Speaking of, what kind of things should get a once-over after a bike has been sitting for a long time? I haven't ridden my cheap Fuji MTB in almost a year but I recently saw that they're gonna open up a skills park in town and I'd like to give it a try. The bike has been in a covered shed for that time so it hasn't been exposed to rain/snow/sunlight, but it's still been sitting. The only things I can think of that would've changed are tires deflating and surface rust on parts that may have been exposed to crud/water. The forks are cheap and it's got cable actuation on the discs. I just don't want to land from a jump and have something fail.
After a year? Depending on the environmental conditions:
Open/close any QR skewers, seat post clamps etc. Check for tightness and rust.
Check spokes for tension and rust, especially around the nipples. Check wheels are true (if spokes have rusted through, wheels might not be true).
Check for rust, then oil the chain.
Check the indexing of the gears.
Lube everything.
Pump tyres up and leave overnight then check them again.
Lube your brake cables, pump the brakes several times and feel for any grinding that could signify rusted cables.
Pump the forks up and down a few times (they'll likely be stiff at first), check and reset the preload if necessary.
Check lateral play on the wheel bearings, cranks, bottom bracket.
Give the bike a quick but thorough local shakedown then recheck everything.
Listen carefully for creaks and rattles, act upon them.
