What's the best way to maintain a mountain bike?

Question

What should I do to my bike to make sure it keeps working... I know for cars you change the oil, check the breaks, flush out the radiator etc. What should I do with my bike to make sure it lasts as long as possible?

Answer 1

The most critical component of mountain bikes is the chain. Before and after every ride, make sure the chains are clean and lubed. Make sure there are no rust on the chain. Use degreasers to clean out all the dirt and debris. Wash it out with water, dry, and lubed the chain.

Also check the cables. You may want to lube the brake and gear cables also if they seem dirty. Make sure you can shift to all the gears smoothly. Make sure the brakes perform well.

To sum it all up. Just make sure "All Moving Parts" are clean and lubed (or greased)

Answer 2

Every 1000km its good to regrease your wheel bearings. If they are sealed bearings, every 2500km.  Its good to oil your chain every 5th bike ride, and after you oil the chain, wipe it clean with a rag so there is no oil on the outside of the chain. A greasy chain is a dirt magnet and will shorten the life of your chain, your crank and gears.  Crank bearings if they are sealed are good for about 5000km before regreasing is needed.

Answer 3

It depends on what bike you have, where you ride, how much and how hard you ride the bike.  If you ride a few times a month, then I'd take it to a bike shop every couple of years for a maintenance check up.

Otherwise, keep it clean, especially the drive train.  Spray on a degreaser and then toothbrush it with soapy water and rinse.  Lube the chain and you should be good to go.

Answer 4

How to maintain a bike could fill a book. In fact, it has filled several books. Hence my recommendation.

Get yourself a good book on mountain bike maintenance. After reading it, you will have a good idea of what maintenance items you want to do yourself and which ones to have a shop perform for you.

Just go to Amazon.com and type "mountain bike maintenance" into their search box. Several good books will show up from which to choose.

Answer 5

I have had a Diamond Back for 8 years in a row. Every year I take it to a cycle shop and ask them to replace, adjust, oil....whatever.  They always charge me about 35.00.  Meanwhile, I just keep it clean. After riding I hose it down and re'oil with bannana oil.....the chain, the gears.  Bannana oil with teflon is the stuff!  Just wash it, oil it and ride it.  Let the experts do the rest.  Good Riding!

Answer 6

How serious are you? Unless you have special tools, there isn't all that much you can do. You can oil the chain and check the brakes, but if you really want to start looking after you bicycle properly, you will have to start repacking your wheel hubs, headset and bottom bracket with grease periodically (unless they are sealed units). A lot of people would be afraid to do something like this, and the tools required will cost you a bit, but it isn't that hard and it means that you can take care of it all by yourself. Do some research into it. This is a good website to start.

www.sheldonbrown.com