Bike shop owner: Four most common bike setup mistakes

Bikes these days are pretty amazing machines. But with the amount of bells and whistles, it’s imperative that you take the time to ensure your bike is set up properly to perform its best.

Here’s a list of the four most common bike setup errors we see at the shop, and how to remedy them.

• Way too much tire pressure.

Yes, it says on the tire that you can inflate to 65 PSI (pounds per square inch), but please don’t. Overinflated tires reduce your bike’s ability to gain traction and adhere to the trail. Twenty to 30 PSI is appropriate for most of the terrain we have here in Stowe. As a rule of thumb, you can also run 2 to 3 PSI less in the front tire than the rear.

• Suspension out of sync.

Does your bike feel like a chopper when you sit on it? Neither the shock (in the rear) nor the fork should compress more than about 20 to 30 percent when you sit on your bike wearing your riding gear.

If you’re not familiar with how to properly set your suspension’s sag, come on down to the shop and we’ll help get you set up. Owning a shock pump and knowing how to use it is key to maximizing the performance of your suspension.

The difference between perfect performance and mediocrity can sometimes be just a few pounds of pressure.

• Brake lever and shifter organization on the bars.

Does it look like your grips are keeping everything else from falling off the bars? Take the time to line up your brake levers both vertically and horizontally — make sure the angle is comfortable and aligns with your hand and wrist.

Line up your shifters with your thumbs, as well. Brakes and shifters both rotate and slide with a simple adjustment (usually a 4- or 5-millimeter Allen key) so it’s really easy to get the proper alignment.

With modern hydraulic disc brakes, just the index finger pulling on the end of the lever is enough to slow you down. No need for two-finger braking anymore.

• Narrow handlebars.

This was a trend from the 1990s that unfortunately still lingers. True, narrow bars might fit through trees better, but in every other application, narrow bars aren’t doing you any favors.

Narrow handlebars are often accompanied by a stem that’s too long, which negatively affects steering precision. Tip: If the stem is longer than the travel on the fork, it’s too long.

Simply putting a wider set of bars and shorter stem on a bike often drastically increases the level of comfort and control.