Mountain Bike Maintenance 101
Mountain bike maintenance can become an obstacle course, if
you don't have some basic skills.
Owning a mountain bike - whether you are a serious rider or
simply enjoy it as a sport - is an investment in time and
money. Protect that investment by learning a few tricks of the
trade as far as mountain bike maintenance is concerned.
The first important thing in mountain bike maintenance is
very simple: keep your bike clean! Wipe off
excess dirt once a week, using a dry cloth or a damp soapy
sponge. During wet weather, or with frequent use, it is a good
idea to wash your bike after every ride. If you don't do this,
you will find that there are a lot of sticky stuff out there
that may become unwelcome, permanent fixtures.
Another regular habit you need to adopt as part of mountain
bike maintenance, is degreasing the chain and
drivetrain. How often you do this depends on how often
you ride. It should be done once a month at least, and up to
two or three times per month if you ride on a regular
basis.
Lubrication of the chain is essential.
There are many excellent lubricants on the market. Choose one
that suits your needs. Keep in mind that newer lubricants such
as White Lightning are self-cleaning, which minimizes mountain
bike maintenance.
It is best to apply lubricant the night before you ride.
Doing it ten minutes before, prevents it from getting into the
chain properly.
As part of mountain bike maintenance, it is vital to
maintain the correct air pressure in the
tires. Taking care of this small detail will protect
your expensive tires. It also prevents frequent tube
problems.
Gear cables tend to stretch over time, which makes gear
shifting less effective. Gear and brake cables should
be checked regularly, and replaced more often than
most people realize. New ones should be put in every six to
nine months as part of general mountain bike maintenance, and
the cable housing should be replaced at the same time.
Another item on you mountain bike maintenance list, is your
brake pads. These wear extremely fast. You need to
check the alignment of the brake pads against
the rims. They should sit squarely on the rim when the brakes
are applied.
When relaxed, they should be clear of the sidewall of your
tire as it turns. Replace the brake pads when they get to the
wear line. Allowing them to go onto the metal casing, will
damage your rims.
Check all the nuts and bolts in your
monthly mountain bike maintenance routine. Invest in an Allen
key or spanner and tighten the loose bolts, such as crank
bolts, seatpost bolts, and headset locknuts.
Lastly, one simple way to look after your bike is to
keep it under cover, preferably indoors. Don't
expose it to the elements any more than necessary.
Be careful when using a bike cover outside. These tend to
trap moisture between the cover and the ground, and will cause
the steel parts on your bike to corrode more rapidly, giving
cause for more mountain bike maintenance than you ever had in
mind!
Take good care of your bike and it will take good care of
you!
For more information visit Best-Mountain-Biking.com | Rika
Susan of Article-Alert.com researches, writes,
and publishes full-time on the Web.
How to Mountain Bike
|