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Welcome to the first post in our series of Basic Bike Maintenance! Whether we started riding at 5 or 45, we were all beginners at one point. This series is chocked full of information we wish we knew from the start, and is focused on empowering new riders to feel confident in maintaining their equipment. Many of us have learned these lessons the hard or expensive way, but you shouldn't have to.

This brings us to our first topic, chain wear! Bike chains are made of up to 116 individual links, and have the most moving parts of any component on your bike. They're constantly under stress while we pedal, and are usually covered in dust, mud or anything else you might encounter on a ride. Knowing this, it makes sense that your chain will wear with normal use. So what does normal chain wear look like, and when is replacement appropriate?

Luckily for us, chain wear is quantifiable using a chain checker tool, which indicates wear on a scale from 0 to 1. Our favorite tool is the Park Tool Chain Checker

There are plenty of YouTube videos describing the full gamut of Maxxis Tire offerings, how to combine them, and what conditions to run them in. However, there is a surprising lack of tire guides specific to the conditions of the Tahoe area. The basin is unique, with early season hero dirt rapidly devolving into dusty hardpack, to the deep dust of summertime. Techy rock gardens and loose-on-hard flow means we need ultimate grip and cut resistance out of our tires. Here we will break it down to basics- pattern, casing, and compound- plus we will share our favorite front/rear combo for the local conditions.

Tread Pattern (Front):

First up is the legendary Maxxis Minion DHF. In our opinion, this tire is the best compromise between traction and rolling resistance for our area. Combining fast-rolling center knobs with well-supported cornering knobs, it has been a solid choice for a front tire since its debut almost 20 years ago.

Next is WC Downhiller Greg Minnaar's signature pattern, the Maxxis

Join us Sunday June 24th for the Free Giant Demo Day at Start Haus!

Come check out the latest bikes and take em for a spin! Easy access to trails right from the shop. Staff will be on hand to answer any questions you have on bikes, plus deals in-store!

Buy a bike on June 24th and get 25% off any bike accessories!

June 24th 10AM-4PM only at Start Haus!

Its time to start thinking about trading in that old bike for a new whip! Bring us your used bike to sell at our 3rd annual Memorial Weekend Bike Consignment Sale!

You choose either 80% store credit to spend on anything in the shop, or choose 100% credit toward a new bike!

Accepting bikes now - whether its a DH, mountain bike, roadie, or a cruiser - dust it off and bring it by the shop. We'll help you check it in, price it, and we'll store it for you until the sale.

Sale happens Memorial Weekend, May 25th through 28th!

Troy Lee Designs A1 & A2 Mountain Biking Helmets: Superior Protection and Style

Still have the same bike helmet you bought when you first started riding? With greater awareness of the long-term damaging effects of concussions, bike helmet design has improved industry wide: helmets are no longer designed just to prevent skull fractures. One improvement is Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS), a revolutionary technology that lets the helmet slide relative to the head, adding more protection against rotational violence to the brain caused by angled impacts. Troy Lee Designs feels that MIPS is so important to prevent concussions that they no longer make helmets without it. Come into Start Haus in Truckee and check out our full line of bike helmets, including the A1 and A2 helmets by Troy Lee Design.

The Classic A1 by Troy Lee is an aggressive all-mountain half shell helmet that has been a mountain biking industry leader for more than a decade. Known for being the most comfortable

Biking season is right around the corner in Tahoe and going strong in any direction down the hill. The bike side of Start Haus in Truckee is ready to get you out on the trail or road, with knowledgeable bike mechanics and Giant, Liv, and Norco bikes and gear, including kids’ bikes. Getting kids riding early and often sets them up for great riding experiences throughout their lives. Truckee Bike Park is a great place to hone skills and have fun as a family – and it’s free. Just as you care what you ride, the right equipment can make all the difference for getting kids excited to ride.

Norco youth bikes –  from their smallest kids’ run bikes to their 24” full suspension mountain bike – feature lightweight aluminum frames, custom geometry, and kid-specific components, like short stems and wide bars for more stable handling. Ample standover clearance and short chainstays make it possible to fit kids on bikes with larger wheels, helping them roll over bumpy terrain. Norco bikes help build

Don’t wait until the trails are snow-free and prime to start looking at your mountain bike – now’s the time to get it dialed in for the season.

To get the most out of your bike, there’s a few things you can do at home, and a few you might want to schedule some time with our amazing mechanics for.

Tires:

First off – check your tires. Do the treads look ok? Are the side knobs undercut? Center treads worn smooth? And if you’re running tubeless (we hope you’re running tubeless) – now’s a great time to open up the bead to see if you still have sealant, or if it’s formed a big snot ball at the bottom of the tire.

If it’s time to replace tires, check out our tire guide here. And if you don’t have the tools to get a tubeless tire off or back on the rim to check sealant, swing by Start Haus.

Suspension:

Quality suspension makes or breaks a good mountain bike – and too many of us neglect these high-tech pieces of our bikes, resulting in degraded performance and diminished lifespans. Fortunately,

Let's dust off winter and kick off spring season with a ladies' group ride celebrating the warmer days and the bike season ahead! We will meet at the Start Haus and then head together to Nevada City to explore the new and wildly popular Hoot trail. The Hoot trail is a short, smooth, windy, single-track, 1.3 mile descent, followed by a short climb back up on the road. We will plan to do two laps. Those who want to ride more are welcome to stay. This is a fun ride for everyone meant to bring ladies who bike together for a no-pressure day to ride and make new friends who ride. We'll freshen up on our cornering skills so that we can make the most of this trail.

Where & When:
Meet up at Start Haus 9AM. From there we'll shuttle and/or carpool to Nevada City. Coffee and pastries available at Start Haus before the trip.

This event is open to women riders at all levels. See you then!

UPDATE: DirtGypsy Adventures will be providing a free shuttle service for the first 14 people to sign up in the

Norco Sight 29 & 27.5: Two Top Tahoe Bike Contenders

The perfect Tahoe bike is something we can debate until we’re blue in the face – but for a bike that can take on our region’s gnarly terrain just as well as it can head out for an all-day epic on the Tahoe Rim Trail, the new Norco Sight is tough to beat.

Start off by picking the personality you’re looking for –29-inch wheels with great rollover and speed, or 27.5 for a more nimble ride perfect for those who prefer to pop off of little lips and rocks rather than plowing through them.

The 29er gets 130mm of well-controlled travel in the rear, 140mm up front. Enough to mash through the local rock garden, but without slowing you down on the climb. The 27.5 gets a little more with 140mm in back and 150mm in front – great for getting rowdy without dumbing down your favorite flow trail.

But geometry is what really defines the character of these bikes, and the Sight hits all the right angles and measurements on the head. The head tube angle backs

Mountain Biking All Year: You Know You Want To

Living and playing in Tahoe is all about getting outside. You don’t need fat tires to mountain bike this winter – sweet, tacky singletrack in the foothills is just 45 minutes away. Or head east and get a good ride in, all-you-can-eat sushi, then tackle your Reno errands. For extreme “cross-training” you can double down – ski in the morning and then bike until sunset. Start Haus in Truckee has the gear and expert bike mechanics to help you get out there. Grab your friends and your cooler and head down the hill for the day. Or take advantage of off-season lodging rates and take your posse to ride in the Santa Cruz or Marin.

Nevada City, CA

Just a 45 minute drive west of Truckee you’ll find warmer temps and great trails. You can access three of the trails easily by parking near the Harmony Ridge Market on Hwy 20 and hopping on the Pioneer Trail. The Pioneer Trail is 15.5 miles of flowy trails with rollers and

Suspension Works at Start Haus

Here at Start Haus we've assembled some of the most knowledgeable and experienced mechanics in Northern California. With a range of disciplines and specialties, there is nothing that our bike crew can’t do.  We've invested thousands of dollars in tooling to increase our capability to perform both air and damper service on front and rear suspension.

So what makes our rebuilds different? We’re not just going to drop your lowers and throw on some new dust seals.  We fully disassemble your equipment, replace all seals, recharge the nitrogen when applicable, and reassemble to factory specs.  We're an authorized Fox, RockShox and Giant dealer and use original equipment parts and fluids whenever possible. This is a complete service, just like what the manufacturer would do.

We offer full service rebuilds on just about all Fox, Rockshox rear shocks and forks, plus many brands of dropper posts.  Save money with a rebuild and with any luck you gear will perform