5 Overlooked Things You Should Do For Your Mountain Bike

Whether you own a beat-up big-box-store special or a racing bike that costs more than your car, there’s more to keeping your mountain bike in good shape than inflating your tires to their proper pressure.

While proper storage and cleaning are important, so are a number of fundamental areas you may not have thought of.

Here below – in order of increasing importance – are our picks for the top services you should perform, learn to perform, or have performed before the next time you hit the trails:

5. Align your derailleur[s]
Yes, that’s the correct spelling. Yes, it means about what it says. This is the part that actually moves your chain onto different sprockets when you move the shifters on your handlebars. By far the most important maintenance element here is keeping your derailleur or derailleurs properly aligned so that they place your chain precisely on each sprocket. The imagery in the link below shows how to do this and also where to lubricate.
http://garynuke.homestead.com/derailleur.html

4. Lubricate!
Perhaps because it’s potentially messy, loads of mountain bikers hold off on doing this as much as they should. The truth is, you should be lubricating and wiping off excess from lube from all moving parts including your pedals, brakes, derailleurs, stem, axels and cassette.

Learn to lube your entire bike in about 2 minutes: http://mountainbike.about.com/od/basicbikemaintenance/ht/Quick_lube.htm

3. Clean your chain
The easiest thing to let slide is the maintenance of your bike’s chain. When the chain on your bike in otherwise good shape starts to rust or look like the one pictured here, it’s time to decide whether a cleaning and lube will keep you riding for another season or if you need to just buy a new chain. (A new chain can cost as little as $20 and as much-or-more than $100).

Time to clean or replace? Take a look at this very useful visual guide:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

2. Clean/replace/align your brake pads
At the very least, make sure the surface of your brake pads that touch the rim or discs are free of debris and clear of fine dirt, dust or sand. If your brake pads are wearing unevenly or they no longer catch and stop your bike the way they once did, it’s time to replace them. Unlike a car, replacing your bike’s brake pads is something you can do or have done, and for as low as $5-$10.

For more on when and how to replace (or get someone to replace) your brake pads, check out: http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/brake1.htm

1. Adjust your brake levers
Going in any bike is secondary to stopping, which even the best-adjusted bike will fail to do if the controls don’t work properly. One of the easiest (and oft-neglected) things you can do to keep your bike in tip-top shape is to make sure the reach and position of your brake levers are properly adjusted.

Next steps…

The above is only a bare-necessity starting point.

If you’re interested in thoroughly tuning up your own mountain bike, check out this tutorial: http://bicycletutor.com/tune-up/  and buy yourself a good-quality cycling multitool.

If you’re not completely confident in your ability to do the above work, leave it to the pros: Shop around and look for the best deal (coupled with a good policy for recourse if you’re not happy with the tune-up) from your local bike or bike & board specialist.

Remember, though: Just like your car, any investment in keeping your bike in good working order is an investment in your own well-being.

**NOTE: Always have your bike serviced by a reputable repair shop if you are not confident in your ability to effect repairs that will render your bike safe to ride. CAA North and Eastern Ontario assumes no responsibility and holds itself harmless in connection with any repairs persons reading this page may undertake**

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