As complicated as bikes can be, taking some easy preventative steps will ensure your bike is safe and maintains performance over the long term. From simple steps like washing to keeping an eye on your air pressure, keeping a bike running well requires just a few minutes pre- and post-ride!
General mountain bike maintenance doesn’t call for every tool in the local bike shop but you do need the basics to keep your bike up to spec. We’d recommend the following for a starter kit:
As you become more familiar with your bike and its components, you can add to your home mechanic kit. Most experienced riders have a tool arsenal, accumulated alongside their skillset.
It’s always a good idea to start a ride with a pre-ride check. In its simplest form, this involves two steps that should never be skipped:
First of all, check your tire pressure. Tires are not perfectly sealed, even if you are running a tubeless setup with sealant. Rubber compounds are porous and will leak air over time. Get your floor pump and pump your tires to the pressure you prefer. This one step may just save you a pinch-flat or unseated bead.
The next step is to lube your chain. This is done by first cleaning excess grease and debris off the chain. You then find the master link, and drizzle a light coat of lube across each link as you rotate the pedals backwards. Once the whole chain has a sheen of lube on it, shift into every gear combination before wiping away the excess lube.
Chain lube reduces friction within your drivetrain. This reduced friction lets your chain shift faster and with more precision, while also cutting noise. Chain lube comes in a variety of weights. Heavier lube tends to last longer but can pick up more dirt and grime. Lighter lubes don’t last as long but run cleaner. A lube with a light, runny consistency typically works best in dry, dusty areas. If you ride often in wet, muddy climates, you will probably prefer a thicker, more viscous lube. Other options include wax-based, Teflon, and more, which apply to more specialized types of riding and conditions.
These simple yet crucial first steps will get you out on the trail without fear of mechanical frustration.
After your ride, you’ll need to clean up your rig. This not only makes it look fresh and new, but also preserves the integrity of the mechanical parts.
Start with the hose, preferably one with an adjustable pressure nozzle. It will be tempting to just power hose the dirt or mud off but resist the temptation. The pressure will push grime into your pivots, seals, bearings, and shift cable housing and eventually contribute to the breakdown of components. Instead, use the hose’s softer water setting and take your time getting the dirt out with your brush kit or rag. Simple Green or a comparable cleaning product can be applied to the drivetrain, frame, and wheels, but it is recommended that you avoid the bottom bracket, hub internals, and headset, as these components need to keep their grease intact to function properly. Be especially nice around your suspension seals. Use a fresh and cleaned rag only, as dirt on your seals can wear them out sooner and erode the suspension internals.
Now your bike may look shiny and clean, but before you put it away, assure that there is still lube on the chain, and that all rotating and free-moving components are free of dirt and debris, which could impact their performance. Once you’re satisfied, it’s time to store your ride. But don’t store your bike under the deck or leave it outside in bad weather. Instead, find a safe and dry area for it to hang or stand. There are bike storage solutions that can accommodate almost any space.
From time to time you are going to have to go above and beyond. Use your multi-tool or Allen keys to check bolts, which can come loose if you ride often.
Hint: You’re not always tightening, but instead checking to see if anything is loose. If it is loose, then tighten it. While tightening, don’t crank down on the bolt. You could strip the threads or break the bolt head off if you apply too much torque.
And to finish it off, get to know your bike. Know the names of the components and suspension. Try and remember what pressure you keep your suspension at (you can start by matching your body weight in the rear shock). Learn the name of your brakes so you can easily buy new pads. SRAM and Shimano drivetrains work differently, so make sure you know what parts you have if they need to be replaced. Learn to identify when your brake pads or cassette are worn, and read up on how to swap them out. And if you don’t know, there is no shame in bringing your bike to the shop to learn.
Learning to fix basic things and learning to fix them correctly will save you a lot of money at the shop as well. Tuning gears and swapping brake pads are great skills to have and there are a lot of online tutorials by manufacturers. Don’t be scared to learn something new. You might just be a hero on the trail.