Jebus

Hey, im new 2 REAL Mountain biking and got my uncles 2002 Giant Rainier. Im only 13 but have lotsa endurance. I was just wonder wat the Gaint Rainier is best for? And do u guys know anywhere 2 bike in Irvine, CA?

Jebus

Oh and what should i get for it and do for it? like i heard u have 2 use like a shock pump 2 do somethin wit the shox. What else do i have 2 do with takin care of this bike? Other than inflating the tires

moabrider47

I assume your new to mountain biking, so if your not, I apoligize for explaining things you might already know. You only need a shockpump if the suspension uses air. On the Giant Rainier, correct me if im wrong, but I think it does not come stock with an air shock. Check and post what fork it is and we could tell you. The Giant Rainier is best for XC(cross-country) riding. This means most mountain bike trails, without huge drop-offs and very high speed downhills over very rough terrain.

moabrider47

I believe the Rainiers also came with mechanical disc brakes. To take care of these, you need to make sure not to touch the rotors(metal parts) with your hands. To clean them, use only isopropal alchohol(rubbing alchohol, but you shouldn't have to do this often. Cleaning the chain is also a good thing to do fairly often if you ride much. The best way to do this is too get a chain cleaner that does not require you to take the chain off the bike. An overall cleanup of the bike after a really muddy ride is also good. Spray it down with the hose and then wipe it with a clean cloth, but try not to spray directly into the hubs, bottom bracket, and headset. As for the fork , you can adjust it whether it uses air or not usually with adjustment knobs on the top of one or both of the fork legs. You can find the owners manual for the fork you have by looking on the internet for the fork company. Most offer free online owners manuals. Other regular maintenece includes changing cables and brake pads, and occasionally adjusting the brakes. You can find out how to do that on the here on the internet and in just about every repair book. Its not hard. You might also look at a repair book. The internet is also a good place, as many sites detail the cleaning and care of a bike. Simply pay attention to the ones that might help take care of the parts on your bike. Good luck!

Jebus

I believe my forks are marzzochi EXR Air with Bomber shocks. Ya i got the PDF format manual and says i gotta "Check and clean the area below the dust seal and the stanchon tube after each use and lubricate with silicon oil." first i dont now wot the dust seal is. Second i dont know wat the stanchon tube is. And it also says: "A short break in period is required (5-10 hours)" Can anyone tell me hour to how to "break in"?

Also says 2 change oil every 100 hrs of use and check frequently the air pressure on the air forks at least every 10 hours. And how do i do that? lol as u can see ima newbie .

So the shock pump is for the shocks... and what do i use for my tires? they are different then my other standart cheap bikes, the rainiers are smaller, what kind of pump should i buy? and it also says u have 2 break into the brakes?

Jebus

And Downhill would be what? is it like going down a FLAT huge hill/mountain wit no rocks or anything? Or is it like a huge hill with rough terrain, rocks, etc....and i live in Irvine... theres not that much in here. I think

Jebus

And i heard Urban riding? wats that? riding it the city? construction sites? Single Track? Fire roads?

Jebus

Im really light and i only weigh 86-90 pounds. When i get on, the shock goes down only like half a centimeter. Is light better? Im afraid ill fly off my bike cuz im 2 light and the bike is also.

moabrider47

Your bike would be more for cross country. Downhill is just like what it sounds like - Down a very rough, steep hill at very high speeds. There are specialized bikes with large amounts of front and rear suspension. Downhill bikes are meant soley for the purpose of going downhill. fast. I'm not sure what Irvine's got for downhill riding - I live in southeastern New Hampshire. Urban riding is riding in the city. You usually see "urban" riders going off steps and other obstacles in a city.

The dust seal on your fork is the rubber gasket looking thing around the bootom edge of the part of the fork that moves into the lower part of the fork when it is compressed. If your stanchion tubes(part of the fork that moves into the other part of the fork) is completely covered with a rubber/plastic loose covering, then those are the dust covers. The Stanchion tubes are the part of the fork that isn't painted. They are usually shiny silver or gold colored. The break-in period just means that to get all of the gaskets and seals working right, you need to use it. To break it in, simply ride around on terrain that will activate the fork.(make it bounce up and down).

I wouldn't worry too much about changing the oil that often. Most times, the amount of riding a person does dictates how often the oil needs to be changed. Look at your riding style. If you ride it every day, then maybe you want to follow the recommended change time. I'm not a pro at changing oil, but someone here or at your shop could give you a better answer.

Check the air pressure in the fork before every ride. Most shock pumps have some type of gauge to tell you what the pressure is.
Make sure to get a shock pump that fits the type of valve that your fork uses. Some have a shraeder valve, while some require a needle-type pump, kind of like what you would use on a basketball.

You sound like you have Presta valves on your tires. Presta valves are most often found on road bikes and some mountain bikes. They look long and skinny. Unsrew a small screw at the top of the valve(it doesn't come all the way off) before pumping them. You will need a pump that has a head that will attach to a presta valve correctly. You can easily get a pump nowadays that has a head that rotates. One side is to fill presta valved tires, and the other side is to fill shraeder valve(dept. store, as well as many high end bikes-its just what the rim is compatible with.) tires.

Breaking in the brakes(I think the Rainier comes with disc brakes) just means using them. Go for a few rides. Do a few hard stops. At first, you might hear lots of squeaks or feel reduced stopping power. Breaking them in just means to get the brake pads worn a little bit, and get the rotor(i think thats how you spell it)used. The rotor is the shiny circle attached to the hub. Don't touch the rotor with bare hands. Finger oil can contaminate it.

Jebus

And when i check my shox, what PSI should it be?

Jebus

I heard that the Giant Rainier had cheap stem. And the seat is uncomfortable. What kind of stem and seat should i get for the Rainier

moabrider47

I'm not sure why no-one else is replying to this post, but here it goes,


The online owners manual for the fork should tell you what pressure it should be at. The pressure is based on your weight and your riding style. They usually have you set it at a certain pressure, then add some for your wieght. You can then adjust it for your riding style. Once you figure it out the first time, you just put that much pressure into it everytime you check it.


I wouldn't worry too much about the stem at this point. Until you get really serious into the sport or start counting grams really carefully, the stem shouldn't be a problem. Riders that do more free-riding and downhill stuff are usually the most worried about their stem because of the stresses involved. For now, if it holds your handlbars in place, I'd say stick with it. If your really want to get a new stem anyways, and the one you have now is comfortable, make sure you get the same rise and length. Since the Giant is a 2002, the website should have the specs for the bike. It should give this information about the stem.

Regarding seats, You just have to try a few. Find a friends bike with a seat your looking at. Some shops even let you ride around quick to try it out. Seats are a very personal thing, so something I like could be very different than something you would find comfortable. And don't worry about titanium or carbon rails at this point. A comfortable seat doesn't have to be expensive.

You can read the reviews of different seats and seatposts, along with hundreds of other bike parts, at www.mtbr.com . I have found that this site is pretty rtteliable about giving the right impression about things.

ShawnSR

I actually ride this exact bike. I don't know too much about bikes but all I know is I'm extremely happy with it. I did bend my back rim, but I either did that in my poor attempts at learning to bunny hop (I'm better now though) or taking it downhilling at Whistler (boy was that fun... not as much as the XC there though ). Either way, I've put some abuse on it already and it's holding up great so far.

As far as seats go, I've ridden dozens of bikes, and lets face it... after a hard day of riding your ass is going to be sore. If you find something comfortable, great, but I wouldn't pull your hair out looking for it. Although if you are looking for an upgrade, I'd recomend clipless pedals, takes a bit to get use too but I love mine.

Scooby Snax

Hey,
seat not too comfy?

playing with your seat height and slope are pretty easy ways to get some comfort, before you junk the sadle you have.
Getting up out of the saddle helps a lot!
and belive it or not, you do eventualy break the saddle, or your butt in.

dirtbikedude

https://www.mybikesite.com/socal/
Try this site to meet other riders in your area. It is a So.Cal. site so 95% of the users are in SoCal. You also might want to go to your LBS and find out if they know of riders that you could ride with. Enjoy the new bike.
Slainte

Jebus

Wat kind of clipless pedal do u have Shawn? And i heard about swapping parts? how do u do that?