FAQ

OK, so you should have already have told us what mode you would like the bike to be set-up in (Balance Mode 1, Small Pedal Mode 2 or Large Pedal Mode 3) when you ordered. So all you should need to do is take the bike out of the box, put the front wheel in, straighten the handlebars (and tighten the stem bolts), drop in the seat and put on the pedals. Check out our ‘out of the box’ video here.

The bike comes supplied with a 2.5mm, 4mm and two 5mm allen keys, and a 12 and 15mm box spanner, that should be all you need to get you going.

You need to make sure that you have the correct pedal for each side of your bike. On the end of the pedal axle, you will find either a R (right) or a L (left). The right-hand side (as you sit facing forwards on the bike) pedal tightens as normal, clockwise, but the left-hand pedal has a reverse thread on it, meaning that you need to turn it anti-clockwise to tighten. It is best to use your fingers to put the pedals on, and then finally tighten them up with the supplied 15mm spanner.

Of course. First, check the instruction manual that came with the bike. If that doesn’t help then go to our ‘How To’ page and watch this video. If you are still having problems after that then give us a call.

This is vitally important. See it in our ‘How To’ video here.

Don’t panic, changing the gearing is relatively simple. With the rear wheel out of the bike undo the three bolts using the 2.5mm allen key that came with the bike, and then simply slide the outer nylon cog off the inner one (video here). Your gearing is now set for the bike to be in the larger frame size, mode 3. Slip on the belt, put the wheel bike in the frame, position the belt, and then use the tension adjustment bolt to get everything just right (video here).

You can download our instruction manual here.

One of the main causes of a noisy belt is misalignment (of the sprockets or wheel) or belt tension. Another issue can simply be a dirty belt. Give it a quick clean with warm soapy water, then rinse it with clean water, allow it to dry and then apply a coating of dry silicone spray. That should get rid of any unwanted noises.

You have a tension issue, which should be easy to remedy. Go to our ‘How To’ video here.

We recommend 25 to 30 psi. The higher pressure range is best suited to riding on the road or surfaced tracks, lower pressures give you more grip in off-road situations.

You can take it to your local bike shop, and they will be able to help you out with most issues, but don’t forget that they will charge you accordingly. If you have a specific problem or warranty issue please call or email us so that we can sort it out for you. It may be something simple.

Contact us directly and we can go through your options.

We carry a full range of spares. Please contact us.

Our company was born in Monmouthshire’s ‘Mynydd Du’ the Black Mountains, and the very first prototypes were made by founder Andy Lloyd in his workshop at the base of the Skirrid Mountain. It's a beautiful part of the world, and we can think of no better name for the company.

We love the mountains, and we took inspiration for our model names from mountains across the world. Our smallest bike, though rolling on 14" wheels, starts life as a small balance bike, equivalent in size to a normal 12" bike, then grows through two sizes and two speeds into a true 14". So as this bike spans the conventional 12"-14" size range, so we named it after the 1214m high PINTO Mountain, from the north-central Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA. For our next bike, which spans the equivalent range of a normal 14"-16" bike, you guessed it, we named it after a 1416m high peak – Mount Skøg, British Columbia, Canada (SKØG is a word we love, as it’s the Danish word for Forest).

We are happy for you to come to our Black Mountain HQ for a test ride. We are easy to find and if you have time there are plenty of other things to do in the area, it is a beautiful part of the world. Why not make a day of it? Contact us for more info.

All our bikes are designed and engineered in our Monmouthshire head office in the UK. For production, we are proud to have chosen Taiwan, a country that uses state of the art equipment to produce the highest quality modern day bicycles. Our EPOK bikes feature Hydroformed tubing, advanced heat-treatment, all-aluminium forks and state of the art belt drives, so Taiwan was the natural place for us to go.

As a kid’s bike company the environment and its future is important to us. At the heart of our EPOK design is a bike frame that offers an increased lifespan, to allow the bike to live longer in one family, and to be easier to hand up, down, or across to siblings and friends or to be sold on. This maximises the lifespan of the frame, and because we use high-quality components throughout the bikes, it means that hopefully when our bikes finally retire, it is after a long multi-user life, and not just because they don’t fit the first rider anymore. Environmental impacts are also a core factor in many of our engineering and commercial decisions. We select companies based on quality, reputation, trading practises – we know who they are and how they operate – we think that is really important in today’s global economy where sometimes values and ethical standards are compromised. We make long-lasting bikes that are responsibly made.

All of our bikes conform to, and often surpass, ISO 8098:2014 Safety Requirements For Bicycles For Young Children.

Because all of the components are proportionately scaled down to fit young children there are not many parts that you can upgrade. For example, carbon bars only come in adult dimensions, meaning that where the grips go would be too fat for a child’s small hands.

It was always our aim to make super lightweight bikes (because we know how important that is for kids), and we have managed to do that. Our complete pedal bikes are right on the money weight wise. In pedal bike mode, the PINTO is 5.7kg and the SKØG is 6.1kg. Those are very competitive weights, and comparable to other high-end children’s bikes.

Black Mountain is focussed on designing and making the best bikes for kids, but as keen bikers, we’ve also got loads of ideas for adult bikes – so watch this space. Sign up to our newsletter and social media platforms to keep informed.