Page 3 - Blog

If you're an avid mountain biker looking to hit the trails with a budget of £1500 or less, you're in luck! At Tweeks Cycles, we've compiled a list of the top five hardtail mountain bikes that offer exceptional performance and great value for money. Whether you're a seasoned rider or a newcomer to the sport, these bikes are sure to take your off-road adventures to the next level. Let's dive in and explore the exciting features of each bike...

Topeak have a huge range of accessories to make your cycling experience better. The range covers everything from bikepacking bags and pannier racks, to workshop tools and pumps plus a whole lot more in between! With Topeak, the focus is on high quality, excellent value and supreme durability. Our man Tom has one of their Topeak Survival Gear Box, which is over 20 years old and still going strong! Topeak are also expanding their range yearly, keeping on trend and forefront of tech when it comes to cycling accessories. With all that said, let’s dive in and pick out our favourites from their range that you should check out!

You’ve just bought your new bike and the last thing that you want is for it to be stolen. A Bicycle lock is an essential tool for protecting your bike from theft. Whether you're just running a quick errand, commuting to work, or securing your bike at home, it's important to have a reliable way to secure your bike when you're not using it. In this blog, we'll go over some of the different types of bike locks available and discuss how to choose the best one for your needs. 

Cyclocross season is here, mud pluggers rejoice!! Cyclocross racing can be amazing fun, but it pays to have the right rubber for job. Wet, muddy and grass-filled courses bring up their own challenges, so having tyres to suit the conditions can make or break your race. With gravel bikes growing in popularity and a number of winter gravel events on the calendar, you can even turn your racing focus to the path less pedalled, whether that be for a gravel race or if you just want to explore gravel roads in the wintertime. We’ve picked out our favourites in this cyclocross race and gravel tyres guide to help you stay rubber side up this season!

There is nothing worse than riding an uncomfortable bicycle saddle. Like, literally nothing. It can ruin your ride, ruin the bike, ruin the road or trail… They’re just a pain, literally and metaphorically speaking. But how do you find the right one for you?  Saddles can be very personal, so it pays to experiment a little bit, as well as dispel a few saddle myths. First off, more padding and width do not automatically mean a saddle is more comfortable and supportive. In fact, more of either or both can be a BAD thing! So don’t assume you need a sofa of a sofa in order to comfortable, or that saddle that looks closer to a razor blade is going to uncomfortable. 

Tyre choice can be a complete minefield. Which tread pattern, what compound, what size, what width? Here we lay out the best Maxxis tyres combo. The list is endless! Maxxis make a huge range of tyres and are by far our most popular MTB tyre brand, but we still get asked what is the best tyre combo from their huge range? Well, it depends on what bike you ride and where you ride! We’ve compiled a recommended list to help you find the best tyres for your riding. For the full low-down on the Maxxis range, check out our video with Bike Expert Tom to learn all you need to know!

The world of mountain bike suspension can all feel a bit mind-boggling sometimes. You might have all the dials and adjustments in the world but if you don't know what they are and how to get the best from them... well, you can quickly turn your very expensive suspension into something resembling a pogo stick or worse, an office chair! To help, we've put together this guide to decipher what-is-what on your suspension and how it affects your bike and the ride.

Depending on your bike and suspension, you may have none or all of these adjustments available! Take note of what you need to know about your bike and dig in to get the most out of your suspension.

Single/Double/Triple crown

The arch that connects the two legs of a fork. This is usually a single connection but on downhill mountain bikes it is 2 connections (double) or even three (triple) for extra strength and stability.

Stanchion(s)

These are the smooth and visible tubes on a fork that the lowers will move over.

Stroke

The amount in

A huge brown box on your doorstep can mean only one thing: NEW BIKE DAY! But how do you turn the contents of that box into a rideable bike? All of the bikes we sell are given a Pre-delivery Inspection (PDI) by our workshop team, so all you need to do is follow a few quick steps and you're good to go. With the help of our Bike Expert Tom, here's our quick setup guide for how to build a bike and get it ready to ride!

What you'll need:

• Multitool / Torque wrench
• Pedal Spanner

Step 1: Remove packaging

To ensure your new ride arrives to you in one piece and free of blemishes, our warehouse staff thoroughly wrap the bike in protective packaging! Your first step is to carefully remove all of the packaging from the bike.

Step 2: Straightening the handlebars

To straighten the handlebars, you'll need to undo the stem bolts using a multitool. These bolts are usually 4mm or 5mm Allen heads (or sometimes very occasionally use a T25 Torx head). Once the handlebars and stem are straight, check that the

Going tubeless is one of the biggest upgrades you can make to your bike. You'll have better puncture protection, more grip, more comfort and improved rolling resistance - that's a whole lot of wins for a minimal amount of fuss! It can still be intimidating however the first time you go to do a 'DIY tubeless' setup, so with the help of our Bike Expert Tom, here's our guide to setting up your tyres tubeless!

Step 1: Make sure you have everything you need

Before you get started, you need to ensure you have suitable wheels and tyres. Ideally both the wheels and tyres will be 'tubeless-ready' or tubeless 'compatible'. While it is possible to run some non-tubeless wheels in a tubeless setup, we don't really recommend this, so if you don't have a set of tubeless-ready wheels already, check out our range here. For any tubeless setup, you will need specific tubeless-ready tyres, so check your tyres beforehand.

You will also need: tubeless tape, sealant, tubeless valves, some tyre levers to help

We all know we should wear a helmet whenever we go for a ride, even if it's just a gentle spin around the block. What's just as important as wearing any old helmet though, is making sure you have the right one for you; it needs to fit properly and offer the right amount of protection for your needs. No point wearing a full-face helmet on the road for example, and you don't see the folks dropping in at Red Bull Rampage with roadie lids either! Here's the definitive cycling helmet guide to help you get the right helmet for your riding!

Road & Urban

For the road, there are a couple of styles of helmet out, ranging from your traditional road-style lids through to more urban focussed styles that are toned-down to look a bit more casual. If you're a pure roadie, then a road helmet with a decent amount of ventilation is the way to go, like the Met Rivale. Helmets like the Rivale offer excellent comfort, protection, and ventilation, making them great all-rounders. If your riding takes a more serious