Shuttling is a great way to enjoy riding bikes. The effortless trip to the top of the trail makes the ride down all the more fun. The extra energy allows you to pump for speed, corner faster, and pedal harder. The mid-trail gaps get bigger, and the fast sections become warp speed. But during all the fun, every lift back to the top takes its toll. Your downtube, chainstays, and toptube see wear from the tailgate, bike racks, and other bikes. Here at RideWrap, we are in the business of protecting bikes with our protection kits or best practices while shuttling. We have made a list of ways to protect your bike while shuttling.
Protect your bike with RideWrap
The first thing you can do to protect your bike while shuttling is to install a RideWrap protection kit on your bike. Having a Tailored Protection™ kit installed on your bicycle is the first line of defense against bike damage while shuttling. This will prevent scratches and rubbing from affecting your frame. If another bike’s pedal or brake lever contacts your bike frame, it can damage the paint and diminish the value of your bike.
Shuttle Armor
Shuttle armor is the second piece of bike protection to aid against the harsh conditions of shuttling. Downtube protection is extra important if you are shuttling bikes on the tailgate with a blanket or pad. The bumps, potholes, and drainage ditches you cross every lap up the shuttle road add impact and rub marks to your downtube. RideWrap Shuttle Armor will protect your downtube from harsh tailgate rub, maintaining your frame’s strength and beauty.
Use socks or mittens to cover your grips and brake levers
How to protect your bike when shuttling with socks or mittens. Use socks or mittens as a barrier between a brake lever and your toptube. This can save your frame or RideWrap from scratches. Creating a barrier between carbon and metal will diminish the impact of the rubbing while driving up the switchbacks on your favorite shuttle road.
Place towels, blankets, or cardboard between the bikes
Using towels or blankets as barriers between your bikes can minimize damage from pedals, derailleurs, and quick releases. The soft material will reduce friction and absorb the force put into the bikes as you go over bumps. Sharp pedal pins can catch downtubes and chainstays, gouging the paint or the protective film. You can eliminate the damage by spending time and extra care putting the bikes into the truck.
Keep an eye on the bikes when shuttling
Watching the bikes seems like a no-brainer. However, it has happened, rallying up a shuttle road, a mountain bike falls off the rack or out of the tailgate. Keeping an eye on the bikes while driving up the shuttle road can save a lot of damage and money. A bike getting dragged up a shuttle road even for 5 meters can be catastrophic. In addition to the big movements, keep an eye out for something as small as a brake lever rubbing on a toptube, which can cause ugly paint scratches and scar a bike forever. So, remember to watch the bikes as you drive up and strap them down.