New to MTB in Sydney

Just bought an 08 Giant Talon for me and a Giant Rincon for the misses. Thought id take up mountain biking for no apparant reason. Looks like heaps of fun and im all for going and getting lost out in the bush for hours on end.

Kinda stumbled accross these forums and a world of great information is on here.

Looking at taking up some riding around Sydney. Ive heard of some good trails in the blue mountains and the royal national park.

Any tips would be appraeciated or even criticisim if ive bought a dud bike.

Have a slow leak on the rear tyre at the moment and im not sure if thats got anything to do with the French valves????

Thanks
I.B.

can't advise on downhill riding but have you checked that the valve of your tire is screwed in all the way (ie: you souldn't be able to take the dust cap off and press the button to let air out). Apart from that check your tire for shards of metal or screws, i've been pretty supprised with how many punctures i've been getting riding around the city. Oh and if you do have something lodged in your tire be sure to take it out before you patch your tube.
orfeo

Whereabouts in Sydney are you?

A wise purchase that will save you a lot of $$$ in the long run is to get yourself a copy iof Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance.

Relying on bike shop mechanics can be expensive and result in unnecessary time off the bike while you wait for them to do a simple little job. A good set of tools suitable for the average joe home mechanic can be found on www.torpedo7.com.au

Of course some jobs are best left to the bike shop, but with this book you'll be better equipped to know what those are, and what you can deal with yourself.

Chances are you've picked up a glass chip or a metal metal filing. Mark where the valve is on the tyre sidewall, and take the tyre and tube off. Pump the tube up until it's reasonably firm, immerse in a tub of water and look for the bubble trail. Once you've found and patched the hole, go back to yoru tyre and, using the mark you made on the sidewall for reference, locate and remove the cause of the puncture.

Down Sydney South. Will look at my tyre issue on the weekend. It does last a good few days before it nees pumping back up again.

There's some good riding in the Royal National Park and also the Garawarra State Conservation Park. Keep an ear out for the odd off-road motor biker though.