Mountain Bike Maintenance 101

If you own a mountain bike it’s a massive benefit to perform your own mountain bike maintenance as it will increase your enjoyment of riding as well as saving you money.

If you are confident in the knowledge that you can repair any breakdowns you can go further for longer, and you’ll be less likely to have breakdowns if you’ve maintained your bike well.

Doing your own mountain bike maintenance will save you money because you won’t have to pay a mechanic to maintain it for you and parts will last longer and need replacing less frequently.

The first important thing to do if you’re going to perform your own maintenance is to get yourself the right basic tools. Over time you’ll probably get more specialist tools as you’ll learn more about your bike and it’s parts.

You should also carry a tool kit with you when you ride and you can get complete basic tool kits to carry with you that are more compact than the regular tools you might use at home. Remember to test all tools at home before you take them out with you.

Prior to thinking about tools even, the most basic maintenance to perform on your mountain bike is to clean it regularly and this doesn’t require any tools.

Make sure you clean your bike after every ride, by wiping it down with a wet cloth or wash it with hot, soapy water and then rinse with clean water. Be sure to rinse it off afterwards or wipe it down with a wet cloth as this will prevent dirt getting into places it shouldn’t get into, and help to maintain all the parts!

Another basic item in your mountain bike maintenance agenda is lubricating the chain occasionally. This is essential to keep it functioning properly and there are lots of good lubricants available, including some self-cleaning ones. Get into the routine of applying any lubricant to the chain the night before you ride, and not a few mintutes before, so that it works into the chain well.

Another vital but basic factor to check is the air pressure in the tyres, which protects them and offers you a more comfortable ride. An important part of a maintenance routine is to change the tyres now and then, and also make sure you can change a puncture.

The next items to remember in your maintenance routine are the brake and gear cables, which need checking regularly as they stretch over time and become less effective. They should be replaced as well, about every 6 months or so, depending on how frequently you ride.

Another important maintenance task and safety issue is checking your brake pads regularly as they can wear out quickly. Check the alignment of the brake pad against the wheel rims, as they should sit squarely on the rim when the brakes are applied. When not applied they should be free of the sidewall of the tyre.

Lastly inspect all the nuts and bolts on your bike in your new maintenance routine and if you find any loose ones tighten them with an Allen key or a spanner.

Remember breakdowns happen even to the most experienced riders with the most expensive bikes, but some can be prevented with good maintenance and the others you can deal with armed with a bit of knowledge.

Be pro-active in your approach to mountain bike maintenance and look after your bike. Remember maintenance is usually better and cheaper than repair, and armed with a little knowledge you can ride harder for longer.