Mtn Bike Maintainence

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Mtn Bike Maintainence
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flag lawrencec
Posted: Dec 30, 2014 at 21:26 Quote
Hey guys,

Just got my first (proper) mountain bike and I'm wondering what are some tips to keep it in good shape.
I have a 'hardtail' bike, w/ entry-level rockshox front suspension and hydraulic disc brakes. I look forward to riding it quite frequently and taking it onto some trails when I can.


any good habits to pick up to keep it running smooth for the long run?

Thanks
flag madcracker79
Posted: Dec 31, 2014 at 8:34 Quote
Keep everything clean and lubed properly. This can be done best by doing it fresh home from the trail while enjoying a few beers. And just suck up the cost of a tuneup at least once a year at the bike shop. I take mine twice a year. I never have a day that my bike is the reason i cant ride.
flag RunsWithScissors
Posted: Mar 13, 2015 at 7:02 Quote
I'm a working bike mechanic, and my two cents' worth goes like this:

CLEAN YOUR EFFING CHAIN AND DRIVETRAIN components!!!Smile If you do it on a reasonably regular basis, it isn't that hard or time consuming. HOT water with dish soap and a brush works fine. Doing it regularly will keep your drivetrain functioning smoothly and alert you to adjustmemt and wear issues before they become big problems.

Lube your chain with a dry lube to minimize the gunk factor.

Clean, but DON'T lube your derailleurs. Otherwise you wind up with abrasive, oily, gunk in the pivot points, which wears them out faster.

Watch out for kinked cables and housings. They are a common cause of glitchy shifting.

Make friends with the mechanic(s) @ your local bike shop. Beer and weed are good tools for this. Have them teach you about setting derailleur limit screws and minor wheel trueing. Trial and error are a terrible (and expensive!) way to learn about both subjects.

If you wanna make your life a lot easier, buy a repair stand. EVERYTHING is a lot easier to do with the bike hanging rightside up at eye level than it is with the bike upside down on the floor. A repair stand is the most useful bike tool you will ever own...
flag TieMyShoe
Posted: Mar 20, 2015 at 12:42 Quote
If you are in BC I would suggest using dry lube only in the summer. Come spring/winter/fall when the rain and mud hits dry lube tends to get washed away. It is best to use a wet lube and regularly clean the drive train during the wet months.

Also as mentioned above, learn how to adjust your derailleur cable tension. It will save you a lot of head ache and unneeded wear on your components.
flag blazekelly
O+ FL
Posted: May 4, 2015 at 23:48 Quote
If you're a cheap-o like me and can't justify spending the money on a bike stand ( they are half the price of my bike) with my bike only costing $500. They have bike racks at lowes, Canadian tire any hardware store for about $10. Bolt one into a 2x4 in your garage and you're good to go. Works for me for doing simple cleaning and adjustments
flag BARAVNZLA
Posted: Jul 18, 2015 at 21:59 Quote
RunsWithScissors wrote:
I'm a working bike mechanic, and my two cents' worth goes like this:

CLEAN YOUR EFFING CHAIN AND DRIVETRAIN components!!!Smile If you do it on a reasonably regular basis, it isn't that hard or time consuming. HOT water with dish soap and a brush works fine. Doing it regularly will keep your drivetrain functioning smoothly and alert you to adjustmemt and wear issues before they become big problems.

Lube your chain with a dry lube to minimize the gunk factor.

Clean, but DON'T lube your derailleurs. Otherwise you wind up with abrasive, oily, gunk in the pivot points, which wears them out faster.

Watch out for kinked cables and housings. They are a common cause of glitchy shifting.

Make friends with the mechanic(s) @ your local bike shop. Beer and weed are good tools for this. Have them teach you about setting derailleur limit screws and minor wheel trueing. Trial and error are a terrible (and expensive!) way to learn about both subjects.

If you wanna make your life a lot easier, buy a repair stand. EVERYTHING is a lot easier to do with the bike hanging rightside up at eye level than it is with the bike upside down on the floor. A repair stand is the most useful bike tool you will ever own...

Pretty much everything he said except the beer and weed part, there's thousands of vids on youtube that teach you about every bit of bike mainteinance and repair, so you can have more beer and weed for yourself!
flag RunsWithScissors
Posted: Jul 19, 2015 at 6:01 Quote
BARAVNZLA wrote:
RunsWithScissors wrote:
I'm a working bike mechanic, and my two cents' worth goes like this:

CLEAN YOUR EFFING CHAIN AND DRIVETRAIN components!!!Smile If you do it on a reasonably regular basis, it isn't that hard or time consuming. HOT water with dish soap and a brush works fine. Doing it regularly will keep your drivetrain functioning smoothly and alert you to adjustmemt and wear issues before they become big problems.

Lube your chain with a dry lube to minimize the gunk factor.

Clean, but DON'T lube your derailleurs. Otherwise you wind up with abrasive, oily, gunk in the pivot points, which wears them out faster.

Watch out for kinked cables and housings. They are a common cause of glitchy shifting.

Make friends with the mechanic(s) @ your local bike shop. Beer and weed are good tools for this. Have them teach you about setting derailleur limit screws and minor wheel trueing. Trial and error are a terrible (and expensive!) way to learn about both subjects.

If you wanna make your life a lot easier, buy a repair stand. EVERYTHING is a lot easier to do with the bike hanging rightside up at eye level than it is with the bike upside down on the floor. A repair stand is the most useful bike tool you will ever own...

Pretty much everything he said except the beer and weed part, there's thousands of vids on youtube that teach you about every bit of bike mainteinance and repair, so you can have more beer and weed for yourself!

I stand by my assertion that you should bring beer and weed to the bike shop and make some friends. YouTube videos are nice, but they're a poor substitute for a real friend who can interact with you and answer direct questions about YOUR bike. Also, YouTube video will never share a beer or a joint with you out on a trail, hook you up with a spare part you need, or help you get a job.

I have a job that I love in a mountainbiking paradise because of face to face interaction with real humans in actual "bricks and mortar" bike shops. Friends are better than YouTube any day.
flag wilbs
O+
Posted: Feb 7, 2016 at 6:06 Quote
RunsWithScissors wrote:
I stand by my assertion that you should bring beer and weed to the bike shop and make some friends. YouTube videos are nice, but they're a poor substitute for a real friend who can interact with you and answer direct questions about YOUR bike. Also, YouTube video will never share a beer or a joint with you out on a trail, hook you up with a spare part you need, or help you get a job.

I have a job that I love in a mountainbiking paradise because of face to face interaction with real humans in actual "bricks and mortar" bike shops. Friends are better than YouTube any day.

I'll second that. The issue I have found with some YouTube videos is that the creator assumes you know certain terms or concepts. You can't ask questions of a video, while a living, breathing mechanic can answer questions. The guys at my LBS are great. They will bring me into the work area to demonstrate what they're talking about and explain it in terms a gumby like me can understand.
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