[freeriding]

After a few rides with the bike (dusty or muddy or whatever), what do you do to the bike to keep it working properly and to assure that it keeps performing???

(cleaning, lubing, which parts, what kind of products etc)

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

i take it to the lbs. they know what they are doing and have the time to do it....

 

[StabprimoMonkee]

Chainlube for chain. Your favorite environmental friendly soap for washing (even water does wonders). Alcohol or brake cleaner for brakes.

Thats it. Everything gets done on "as needed" basis.

Also replace shifting cable and housing once in a while. Replace bearings and bushes when worn out. Replace broken spokes. Some forks need to be torn down every 10-20 hours of riding and lubed.

Thats about all.

 

[al-irl]

give it a good clean. Then check everything is tight and gears are still running correctly, brakes are drag free and the pads arent worn out. Lube up the drivetrain and then its ready to ride again.

 

[jasonvelocity]

Slowly learn how to fix everything. Your biking experience will only get better.

 

[csermonet]

local bike shop tune ups can get pricey. especially if thats what you do every time. i do most of my maintenance myself. the only thing i dont do myself is wheels and brake bleeding. in my experience, once the shifter/derailleur is setup correctly you wont have to mess with it much. i just give her a good cleaning every once in a while and lube the chain. if i take something apart that is important, i.e. forks, cranks, etc i always make sure to torque the bolts to the manufacturers suggested torque setting. a micro torque wrench is a good investment.

 

[mtg]

Slowly learn how to fix everything. Your biking experience will only get better.

Or, if you're racing, quickly learn how to fix everything

 

[IH8Rice]

DH and AM bike- if its muddy, i take the whole bike apart and clean everything. if its not muddy i just lube chain and put it away. ill still usually take it apart and fully clean it after 2 clean rides.

 

[Smurfette]

Simple Green and a Car Wash brush for Cleaning .... Motorex Lube for the chain.

 

[bullcrew]

Squirt it lightly, wipe it dry. If its anodized hit it with a rag with dw40 and wipe frame (avoid brakes and rotors). Lube chain every few rides or so if i don't feel play and bikes not rattling I don't check squat for bolts or looseness. Figure if its loose I'll find out on a landing and or jump/berm.
Know my bike well enough to tell if a critical part is loose just pay attention to its handling and responsiveness it will tell you alot.

If its muddy then squirt it down before mud dries its harder to get mud out of tight spots and bearing surfaces. Chains will also take a beating pretty bad with letting mud dry on there, the mud holds the moisture in by hardening the outside first with evaporation and it turn protects the mud underneath keeping it moist longer and on a steel chain that means rust.

 

[Uncle Cliffy]

After a ride I just leave it in the garage, let the dirt fall off, then sweep the floor.

 

[freeriding]

If its anodized hit it with a rag with dw40 and wipe frame (avoid brakes and rotors).

why do that? WD40 or GT85 attract dirt cause they contain oil. mucoff is ok or can it harm the paint?

do you do anything to the hubs? maybe some wd40 would be nice in the hubs, cause it dispenses the water that may be trapped inside.

do you put any oil etc in the rear suspension pivots? (bearings, pivots)

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

i just power wash the living fvck out of the hard to reach places, havent had a mechanical in 13 years.

 

[TKCastle]

Your asking a question with many answers. There are the "I paid 4k for my bike, it should work properly dirt or clean." and you have "The race teams break down their bikes after each race and so do I". I love working on bikes and racing them. I take my bike apart for cleaning at least 20-30 times a year.

F the LBS. You'll always get screwed buying or service. Learn to wrench, learn to wrench good with good tools.

 

[manhattanprjkt83]

F the LBS. You'll always get screwed buying or service. Learn to wrench, learn to wrench good with good tools.

Very good advice I can't imagine going to a LBS for almost anything.

 

[p-spec]

If you have a kashima fork,wipe those stanchions off every run

 

[IH8Rice]

If you have a kashima fork,wipe those stanchions off every run

and why is that?

 

[Uncle Cliffy]

and why is that?

So fools can see that gold. Duh.

 

[OGRipper]

why do that? WD40 or GT85 attract dirt cause they contain oil. mucoff is ok or can it harm the paint?

Dude, he said DW40. Must be something new from Weagle. Like spreading awesome dust all over your bike or something.

 

[p-spec]

and why is that?

2011 manual says to keep seal erea always clean from sand and other particules for possible pre wear of coating.

2012 coating has been changed and is a "harder" coating as said and as meny know.And this may no effect anymore.

Maybe they changed the recipe exacly because of wat we are talking about.Do not quote me on that.

 

[IH8Rice]

2011 manual says to keep seal erea always clean from sand and other particules for possible pre wear of coating.

2012 coating has been changed and is a "harder" coating as said and as meny know.And this may no effect anymore.

that doesnt mean to clean your fork after every run.

also, where was it said that the new coating is "harder?"

 

[mtg]

why do that? WD40 or GT85 attract dirt cause they contain oil. mucoff is ok or can it harm the paint?

do you do anything to the hubs? maybe some wd40 would be nice in the hubs, cause it dispenses the water that may be trapped inside.

do you put any oil etc in the rear suspension pivots? (bearings, pivots)

You got it wrong, he said "dw40", which is a patented ultra decreaser, cleaner, rust inhibitor, and lube that's environmentally friendly and doesn't attract dirt or damage paint. Duh.

 

[rockofullr]

Very good advice I can't imagine going to a LBS for almost anything.

If you take care of your own bike for long enough you should be able to feel or hear anything that is not working properly.

Regular preventative maintenance includes:

Suspension maintenance (fork and shock) - One to two times per season (more if you ride a lot)

Break Bleed - Once per season (you can feel if bubbles are forming in your hydraulic line)

Suspension Hardware (DU bushing and pivots) - This varies depending on your riding and your bike. Some people replace pivots religiously but usually the best bet is to check the pivots/bushings for any play and only replace them only if you discover a problem.

Chain Wear - Check your chain for stretching every month (unless you ride a crazy amount). A stretched chain can ruin your whole drive train.

Drive Train - Clean and lube every few rides. Keep an eye on the rear derailleur as it tends to collect dirt.

Wheel Maintenance - Truing and tension your wheels is very important but hard to give a time frame for. Check the true and tension every 3 or 4 rides to be safe.

Hot tip: WD40 has no place in your bike tool kit.

 

[robert716]

--Wash when it's muddy or very dusty: diluted Simple green and a low pressure spray
--Lube chain upon washing or when it dries out
--Check tire pressure before each ride
--Check for loose spokes after each ride
--Clean fork stanchions/seal area after each ride
--Check fasteners every 5-10 rides
--Adjust derailleur as needed
--Service fork 2x per year
--Disassemble pivots for cleaning 2x per year
--Replace everything else when it fails

I'm OK with turning to an LBS when necessary, but make sure you have a good one. You can tell the bad ones by how they roll their eyes when they see a downhill bike roll through the front door.

 

[bullcrew]

You got it wrong, he said "dw40", which is a patented ultra decreaser, cleaner, rust inhibitor, and lube that's environmentally friendly and doesn't attract dirt or damage paint. Duh.

Lmao. Don't forget it has split pivot molecules that have a linear dust emulsification inhibitor.

Yea i was a bit tired today and wd obviously not dw.

 

[dhmtbj]

A bit spammy but this is a simple cleaning guide I made for Pedro's. Runs through the basic process of cleaning a bike.

 

[freeriding]

for a chrome frame like the lapierre 920, do i need to be careful of something when i wash it? (muc off etc)

PS. the colour is chrome, right? is it anodized too?

 

[IH8Rice]

be careful what you use to clean it with. try to use soft brushes or a sponge. you might wind up scratching the hell out of the finish if you arent careful
i doubt its actual chrome though