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
If you are new to mountain biking then you may not realize that the type of rims that you have on your bike can actually alter your riding experience. They can either help you or harm you and so it is important to know the difference between the different rims available. If you are using the bike for cross-country, jumping and free-riding then heavy rims will likely be needed. However, if you are just planning on doing trail riding then you should stick to a rim which is lighter as this will allow better and smoother movement of the bike.
The Difference between Rims
You should find that the rims on your mountain bike are the same at the front and the back of the bike. This is mainly to help with stability as if you have a heavy rim at the back and a lighter one at the front it could really cause problems with balance. This is especially problematic if you are using the bike to perform tricks and to take part in jumps. So you will need to ensure that the rims that you use are suitable for the type of activity you will be taking part in.
If you are planning on using the mountain bike for jumping and performing tricks, you may want to ensure that you have different types of tires. These can be readily mounted onto adequate rims, ready to be used whenever you need them. Having different rims and tires for different mountain bike activities is definitely advised and it will reduce the risk of any accidents from occurring.
If you frequently jump with your bike and take part in downhill riding, your bike will go through a lot of pressure. If you want to remain safe then it is vital that you ensure that the rims are up to the pressure they are put through. If the rim is not string enough then it will bend and the bike will become impossible to ride. Also, a broken rim can cause further problems for the bike with the brake pads and the chain all likely to become damaged.
Another important factor to take into consideration is the spokes on the rims. You need to ensure that they have the proper tension and you can tell this by simply listening to them. Gently hit them with a wrench and listen to see whether there is a dull thud. If there is then you will need to tighten up the spokes. If you take care of the spokes then they will take care of the rims.
Overall it is important to take into account the activities you will be taking part in on your bike. If you are planning on jumping and taking part in more extreme mountain bike riding then you will need to purchase heavy duty rims if you want to reduce the risk of injuring yourself and damaging your bike.
