How much time do you spend servicing your bike?
Discussion
Maybe it's just because I'm learning a lot about the mechanicals all at once, but I seem to be spending forever servicing my bike these days.
In the last 2/3 weeks I've cleaned the chain and cassette twice, given the bike a wash once, checked and loctited up the chainring bolts, adjusted the gears and brakes, tweaked the mudguard fittings, lubricated the cables and pivots, and tonight I have the front hub in pieces!
I don't even do that many miles - maybe 80 miles a week typically. And of course this is just the road bike
In the last 2/3 weeks I've cleaned the chain and cassette twice, given the bike a wash once, checked and loctited up the chainring bolts, adjusted the gears and brakes, tweaked the mudguard fittings, lubricated the cables and pivots, and tonight I have the front hub in pieces!
I don't even do that many miles - maybe 80 miles a week typically. And of course this is just the road bike
hmm, I don't do that much time on my road bike, in fact nothing like !
It depends on the weather. In wet, gritty weather I'd clean the chain, chainrings & cassette every few rides. Basically if I came back and it was wet/gritty then it'd get cleaned. In dry weather such as now, it's once every few weeks which translates to 600-800 miles. The cassette might get done once a month if it's lucky.
Cables - apart from keeping them clean under the bottom bracket and where they enter/leave the outer casings, well they're fit and forget. Hubs, gears, brakes only ever at the start of the year although in winter it's more often.
I think once you get more familiar with setting it all up you'll find bikes are very low-tech and reliable. It's not uncommon for me to do 1000 miles without touching the gears/brakes/steering etc. Remember, the Tour riders are usually doing well over 80 miles on every stage so you're definitely cossetting your bike !
It depends on the weather. In wet, gritty weather I'd clean the chain, chainrings & cassette every few rides. Basically if I came back and it was wet/gritty then it'd get cleaned. In dry weather such as now, it's once every few weeks which translates to 600-800 miles. The cassette might get done once a month if it's lucky.
Cables - apart from keeping them clean under the bottom bracket and where they enter/leave the outer casings, well they're fit and forget. Hubs, gears, brakes only ever at the start of the year although in winter it's more often.
I think once you get more familiar with setting it all up you'll find bikes are very low-tech and reliable. It's not uncommon for me to do 1000 miles without touching the gears/brakes/steering etc. Remember, the Tour riders are usually doing well over 80 miles on every stage so you're definitely cossetting your bike !
I don't set out to do any but then when I'm in my garage and I spot the bike hanging there with a fleck of dust on it, I'll wipe that off then leave the garage some 90 mins later after having cleaned the wheels, individual spokes, hubs, chain and cassette until they all shine. 
I do make sure it's in tip top operational condition too but to be honest, once that's done, it doesn't tend to undo.
I do make sure it's in tip top operational condition too but to be honest, once that's done, it doesn't tend to undo.
Rules of bike longevity for me personally are a full strip down when new, shop monkeys never use the right grease/threadlock, in fact I usually replace fluids in everything on the bike, brakes suspension etc. Never wash the bike unless it is caked in mud and effecting bike operation. A good tip is once a bike is cleaned, spray it with a silicon spray (not brakes and disk/rim) as mud can't cling to the bike.
Chain lubed every month, full strip down every year.
So to answer the OP's question about 1min every month lubing the chain.
Chain lubed every month, full strip down every year.
So to answer the OP's question about 1min every month lubing the chain.
Depends on the costs involved really, on my £500 commuting bike all of the components are cheap enough that replacing them makes more financial sense than cleaning meticulously, I've just replaced most of my drivetrain:
Shimano cassette - £12
Shimano rear derailleur - £10
KMC chain - £6
Shimano chain rings and cranks (replaceable rings this time) - £30
Fitting and tweaking from a local mechanic - £10
The Wooly Hat Shop have some great bargains on last years Shimano stuff.
Chain aside everything else was original and had lasted a couple of years of daily use in all weathers with only the occasional wash.
Shimano cassette - £12
Shimano rear derailleur - £10
KMC chain - £6
Shimano chain rings and cranks (replaceable rings this time) - £30
Fitting and tweaking from a local mechanic - £10
The Wooly Hat Shop have some great bargains on last years Shimano stuff.
Chain aside everything else was original and had lasted a couple of years of daily use in all weathers with only the occasional wash.
On my daily ride I have done next to nothing apart from re-attaching the XT crank arm that fell off, I think its a crap design and not my inability to build bikes! I have also made small adjustments to the brakes and mech's a couple of month after I built the bike.
On the jump bike I've only had to put air in the tyres in the last 10 months since I built it.
On the jump bike I've only had to put air in the tyres in the last 10 months since I built it.
If it's not making and odd noises or behaving wierdly all I ever do is adjust the brakes and gears now and then, I never ever clean it, why the f
k would I when it's going to just get caked again
I once looked up preventative maintainance on google but fell asleep before the page loaded
My bike spends half it's life chained up outside work and being caked in mud and dust from the weekend's excursions, it's started quite a few conversations with like minded guys and I've discovered a few new places good to ride as a result.
k would I when it's going to just get caked again I once looked up preventative maintainance on google but fell asleep before the page loaded
My bike spends half it's life chained up outside work and being caked in mud and dust from the weekend's excursions, it's started quite a few conversations with like minded guys and I've discovered a few new places good to ride as a result.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff