in Beginners, Newbies, Noobz, etc (Moderators: imwjl, TheMayor1)

Hey guys, this is a good newbie question. My bike took a lot over the weekend with the excessive mud at WORS and I took it in to the bike shop and they recommended a full tune-up. Now, I know I needed new brake pads and both wheels trued, one of the rails on my saddle was bent, and my chain needed a clean/lube. Some of this stuff I can do myself (with the exception of wheel truing). My question is, how often and how much maintenance should I be doing on my bike? What is regular and can I wait on some things?

ps-I'm learning to do more bike repairs but some things are still beyond me.

When its broke, fix it. And keep your chain lubed. Thats about all I can say, it all depends on how much money and time you're willing to spend. If you want to learn how to fix all sorts of stuff check out the tech tuesday videos on pinkbike.com. just search tech tuesday on the homepage.

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Tightening fasteners is a good one to consider. I've met some on trail side that have had serious inconvenience or problems, including expensive ones. I've also had and been aware of instances when a bike shop did both of over tighten or not tighten a fastener.

You can buy an inexpensive torque wrench or borrow one to get a sense of how threaded items should be tightened.

For chains I'm among those who love the Rock n Road stuff. That's not as messy and sticky as many lubes but much better than a wax type lube when it comes to some water and lasting. The stuff is also amazing for stuck items.

For grease you can get a tube of Lubriplate and US made of metal injector at Yellow Jersey or industrial supply firms for fraction of the cost of the special branded for bike stuff. Sorry for the marketing folks, but if that's good enough for expensive machinery and pro maintenance people it should work on a bike.

A home type or borrowing a truing stand is worthy. I don't build wheels but the tool and time I spent has sure helped.

Finally buy a spare der hanger for your bike and carry it with you. Walter can chime in how mine spared him several miles of walking his bike from the innards of Underdown back to car. Blue Mound broke one of mine but broke the der too so that idea isn't always perfect.

Aaron - This may be the first time I've advised people on bike maintenance, and I'm no expert but I have been doing more and more of my own maintenance the last couple of years because I put a lot of miles on a number of bikes, including a lot of high mileage endurance racing.  Keeping things tuned to at least a minimum level will keep the bike working well and mitigate the risk of things breaking.  The advice of riding things until they break isn't the route I'd go because they don't break in your garage, they break on the trail where doing a repair might be minor or it might be a ride wrecker (there's been a lot of advice that's been getting posted lately about bike care, riding skills, and trail building that is not well suited to cross country or even all mountain riding unfortunately - frankly some of it is bizarre and I wish people would start considering the forum audience a little more before posting - please take all advice with that kind of filter in mind) . 

Here are things I try to check regularly:
Keep the bike clean.  Get that mud off/out.  Lube the chain after washing, clean off the excess.  Any chain lube you can pick up should be fine if you stay on top of things.
Cable tensions and brake and shifting dialed in.  For a beginner these take practice - it's a basic skill that you've got to learn if you are riding xc/all mountain.  Easy once you learn it.
Tire pressure (every ride).

Here are things I try to check a few or several times a season:
Fork pressure/adjustment.
Headset tightness (a good one to know).
Wheel trueness.
Tire sealant (if running tubeless).

In the offseason I pay attention to:
Brake pads
Chain wear and possible cassette/cog/chainring wear
Cable housing/cables
Tire wear
But I don't replace any of these every year - and I ride a lot of singletrack miles.

There are some things I also don't or haven't messed with that I leave to the experts but for the average recreational rider honestly some of them or probably 10 year things or more.

I don't carry a derailleur hanger with me, I don't know a soul who does (well I know one now).

There are some really good guys on this forum who know their s* and are more than willing to help - so just post up and ask if your ever unsure.

When its broke, fix it. And keep your chain lubed. Thats about all I can say

Ditto,  I ride the crap out of all of mine and when it doesn't do what it's supposed to do I take it to the shop.  I have gotten pretty good at wheel trueing though as I am equally good at bending wheels,  I take a spoke wrench and tighten / loosen accordingly until it doesn't hit the brake pads!

My question is, how often and how much maintenance should I be doing on my bike? What is regular and can I wait on some things?

You can always wait. But I think you're asking what can be done to prevent mechanical failures on the trail.

It's hard to make a blanket statement that is meaningful. For instance, the drive train will usually start to shift poorly before it fails if the problem is dirt. But a worn out chain will take a cassette with it and may show no symptoms until both are shot. Measuring the pin-to-pin distance on the chain is good preventative maintenance. 12 1/8" is too long for 12 links. Two seasons on a chain is about it if you ride much.

http://www.kronowit.com/bicycling/chainstretch.html

I usually don't get my shocks serviced until they leak or make noise. Most manufacturers recommend dirt seal cleaning or replacement on a yearly basis.

Derailleur cables and housings don't last forever. They tend to pick up grit in a mud ride and should be inspected afterward.

Wheels are a tough one. Disk brakes make it possible to ride wobbly rims and still get good braking performance. In my experience, wheels don't tend to last once the spoke tension becomes uneven. Tim's method is definitely better than nothing, but a pro mechanic is worth the money for truing wheels in my opinion. As William pointed out, Yellow Jersey takes pride in their wheel building reputation.

Always run more pressure in your tires at Blue Mound than you would use elsewhere. It's a bad place for skinny tires. It will destroy ordinary tires run as a Stan's conversion. Blue Mound will make you a better rider, but you will pay.

Walt

Blue Mound will make you a better rider, but you will pay.

Yeah, more than just the State Park sticker!

Thanks for all the feedback! Sounds like my decision to take the bike into the shop after riding the Mud Bowl (as I now think of my Iola WORS ride) wasn't a bad idea, as it will save me a lot time cleaning/maybe replacing all the needed parts.

As for regular maintenance, I should be able to keep up on these things. I'll post a pic of my miniature bike shop as soon as I can.

When its broke, fix it. And keep your chain lubed. Thats about all I can say, it all depends on how much money and time you're willing to spend. If you want to learn how to fix all sorts of stuff check out the tech tuesday videos on pinkbike.com. just search tech tuesday on the homepage.

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+1 Tom, those vids are great.

For all the "Aaron's" out there, just buy a basic took kit to start.  you'll get good at working on your bike and tackling new problems/issues.  then buy additional tools as you need them.  I started with this kit about 5 yrs ago and it helped me get started with basic bike maintaince and repairs.
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/14585-325_SET215-2-Accessories-42-Tools/Sette-ST-21-Tool-Kit---21-Tools-offer.htm?utm_source=SLI&utm_medium=datafeed&utm_campaign=FTP&zmam=3075515&zmas=1&zmac=41&zmap=325%20SET215

I've since added several PARK tools needed over the years that are better or specific to my bikes and everything is now in a larger toolbox from MENARDS.   A basic tool kit like the above will get you going and in no time you'll be blowing away night time hours in the garage/basement tweaking your ride and drinking beer.   ahhhhh yes.  like they say, Practice Makes Perfect.  have at it and have fun