Maintenance
Schedule the work you need to carry out on your bike by developing a maintenance timetable. The timetable on the right provides a good template, since it shows the tasks you should perform on your bike and suggests when you should do them. Your schedule depends on how much and where your bike is ridden. A heavily used off-road bike requires attention at much shorter intervals, while a bike used for infrequent, short road journeys will need less regular attention. However, work carried out as part of a maintenance schedule does not replace the safety checks that must be carried out before every ride, or regularly looking for danger signs. You should also check your bike and lubricate the drivetrain every time you clean it. Maintenance Schedule |
DRIVETRAIN |
EVERY WEEK | EVERY MONTH | EVERY SIX MONTHS | |
| CHECK | Chain for wear Gear-shift performance Inner cables for fraying and outer cables for wear Crankarms and chainring bolts for tightness |
Bottom bracket for smooth running, play, and bent axle Pedals for play, and clipless pedals for play and release action Rear derailleur pivots for play Cog and chainring teeth for wear |
Freehub body and freewheel for play Rear derailleur frame fixing bolt for play Cleats for wear Jockey pulleys for wear |
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| LUBRICATE | Oil chain Oil jockey pulleys |
Oil derailleur pivots Oil and grease inner and outer cables Oil clipless pedal release mechanisms |
Grease open-bearing bottom bracket Oil in hub gear, if equipped with oil port Grease bearings in pedals |
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| REPLACE | Chain on a heavily used bike |
Chain Inner and outer cables Cogs on a heavily used bike |
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STEERING AND WHEELS |
CHECK | Headset for looseness and ease of steering Action of quick-release levers Wheels for broken spokes and trueness Handlebar and stem for cracks |
Hubs for play on axles, roughness, or tight spots Rubber seals on hubs for splits Covers, if fitted, on headsets |
Bearings in open-bearing hubs for wear Bearings and bearing surfaces in headsets for wear |
| LUBRICATE | Oil the seals on hubs | Grease open-bearing hubs Grease headsets |
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| REPLACE | Handlebar tape and grips | |||
BRAKES |
CHECK | Inner cables for fraying and and outer cables for weal Pads for wear and alignment Hydraulic hoses for wear, kinks, or leaks Brake levers, arms, discs, and calipers for cracks Disc and caliper bolts for tightness |
Discs for wear and calipers for alignment Coaster brake action and chain tension |
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| LUBRICATE | Oil exposed cables by wiping with wet lube on a rag |
Grease inner cables and oil inside outer cables | Grease brake bosses | |
| REPLACE | Brake pads of heavily used mountain bikes | Inner and outer cables | ||
SUSPENSION |
CHECK | Fork and shock exterior surfaces for cracks Stanchions under shock boots, if fitted, for cracks Top caps, crown bolts, and shaft bolts for tightness |
Fork and shock for play Fork stanchions to see if oil line visible Fork and shock seals for cracks and slackness. (Play, absence of oil lines, and cracked seals are all evidence of worn seals, which should be replaced by a trained technician.) Fork and shock sag |
Fork steerer for cracks, by removing the headset |
| LUBRICATE | Teflon oil on fork stanchions and shock body, and on all seals |
Turn bike upside down and store overnight so oil can redistribute in
fork |
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| REPLACE | Fork oil Seals on forks and shocks, as part of biannual by trained technician |
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