How to Make Your Mountain Bike Faster?

We all love new bikes now, don’t we? They give you speed, exotic control, and impeccable response. But what if you cannot get yourself a new bike right now yet you wanna enhance your speed, is there a way you can do it? Absolutely!

There are several ways through which you can make your old mountain bike run like hell. But you will have to pay a little bit of attention to how you’re riding it and how your bike is performing on different terrains.

Over the years, when you use a bicycle consistently, it is bound to lose its performance quality. Sometimes the tire need replacing, you have to pay attention to the brakes and the bearing system. So how do you make your old bike perform like a new one?

Here is everything you need to know!

Tire Pressure

Do you recall the last time you checked your tire pressure? Nothing impacts your speed more than your tire pressure. When it’s too low before the required pressure then your bike will squirm over hard corners and when it’s too high, the tired will lose traction thus affecting your speed.

The ideal tire pressure can be determined by considering various factors. You will need to consider the trails you ride at, the tires and rims and how aggressive you are with them, your own weight capacity and tons of other factors.

So, unfortunately, there is no given number that will help you determine that this is the right tire pressure for you. however, what we do suggest is to adjust your tire pressure up and down 2psi every time you ride. This will help you understand where and when your bike is the most responsive while upping your speed a notch.

Think ahead

Once you start biking, you need to map out your entire trail in your head beforehand so there is less for you to think about when you’re actually riding. Chalk out all the corners, the tougher points, braking zones, cambers that work well for you, breathers and stretchers so you will know exactly what’s to come.

When you have to constantly put your mind at what is it that may come ahead, you will never be able to up your speed. So you need to be prepared for the entire trail so that you can just simply focus on your speed.

Make sure the brakes don’t rub

Spin the wheels by lifting your bike up and observe the smoothness of your wheels. If your wheels are only able to rotate for few times, then there is a great possibility your brakes are rubbing together which in turn is slowing you down.

When brakes aren’t setup accurately, you only exert yourself with no positive outcome. In order to get the best out of your bicycle, make sure your brakes are aligned correctly and your wheels aren’t just rotating for the sake of it. This way, you will be able to improve your bike speed exponentially.

No noise is an indication of fast speed

Maintenance is required for any bike to work efficiently. Spend at least half an hour every week with your bike and ensure it has not gotten any damage. You will have to see if all the bolts are tight and there aren’t any loose screws. Also, don’t forget to lubricate the chain and keep the cables well-aligned so they don’t end up tangled with one another.

A quiet bike will always perform well than others. It will give you the sign you need that your bike has been maintained well.