Service, maintenance and replacement ?

[Bbbbbbbb]

What ( in your experience opinions, not guessing) is average km/time when you do what maintenance and what replacments on a mtb.

 

Now i know there are those who say depends on the riding, but for this lets say, normal weekend rider, riding a race or two a month, 50 to 80 km rides, local joburg type mtb rides( spruit, cradle, avianto, northerns) use the average as base..

 

When do you service and when replace things like

 

Pivots

Bearings on hubs

Bottom bracket

Chain

Cassette

Headset

Etc

[eddy]

For Spruit, Cradle and Avianto I ride a Single Speed hardtail and check my chain every so often. As long as it remains in spec, I leave it.

 

I ride a geared, DS bike if and when I race and as this is infrequent I had it checked before Joburg to Sea last year and again after the event. Nothing much has changed.

 

There is no reason to train and use up an expensive  "race bike"  in Joburg  when an indestructible SS can be had for the cost of a full service.

 

Well, that is my situation.

[RobertWhitehead]

Whenever you take your bike to a LBS you will have to replace all of the above mentioned  .

[Thermophage]

42

[brad890]

What ( in your experience opinions, not guessing) is average km/time when you do what maintenance and what replacments on a mtb.

 

Now i know there are those who say depends on the riding, but for this lets say, normal weekend rider, riding a race or two a month, 50 to 80 km rides, local joburg type mtb rides( spruit, cradle, avianto, northerns) use the average as base..

 

When do you service and when replace things like

 

Pivots

Bearings on hubs

Bottom bracket

Chain

Cassette

Headset

Etc

 

All depends on your self service skills, if you don't mind getting your hands dirty, then my personal routine is as follows. (each cook has his own recipe) 

 

Once a year I'll do a full strip of the bike and check all bearings, in pivots, headset etc.

 

If bearings are turning freely with no grinding or play, will leave be till next check.

 

With wheel hubs.

 

Shimano - Cup & Cone, those should be cleaned and re-greased every 3-4 months or so, get the LBS to teach you before trying yourself. If sealed bearings I would check each individual bearing on the once a year check.

 

With consumables, (chain, cassette etc) that all depends on the conditions you ride in, if you like to ride in the mud or dry dusty conditions then you'll need to change the chain more often, like that you can keep using the same cassette for at least 2-3 chains.

 

Lastly a pressure spray as convenient as it is, does generally not go well with bearings especially if you spray directly at pivots, BB, headset etc. The water can get passed seals and into bearings 

 

If any bearings are creaking, stiff or do not turn freely then they should be checked and most likely replaced.

[porqui]

Just too many variables.

 

You need to get to know your bike and listen to your bike.

And rather sooner than later - cuts down costs.

 

Plenty on Google and Youtube about servicing intervals.

[droo]

Your intervals will depend very much on how well you do intermediate maintenance, riding conditions, style, etc.

 

If you're mechanically sensitive (no shifting under load or other such abusive behaviour), keep suspension and drivetrain clean, avoid pressure washers (and even excessive washing) you'll be fine with a full rebuild every 100 - 150 hours and a tune up every 50 or if you hear a funny noise.

 

Component lifespans will vary wildly depending on quality, treatment and riding conditions, but if you stick to the above you'll generally catch problems before they cause proper damage, the best example being swapping out a chain before it hits 0.5% wear to avoid wearing the cassette and rings out as well.

 

The 50 hour clean and check is a thing you should learn to do yourself, but unless you're totally confident in your abilities it's best to get the 150 hour service done by a professional mechanic. Suspension, brake bleeds and pivot bearing replacements need tools that the average home mechanic doesn't have, so unless you're a proper bike nerd with a fair bit of spare cash it's best to take it in.

[Dirkitech]

Just too many variables.

 

You need to get to know your bike and listen to your bike.

And rather sooner than later - cuts down costs.

 

Plenty on Google and Youtube about servicing intervals.

This is a good point in favour of self sufficiency on your bikes.

Sure, the lbs may tighten your seatpost/stem/brake calipers to torque specs, but if you know your bike, you may realise things work differently on yours - like a stem at torque levels will still twist under pressure and could cause injury. Not shaming lbs's here (servicing parts at reasonable intervals is a good thing!), but suggesting that not all bikes and specs are black and white and being meticulous can save your skin, literally.

 

To stay on topic, here's an example - the fork sagged too much after far less than 50 hours of riding, all at the same psi prior to the ride. Knowing what the travel usually is like, I knew that waiting for the 50 hour service could be catastrophic in injuries or repairs. In other cases, the fork was still firm at the 44ish hour mark and it was serviced round about late 50's. My point is, in both cases it was the same fork, but knowing what the fork's capabilities are possibly saved me from eating rocks.

[Hamstring]

there is a couple of apps to use that give you an idea if you have none. i just use shockPro for my suspension the rest is just feel and knowing your bike.  

[PhilipV]

there is a couple of apps to use that give you an idea if you have none. i just use shockPro for my suspension the rest is just feel and knowing your bike.

Thanks. Just downloaded Shockpro. Have been looking for exactly this for a while.

[Me rida my bicycle]

Cleaning, basic maintenance and looking after your bike could make time between services longer. And get a workshop you trust they will advise you on when to service and when not.

[dave303e]

What ( in your experience opinions, not guessing) is average km/time when you do what maintenance and what replacments on a mtb.

 

Now i know there are those who say depends on the riding, but for this lets say, normal weekend rider, riding a race or two a month, 50 to 80 km rides, local joburg type mtb rides( spruit, cradle, avianto, northerns) use the average as base..

 

When do you service and when replace things like

 

Pivots

Bearings on hubs

Bottom bracket

Chain

Cassette

Headset

Etc

 

Clean and re grease with good quality grease regularly(cost is an hour or 2 and some grease) and they will last a lot longer than you will think.

 

Also note for things like headset and pivot bearings some marine grease will keep water out and do a good job(at the cost of some friction).

 

Chain and cassette depends on conditions and maintenance and of course the chain and cassette in question.

 

Measuring your chain before a service is always a good idea, then you know before hand if it needs replacing or not. The rest you can feel play in bearings if there is, 

Edited January 30, 2019 by dave303e