Basic Mountain Bike Maintenance

If you’re a mountain bike enthusiast it’s a benefit to be able to do your own mountain bike maintenance as it will save you money and improve your riding experience.

If you know you can repair your bike when you have a breakdown you’ll feel more confident riding further for longer, on more remote trails, but you’ll be less likely to have a breakdwon anyway if you’ve maintained your bike well.

Doing your own mountain bike maintenance rather than getting a mechanic to do it will cost you less money and parts of the bike will last longer and won’t have to be replaced so often.

The first thing to think about if you’re planning on doing your own maintenance is 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. Don’t forget to test all your tools before you take them out on a ride 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. Don’t forget to rinse it down or wipe it afterwards as this will stop dirt getting into parts it shouldn’t and help to maintain them!

The next thing to think about in your mountain bike maintenance routine is lubricating the chain occasionally. This is imperative to keep it functioning well and there are lots available including some self-cleaning lubricants. If you need to apply lubricant to the chain, do it the night before you ride and not just beforehand so that it has chance to work into the chain properly.

Another important basic thing to check is the air pressure in your tyres as this will protect them and give you a better 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 things to check regularly are gear and brake cables 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. Check the position of the brake pads against the wheel rims, which should rest squarely on the rim when the brakes are on. When not applied they should be well clear of the sidewall of the tyre.

As a final part of your maintenance routine inspect all the nuts and bolts on your bike and if you find any loose ones make sure to 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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