The day of the event is just around the corner, and you trained exactly according to plan to be in your best shape.

But how do you make sure your bike and equipment also start the event in the best possible shape? In this blog you will find how you can best prepare your bike, what to take and tips from people who have done a few multi day gravel events!

In this guide, we’ll show you how to properly prepare your bike for the race and give you a checklist to make sure you don’t forget anything.

DY-079_Dynamic_Cone_Brush_Use3

Cleaning the bike

The first step is to give your bike and gear a proper clean. Not only is a clean bike a fast bike, but it also allows better inspection of the parts you will be using during the event.

  1. Use drivetrain degreaser like Drivetrain Detox to remove old oil, grease, and dirt from your entire drivetrain. Let the drivetrain soak in the degreaser for a few minutes and then agitate with a small brush to remove stubborn contaminants.
  2. For the frame and wheels use a bike cleaner like Bio Filth Fighter. The cleaner loosens the dirt on the frame in a few minutes, after which you can agitate stubborn dirt with a Soft Washing Brush or Microfibre Glove.
  3. Apply a protective layer with a product like Protective Wax over your freshly cleaned frame and components to ensure less dirt sticks to it during the event.
  4. For a more detailed instruction on cleaning and degreasing, see our blog: "A clean bike in 6 steps"

Bolts, cleats, and other fasteners

With the bike clean, it is the perfect time to check all the connections on the bike for any issues. Creaking bolts, loose fasteners and rusted threads can result in anything from a major annoyance to a very dangerous situation.

This is why it is always wise to check and grease all the bolts on your bike. Apply an assembly paste like Assembly Paste Pro to threaded fasteners and grease moving parts with a grease like Galactic Grease. Then use a torque wrench to ensure everything is tightened to specifications.

Checking your position settings

Many cyclists have found their ideal sitting position – either on their own or with the help of a bike fitter. Before the race it is advisable to check the seating position again. Are all dimensions still correct or has something slipped?

Many people travel to the event by car or plane and have to adjust the saddle or twist the handlebars for transport. Make sure to write down important dimensions like saddle height and setback beforehand and have a measuring tape with you to the event.

Of all the positional adjustments, your saddle height is probably the most important. During the stages your seat post can slip down on rough terrain, ruining your position, powertranfer and overall experience. To prevent this, we recommend that you use a carbon assembly paste on the seat post (even if it is aluminium). This ensures your saddle stays at the right height on the roughest terrain without having to over-tighten bolts.

For a more detailed explanation on how to do this, see our blog: 'Help my seatpost keeps slipping!'

Drivetrain Lubrication

If you followed the earlier cleaning instructions, you drivetrain should be thoroughly cleaned and free from any old lubricant. For the event it is extremely important to apply a new layer of lubrication. If you use chain oil, you can of course adjust the oil to the weather conditions of the competition. There are different oils for the respective weather conditions:

  • Dry Lube for dry and dusty conditions
  • Wet Lube for wet days
  • All round lube for changeable conditions


In our line-up we would always recommend Ultra² for oil users. This lubricant is extremely durable in all conditions, is very fast and keeps your drivetrain running smooth and silent.

For wax users, we recommend using the extremely durable Slick Wax. This is well suited for use in dry to mildy wet conditions and has high durability on the chain. Exactly what you need during a multi-day event.

Barkeeper-Tubeless-Martijn (2)

TIRES

Worn tires are not only a safety risk, but they are also more prone to defects. Be sure to check the tire profile of your tires and change the tires if necessary. Check the air pressure at the same time and see if your wheel is running smoothly.

This is also a good time to consider switching to tubeless tires. The added puncture protection and comfort really shin during these longer events. As most wheels are tubeless ready, it is often as easy as getting good tubeless tires, valves, and sealant.
If you already ride tubeless, be sure to check if there is still enough sealant in the tires.

Here at Dynamic we also share the enthousiasm for multi-day or ultra events. With participants in The Ride Gravel, Badlands, The Traka and other events. Based on these experiences we have some great tips for your next event.

Exclusive Dynamic Tips & Tricks

Hydration Packs are better then bottles

If you are riding off-road in technical terrain, grabbing a waterbottle can be near impossible. This leaves you with the risk of eating & drinking too little, ruining your ride.

A hydration pack is the perfect alternative. Add some drink mix to the bag for an easily accessible source of water and food.

Optimize recovery where possible

Recoverring after a stage is extremely important to be able to start the next day with as much energy as possible. Which is why we recommend you to:

  • Bring your own recovery shake as these are often not available, but are very valuable to aid recovery.
  • Take earplugs to ensure you can get a good night sleep. A ruined night can definitely lead to a ruined day.
Comfort is everything

Make everything as comfortable as possible for yourself. Suffering on the bike is enough as it is, do not make it any harder than it needs to be. We have found that these things make comfortlevels a lot higher:

  • Babywipes; perfect for a quick fresh-up or to clean dirty hands after a mechanical.
  • Toiletpaper; Everyone want's to get #2 done before heading out, which means toilet paper might be in short supply right before the start. Avoid that stress and bring a roll yourself.