Our athlete ambassador Shane Kroeger is back to compete in Singletrack 6 again this year.  He will be writing a series of blogs about the preparation needed to race this multiday, cross-country event in Golden and the East Kootenays.

The first stage of race preparation this season is making sure my gear is ready to go.   For me, this usually starts with many guide’s room discussions during the winter revolving around bikes.   Who’s getting a new bike, what the latest and greatest new bike part is, etc.   Amazing how we can be skiing powder every day, and still just talk about bikes.   This year, I will be riding two Santa Cruz bikes.  The High Tower for enduro racing, and the Tall Boy Lt for the Single Track 6 cross country race.

Usually in the fall, I like to break down my bike, give it a real thorough clean, and inventory anything that needs to be fixed or replaced.  This year however, the transition from fall riding to ski season literally happened overnight.  This left me scrambling to get wax on my skis, so I could enjoy the first turns of the year, but unfortunately ended up with my bike going to bed dirty.  So, when the warm temperatures hit Golden early this year, my first step to bike preparation was to clean my bike. 

After everything has been cleaned and polished, I go through the following checklist.

• Check all components to see if anything needs to be replaced
• Check all bolts, quick releases, axles to make sure they all tightened properly
• Check and grease suspension pivots, make sure they are still in good shape
• Check headset to make sure it is not loose
• Replace tire sealant as it usually dries up over winter
• Set tire, shock and fork air pressure
• Lube chain
• Check drivetrain to make sure it is shifting smoothly.  Adjust if necessary
• Check brakes, see if they need bleeding, or if the pads need to be replaced

Once I have gone through all this, I take my bike out for a test spin around the block to make sure everything is running smooth.  If it all checks out, I’m good to go for the first ride of the season.

Singletrack 6 is a 6 day mountain bike adventure showcasing the best riding in a variety of authentic mountain bike communities in Western Canada.  In 2016 this event will take place in the Kootenay Rockies with the final 2 stages being held in Golden BC.