As your growing family makes more mountain bikers and acquires more mountain bikes, you’ll soon notice that you inherently acquire more bike maintenance duties. Learn how to take care of minor tasks on your own. Once you acquire a base set of tools and skills, you can save a little money and keep your bikes rolling without waiting on a bike shop for service. Sure, there are infinitely more maintenance tasks you can do on your own – but we’ll start with these six basics.

Bleeding Hydraulic Mountain Bike Brakes

One of dad’s goals in life is to have everyone in the family run the same brand brakes and model – just so we only have to stock one type of fluid and pads. Until then, we have to use the right tools for the job. SRAM even went above-and-beyond and created an additional $20 proprietary tool for some of their brakes called the “Bleeding Edge Brake Bleed Tool”.

When you bleed brakes, be sure to wear gloves and have the lint-free shop towels handy. Brake fluid is nasty stuff and it can stain anything. Also be sure to avoid getting brake fluid on the brake pads or rotors. Parts contaminated with fluid can be cleaned up, but that’s for another article.

Changing Mountain Bike Brake Pads

This task only takes a few minutes and it really helps if you keep a spare set of pads on hand so if you really need them, you’re ready to go. Some pads require a set of pliers to remove a cotter-pin that helps keep the pads in the caliper. Some require a small hex key to remove the retaining bolt that keeps the pads in the caliper.

Centering or Aligning Disc Brakes

This is one of the first things we taught ourselves because it was necessary and not that difficult. Over time, your rotor may get just tiny bit warped or bent and you hear that steady chime whenever the out-of-whack portion of the brake rotor passes across the brake pads. In some instances, you may have to replace your rotor – but a lot of the time you can fix this yourself.

Put your bike in a repair stand. Then, lightly loosen the bolts that attach the caliper to the brake mount adapter. Notice that these fastening points are not an exact round hole. There is a little bit of wiggle room or tolerance for the caliper to float on the brake mount adapter. Next, squeeze the brake lever. You may need another person to help. This will align the caliper on the rotor. Then, tighten the mounting bolts. Release the brake lever and spin your wheel. You may have to do a bit of fine tuning if you still have some rubbing.

Lightly loosen the mounting bolts, and one at a time – carefully pivot the caliper so the rotor spins without contacting the pads. Mind your fingers so they don’t get bit by an spinning wheel. Go through this with each caliper mounting bolt until your rotor spins without making a noise and the bolts are tightened.

You may be surprised by just how small an adjustment needs to be made so the noise is eliminated. If you still have rubbing noises, try spreading the pads in the brake the same way you would when your replacing your brake pads as explained above. This may get you the fraction of a millimeter you need to get your caliper aligned and end the brake rub.

Swapping Out Bike Pedals

Some pedals require a hex key, others require a pedal wrench. Regardless of what tool you use, it’s important to know which way you have to rotate the wrench to remove and install pedals from the cranks. If you attach the tool facing the front of the bike, parallel to the ground, the tool always has to rotate up [counter-clockwise] to loosen the pedal. This is same on both the drive side and non-drive side of the bike because the non-drive side is reverse threaded. Be sure to keep the proper-sized hex keys or wrench in your tool kit.

Installing And Maintaining Tubeless Tires

Although setting them up for the first time can be tough, the pros of going tubeless far outweigh the cons. Save time. Save money. And once again – save time. Just as early as last spring when we demoed a bike, we got 2 tube flats on the same ride. It was rotten. Yes – proper air pressure with tubes makes a difference, but we have had no problems with our tubeless set ups for for years.

In order to go tubeless, you need a combination of tubeless compatible rims, tires, valves, and sealant. A lot of rims come tubeless-ready with rim strips. For some, you will need to tape yourself. What does taping a rim ensue? It helps create the air-tight seal required. Every couple of months or so, depending on how often you ride or how much wear-and-tear you’ve put your tires through; you have to keep sealant in the tires. Seating a tire on a rim without a compressor can be a bit tricky, too. We just went to the neighborhood gas station with a Presta compressor valve adapter.

Installing Internal Housing For Brake Cables, Shifting Cables, And Dropper Posts

We needed to build up a our son’s mountain bike from the bare frame last year for the first time and it was quite a learning experience. In order to get the internal housing through the frame we used the Park Tools Internal Cable Routing Kit. Be cautious! This kit will drastically reduce the coinage in dad’s swear jar.

The kit comes with a set of cables composed of magnets and other adapters that allow you to quickly get a lead cable through the bike. Once you have the lead cable running through the bike, you can pull the housing you need through the frame. It took a bit of practice and coordination to gently use the external guide magnet, but the overall performance of this tool is five out of five stars.

Have Your Kids Help You Maintain the Family Mountain Bikes!

When our kids were younger, we would have them help us maintain the bikes as much as they could. For instance, they can play the role of assistant mechanic by organizing and handing off tools when doing a repair. They can operate a floor pump, help tighten bolts, etc. As the years have gone by – the kids have learned how to build up demo bikes, bleed their dropper posts, adjust derailleurs, replace derailleur cables, adjust their suspension, and so on. You can even watch a video of our youngest as he converts his bike to a 1x drivetrain.

We converted a 2×10 drivetrain to a 1x set-up on Tyge’s bike with a non-boost hub. Before we started, our friend Steve from Hyland Cyclery took a look at the bike to help us identify all the tools and parts we needed. I was glad to find out we could save some money by keeping the original crankset and shifter. As you’ll see in the video, this is obviously the first time we’ve done something like this.

DOWNLOAD a PDF with a list of parts and tools that may be helpful. This PDF includes affiliate links.

How To Convert A Mountain Bike To A 1x Drivetrain?

If you’d like to try a similar upgrade for a bike your family owns, be aware that drivetrains are different from bike-to-bike and your project will almost definitely require different parts. Ours ended up with parts from SunRace, Shimano, SRAM, and WolfTooth. If you’re not comfortable taking inventory and assessing what you need, we bet your local bike shop can help you out. Watch the video and Tyge will take you through what he did.

Follow MTB With Kids on Facebook and Instagram

We’ve produced a sticker set comprised of six different MTB With Kids decals and we’d like to give 10 sets of them away. Only those in the continental USA over the age of 18 are eligible. If you’d like a chance to get a set, read on.

1. Go to our Facebook page at facebook.com/mtbwithkids

2. Like our page.

3. Find the Decal Giveaway post on our Facebook page and tag a friend in the comment section of that post before noon MST (Utah time) on Saturday, July 11th 2020.

Winners will receive: (1) 11.5in x 3in bumper sticker (1) 12in x 1in social media decal for glass w/transfer tape (1) 5in x 2in logo decal for glass w/transfer tape (1) 3in round hologram decal with black ink (1) 3in x 3in clear decal w/black ink (1) 3in round clear decal w/white ink.

If by the odd and unexpected chance that more than 10 people do this, we will randomly choose 10 winners to receive a decal set.

Winners will be notified via Facebook Messenger and we will ask for a mailing address. We will only mail decals to physical addresses (no PO boxes) in the continental USA.

Here are the official rules for the decal giveaway.

Once again we reached out to moms so they could share their stories and show off their bikes. Everyone’s story is unique, but there are common threads – the freedom that comes from riding a bike, the mental and physical challenges, the rewards of sharing this sport with their children; and living a healthy, active lifestyle. On behalf of the kids, significant others, family, friends, ride club partners, everyone – THANKS MOM!

Nicole Deguise And Her Norco Bikes

I am really looking forward to my son and soon-to-be sibling to get into mountain biking with my husband and I! I got into mountain biking 13 years ago as a way to spend more time with my now husband who had moved to BC for the mountain biking! Little did I know that I would fall so much in love with it! I quickly joined an all female mountain biking group to improve my skills and only a few short years later participated in my first enduro here in Squamish “Hot on Your Heels”.

Sarah Fenton Tippie And Her YT Industries Bikes

I’ve mountain biked for the better part of 35 years! I grew up in Deep Cove – North Vancouver, BC; where the first off-road bike shop opened. They rolled these new “fat tire” bikes off the back of the truck from Marin County. I grew up with a hardcore mountain bike influenced lifestyle. And although I never had the urge to race, bikes are in my blood. In 2007, after a decade living abroad in London UK and working in the film business, I was at a party at Crankworx and met my future husband, freeride pioneer Brett Tippie. Sparks flew, and we arranged to go on our first date in the Whistler Bike Park.

Before long, we had children, two girls. Jessamy, born in 2008, and Alix, born in 2012; then married (yes in that order) at the top of Whistler Mountain with our DH rigs before all our friends and family. After the ceremony, we rode down to the bottom in a massive party train. Biking gave me my first bite of freedom when I learned to ride a bike at age five. Mountain biking has given me fitness. It had provided an amazing group of friends. It has brought me to my husband. It is everything for us. My younger daughter has some extra needs and it took her a little longer to get the hang of it, but she is now pedaling on her own. I burst into tears seeing that accomplishment! Her smiling face was priceless. My older daughter Jessamy loves to shred, and as a family – mountain biking is a bonding experience creating lifetime memories.

My current bikes: 2019 YT Decoy e-bike (I LOVE my ebike!). A newly built up big bike park shredder, a 2019 YT Tues. I also have a 2016 YT Capra enduro bike.

Instagram:  @sarahfentontippie
Mentions:  Rotor Bike Components | Bluegrass Eagle | Ryders Eyewear | MudHugger | ErgonBike | Five Ten | Maloja Clothing | Maxxis Tires | Spank Industries | Magura | Enve

Carmen Granados And Her Yeti SB6

I’m a wife and mother of twin boys. I started mountain biking in 2014 with my family and have been enjoying it ever since. We travel a lot due to my husbands work and are fortunate to ride in some really cool places. So far my favorite places to ride have been Colorado and Southern Utah. Mountain biking is a great way for us to spend time together as a family and grow together as riders.

Instagram:  @the_caro_family
Buy the Yeti SB6:  Competitive Cyclist

Tania Gregory And Her Trek Top Fuel 9.8

Eight years ago, when my husband and I first started dating, he got me into mountain biking. Fast forward to today and we now have a 20 month old son, Lawson, who already loves bikes as much as we do. My favorite person to ride with is my husband and I can’t wait until we are out on the trails with Lawson ripping it up too. Right now he rides in a Thule Yepp on the front of our Trek Farley. Although, after some modifications he is finally tall enough for his balance bike!

Instagram:  @tanialovesbikes
Mentions:  Colonial Bicycle Company Women’s Collective

Kristen Gross And Her Rocky Mountain Element C70

I have been a rider through every season of my life. I was that kid careening around the neighborhood with a look like a loose Labrador. I raced through university and it also kept me sane in the early days of my career when all I had time for was work, and riding (maybe). It was there for me when I moved to a new country as a new wife, and there still when I became a new mom. And riding was there for me when I became a widowed mom. Never did I imagine I’d also rely on it to get us through a global pandemic, but here we are! My son and I are finding at least 30 minutes of normal a day on our 2.5 mile loop. Riding helps soothe my racing mind just as well as it revs up a tired soul. It’s good on its own, and wonderful in a group. It spans the difference between opposite ends of many a spectrum. So somehow, it always fits.

My bike is a 2019 Rocky Mountain C70 Element that I customized with We Are One “Insider” wheels laced to Onyx racing hubs, a full SRAM XX1 golden Eagle drivetrain with Qarq power meter, one-up Everyday Carry tool, RaceFace carbon Next bars, and a Specialized Power saddle. With 2 water bottle cages and a Backcountry Research Mutherload strap, I’m officially pack-less on this whip. I planned to race it at the 2019 BC Bike Race but ended up with a plan-ending concussion a couple of weeks prior. This beautiful bike is ready for the next opportunity. I will be too, my young training partner will make sure of it.

Instagram:  @_krisgross
Articles:  Podcast discussing erstwhile BCBR lead up and another of my favorite bikes, my Rocky Mountain Solo | How Mac-Ride helped me save riding as a widowed mom | Riding with my son, now that he’s on his own two wheels | In memory of Gerhard, my late husband
Photos by: Dave Smith @dasmith (featured left), Chris Wellhausen @chriswellhausen (featured right),  Crispin Cannon @crispin_cannon (Gerhard smiling on bike)

Shannon Kochis And Her Scott 900 RC World Cup

I have a love and passion for riding bikes with my children, community and friends! My favorite bike is the Scott 900 RC World Cup full suspension run with Podium wheels. It’s my favorite bike for all trail conditions! My favorite place to ride is Copper Harbor, Michigan. 2nd place is the Vasa!

What I love most about biking is – I ride with kids that are faster than me. I look up to them as much they look up to me. I don’t know a sport that has adults and kids that run in the same pack. It’s so good for our kids’ self confidence to be around adults ranging from 30’s to 70’s. I love seeing My children know all the adults around bike community. You don’t need to be good or fast at it. You just need to show up. Kinda like racing, The hardest part is showing up. The rest is history.

Shannon races for City Bike Shop.

Anne Madeo And Her Specialized Stumpjumper Expert 27.5

Biking represented freedom to me as a child. It was a way to explore the world and see my friends without relying on my parents for a ride. Mountain biking was a natural outgrowth of that childhood love, expedited by a move to UT and being hit by a car while road biking. After I was hit, I no longer felt safe riding on city streets, but missed the freedom and joy I felt while biking. A few years after I was hit, I started mountain biking by joining group rides, taking lessons and attending clinics. I haven’t looked back. After a year of riding frequently (and breaking a bone or two), I decided it was time to get a new steed and I wanted a significant upgrade.

Mentions:  Women MTB | Roam Events | Simply MTB | And Shes Dope Too | Ninja MTB Performance | Better Ride

Anja Mueller And Her Rocky Mountain Altitude C70

I am not sure who is more stoked about the two of us riding matching bikes this year – my 3-year-old daughter Sofie (on a 2019 Rocky Mountain Edge 14) or me, the Mom?! She has been on a bike since before she even walked (and loves it so far!) and just recently switched from a run bike to her pedal bike. We love riding on the North Shore as a family – especially now with everything else closed down.

Mountain biking is the perfect escape for kids and for the parents. Having her on a burlier bike with proper tires makes riding in the woods so much more fun. I am currently on maternity leave with my second child, 10-month-old Greta, so getting out on some good personal mountain bike rides has been too rare for my liking. To compensate I have been trying to up my wheelie game with the Ryan Leech #30daywheelie challenge – I’m on Day 10 – and still have a ways to go. I can’t wait for more rides with my husband, girlfriends, colleagues, and of course my two girls! Time to put #2 on a run bike.

I am currently riding a 2020 Rocky Mountain Altitude C70 with an almost fully stock build. Small changes include a Rocky Mountain maple syrup saddle (WTB Deva), some matching RaceFace Next SL cranks, and pink grips (just because). Currently on flats instead of clipless because of the wheelie challenge. I have been on each iteration of the Altitude since 2012 and love it as my go-to bike. It’s playful, has plenty of travel, it’s great on the uphill, and just makes me smile every time I ride.

Thanks to the North Shore Mountain Bike Association and all the volunteers for keeping our North Shore Trails in great shape. Get your membership or trail boost when you ride here!

Ashley Rainey And Her Canfield Balance 27.5

Two years ago I started mountain biking because I thought my dog would enjoy a faster pace than hiking allowed. I was hooked after one ride and dove in quickly, taking as many clinics as I could. I struggled for years to get my son outdoors and become more active with no luck. I was over the moon when he took to mountain biking. At 12, my son has reached the age where he rarely emerges from his room. I cherish our adventures on the trails, which open him up to talking to me. We are extremely fortunate to live in a bike-oriented town. A few blocks from us is a large pump track and we spend hours there sharing our dirt jumper. I love the community of friends I’ve developed through biking. As a single mom, I find their support priceless.

All-mountain riding is my discipline of choice. I’ll gladly endure a suffer-fest of an uphill grind to hit long steep technical descents. I’ve had my current bike since January. It’s a 2016 Canfield Balance 27.5”. I moved up from a small to a medium frame because I’m 5’4” with legs on the longer side. My previous bike wouldn’t accommodate a long enough dropper to get my saddle out of my way. To shorten up the reach, I added an Industry Nine A35 32mm stem. I use a 170mm dropper and my saddle is a Terry Topo – it’s been my saddle since I started riding. I love the stability of my new bike, I’m more than willing to hit small drops and pop over roots and bumps instead of slowing down to roll over everything like I did on my previous bike. A few other additions on my bike are Spank Oozy Trail 345 wheels with Magic Mary tires, a Cane Creek Helm 170mm fork, Cane Creek Double Barrel air/CS shock (165mm), and a One Up 32T oval ring.

I’m not the bravest rider, but I do love a good endorphin rush, and this bike delivers on giving me more confidence to test my abilities to get a little spicier on the trail. My favorite thing, beside the longer dropper post, is how the bike handles turns! My friends always get an earful at the end of a ride about how much fun the turns were!

Instagram:  @ar_fraggle
Mentions:  Dirty Jane Bike Gear | Whatcom Mountain Biking Coalition
Photos by:  @gerry_creighton

Ruth Roeber And Her Trek Bikes

Because I was born in the beautifully chaotic city of Bangkok, I didn’t learn how to ride a bike until I moved here for college. However, it wasn’t until I became a mom that biking became a natural extension of my life. We put our kids on Striders as soon as they could walk. When they were old enough to pedal their bikes, mountain biking became a way of life for us.

I’m lucky to have two amazing bikes: the Trek Procaliber 9.7 pictured above – plus a Trek Stache 9.7. And thanks to my local IMBA chapter (Northern Indiana Mountain Bike Association), I have great places to ride them.

Mentions:  Northern Indiana Mountain Bike Association (NIMBA) | Trek Store of Granger | 574 Cycling and Friends (local women’s cycling group)

Chris Schieffer And Her Ibis Ripmo AXS

Mountain Biking is our social life. I love it. My husband loves it. Our kids love it. The dog loves it. We’ve never done many “traditional sports” but we are outside on trails in some capacity whenever we get a chance. We bike as a family, we bike with friends, we bike locally, and we travel to bike. We ride a variety of trails, we race, we ride cross country, enduro, downhill, dirt jumps and everything in between. For the last few years we purchased the MTBParks Pass and made a point to road trip and bike as many bike parks (in the west) as possible (100% worth it, by the way). This year, with the pandemic, it’s going to be different, but it won’t stop us from riding. The only downside of loving bikes is my boys are the same size, so there’s no hand me downs – that means we’re always making a twofer bike purchase, and it gets rather expensive. As a family we have to stagger our bike purchases year after year so it makes sense financially to enjoy our hobby.

Oh my bike, my sweet, sexy bike… this is actually my SECOND Ripmo in a row, and my fourth Ibis – so needless to say, I’m brand loyal in the bike dept. I seek out (and destroy) rugged trails with lots of rocks and drops so I need something that can handle versatile downhill terrain, but is also amazing at climbing because the trails around me are ALL up, and then ALL down. I switched the suspension to DVO all around. Rev Grips get added to all my bikes, because they save my hands during those long park days (which we have many). For the groupo, I finally moved to the Sram Eagle AXS electronic shifting on this build and HOT DAMN, I LOVE it! I also have the Rockshox Reverb AXS dropper and the responsiveness is the best thing ever. The OneUp Components EDC Tool allows me to go on shorter rides without carrying a pack. The last custom piece of this build is the Shredly SUCCI print custom stickers made by STKRD for my frame.

Instagram:  @mtb_ismyspiritanimal
Find An Ibis Dealer:  Ibis Bicycles
Mentions:  Golden Giddyup | Colorado Mountain Biking Association (COMBA) | Colorowdies Mountain Bike Crew

Adrienne Schneider And Her Norco Bikes

Growing up in Northern Michigan, I moved to Lake Tahoe at 18 to find a bigger playground! After blowing out my knees repeatedly during my ski career, my orthopedic told me I needed to ride bikes to get stronger. I had no experience with bikes without a throttle previously, and he said I wasn’t allowed to get on my moto for a while.

This riding rehab quickly turned into a career that was eventually sidelined by a broken back in Europe at my last World Cup race. After one more season racing nationally and coaching women’s camps, I knew I wanted a child. And it was time. Then, on December 8, 2016 my life changed forever! I would say being a mother easily became the best adventure I have ever been on! Life changes a lot in a beautiful way, and it gives a new meaning to the concept of absolute love.

Mountain biking is something that I love doing and I don’t think that I’ll ever get tired of. It lets me travel to places I would normally never get to, and meet some of the coolest people. And there is no one better to share that life with but Nikolaj.

Norco Bicycles has supported me in my adventures, later becoming a Sales Rep for them. So, you can probably understand why I have more than one bike. My first bike of choice is an Aurum, but I bought a more versatile Range VLT e-Enduro bike last fall. Nikolaj had bikes before he could even walk. He currently rides a Norco Runner 12. With more and more pedaling lately, I’ve added the Norco Sight A1 (27.5) as my current weapon of choice. It‘s an All-Mountain rig with Norco’s Ride Aligned™ technology that has 160mm/150 travel.

Getting your kids hooked on bikes at a young age is the perfect antidote to the addictive draw of Minecraft and other sedentary indoor activities! And there is nothing like passing on the stoke from one generation on down to another.

Mentions:  Norco – Facebook | Norco – Twitter | Norco – Instagram

Lisa Sklar And Her Custom Sklar

I like mountain biking because I get to try and keep up with my kids, and my husband gets to try and keep up with me. We live in a great place, Boulder, Colorado. And, mountain biking is a great way to get out there. We especially like camping and biking high up in the Rockies. Plus, I’m the only mom I know whose kid made her a mountain bike. That’s pretty cool!

My bike has 27.5″+ wheels and tires. It has 120mm of front travel. These custom machines offer so many opportunities for great design – whether it be dialing in just the right combination of geometry, fit and component selection. Or, optimizing flex and feel with material selection.

Katrina Strand And Her Transition Patrol

It was an easy sell, mountain biking. Nature is my medicine, and it is a great tool to get me there. I come from racing around the world – DH, Enduro and even dabbled in XC. But my favourite is getting lost high in the mountains away from the world, disconnected and free. My daughter Anna loves joining me on the MacRide, and cruising on her run bike. She already has her call to nature, too! Hopefully soon we’ll be adventuring way out there together.

Website:  Strand Training
Instagram:  @katrinastrand
Buy the Transition Scout:  EVO
Mentions:  Transition | Fox Head | Fox MTB Suspension | Maxxis | Shimano | Chromag | Evolution Bike Shop | RideWrap

Traci Thompson And Her Scott Genius

I grew up spending lots of time in the outdoors: camping, hiking, boating and wandering around in the desert looking for dinosaur bones. I was in 6th grade when my parents bought mountain bikes for our family. We had lots of adventures on our bikes – one especially memorable ride led to us finding and adopting a puppy that some jerk had dropped in the desert to die. Mountain biking made us tougher. Although my sister and I grew up doing gymnastics, we were challenged by this new sport. My dad had to use his favorite catchphrase: “No Sniveling” on more than on occasion. I have some excellent memories of the type 2 fun that we had as a family on our mountain bikes. As an adult, I love mountain biking with my kids for many reasons. First, I love the challenge. There are always opportunities to improve in mountain biking. Mountain biking gives us the chance to do things that scare us and work toward small goals. Second, I like stress relief that comes from being in nature and staying in the moment. Everyone feels happier after a ride! Finally, I enjoy spending time with my family and making memories. We have lots of adventures that we’ll never forget like the time we were caught in a flash flood or the time our youngest kid crashed into a cactus when we were 8-miles into a 16-mile loop trail. Mountain biking memories are the best!

I’ve had this bike for a few years but its proven all-mountain geometry and set up have been a lot of fun everywhere I ride. All the boys in the family has carbon frames, but with the modifications I’ve made, my bike is the lightest. It weighs less than 30 lbs. I upgraded the drivetrain to a 1x and added Stans wheels. The external RockShox dropper is easy to maintain and the Scott TwinLoc remote lets me adjust my suspension without my hands leaving the bars.

Mentions:  MTB With Kids – Instagram | MTB With Kids – Facebook

Kasey Wierzba And Her Norco Revolver

Sometimes a mom just needs to get lost. Lost from the hustle, lost from the daily grind. A mom needs to get lost in the moment with nothing but a dirt trail ahead. This is why I love mountain biking. If I’m training for a race, it gives me a focus and a means to direct energy in a positive way. If I’m riding with Liam, my 11 year old, it’s a back and forth of fun competition. He chases me up the climbs and I follow him on crazy, gnarly stuff as he tells me “no ride arounds, mom.” Riding with my little dude, Adrien (7), is all about exploration. Just this week we were riding in one of my favorite areas and he lead me to a natural spring which I had no idea existed!

I ride a Norco Revolver hardtail while I’m cross country racing. This bike is a little whip. It’s really light, responsive and it feels like a natural extension of my own body. It’s a race machine; high modulus carbon 29er decked out with Sram XO components and a RockShox Sid ultimate. The super light Stans Podium SRD wheels float up any climb. For a hardtail, this bike can take a lot without beating me up. I can roll through rock gardens and down rooted steeps without loosing control. In a straight away I can lock out the front shock, stand up and jam. I’m not a total tech geek, but when you build up a bike that just fits and feels so good it’s completely worth it.

Mentions:  Norte Youth Cycling

Jerel Wilson And Her Trek Top Fuel 9.8

Mountain biking allows me to escape and become part of nature. It gives me the opportunity to feel alive, challenge myself in rock gardens and take calculated risks that often give me butterflies in my stomach – like sending it. I love hitting the trails with my kids (3 and 5) and my colleagues at NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) the most. Getting the opportunity to lead beginner women’s rides through the Trek Women’s Advocacy program as well as training volunteers in communities all across the nation working to get #morekidsonbikes through NICA programming shows me time and time again the power of bicycles and how wonderful mountain biking communities are across the nation. It’s a community I am proud to be part of and I hope that both my girls will become lifelong cyclists.

My 2020 Trek Top Fuel 9.8 comes sweetly spec’d and ready to roll right out of the box and it’s even set up tubeless. It flies over EVERYTHING without beating you up so you have energy to play with the little ones or jump on that Zoom call after your mid-day ride. This bike has made me a better technical rider, especially in the rock gardens and is wicked fast on all the flow trails. Smiles for miles!

Photo Credits:  Deborah Hage
Mentions:  TORC, Triangle Off-Road Cyclists

Trax MTB Towing Device Review: Easy to install and effective without adding a lot of additional weight, the Trax MTB system was designed and developed in Spain – and helps you safely tow another mountain bike behind you. The main part of the system attaches to the seat post of the front bike, with a Kevlar cable that ends in a loop system connected to the stem of the rear bike. Whether you want to ensure that your young mountain biker stays close behind you, or need to tow a broken bike (complete with rider, of course), the Trax MTB does the job. Buy this item direct from Trax MTB. As of this review, MSRP is €38 / $41.55 USD.

Trax MTB:  Website | Instagram | Facebook

To attach the Trax MTB to the bike doing the towing, you just need three zip ties. The device needs to be mounted to to seat post of the towing bike. There are three included with the device. Even better, the Trax MTB connects the bike being towed with a simple loop that takes mere seconds to attach and remove. You may not even have to stop mid-ride to unhook the bikes. Whether you want to take a break from towing the mountain bike behind you or the terrain warrants some hike-a-bike, the simple loop is easy to unhook. The rider of the rear bike just needs to pull up on the loop, removing its hold on the stem, and the spring-loaded cable will automatically retract.

We thought we could find some reusable ties, but after doing a quick search on Amazon, we could not find any. You need to thread 5mm wide ties through the device and the only reusable ties we could find were too wide. You do have to break the ties to remove the device from your bike, so be careful not to damage your seat post.

Manufacturer Videos From Trax MTB

Here are a couple of great videos that demonstrate how the Trax MTB system is used.

If you have a dropper, and if you have the room, we suggest mounting the Trax MTB device to the lower part of the post that goes in the seat tube. Don’t mount the Trax MTB device to the upper part of the dropper post, the part of the post that travels up and down. You could scratch/damage your dropper or crush the towing device.

Weighing a mere 170 grams (a little over 1/3 of a pound), the Trax MTB won’t weigh you or your fellow rider down. It’s easy to remove from the lead bike and stash in a go-bag or hydration pack with your other gear, as the lightweight and small size prevent the device from taking up too much space.

A simple three-flange adaptable system holds it to the seat post of the lead bike. It fits posts between 27.2 to 31.6 mm. Plus, no tools are required to install the Trax MTB. Sturdy? Light? Easy to install? Yes. Yes. And, yes.

The Trax MTB system is designed to tow a maximum of 200 pounds, bike and rider included. When it’s engaged, the front rider should stay at or below the recommended 6mph speed, simply for safety reasons. The cable extends 2.2 meters, or a little over 7 feet, keeping the riders at a safe distance from one another.

If you enjoyed our Trax MTB Towing Device Review, check out our Bike and Gear Reviews page.