Despite the recent accidents, I still believe mountain biking is not an overly dangerous sport. Sure, there are risks but I truely believe on the whole, the ratio or risk to reward in mountain biking is extremely positive. From what I see, overwhelmingly more people are becoming healthier and happier out there then those that are getting hurt.
None the less.. there are some accidents that are more preventable then others...
The other day Nat, our wonderful new sales manager and Ethan came back from a ride at Signal a bit horrified. They had been helping a young rider after a particularily horrible crash... and noticed that, in their opinion, the crash was probably caused by a loose handlebar. This started a discussion amoung the staff and customers and it seems everyone had a story about riders crashing due to things that could be prevented by a simple safety check.
So we decided we would do a little something to help... We have booked out the workshop next week on Tuesday and we will have three mechanics working the entire day doing safety checks... for free! We are offering these for 13-17 year olds only (any guess'es why?)
And by no means are we saying a safety check will solve all crashes... of course not. Nor will it eliminate gear failures either. When we do a satefy check, simply put, we test the bike to ensure we would also be happy to ride it down Signal Hill at speed... If there are issues we can't quickly fix, we will note them down and make suggestions as to what we recommend is done. Kind of like a warrant of fitness for your bike, you might say.
If you are keen to have your or your kids checked, book it in by calling us on 03 4777396, or come in and put your name on the list in the store tomorrow (Saturday 9.30-4). Bikes will need to be dropped off on Monday...
The other big thing that is just crazy not to do, is wear good protective gear ...
We have a great range of full face helmets, neck braces, knee pads, elbow pads in store (many new items that are not listed on site are in store now...) and we strongly recommend ensuring these fit well and are in good condition.
And finally, don't forget the enduro on this Sunday... it will be a great one!