biking, and others which are better suited to road biking.

Suspension pressures - Many manufacturers will have a suggested sag setting, but if not, we recommend a base setting of 30%. If you require less sag simply add air to the shock, if you require more sag lower the air pressure. Add air in 10 psi increments and each time repeat the process until you reach the required sag.

Tyre pressures - 

Mountain bike tyre pressure;

As a base, we'd suggest using the below pressures as a starting point: Tubeless set-up: Start at 25psi and adjust accordingly. Lighter riders may opt for lower around 20psi, while 30psi is a good starting pressure for heavier riders and e-bikes. Tubed set-up: Start at 30psi.

Road Bikes;

A typical range for these would be between 80 and 130 psi, although racers can sometimes go as high as 160 psi. Quick tip if you're caught inflating a road tire without a gauge and need to ballpark it: at 100 psi, a tire can barely be compressed with your thumb.

Handlebar Width - MTB handlebars often come 800mm wide as standard. These can be cut to size depending on the size/riding style of the rider. Road handlebars vary between 36cm and 46cm. Narrower bars will be more aerodynamic (think Tour de France!) whereas wider bars will be more comfortable (think commuter bike!).

Tubeless conversions - 

A tubeless tyre looks like a standard tube-type clincher tyre but requires no inner tube and, once ‘seated’ (seating is the process of snapping the beads into position), it forms an airtight seal with the rim. A valve just like the one you’d find on an inner tube is fitted directly to the rim. For the system to work, neither the rim nor tyre can leak air, so the tyre needs to fit tightly to the rim. Tubeless setups also allow you to run lower tyre pressures which can enhance grip.

Tools for basic maintenance;

Torque wrench - Most bolts on a bicycle require quite a low torque (generally under 10Nm). This is why torque wrenches for bikes exist, though you could use a more general torque wrench for bolts that require a higher torque, such as the cassette, disc rotor lockrings and crank bolts.

Shock pump - Achieving the correct 'sag figure' is a vital step to set up your mountain bike suspension. For most modern mountain bike shocks (our mountain bike rear suspension systems guide sets out the differences) that means adjusting the air pressure inside the spring – and to do that you'll need a shock pump

Track pump - Using a track pump is the most efficient way of pumping up your road bike or mountain bike tyres, and it's an important piece of kit to have at home. Most track pumps also include a pressure gauge so you know exactly how much air is in your tyres.