Mountain Bike Maintenance - Tips on the Basics

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 know you can repair any breakdowns you will feel more confident going on longer, more remote trails but you’ll be less likely to have breakdowns if you’ve maintained your bike properly.

Performing your own mountain bike maintenance will cost you less than paying a mechanic to do it for you and parts should last longer and need replacing less often.

If you’re going to perform your own maintenance one of the most important things to think about first is getting the right basic tools. As you learn more about your bike and its parts you’ll probably pick up more specialist tools.

It’s important to carry a tool kit with you when you ride, the compact kits you can get are the best as they are lightweight and small. It’s important to test all your tools before you take them out on your bike.

Before you even think about tools, the most basic and important maintenance you can carry out on your bike is to keep it clean.

Make sure you get into the habit of cleaning your bike every time you ride, either using a bucket of hot water and soap or a wet cloth. Make sure you wipe it or rinse it down afterwards as this will stop any dirt getting into the parts and help to maintain them!

The next thing to think about in your mountain bike maintenance routine is lubricating the chain occasionally. This is vital to keep it working properly and there are loads of good lubricants you can buy, 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 important but basic item to check is the air pressure in the tyres, which portects them and gives you a better, more confortable ride. You should also change the tyres occasionally as part of your maintenance routine, and make sure you know how to repair 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 every 6 - 9 months, depending on how often you ride.

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

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

Remember breakdowns will always happen, even to the best riders and the most expensive bikes, it’s just the nature of the activity, but it’s better to be prepared and be able to deal with incidents or prevent them where possible with good maintenance.

Be pro-active in your approach to mountain bike maintenance and look after your bike. Just think maintenance is better than repair and with a little maintenance knowledge you can ride further and harder for longer.

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