Is It Time For Bike Maintenance?
You probably didn’t put your bike away last fall without cleaning it, right? 😳
Even if you did knock the crust off it, it likely still needs some love before you can smash and bang this spring. (If you just came back from 10 days in Utah, like us 😜, you also need to do some things) So, what do you need to do now?
1. Clean
You need to wash the bike down, get all the dirt off. The correct way is to add some soap to a bucket, lightly spray your machine with hose water, then use a soft brush to lather the frame and parts gently, avoiding your brake rotors. The fast way is to spray the whole bike top to bottom with Simple Green, let it sit for 10 minutes, then hose bike down with the nozzle on JET. Obviously this is best done outdoors.
2. Dry & inspect your bike
Using your favorite soft rags, wipe every surface down carefully and lovingly. Start at the stem, do the bar, work your way down the top tube, down the frame, and the do your rims and the other dirty parts. While you’re doing this, look for anything new; scratches, scuffs, dents, paint chips, bulges, rim dings, loose rubber, and any leaking oil. Make note of any of these as they may be actual damage that needs repair.
3. Check wheels axles
If your wheel axles are loose, then everything on the bike will feel loose. Start by LOOSENING your axles or quick release, and unscrew your axle part way to chase the threads clean, then tighten it to normal. It’s rare but axles can get stuck. Reset them so the wheels feel secure.
4. Check your headset tightness
You want to know for sure your steering column is properly tensioned and feels good. If you did a few fall days of DH, there’s a good chance your headset needs to be adjusted. Grab the bike by the top headset cup under your stem, apply the front brake on hard, and then rock the bike back and forth quickly. If it moves, it’s loose. You might feel a little “tick-tick” depending on what fork you run, and that’s ok, but only a little, and not where your hand is. Turn the bars to the side, then rock back and forth again and feel it. If you compress the fork when you’re rocking the bike, it should reduce any play and any ticking to. If your headset is loose, you need to back off the tensions, and then reset the headset. If you don’t know how, learn or take it to your favorite shop. (https://youtu.be/lM4iddLaL8I?si=xqbgx6EKc2xgpQ2M)
5. Check your crank for movement
Those DH days might also have loosened your crank. Check it by grabbing one of the arms and pushing and pulling it sideways into the frame to feel for movement. Loose cranks might only move a millimeter or two, but that means your chain is not always aligned to your gears and the bottom bracket bearings are unequally loaded. If you have the know how and tools, preload it correctly and retighten. If not, shopmtime. (https://www.youtube.com/@parktool/search?query=crank)
6. Check your bolts
Now is the time to go over EVERY bolt on the bike to make sure they are 6-12nm tight. 6nm is snug, then +1/8th of a turn. Using the CORRECT size Allen or Torx key, start at the stem faceplate, then work your way down and back over the whole bike. Faceplate stem, headset (done), grips, shifters, dropper lever, front brake bolts, rotor bolts, fender bolts, water bottle cage, crank (done), pedals, bash guard, derailleur mount, rear brakes, rear rotor, seat post, seat bolts. If they are tight, leave them as-is, if they are light, then make ‘em tight.
7. Check your frame suspension for play
First, check the pivot axles at all pivot points. Do this using the appropriate Allen key by GENTLY trying to tighten and loosen the bolt. If it’s snug, DO NOT loosen the axle. If it’s loose, then snug it up, and tighten it a bit more, 1/8th of a turn. Most (all) pivot bolts are secured with low torque and use thread locker to secure them. If you have a torque wrench and loc-tite, look up the bolt torque spec from your brand and fix the bolt. If not, it’s a good idea to get your bike shop to do it. Now that your axles and pivots are tight, you can grab your rear swing arm and flex it and see if moves side to side too much, or makes clicking noises. Some frames do flex, but there should be no squeaks or cracks or pops when you flex the stays. Part 2 is checking the motion of the mech. The best way to do this is to let some air out of your shock, maybe down to 100psi, so that you can fully compress your suspension. Then you want to push down on your seat and squish the bike all the way down to maximum travel, feeling for crunchy movement or nasty noises. With both tests, any rough movement or nose is bad. For most people, suspension maintenance is done by your bike store and starts around $150.00. It is a task best left to industry professionals, although some bikes like Santa Cruz are very easy to work on with a few custom tools.
8. How do your shock and fork feel?
Checking your critical suspension components is another, separate post, but the initial check here is to engage them and see if they feel good. If they move well and don’t stick, that’s good. Get out your shock pump and check your target air pressure (you wrote that down, right?). The proper way is to check SAG, but pressure is easy to set. Check around the fork and shaft wipers for any excess oil leakage. And look for scratches on the precious parts. If either components feels sticky, or leaks oil, or it’s been over 150 hours of riding (75+ rides) then you need to get those parts serviced. This is expensive at $150+ per item. We use DOS @ Velo La Shop, and Full Cycle for suspension work.
9. Show your dropper post some love
Most dropper posts will develop some rotational play over time, and many will start to stick at the worst moment when you try to raise them. Most posts benefit from a little lubrication, and some additional air pressure (unless it’s a sealed cartridge). If you need to get rid of the play, depending on your model, you can do a home rebuild for $25 (OneUp, PNW) or you can send it away for a rebuild for $60 to $150 (Fox, SRAM, RaceFace). It’s also a good idea to lube your dropper lever, and check the cable stop at both ends. A fresh cable can also make it feel good again. (https://youtu.be/wbZRYJXmCfg?si=jzrcKWWb7pv3-k-P)
10. Check tires
Before you do anything with rubber, especially for our clients, check the side knobs on your tires. If they look chewed and worn, or there’s crack, you might want to replace your tires ASAP. If all the edges look soft and rounded (not on purpose) then they’re pretty toast. Those are unsafe to ride hard. (Also check for cactus needles if you just got back from Utah 😜). Really old tires develop cracks on the sidewalls too. if you’re happy enough with what you see, move on to step 10.
11. Add. More. Sealant
Tubeless sealant dries out over time (3 months) and needs to be refilled. Even if you have great rims and stiff tire brads, you need to refresh sealant to get punctures to seal. If your tires are “sweating” it means that your sealant has lost its key ingredients and need to be goosed. At least, buy a small tube of sealant, and split it between front and rear tires. Now pump your tires up to your preferred pressure. Remove the valve and Inject it through the empty stem, chase it with a squirt of water. If you’re on the trail with a flat and your tire is dry, I will not give you a tube. You can think about what you did wrong on the walk back to the car. (https://youtu.be/uCy64sgLk4E?si=9kCmG86__ZYRZ8tP)
That’s a good start. Now take some Armour All and make everything pretty and shiny. Hopefully you’re ready for your next session without too much work.