YOUR BIKE PARK CHECKLIST
Whether you’re a park-riding novice or a serial shredder, preparation is key to riding enjoyment. Follow these tips from Hiplok to reduce the pre-ride faff and maximise your trail time
1 GET YOUR GEAR READY
There’s nothing worse than pulling up at the car park and realising you’ve forgotten your shoes. Spend a few minutes the night before getting all your kit together, so you’re not scrambling around in the morning. The Hiplok ORGANIZER provides a one-stop gear storage solution for mountain bikers, and you can even attach it to an AIRLOK wall hanger if you want to keep your bike with your equipment, too. Store all your essentials in one place and tick them off your checklist well in advance:
• Helmet
• Glasses or goggles
• Jersey
• Gloves
• Shorts
• Knee pads
• Socks
• Shoes
• Water bottle
• ‘Cafe lock’ – eg. Hiplok Z LOK (pictured, top)
• Bike!
2 TUNE UP YOUR TRANSPORT
Unless you’re lucky enough to live at the foot of a mountain, heading to a bike park usually means a drive. Choosing the right bike carrier can be difficult and often depends on the specifics of your vehicle. A good solution can be to simply put your bike in the back of the car. To protect both vehicle and bike, Hiplok have developed the first bike-specific car protector. Designed to fit all car types and sizes, RIDE SHIELD (below) comprises a waterresistant padded liner to prevent damage to the vehicle, a security cover to shield your bike from view when it’s in the car, and a separate wheel holder to prevent rattling and any scratching of the bike frame. It also features a large pocket for carrying all of your dirty, well-worn gear for the post-ride drive home. No more blankets and old curtains required, simply hook RIDE SHIELD over the front seats and cover the back of your car for total peace of mind when transporting your bike.
3 PREP YOUR BIKE
It’s always best to do a safety check and carry out general maintenance before you get pedalling. Lugging a full workstand to the bike park isn’t really an option, so Hiplok have designed the FLIPSTAND so you can get your bike prepped at the trailside. As the name suggests, this compact stand is designed to work with the bike flipped upside down, allowing you to work on it easily, without damaging the controls – thanks to the included handlebar stabilisers – or dirtying the grips and saddle. It also acts as a tool-roll for Allen keys, lube and more.
4 MAP IT OUT
If you haven’t visited the park before, we recommend picking up a trail map and reviewing the gradings and signage before you get going. Ride the same track more than once, as this will give you a better feel for the more technical features and the general flow of the descent. If you’re a bike park newbie, start off small to gain your confidence before heading onto more difficult trails. Don’t push yourself until you feel completely comfortable – you don’t want to come up short and spoil your day on the first run!
5 CAFE TIME!
Riding downhill is surprisingly hard work, so you’ll have earned your coffee stop. Heading back to the cafe for a chat with your mates is always something we look forward to. But a word of warning – rows of desirable bikes sitting unattended outside make for a thief’s paradise. Using a lightweight ‘cafe lock’, such as the Hiplok Z LOK, can deter any opportunists looking to make an easy steal and avoid them ruining an awesome day’s riding.